Riding technical rocky stuff on your MTB - how to survive a marathon?

[Audible Anarchy]

Having been dabbling with mountain biking for around 6 months now (been riding road a lot longer) i decided i would give my first marathon a go at Van Gaalens this past weekend for the Nissan Trailseeker (or as i now call it trailweeper.lol)

 

Long story short, i had the fitness (rode JHB-DBN the week before on the road), but nowhere even close to the technical ability needed to tackle something like that and thus got my arse handed to me big time as i had to walk the vast majority of the technical stuff. limping home in 6 hours or something silly.

 

So with this experience in mind i wanna ask the fellow hubbers who have ridden in the area and / or similar events a few questions...

 

1) Is it possible to ride the entire course from sat without getting off your bike? if so , then god-damn you got some skills!

 

2) Did the fact that i rode a hardtail make my life more difficult?

 

3) The middle 20 or so kms along that rocky ridge past the view of the satellite station and then back down to the valley are what really got me - with lots of walking and crashing along the way. What is the trick to riding both up, down and to be honest, even along those kind of trails ? i battled to even walk along the freakin things! hahaha

 

4) The greek loop at the end i found not quite so rocky , but freakin steep - any tips for next time?

 

5) Do marathon events have a grading system? I would d love to try again in future - but obviously something not as gnarly until i have more experience - how can you tell if your ability is suited to an event? These guys should make you ride qualifying races before you can even enter ! ideally id like to give another marathon a bash thats somewhere between say babbas and the van gaalens in terms of technicality.

 

i spose the biggest advice that could help is how to learn to ride the really rocky steep stuff?

 

Any help would be appreciated - otherwise il just have to limit my mtb rides to the braamfontein spruit / kids course from now on

Edited October 22, 2012 by Audible Anarchy

[fandacious]

technical stuff getting you down? go ride more technical stuff. as much of it as you can, as often as you can.

 

bike doesnt really make that much of a difference. Up until recently i had a piece of crap 14kg merida hardtail with a rst shock and vbrakes and still came top20 most races. of course you can only push its limits that much and then you start needing better equipment

[rouxtjie]

@Anarchy...Look VG this weekend was quite tech, and to train for this type of event you have to ride these type of conditions to master them, so why not go to van gaalens next time you are out training and give the routes a bash. Its true mtb terrain and a gas to ride, and unfortunenately its not if you fall, but when you fall, so give some of the tech part a go before getting off the bike, keep momentum, look ahead and HTFU.

[Audible Anarchy]

is it better to pick a line through the rocky stuff going up or just hammer over it all? i found that worked better on the downhills...

 

@rouxtjie - i finished despite the stitches and blood donation and believe it or not - had a great time! I had to HTFU big time and gave it horns believe me.

Edited October 22, 2012 by Audible Anarchy

[DR ◣◢]

1. Yes

2. No

3. Ride more technical stuff. Again and again and again.

4. See 3

 

Bottom line is you need to ride with a technically skilled rider to learn how to approach technical sections and how to ride them. There is a very good chance you don't have the basics of MTB handling dialed yet.

 

As soon as you have that sorted you will start getting a lot better at races.

 

Join one of the group rides I host and lets work on those skills a bit.

[Twombles]

I missed out on the race this weekend, so I can't relate to all of your questions, but here is my advice:

 

Make Van Gaalens your playground!

 

Every time that you ride it you will be able to do more of it (it also becomes more enjoyable every time you do it!).

Having been there 4 times in the last month, I can say that you learn quickly on Van Gaalens.

[rouxtjie]

is it better to pick a line through the rocky stuff going up or just hammer over it all? i found that worked better on the downhills...

same for uphills, you really notice good lines going uphill the less suspension you have...so a dual sus is more forgiving than a hardtail with a rigid fork. Pick a good line, makes you a more efficient rider. The reason why you think hammering it downhills works better is because you carry momentum and its your friend, but you will ride even smoother with better lines + the same momentum...this comes with time and practise at tech courses like van gaalens

Edited October 22, 2012 by rouxtjie

[divernick]

If it's any consolation, the first 3 Nissan Trailseeker marathons were not even close to as technical. You would have been fine on them.

 

I ride a singlespeed, so I had to walk up some of the steeper uphills, including the entire post-church climb. I also walked the last really loose and steep part of the drop down to the road from the ridge, but everyone around me walked that too.

 

So here's my advice to you:

• Ask about the technicality of the course prior to entering.
  
• When climbing, stay in a gear you can easily turn, keeping your cadence going
  
• Always try and keep your momentum, this will get you over the rocks and bumps that stop a slow rider in his/her tracks
  
• When descending, don't lock your wheels but use both brakes, keep both feet on the pedals and your weight over the back of the bike so that you're less likely to go over the bars
  

Just my 2c. Hope it helps.

[DR ◣◢]

I missed out on the race this weekend, so I can't relate to all of your questions, but here is my advice:

 

Make Van Gaalens your playground!

 

Every time that you ride it you will be able to do more of it (it also becomes more enjoyable every time you do it!).

Having been there 4 times in the last month, I can say that you learn quickly on Van Gaalens.

 

While that is good advice I have to disagree.

 

There is nothing good about learning to ride one specific trail like a parrot. Learn the basics of bike handling and any trail becomes your playground!

[divernick]

 

While that is good advice I have to disagree.

 

There is nothing good about learning to ride one specific trail like a parrot. Learn the basics of bike handling and any trail becomes your playground!

 

Go and spend time at Thaba trails as well. Now that's gonna teach you some skills and some HTFU

[DR ◣◢]

Agreed. Some horrific sections at that place. The rocky descent on lap one of the SA SS champs alone would scare the crap out of most riders.

[rouxtjie]

is it better to pick a line through the rocky stuff going up or just hammer over it all? i found that worked better on the downhills...

 

@rouxtjie - i finished despite the stitches and blood donation and believe it or not - had a great time! I had to HTFU big time and gave it horns believe me.

Nice man, that one VG medal is worth a 1000 babbas one's. Its these races you will remember

[divernick]

Agreed. Some horrific sections at that place. The rocky descent on lap one of the SA SS champs alone would scare the crap out of most riders.

 

Yup, glad I wore a SABS approved hardhat for that one. Needed it too.

Edited October 22, 2012 by divernick

[Swift01]

Ha ha one section at SA champs it was only on the final lap did i see the sign braveheart and the drop off with the chicken run next to it. May be it was the kilt i was wearing that made me go braveheart eyes shut and dropoff here we go. Just ride more you will eventually work a lot out. In my old age i have started rather walking some stuff than ride it. Walked a lot of the satellite downhill. V-brakes are not your friend but i was also just running out of talent. Glad you finished and didn't get scared away. Congrats

[madvics]

It takes alot of practice,the more you train the better you get at it.

And what a feeling when you conquer a section which you initially thought was almost impossible.

[Bicycle Supply Chain]

Having been dabbling with mountain biking for around 6 months now (been riding road a lot longer) i decided i would give my first marathon a go at Van Gaalens this past weekend for the Nissan Trailseeker (or as i now call it trailweeper.lol)

 

Long story short, i had the fitness (rode JHB-DBN the week before on the road), but nowhere even close to the technical ability needed to tackle something like that and thus got my arse handed to me big time as i had to walk the vast majority of the technical stuff. limping home in 6 hours or something silly.

 

So with this experience in mind i wanna ask the fellow hubbers who have ridden in the area and / or similar events a few questions...

 

1) Is it possible to ride the entire course from sat without getting off your bike? if so , then god-damn you got some skills! - Yes

 

2) Did the fact that i rode a hardtail make my life more difficult? - No, a FS bike will make you less tired, and MAYBE save your ass, but would not prevent you takling a technical section, you may just be a bit slower on a HT vs FS

 

3) The middle 20 or so kms along that rocky ridge past the view of the satellite station and then back down to the valley are what really got me - with lots of walking and crashing along the way. What is the trick to riding both up, down and to be honest, even along those kind of trails ? i battled to even walk along the freakin things! hahaha - it takes some practice to predict what the bike will do on the terrain ahead of ypu, and as such you can anticipate it. also momentum is a big friend of yours. really difficult to explain how to ride a section on the forum. you will need some hands on time for a genuine appraisal

 

4) The greek loop at the end i found not quite so rocky , but freakin steep - any tips for next time? - keep you weight centered over the bike, both fore and aft as well as left and right. , on steep climbs, slide to the nose of your saddle, but stay seated, this will assist the rear wheel traction, keep the front wheel planted, and allow you to put more power into the pedals. also keep a slightly easier gear in tech stuff as it will allow you to power through a sudden rise as you will be spinning a lighter gear. also look through the trees for the route to try anticipate it.

 

 

5) Do marathon events have a grading system? I would d love to try again in future - but obviously something not as gnarly until i have more experience - how can you tell if your ability is suited to an event? These guys should make you ride qualifying races before you can even enter ! ideally id like to give another marathon a bash thats somewhere between say babbas and the van gaalens in terms of technicality. - I agree that the decent from the satellites was extreme, probably the worsed I have come across in a while!! I found it challenging, but it was definitely dangerous for an inexperienced rider. I saw quite a few spills of other riders on my decent. not something I enjoyed

 

 

i spose the biggest advice that could help is how to learn to ride the really rocky steep stuff? - Practice!! momentum helps you roll over the obstacle rather that stop in it, knowing the right amount without overdoing it takes some experience. releasing the front brake momenterally as your wheel rolls through / over an obstacle will allow it to get through easier, sometimes the least rockiest route is not always the best. find a line that looks the best overall, not just for 1 or 2 rocks

 

Any help would be appreciated - otherwise il just have to limit my mtb rides to the braamfontein spruit / kids course from now on