flossy Posted June 3, 2012 Share Hi, I went for my first jeep track mountain bike this morning and I thought the hard part would be getting up. It turns out that the going down is the real hard part! I was sooo terrified and bailed as well. So I wondered if anyone had any tips on how to get some more confidence? or any advice? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheV Posted June 3, 2012 Share Hi, I went for my first jeep track mountain bike this morning and I thought the hard part would be getting up. It turns out that the going down is the real hard part! I was sooo terrified and bailed as well. So I wondered if anyone had any tips on how to get some more confidence? or any advice? Hi flossy, welcome to MTB'ing. 1. Don't stress about bailing, we all run out of talent at one point or another... some more than others, but it's just part of the excitement and fun.2. Try and be as safe as you can, at all times only pushing your limits a little bit at a time... ride as much as you can, ride with other people, but if your're not 100% ready/confident at doing something new, then don't, because if you try something to technical, too fast, you will end doing it to slow... and speed is your friend... LOL 3. Downhill is usually most challenging for ladies... the best thing to do here is to ensure you have proper bike setup, not just seat hight, but that you are comfortable, your brake levers are correctly set so there is no bend in your wrists, and that you can get a good grip on your brake without stretching your hand/fingers to much. Secondly you need to go downhill with your pedals horizontal/level to the ground, strong foot to the front, heals a bit dropped, and your bum slightly lifted of your saddle, in a position that will allow you to absorb bumps... small things as tire pressure can also make a big difference....4. You have to learn how to take the "correct" lines, look about 3-5m infront of you where you "want" to go, the bike will follow.. don't look "at" the obstacle in the track because chances are you will then ride directly over it....5. You need to learn how to scan, moving your vision up and down the trail so that you can sport obstacles ahead of time and adjust your steering/expectation of these before you actually get there.6. it also just takes time, you will get better and better with each ride, as you get used to your bike and riding.7. it takes most people about 40hours of riding on their bike to get totally used to it, to the point where you feel comfortable with it, (granted it's the right size, the setup is correct, the suspension is set) etc. Just have FUN, don't stress about it too much... Best thing is just to get riding, best case with some friends who don't mind waiting for you and are happy to take the lead... Edited June 3, 2012 by TheV Captain Fastbastard Mayhem, Spurs, RiderX and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kosmonooit Posted June 3, 2012 Share To add: - You have to go in committed. Stopping half way down when you change your mind, is generally when you come off, because that requires moving weight forward. bike slows down and wheels get hooked up in rocks, tumbles/rotates and you go a face-planting. - Speed is your friend - this is the key, because then you float over the rocks. But it takes a bit of confidence building to keep the hands off the brakes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mountainman44 Posted June 3, 2012 Share Great advice from the TheV. I have the same problem with my wife, I go down hills hell-bent for leather, and she leans on those brakes, going faster up hills than down!!! I am taking her through a slow progression of longer and easy to steeper descents. Nothing more I can add to the TheV. Go out and enjoy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PYGA1 Posted June 3, 2012 Share I would suggest a skills course from the guys at Tread magazine, go to www.treadmag.co.za they run courses in jhb, ctn and durbs. Everything from beginner to advanced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheV Posted June 3, 2012 Share I would suggest a skills course from the guys at Tread magazine, go to www.treadmag.co.za they run courses in jhb, ctn and durbs. Everything from beginner to advanced. +1.... Would suggest the course after a couple of hours of saddle time, get used to the bike and very basic skills first... You will have such a better experience from the skills course if you go there with: 1 - a bike that has been set up correctly, 2 - some basic comfort in your own riding, i.e basic fitness and knowing how your bike reacts to you/the trail, 3 - at least a bit of confidence, know how to brake, know how to absorb trail feedback, and know how to scan/concentrate while riding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheV Posted June 3, 2012 Share PS> oh, just remembered, another thing to look out for is to get proper riding right shoes... most ladies start off riding in tekkies... you need something with a more rigid/supportive sole... Nike has some really cool BMX shoes for ladies now, or invest and get a pair of proper FiveTen's or similar free-riding shoes. Because don't want to start with clips until you are super comfortable technically. Also, please make sure you have proper platform pedals until you go for SPD's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SydneyRSA Posted June 3, 2012 Share if you are in **** and you think you should brake... DON'T!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
covie Posted June 3, 2012 Share Well the faster you go the futher you look in front of you, no point going 50kmh and looking 3m -5m in front of you, so correlate your line of sight with the speed you take, Then the mistake most people make is putting to much weight on the front of the bike, so you hit a water runnoff area or a rut and then you will se your ass because the forces will either cuase the wheel to stick or the shock to bottom out, its about, 1. Trust your bike2. keep your weight of the front bend your elbows and make sure your arms and legs are slightly loose and bent to act as part of your suspension the worst thing you can do is lock your elbows and have a death grip on the handles.3. keep your balance point centered4. As stange as it seams momentum is your friend the faster you go the easier it is to clear obsticals.5, Only put one finger on the brakes, this not only allows more control on the handlebars, it prevents novices from gabbing a handfull of brake and going OTB.6. Confidence, this comes with time, but when you doubt yourself you will make mistakes. I agree with bike setup bit, but that plays more a factor in going up the hills rather than down, obvioulsy shock setup is important, you want the shock to react in a way you like, (same goes for your tyres - since the suspension starts there) but that said i have seen people nail very rough downhill sections with entry level shocks and tyres and bikes, much faster than people with top of the range gear and perfect bike setups. skills courses are always a good idea for newbies And then lastly i would say concetrate on one thing at a time till the novice has mastered that skill, be it cornering, berms switchbacks, drop offs etc, Dont try and teach to much at once, Practice till it becomes second nature. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheV Posted June 3, 2012 Share if you are in **** and you think you should brake... DON'T!!! ....brake ....... ....... ..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flossy Posted June 3, 2012 Share Ha ha I didn't know it was possible but I may feel even more anxious after reading all of that. cos I think I am doing everything wrong. Had a chuckle reading the what to does and thinking didn't do that and reading the what not to does and thinking I tick every box in that list. Jeepers I need help. Thank you so much for all your replies. I think I need to go for a few rides with just my girl friend and not her bf that wants us to do things that serious bikers do. Also need to learn not to look at the things I don't wanna go over cos "murphy" here hit everyone of them. As for the not breaking and speed thing that sounds VERY scary at the moment!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheV Posted June 3, 2012 Share Ha ha I didn't know it was possible but I may feel even more anxious after reading all of that. cos I think I am doing everything wrong. Had a chuckle reading the what to does and thinking didn't do that and reading the what not to does and thinking I tick every box in that list. Jeepers I need help. Thank you so much for all your replies. I think I need to go for a few rides with just my girl friend and not her bf that wants us to do things that serious bikers do. Also need to learn not to look at the things I don't wanna go over cos "murphy" here hit everyone of them. As for the not breaking and speed thing that sounds VERY scary at the moment!!!! Yes, go for a ride with your BFF!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiderX Posted June 3, 2012 Share Dont stress too much everyone has a bad day on the bike sometimes where things doesnt want to work out well. This is very normal, some days you just have more fun on the bike than on other days. My advice would be to first go ride a trail that you know quite well and enjoy riding. You will feel much more relaxed and then you can go and try the more difficult track again. You will start with a lot more confidence and be able to focus much more on your riding. You can ride with some friends that are on the same skill level as you are for this but try to do at least one ride every now and then with people that are more skilled. Riding with skilled people can be stressful for beginners but is the best way to eventually progress. Look for what they are doing and ask lots of questions, most people would be very happy to help out. The good news, beginners can progress much faster than skilled riders, so before long you will become much faster and start keeping up with them! Joe Low 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kosmonooit Posted June 3, 2012 Share One additional tip for confidence-building on the 'speed is good' thing down bumpy surfaces is just try riding down some stairs - City Gardens has a few options there. And about them shoe clips, don't listen to the downhillers, they are biased. They are essential for mtb, for power transfer mainly and you get used to them quickly, just get them set up right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Fastbastard Mayhem Posted June 3, 2012 Share Yes, go for a ride with your BFF!!! Yeah! And if you go with an experienced person, make sure they are the type of guy that will ride at YOUR level, or just a Leeeetle bit higher, showing you the proper lines & riding positions etc. In other words, just how I got my wife into mtb! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Fastbastard Mayhem Posted June 3, 2012 Share One additional tip for confidence-building on the 'speed is good' thing down bumpy surfaces is just try riding down some stairs - City Gardens has a few options there. And about them shoe clips, don't listen to the downhillers, they are biased. They are essential for mtb, for power transfer mainly and you get used to them quickly, just get them set up right. Erm, not quite, dude. Yes, they help on the up-stroke, but with the proper flat pedals and shoes (5-10 Impact Low or similar) the pins stick to the shoes and give you the same benefit whel you "pull" on the bottom stroke through to 9 o'clock. So the difference is not all that great. In fact, I've been looking at changing TO flats for a while now... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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