Eldron Posted March 23, 2011 Posted March 23, 2011 So I headed over to the MTN Bike Park on Monday and I am well impressed by the upgrades and new sections on the far side of the highway (I haven't been there in a year!). I finally realised how much of a role momentum plays in riding a 29er. This was my first real off road ride on my newly acquired steel rigid 29er SS and finally the penny dropped - having gears and a shock forgives a lot of mistakes that only surface once you take them away. It took me a good hour before I stopped screaming but after that I got smoother and faster exponentially. I can't wait to try my freshly learnt knowledge on my geared/shocked 29er... The big lesson in riding 29ers is look ahead, plan and roll through. I also learnt an interesting "tactic" - the "pre turn". Bigger wheels need to turn in a little earlier... The other thing I realised is that Iron is a maniac - I think his wheels spent more time in the air than on the ground... His little wheeled SS was a blur of wheelies, jumps and smooth riding. The man has mad skillz! Bring on my first decent SS race on Saturday...
divernick Posted March 23, 2011 Posted March 23, 2011 The park is awesome. Lemme know when you go there again and I'll join on my ss 26er. Where u racing on Saturday?
Eldron Posted March 23, 2011 Author Posted March 23, 2011 The park is awesome. Lemme know when you go there again and I'll join on my ss 26er. Where u racing on Saturday? The USN Mountain Bike Cup #1 at Base 3 Race...entries close tonight. http://www.cyclelab.com/OnLine%20Entries.aspx?type=Mountain Biking Events Iron and I will both be there on singles - join us!
divernick Posted March 23, 2011 Posted March 23, 2011 Ooooh. It's a bit soon for me to be racing! I just started riding again a little while ago after a 3 year gap so I'm still slowly getting my fitness back. I'm riding at Rietvlei on Saturday. Good luck for the race!
Guest Iron Posted March 23, 2011 Posted March 23, 2011 So I headed over to the MTN Bike Park on Monday and I am well impressed by the upgrades and new sections on the far side of the highway (I haven't been there in a year!). I finally realised how much of a role momentum plays in riding a 29er. This was my first real off road ride on my newly acquired steel rigid 29er SS and finally the penny dropped - having gears and a shock forgives a lot of mistakes that only surface once you take them away. It took me a good hour before I stopped screaming but after that I got smoother and faster exponentially. I can't wait to try my freshly learnt knowledge on my geared/shocked 29er... The big lesson in riding 29ers is look ahead, plan and roll through. I also learnt an interesting "tactic" - the "pre turn". Bigger wheels need to turn in a little earlier... The other thing I realised is that Iron is a maniac - I think his wheels spent more time in the air than on the ground... His little wheeled SS was a blur of wheelies, jumps and smooth riding. The man has mad skillz! Bring on my first decent SS race on Saturday... Eldron, It was a blast , thanks for the riding . I must say one has to agree with you , on a SS you need to be allot smoother to make tight turns with climbs on the otherside. As for my little wheel SS , its the bomb !! i will never fall to the dark side of a 29" ( till i buy one that is )
Guest Iron Posted March 23, 2011 Posted March 23, 2011 The USN Mountain Bike Cup #1 at Base 3 Race...entries close tonight. http://www.cyclelab.com/OnLine%20Entries.aspx?type=Mountain Biking Events Iron and I will both be there on singles - join us! Dude , just got my sons cold , so will need to make a call on the weekend . Will find out if i can do a line entry.
Riding in Africa Posted March 23, 2011 Posted March 23, 2011 Hi, Ride the park now and then, met you on monday while talking to riaan.on my GF 29r F/s on a set of joined up tracks to make one lap it which would take +/- 20mins First time out on my SS did a 18min lap, Changing gears was making me slow and lazy!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I now stand while climbing and have learnt to flow better with the bike and look at what is coming up, and with a rigded fork your skill levels go through the roof. Can not wait till the 2nd
Eldron Posted March 23, 2011 Author Posted March 23, 2011 Hi, Ride the park now and then, met you on monday while talking to riaan.on my GF 29r F/s on a set of joined up tracks to make one lap it which would take +/- 20mins First time out on my SS did a 18min lap, Changing gears was making me slow and lazy!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I now stand while climbing and have learnt to flow better with the bike and look at what is coming up, and with a rigded fork your skill levels go through the roof. Can not wait till the 2nd Pleased to meet you! Iron and I were mucking about on the Zombie stuff - ended up with a distance versus time that looked more like a run than a ride Iron - thats sucks! Heal up and we ride soon!
leet22 Posted March 23, 2011 Posted March 23, 2011 Hoping to ride in in November after the 94.7 mtb race
Eldron Posted March 23, 2011 Author Posted March 23, 2011 Hoping to ride in in November after the 94.7 mtb race Start a thread and we'll hook up for a ride and throw around the legendary JHB hospitality. The park is fairly self explanatory but always more fun with a few buds to race each other and crash our asses off...
leet22 Posted March 23, 2011 Posted March 23, 2011 Start a thread and we'll hook up for a ride and throw around the legendary JHB hospitality. The park is fairly self explanatory but always more fun with a few buds to race each other and crash our asses off...Now that sounds like a plan. What type of riding is it. will the Reign be ok?
LazyTrailRider Posted March 23, 2011 Posted March 23, 2011 with a rigded fork your skill levels go through the roof. Mini-hijack: In the early 90s, Steve Peat used to say that he'd never ride full suspension, and claimed that racing fully rigid DH gave him the edge (he was UK national champ), because he had to be so precise and smooth. I often rate some of our top XC riders (Burry specifically) as technically more proficient than most of the downhillers due to this precision thing...
Tumbleweed Posted March 24, 2011 Posted March 24, 2011 Now that sounds like a plan. What type of riding is it. will the Reign be ok? It's a mixture of graded trails - green, blue, black - but mainly switchback singletrack. You won't be using up all of the Reign's six inches of travel, but the bike'll be fine for a fun day out.
patches Posted March 24, 2011 Posted March 24, 2011 It's a mixture of graded trails - green, blue, black - but mainly switchback singletrack. You won't be using up all of the Reign's six inches of travel, but the bike'll be fine for a fun day out. although if you like big-travel-forgiveness like me, then the dirt jumps will be fun on that Reign. Don't ride with Tumbleweed though... his "lie-down-mojo" can be contracted through the air... and if you're slow on the uphills on your big travel bike, he may post it as his FB status. Exhibit A: "This day is going slower than Patches on his Morewood" hahaha!
Tumbleweed Posted March 24, 2011 Posted March 24, 2011 although if you like big-travel-forgiveness like me, then the dirt jumps will be fun on that Reign. Don't ride with Tumbleweed though... his "lie-down-mojo" can be contracted through the air... and if you're slow on the uphills on your big travel bike, he may post it as his FB status. Exhibit A: "This day is going slower than Patches on his Morewood" hahaha! Was it you who told me that my "tree" has been removed? Just for the record, I was nowhere near Dassie during his two lie-downs on Monday.
AIRMAVRICK Posted April 4, 2011 Posted April 4, 2011 Hey Guys, I see you chatting about the MTN park. Went there on Saturday afternoon and you right the new routes at the top of the hill after going under the highway is pretty awesome. I just need some advice here. I think the name of the route is zombie and you keep to the right... You have some nice corners some hills, which I keep right on the edge of the burms to get drive for the hills but, there is a steep long hill which I always get 3/4 up... (HOW DO I GET UP THIS) I have attempted it about 10 times and I just cant get up it, I have stood peddaled a high cadence. Im just not getting it. The rest of the route is fine!!1 ADVICE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED IT
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