Captain Fastbastard Mayhem Posted June 4, 2012 Posted June 4, 2012 Depends on colour... Doesn't depend on anything, dude... If a chic wears it, fine. But a guy.
covie Posted June 4, 2012 Posted June 4, 2012 Full body spandex. that my friend is debateable. I have seen some women that deserve the right to full body spandex
Mojoman Posted June 4, 2012 Posted June 4, 2012 The advice I gave my better half was:1. Accept you will fall sometime, even the pros do!2. Dont let yourself get too fast too soon, brake early and safely. Once you lose control its all over. She is quicker than her brother and some mates on downhills! She rides with flats but I dont think she will go to clip in pedals. nickelass 1
Mojoman Posted June 4, 2012 Posted June 4, 2012 The advice I gave my better half was:1. Accept you will fall sometime, even the pros do!2. Dont let yourself get too fast too soon, brake early and safely. Once you lose control its all over. She is quicker than her brother and some mates on downhills! She rides with flats but I dont think she will go to clip in pedals. I might add that we both come from equestrian backgrounds where falling is also part and parcel of the sport! Captain Fastbastard Mayhem 1
Captain Fastbastard Mayhem Posted June 4, 2012 Posted June 4, 2012 that my friend is debateable. I have seen some women that deserve the right to full body spandex Beat you to it...
kosmonooit Posted June 4, 2012 Posted June 4, 2012 Shoe Clips are just an issue if they are set up too tight. I have come off quite a few times down serias rocky descents and unclipping was automatic and never an issue. It also becomes second nature. I only emphasise this point and the usefulness of that technology because it took me years to start using them because I too was scared off by the idea, but once you use 'em there is no looking back. I used to use those 'Power Straps' back in the '90s - can see how they can be problem be because there certainly is no auto-unclipping there.
Anine Posted June 4, 2012 Posted June 4, 2012 loving this thread. i'm a half marathon kind of rider but the technical bits, especially loose or rocky drop offs scare me. anybody in pretoria east wanna help? I have two other lady friends that would also greatly appreciate this. we can pay in boozy lunches
Dan Dob Posted June 4, 2012 Posted June 4, 2012 Hi Flossy,Hope you're feeling more confident on the bike by now! Some good advice on this forum. If you are wanting to get more confident I host skills clinics through iRide Africa-more info here. We hold them on different trails most weekends so if you sign up you can get more confidant, meet new people to ride with in the future and ride different trails.
TNT1 Posted June 4, 2012 Posted June 4, 2012 Classical music. It helped Gianni Bugno overcome a fear of descending.
lock Posted June 4, 2012 Posted June 4, 2012 Doesn't depend on anything, dude... If a chic wears it, fine. But a guy. A dude in spandex have never come to mind, damn man...why you have to ruin it?? Back to the lady trying to go down the hill safely... I think the gents that have successfully converted a lady to take up mtb'ing..have street cred (I'm yet to convert my better half...but I have a plan atleast..) Mayhem, crow, mojo, covie, V and co..good advice.. And flossy, aan houer wen...you will get there as long as you keep at it...the fact that you raised the question shows you are willing to learn, rather than just keep walking...and evidently stop riding. Thumbs up!
Captain Fastbastard Mayhem Posted June 4, 2012 Posted June 4, 2012 (edited) Shoe Clips are just an issue if they are set up too tight. I have come off quite a few times down serias rocky descents and unclipping was automatic and never an issue. It also becomes second nature. I only emphasise this point and the usefulness of that technology because it took me years to start using them because I too was scared off by the idea, but once you use 'em there is no looking back. I used to use those 'Power Straps' back in the '90s - can see how they can be problem be because there certainly is no auto-unclipping there. The shoe clips you speak of here are known as "clipless" or "spd" pedals, or "cleats" The Toe Straps that HaydenWilson recommended are the "power straps" to which you refer. They are also called toe clips at times. HIGHLY dangerous. As for cleats, they are good. And I use them. BUT - I'm going ot move over to flats soon, to see how they work... Edited June 4, 2012 by cptmayhem
ThePubSA Posted June 4, 2012 Posted June 4, 2012 (edited) Semi thread hijack: I seriously don't get the flat pedal thing on downhillers, I'd just fly off the bike the whole time if i can't clip in Someone care to explain a bit please? On a side note to the original post, once you get the basics like setup right, the most important thing is experience. When your at speed and in the heat of it, you don't rely so much on "intentional decisions" but more on reflexes and muscle memory. Not so? So you have to train your body and mind so to say, simply by practicing. I read somewhere once that even after training, when you sleep, your body continues to grow those brain nerves (muscle memory). So just keep at it. If you like the sport enough you'll persist and eventually improve.Lol,thats like asking how a skateboarder stays with the board...magnets?Motorbikes arent clipped in either.You learn to flow with your bike,how to distribute your weight.Kickflip is just like a 360 tailwhip.You get to a point where you @ 1 with your bike & then learn how to flip in a normal jump & come back onto your bike/sk8board.You learn to watch ,anticipate & TRAP the bike/sk8board with foot .No footer or 1 foot ollie would start you off on that progression.Ollie,bunnyhop same thing basis for all other tricks to follow. Edited June 4, 2012 by ............
Guest Travis. Posted June 4, 2012 Posted June 4, 2012 Just two important things that needs mentioning (I think covie mentioned the one, but I'm gonna elaborate on it). You need to stay completely relaxed. It's the most important, the moment you tense up, you're going to go down. The more relaxed you are, the more you're able to move with the terrain. If you tense up, you will grab the brake, you will probably be going straight and straight is normally towards the edge of the trail meaning you'll be having an unplanned dismount... The other very important thing is staying at the middle of the bottom bracket (that's the part where where the crank is attached to the bike), thus staying centered (as covie mentioned). But to elaborate: when you go down, you'll need to shift your body backwards (just as you'd go forwards when going uphill). This will give you more control and also ensure you don't go OTB when hitting an obstacle. Sometimes you can go back so far as to have your saddle in front of you, but it all depends on hectic the gradient of the downhill is (but remember not to go back too far - you'll know this by realizing your steering has been affected and you can't turn that well. Those are the 2 tips that helped me greatly get more and more confidence as I practiced. Joe Low 1
Carrot Posted June 4, 2012 Posted June 4, 2012 Classical music. It helped Gianni Bugno overcome a fear of descending. But, he's a roadie..? I'm pretty sure some old school Rage Against the Machine will work better
FLYIT Posted June 4, 2012 Posted June 4, 2012 loving this thread. i'm a half marathon kind of rider but the technical bits, especially loose or rocky drop offs scare me. anybody in pretoria east wanna help? I have two other lady friends that would also greatly appreciate this. we can pay in boozy lunches Hi Anine PM me if you are intersested in a bit of a skills session ,if you are we can get a group toegether and arrange for a hour or two on at groenkloof.
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now