Old Dog, New Tricks?

Cooch

Likes Dirt
Reading through the posts in this new Vet forum got me thinking about my riding and what I've been doing over the past few years on the bike.

20 years ago, Fufanus, X-ups, barspins, moto-whips just didn't exist in what was a new sport of mountainbiking. The movies over the past few years show kids just going off with new moves, new style and new speed.

So what have you 'old dogs' been doing on your bike?

I just did my first ever 5 metre gap jump last weekend, landing clean as a whistle on the tranny. Have also been trying to do Fu'fs on the street bike and the Moto-whips are coming along nicely on the trail bike and downhill rig!

I'm almost also getting fakies and half-cabs on the street bike - now just want to get the 180 hop to fakie - that would be cool.
 

BT180

Max Pfaff
I'm almost also getting fakies and half-cabs on the street bike - now just want to get the 180 hop to fakie - that would be cool.
huh, are you speaking English?! :p

I think I started taking riding seriously too late to be getting into all that stuff. As you say; Old dogs....
 

Cooch

Likes Dirt
The Old-Dog Decoder Ring:

Fakies: basically riding backwards on your bike (yes, you have to pedal backwards)

Half-cab: when you're doing a Fakie (see above), it's how you turn around to ride forwards again. It's kind of like turning your front wheel and hopping at the same time.

Fufanu: Where you bunny-hop up onto an object and stall on your rear wheel and then turn around and hop back down to where you left off.

180-Hop: A bunny-hop where you turn 180 degrees in the air, landing to a Fakie.
 

Dagget

Squid
I went OTB for the first time in 20 years on the weekend ...
Does that count as a new trick ? lol ....

I've learnt that I don't want to do it again ! ;)
 

Cooch

Likes Dirt
I went OTB for the first time in 20 years on the weekend ...
Does that count as a new trick ? lol ....

I've learnt that I don't want to do it again ! ;)
Certainly counts if you were trying to foot-jam or do a rolling front wheelie or something! :p

None of us like going OTB.
 

Deadman

Likes Dirt
Make the most of the track

As an older mangy dog who does not want to give-in to getting older. I use my best endeavours to hit the features that the Trail Lords build into the trail. Yes, I often B-Line the visually intimadating features but I hope that one day I can do them. I do know my limits!!! Praise to the Trail Lords, the best compliment I can pay them is to respect the integrety of the trail.

Have to get another drink. See yah!

Cheers, DM
 

Hugor

Likes Dirt
Yeh I got into this sport too late to consider most of what you're talking about.
I still don't mind a decent set of Fakies though.
 

ezrider

Likes Bikes
hey i know you guys all spend money on bling and add-ons on your bikes so what is wrong with a little bling on the lady in your life ........ bolt-ons (.) (.) fark yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Sumo

Likes Dirt
hey i know you guys all spend money on bling and add-ons on your bikes so what is wrong with a little bling on the lady in your life ........ bolt-ons (.) (.) fark yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I don't have to spend money to ride my bike.:eek:
 

Cooch

Likes Dirt
hey i know you guys all spend money on bling and add-ons on your bikes so what is wrong with a little bling on the lady in your life ........ bolt-ons (.) (.) fark yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That would certainly provide a few new tricks for an old dog! :p
 

babington

Squid
The Old-Dog Decoder Ring:

Fakies: basically riding backwards on your bike (yes, you have to pedal backwards)

Half-cab: when you're doing a Fakie (see above), it's how you turn around to ride forwards again. It's kind of like turning your front wheel and hopping at the same time.

Fufanu: Where you bunny-hop up onto an object and stall on your rear wheel and then turn around and hop back down to where you left off.

180-Hop: A bunny-hop where you turn 180 degrees in the air, landing to a Fakie.
Man all this talk of Half-cabs and Fakies is making me all toey for a new bike... Hmmm can still remember when I got my first Fire Hydrant... ahhh those were the days :cool:
 
So what do you guys do to get better? I'm especially keen to land some big doubles but how the fark do you get the speed right without making life threatening mistakes? Last weekend I kept riding the rock garden at the top of stromlo until I had it nailed and I'm cool riding moderate drops but the gaps scare the sh!t out of me.

Heath.
 

dunndog

Eats Squid
So what do you guys do to get better? I'm especially keen to land some big doubles but how the fark do you get the speed right without making life threatening mistakes? Last weekend I kept riding the rock garden at the top of stromlo until I had it nailed and I'm cool riding moderate drops but the gaps scare the sh!t out of me.

Heath.
I'm with you mate. I tend to be pretty right with most other things, buta decent size gap will send me into seizures. I tend to look at them as significantly bigger than they are and find it hard to estimate the right speed to hit them. Always seem to imagine coming up short. 2 things that help me heaps are a) seeing someone hit it, from a couple of angles, usually brings it back from looking huge to looking quite doable (keeping in mind that anything looks simple and easy when it's done right) and b) It's great if you can find a jump that's too big for you but has no consequences if you don't make the distance. Keep hitting it over and over getting faster till you make it. You then usually find that it's much easier to hit it faster (the scary bit) but land it on the landing and it's way smoother, than hitting things slower(not so scary) but having rougher landings. I guess speed is your friend. Can be a nasty arse friend though when it wants to be..:)
 

Cooch

Likes Dirt
What I find also really helps starting to get gap doubles is go somewhere (dirt jumps) or ride a trail with big table tops. Start to hit them cleanly and land the transitions. When you've started to really dial this particular table top in - do the following:

1. Measure how high the take off is - using your body as the measuring stick.
2. Measure how long the jump is, to where you are landing on the transition - 'x' amount of steps

Then, when you go to a trail with a double - measure it relative to the table-top measurements you've taken. That will let you know whether it is doable or not.
 

C.H.B

Likes Dirt
good advice Cooch,but there is also another keen ingredient.GROW SOME SACK AND COMMIT!
i still dont do big jumps even after years ,my problem? NO BALLS!!!!!!!!!!.
on a good day i can do a 180degree bunnyhop though:rolleyes:
 

Balance

Squid
good advice Cooch,but there is also another keen ingredient.GROW SOME SACK AND COMMIT!
i still dont do big jumps even after years ,my problem? NO BALLS!!!!!!!!!!.
OMG! I need to grow balls to do big jumps! :cool:

I don't think my husband is gonna like me riding any more :p
 
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