What mountain bike skills are you working on?

[rec head]

I've learned a lot over the past couple years about body positioning and control after taking a couple skills classes. Last year at 45 I started to learn how to jump. I still suck but still try. Last week while out on the trails I hit a section faster, better, or worse (I'm not sure which) and was in the air for much longer than predicted. I landed smoothly and kept on going. After landing I was thinking that I either looked like I was about to die or that I looked really good. My buddy behind me said I looked good. Practice. Practice. Practice.

[bigbill]

Last year I hit the ground hard coming out of a drop-in. Didn't hit my head but I ended up with really bad contusions. I was halfway through my grad school stuff and decided that I would just put the bikes away and concentrate on school to finish up. I completed my thesis a few weeks early in February and started riding again. I started out riding on my trainer to build some fitness but I was starting from zero. I live where I can ride my MTB out of my garage and be on a trail in a hundred yards. I felt completely lost on my MTB, I was intimidated by anything technical. I've been building up by adding miles and more technical stuff like steep drops. My speeds are increasing, I added a Strava segment on the final downhill to track my ability to go fast. Now I feel weird on my road bike.

[jscottyk]

Two words...

Friday Fails

Those things can be hilarious and I used to watch all the time. Then one day I was chatting with a buddy that's a skills coach and he said, "Stop watching that stuff. You don't need that in your head. Watch the stuff you want to create and visualize yourself doing that."

[JoB]

If I could do a long wheelie, that'd be sweet. As far as keeping up with the local hammerheads, it's cornering and clearing the ever-larger log. So many logs.
Oh, and fitness, because once you're tired, those skills don't look so good!

[zachateseverything]

right now I'm working on track stands, log overs, and general cornering. Once I get the track stand down I'm going to move on to wheelies and drops.

[thollandpe]

Getting dressed.

Seriously. Today it was under 50F again and the amount of time spent getting ready to ride vs. actually riding is maddening.

At least with fattystripper rim strips and a Fox 34 fork I don’t have to pump anything up before I turn a pedal.

[suspectdevice]

Stop making me not miss living in Western Ma, Trond.

Getting dressed.

Seriously. Today it was under 50F again and the amount of time spent getting ready to ride vs. actually riding is maddening.

At least with fattystripper rim strips and a Fox 34 fork I don’t have to pump anything up before I turn a pedal.

[randonneur]

jumps are something i avoid “trying”.
top self preservation tip:
avoid trying, focus on doing, gradually

On this subject, I thought the latest video from Remy Metailler was really refreshing. Remy takes Yoann Barelli to a drop Yoann has never ridden before. If you don't know them, they are both insane riders and usually the videos they're in are non-stop speed and huckfests. This one's different and does a great job of showing how these top tier athletes work up to big features. Bottom line, if you're not feeling it, leave it for next time.



As for me, much like most of you here, I'm hoping to improve my jumps, technical drops/steeps and manual skills this season as well...

[rec head]

Today's ride was colder than I thought it would be and I was really slow. I focused on my cornering and felt decent.

[rec head]

I guess I'm working on the dirt jump skills now too. I just got it today and went out and had some fun. Its about a foot shorter than my Chameleon and that really makes a difference.

[suspectdevice]

Try some taller bars for that new, colorful, bicycle, if you get a chance.
Taller bars definitely make very tiny bikes feel much bigger... sometimes

[ides1056]

Stop making me not miss living in Western Ma, Trond.

You will be doubly unhappy having missed the major snowfall yesterday. 10" on the ground in Shutesbury.

[ides1056]

Stop making me not miss living in Western Ma, Trond.

You will be doubly unhappy having missed the major snowfall yesterday. 10" on the ground in Shutesbury.

Tried deleting. Whatever.

[rec head]

Try some taller bars for that new, colorful, bicycle, if you get a chance.
Taller bars definitely make very tiny bikes feel much bigger... sometimes

Thanks. The bike is only new to me. The guy that sold it to me obviously got his use out of it. It was a reasonable deal for what they are going for locally and he dropped it off at my house which was nice.

My first upgrade is going to be a longer seatpost to making riding to and from the park a little better. I already put a QR on the seatpost binder so I can slam it when I get there. How much taller bars should I get and why do I want it to feel bigger? Honest questions. I know nothing about dirt jumpers other than they are easier to move around on the pump track than my mtn bike.

[jscottyk]

How much taller bars should I get and why do I want it to feel bigger?

My RAD measurement is very similar between my MTB and DJ and BMX.

[suspectdevice]

40mm are the tallest “normal” bars.
Spank makes some 50mm bars- i like those on my bikes that need to be fun and go uphill, because 2” is my historic, default “tall” riser bar height and I have trouble accepting change.

Protaper has some 60mm rise bars i’m super interested to try. Slam that stem yo!

[jscottyk]

I'm running a 75mm bar on my DJ.

Oddmonē Bar

[rec head]

My RAD measurement is very similar between my MTB and DJ and BMX.

Makes sense just to get bikes similar. I don't plan on spending $180 on bars though. I'll do some measuring and see how much 40mm bars will help. It's a little weirs that on the road bike I have had bike fittings and custom made frames to get dialed in. On the mtn bike I set the saddle and moved a stem spacer on my stock frame.

I think my wife might be taking me to the better bike park on the southside today.

[jscottyk]

Makes sense just to get bikes similar. I don't plan on spending $180 on bars though. I'll do some measuring and see how much 40mm bars will help. It's a little weirs that on the road bike I have had bike fittings and custom made frames to get dialed in. On the mtn bike I set the saddle and moved a stem spacer on my stock frame.

I think my wife might be taking me to the better bike park on the southside today.

Totally understand and the good news is you don't need to. I just liked the hand-built aspect; in particular the brazing.

Here are several others with tall options.

Molly Hatchet Bars

Distract Bars

S&M 5″ Race Bar

[rec head]

My wife is pretty awesome and did take me to the park. I mostly worked on not getting more air than I'm used to because the dirt jumper really does what it is supposed to compared to the mountain bike. I really need to get used to that. I also worked on pumping the turns instead of just coasting through.

Thanks for all the tips. It was a stressful week and I bought the dj bike as a distraction. I'm going to go and measure it against my other bikes.