How often do you fall?

[Guest Hollow Man]

If you are comfortable clipless stick to it. Been riding with clips forever.

Weight shifting is very important as wel as allowing you bike to move under you and not clamping it. Fast and loose.

Look and focus the line you want to ride, don't focus on the rock that you want to avoid. . . You will hit it.

Look for fabien barrel has some nice videos.

Track stand is a great skill to have.

If want to come out to jonkers or contermans also available for pointers.

 

This is very true. It is the reason that people hit a lonely lamp post/tree when "leaving the road" in a car; most fixate on the obstacle/threat, thus ensuring that they hit it. *Look where You want to go.

 

Lekker thread; I've learned a lot myself here.

 

I believe that I was Gauteng's most fall-prone cyclist when I started out on clipless pedals; I donated skin and tissue many times on each and every ride, and provided free entertainment for countless pedestrians. Recovering from a broken ankle whilst trying the clipless system complicated my learning process somewhat a lot, and resulted in some very impressive aerial displays and dust storms. After making friends with the clipless pedals, and practicing clipping out a million times so that it became instinctive when the time came, I have hardly baled at all in months(which I now believe means that I am not trying hard enough). We keep learning all the time.

[Gen]

 

 

Very similar to your experience.

Just saw the doc and shes going into surgery shortly to re-asess, clean up and drain the wound.

 

No rainbow challenge for her, or any riding for 6 weeks.

 

Oh man.. I SORRY to hear that.

 

Yes the dr that stiched me up Was also very concerned about if it will heal properly. . He spent a lot of time flushing the wound.. hope he got it all out.

 

But shame man.. good luck to her hope all goes well.

[RocknRolla]

Thanx gen, yeah, the doc in nelspruit probably spent 2 hours cleaning the wound. She did her best, but obviously she missed whatever is causing the infection.

 

Problem is, my wife fell on the first lap, and insisted on completing the remaining 2 laps to ensure her position. She was up and riding before the paramedic could even get close. So i guess whatever gunk was in there had plenty time to lodge itsself properly.

 

I cringed when i saw your arm, as i have had a fall on those marbles, and it stings like a very bad word.

 

 

[Gen]

Thanx gen, yeah, the doc in nelspruit probably spent 2 hours cleaning the wound. She did her best, but obviously she missed whatever is causing the infection.

 

Problem is, my wife fell on the first lap, and insisted on completing the remaining 2 laps to ensure her position. She was up and riding before the paramedic could even get close. So i guess whatever gunk was in there had plenty time to lodge itsself properly.

 

I cringed when i saw your arm, as i have had a fall on those marbles, and it stings like a very bad word.

 

Eina.. shame .. she def gets the bad ass award. One tough cookie.

 

 

[eelvio]

I thought it is time for a little further feedback:

 

So I went out and tried out some of the advice. As I said some of it is natural or instinctive until you are tired then its fixate, slow down, grip tighter, etc but I did find some ways to improve.

 

The one was to go ride flats, well that didn't go down well went straight down over the bars into the dirt.

Wrong shoes and pedals probably but felt so out of control and eventually fell harder than ever before and opened the knee up quite badly, which I had already cut open the day before, hence the thread.

 

So Sunday I decided clipless it is and try something else from the array of advice. Rode our normal route but then onto Noordhoek Peak and back down along all single track except Cobra. I did not fall and only put my foot down once and did my fastest time on ST including top of DH3 where I fell on Friday.

 

What did I do differently? On the uphill technical bits where I fall, for the first time, I did not cover my brakes and rode through sections instead of last second panic and grab. I realized quickly how it allowed me to concentrate on control and pedals keeping momentum and rolling through as opposed to stopping off balance and going down or just getting the foot down in time.

 

Not the best idea for such a tough ride and being so tired on the way down the ST, but dropped seat lower than normal, I bent my knees more and lowered my centre of gravity over the BB, feeling the bike was more planted and I was more confident at speed, everything just felt easier.

 

This is what I have so far and will update once again. The knee is healing up nicely but has not held me back.

 

Fun was had and will be had again soon!

[Super Sywurm]

Does falling for a girl count in this topic?

[vdLRSA]

The one was to go ride flats, well that didn't go down well went straight down over the bars into the dirt.

Wrong shoes and pedals probably but felt so out of control and eventually fell harder than ever before and opened the knee up quite badly, which I had already cut open the day before, hence the thread.

 

It takes some getting used to but: struggling to keep your feet on the pedals, or simply feeling out of control is 90% lack of proper technique.Yes, the quality of pedal and shoes will make a difference but normally it is simply - bad technique.

 

You feel out of control because you are:

1. not shifting your weight properly

2. Trying to take control of the bike instead of letting the bike do what it is meant to do under you.

3. tensing up

4. not dropping your heels

5. not using your legs as shock absorbers

etc.

 

some of this you will learn riding clipless, but not all of it. In three or four rides using flats I learnt more than I did after 3 months starting out clipless. The thing that I noticed most is how bad my weight shifting was on the bike coming from clipless. On flats it becomes way more important because you cant pull the bike with your legs. As a result I am becoming faster and faster riding gravity, be it on clipless or flats.

[eelvio]

It takes some getting used to but: struggling to keep your feet on the pedals, or simply feeling out of control is 90% lack of proper technique.Yes, the quality of pedal and shoes will make a difference but normally it is simply - bad technique.

 

You feel out of control because you are:

1. not shifting your weight properly

2. Trying to take control of the bike instead of letting the bike do what it is meant to do under you.

3. tensing up

4. not dropping your heels

5. not using your legs as shock absorbers

etc.

 

some of this you will learn riding clipless, but not all of it. In three or four rides using flats I learnt more than I did after 3 months starting out clipless. The thing that I noticed most is how bad my weight shifting was on the bike coming from clipless. On flats it becomes way more important because you cant pull the bike with your legs. As a result I am becoming faster and faster riding gravity, be it on clipless or flats.

 

Again interesting thoughts that may prove to be worth a try with the right equipment, or just maybe better.

[marko35s]

 

Again interesting thoughts that may prove to be worth a try with the right equipment, or just maybe better.

Im struggling to see how flat pedals can be responsible for putting you over the bars? How did that happen?

[MaXiMuM]

Does falling for a girl count in this topic?

It is not advised to display affection for anything other than ones bike, remembering the rule... First the bike.

However, if Rule V is shown during this period, all is good.

[vdLRSA]

Im struggling to see how flat pedals can be responsible for putting you over the bars? How did that happen?

 

Was wondering the same thing. If he was clipped in the bike would just have followed. Normally resulting in a even more hurtful fall!

[Flowta]

Im struggling to see how flat pedals can be responsible for putting you over the bars? How did that happen?

 

I would say not being confident/getting used to it so your mind is elsewhere.

 

Having the wrong pedals and/or shoes that slip around a bit might throw your weight in the wrong direction, etc.

[Flowta]

 

 

It takes some getting used to but: struggling to keep your feet on the pedals, or simply feeling out of control is 90% lack of proper technique.Yes, the quality of pedal and shoes will make a difference but normally it is simply - bad technique.

 

You feel out of control because you are:

1. not shifting your weight properly

2. Trying to take control of the bike instead of letting the bike do what it is meant to do under you.

3. tensing up

4. not dropping your heels

5. not using your legs as shock absorbers

etc.

 

some of this you will learn riding clipless, but not all of it. In three or four rides using flats I learnt more than I did after 3 months starting out clipless. The thing that I noticed most is how bad my weight shifting was on the bike coming from clipless. On flats it becomes way more important because you cant pull the bike with your legs. As a result I am becoming faster and faster riding gravity, be it on clipless or flats.

 

+1 as the saying goes, "flats make you better, cleats make you faster".

 

Cleats can give you a false sense of security wrt technique. The bunny hop being a prime example.

 

With flats you either get it right or you don't, sometimes painfully.

 

With cleats you often see guys compensating by using a pronging going technique, i.e. pulling up with the legs.

This can definitely go horribly wrong if the cleats unclip for example, rider goes up, and the bike carries on in a straight line.

 

If a proper bunny hop is performed then the bike still carries on up and over.

[Oufy MTB (Roadie)]

I started out at tokai, flat pedals, lowering my seat.

 

I now ride clipped in and dont fiddle with my seat.

 

I hardly fall because i picked up speed and committed myself to obstacles.

 

All my falls were cos I was too slow, didnt commit and carried no confidence.

 

My worst crashes were due to pinched flats, got tubeless now.

 

Btw, i wear knee and elbow guards in tokai, a stupid scar on joints is eina and take forever to heal

[Super Sywurm]

It is not advised to display affection for anything other than ones bike, remembering the rule... First the bike.

However, if Rule V is shown during this period, all is good.

 

I am bikeless at the moment, I have to entertain myself in other ways.

[eelvio]

Im struggling to see how flat pedals can be responsible for putting you over the bars? How did that happen?

 

It is quite clear that the bike is not good enough, so couldn't handle the terrain especially with flat pedals.

Simple I was not confident, I kept losing grip and separating from the pedals, reasons: smooth shoes with no grip whatsoever, wrong pedals to try this and of course lack of technique being the most important. This culminated in me stupidly braking instead of riding it out when I was completely off balance and already weighted too far forward and blam I ran out of talent. There now you can have your little chuckle and feel better about yourself by making me explain in detail .