Whats the worst that can happen

[manbearpig]

Obviously keep looking ahead, (depending on speed and technicality of the descent look 3m,5m,10m,20m whatever ahead).If you see an obstacle don't keep watching it up until you arrive at it. Acknowledge it in your mind and then keep looking for the next obstacle. Soon enough you will get into a rhythm where your body will be reacting to what your eyes saw 2 seconds ago and your brain is making plans for what it is seeing up ahead. Right or wrong that's how I ride and if I do moer off it's because I've watched an obstacle too long and I haven't anticipated the next one in time and that's the sucker that gets me.

[Mada3400]

just finished cleaning all the drool off my keyboard . that ndiza is one of the awesomest bikes i have ever seen

[The Drongo]

Whats the worst that can happen please keep it optimistic, ignorance is bliss

 

You could fall off and die.

 

Worse yet. You could remain ignorant.

 

For the optimist: SPEED IS YOUR FRIEND

[The Drongo]

I can turn sharper left than right, is this normal?

 

 

:lol: :lol: :lol:

[covie]

i got a giant vt 2, but i am trying to get hold of a teocali and then eventually a morewood ndiza, i ride in tokai and rhodes mem occasionally, i want to be faster around corners, learn how to do jumps and drop offs.

 

 

Dirtopia often have beginner and intermediate skills courses, you can also contact James Thornhill fisher from Tygerberg MTB club I know his does skills courses as well. Might not seem worth it, but its always good to have the pro's point out your bad habbits.

 

Also look for a DVD called Dirtschool, and theres another one called fundamentals, that will give you good pointers on technique.

 

However i find your mind is the biggest obstical, the minute you tell yourself your not going to make it or your not feeling confident today, guess what you wont make it and you wont feel confident.

 

Just go out there and gooi mielies, we all fall, some more than others but hell it happens. It just more fun falling when your going really really fast

[covie]

nice fall at eselfontein have to love rock gardens.

Edited October 26, 2011 by covie

[Mada3400]

Where can I get a ball pressure pump?

[Zac.A]

Can we rather get a video of some hubbers falling off their bikes. I especially like to have a really good laugh watching people falling off bridges and such into rivers and dams thorn bushes also seem somewhat of an attraction.

 

Now that's just a tincy bit on the sadistic side don't you think?

[Mada3400]

just watch some jackass when you have the urge to watch people hurt themselves

[MTB_Roadie]

nice fall at eselfontein have to love rock gardens.

 

I bet if you wore cleats you would not have fallen

[FSA]

OP, what's the worst that can happen? Well, you can break your shoulders, your back, you could break both wrists, you could smash your face into a tree, you could easily maim yourself and in some cases die.

 

Learn your limits and be careful when you go beyond them. READ the Brian Lopes book. Then READ it again. One of the things he mentions is to focus on individual skills, eventually stringing them all together. It makes no sense to say "look 10 meters ahead" etc. BS. Riding is entirely situational. Your skills will need to be developed over time and in increments. You don't just hit the big doubles before you've mastered the small tabletop. Get the Lopes book, then find your weaknesses, and work on them.

 

And when you do get to that point of no return, COMMIT. Number one way to see your arse is to half commit, or try to pull out last second. You need to learn to order yourself to commit, and when you do this, you go for it, no matter what.

 

nice fall at eselfontein have to love rock gardens.

Nothing to be proud of IMO. This person wasn't dressed for the fall. Knee pads would have prevented this. Again, in Lopes' book he mentions the same.

 

I bet if you wore cleats you would not have fallen

Please explain. I ride flats and have never had this issue. Cleats or flats, if you are not committed, skilled enough or concentrating on the correct line/speed nothing will help. In fact being clipped in will make things worse.

[Pronutro]

I can turn sharper left than right, is this normal?

 

ME TOO! I feel so dodgy when I make a sharp right turn.

[Polo]

ME TOO! I feel so dodgy when I make a sharp right turn.

You guys are obviously not omni-turners. I think Derrick Zoolander suffered from the same debilitating condition.

[Mada3400]

does anyone have theme music that they play in their head while descending(pretending they are in a DH vid)?

[covie]

FSA I agree skills need to be worked at, but the fact is as you work on your skills and test your limits, develop technique you WILL see your @SS. Its an inevitable fact.And hey damn straight I am always happy to show off a roastie or two, it means I tested my limits and I went past them made a mistake and saw my @ss, great motivation to go back and do it again and again till i get it right. Its about dusting yourself off, clean the wounds, get back on the bike and nail it.If your permanently scared your going to fall, get a quad bike, on a MTB/XC/DH/FR bike you WILL fall. But alas theres hope, as you get better and better you generally tend to fall less :)And in my experiance you see your behind when you stop concentrating or get distracted, and people mostly fall in stupid locations, hell most falls i've seen is at the robots at intersections and in the parking lot as people get back from a ride. To the OP, just have fun buddy, skill will come with time. And the more skill you develop the faster you will go, the more you will test yourself and the more you will enjoy it.

[Mada3400]

thanks for all the advise.

 

i think for the next couple of rides i will leave some sense of self preservation at home, for confidence sake