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.