So where have all the MTB skills gone?

[udxcob]

I rode my SS on day two but had to pull out (long story) so I went to watch the riders come in just as you hit the fence at the finish field.

There was a slight drop from concrete to dirt and loads of guys tried to lift off the ground and 90% of them got out of control 20cm in the air.

[Hairy]

I completely agree - You would think some people who ride these mtb races, would make more of an effort to learn how to handle switchbacks and drops and tight lines. Nothing amazing skill wise but helps a ton with flow and removing bottlenecks.

 

Sorry to say it but quite a few of the ladies caused bottlenecks, especially in the lower groups, short course options. Older guys as well. Although I followed one older lady ( > 50yrs) down jonkers to the the waterpoint at the damn. She could handle those trails better than most men, in her baggies, taking jumps and good lines.

 

Loads of people that would rather keep you behind them then pull over and let you pass. I wish the race organisers would create more awareness on this topic pre-race. Kill the music, ask everyone to STFU and tell people in no uncertain terms if that they need to move over and not be selfish.

 

Too many waits over these 2 days because of people who do not know how to handle switchbacks..

 

Oh and to top it off, some big guys decided to make the field wait at the top while the bottleneck cleared, then proceeded to have an unhindered ride to the next bottleneck where they would make people wait again, just so they can get a decent ride in.

 

All in all loved the event, first stage race.. but soo many awesome trail gone to waste because of a select bunch of people who should probably work on their skills before participating again.

Yo, was the lady on a black rocky mountain and wearing a orange helmet?

[Johny Bravo]

Yo, was the lady on a black rocky mountain and wearing a orange helmet?

I rode with her for a while, black and red Rocky Mountain, baggies, maybe 45 years old. She kills the downhills.

 

We had a few chats as we waited for traffic to clear on the singletracks.

[mazambaan]

I come from a motorcycle enduro background so will try and ride most things but note that I think most riders now expect trails to be smooth, flowing and predictable rather than the "ride as it comes" cattle and human paths. My view is that it's great to ride Hill2Hill, Sani or Berg & Bush without ever getting off your bike (except on uphills) but it does diminish the adrenalin rush from a challenge. Smooth tracks however equal higher speed so when you do run out of talent at 25 or 35kph , the results are often more painful and plasterish or stitchish than binning it on a rocky ledge or hairpin dropoff at 5 or 10kph. This I know firsthand.

 

Sure there are lots of riders with not too much technical skill but, frustrating though it is, they pay for the ride everyone enjoys. Actually I just think there are too many riders in races; there just is not physically space for freedom on the downhills.

 

So really I just have one gripe. Please, if you are going to stop dead or even get off and push, try and immediately get off the track. Motorcycles taught me that human is softer than rock and Mother Earth and swerving off the track is where large and nasty boulders lurk. So if I cannot stop, and there is a human obstacle ahead, 9/10 I'll keep straight, lean back and look savage and there may be some pain and suffering, only some of which will be mine. Of course I also want to avoid getting donnered by the partner/boyfriend.

 

Otherwise that is what it is in SA. You fancy your skills, enduro and downhill are pretty much always short of entries, I believe. Just check your medical aid.

[VicanZA]

U a bit of a dick....if u wanna enjoy a trail go ride it with ur mates not in a race...lots of riders do this to stay fit and be outdoors at the same time they have no interest in getting skills.

 

Ride and let ride dick.

[Beefy]

I was so frustrated after day 1 that I didn't even go back for day 2. Went and road trails with mates instead.

 

I have only recently started the races and this made me consider how I spend my time riding in the future. W2W was my first experience and I was actually impressed with the flow on that.

 

The question I ask is if you know that you cant descend a switch back why do you enter races?

[BrandonF_]

I rode my SS on day two but had to pull out (long story) so I went to watch the riders come in just as you hit the fence at the finish field.

There was a slight drop from concrete to dirt and loads of guys tried to lift off the ground and 90% of them got out of control 20cm in the air.

Hey! We chatted after the race when I waited for my friend to come in, nice meeting you man! Pity about that bust bearing on day one, next time!

[Johny Bravo]

I was so frustrated after day 1 that I didn't even go back for day 2. Went and road trails with mates instead.

 

I have only recently started the races and this made me consider how I spend my time riding in the future. W2W was my first experience and I was actually impressed with the flow on that.

 

The question I ask is if you know that you cant descend a switch back why do you enter races?

Some people will always be more cautious than others, regardless of skills. I have no problem with them entering races, I do have a huge problem with organisers these days. They should seed correctly, make start times further apart, smaller groups etc etc. I am afraid they had too many entries this year, this type of race does not allow it. 

 

And again, the routes merging is a huge f up. When will these guys ever learn.  The leaders of the 65km race caught the midfield of the 45km race on the singletrack above coetzenburg, and it was a lot of shouting and screaming etc. So I heard. This is just dumb, stop with this route merging *** allready, PLEASE.

[Dicky DQ]

U a bit of a dick....if u wanna enjoy a trail go ride it with ur mates not in a race...lots of riders do this to stay fit and be outdoors at the same time they have no interest in getting skills.

 

Ride and let ride dick.

Problem is you cannot ride these trails unless in an organized event. That is the issue. As I said before, I have no issue with waiting cruizing in in the lower groups, but in the top 20 to 30% of the field I was expecting more skills from the riders.

 

There were no drop offs, steep inclines etc. on day 2 of the Origins of Trails. Just awesome single track that wanted to be ridden, which unfortunately was not. 

 

and again I was just commenting on the serious lack of skills. Trust me I have very few of these, and that is what made it all the more obvious.

 

PS. If you want to get fit you should go ride the trails with your mates. A race is a race. Well this was not a race, but you get my point. I hope.

[Borborygmi]

That is why I stopped doing races.

Lets see how Enduro is going to go in RSA

[Brickleberry]

This is a big reason I have been riding more road. With all the ex roadies flocking to MTB these days,the roads are clear and fast. Mountain biking has become about how expensive a bike u can afford and then riding it on as much flat dirt road as possible.

[Jocklaw]

so who is most wrong ? 

 

Roadies with no skill or MTbers with not enough fitness ?

[dienatkoerantman]

Well this is a topic that can go on for days........i feel the same way....if u wanne get of and walk the technical parts do so just move of the line and out of the way.......there r some people that r stupid enough like myself who believes the faster u go on technical and rock gardens the beter.....i did a race at suncity......on the one rock garden i bombed past allot of the non technical riders as usualy....the caugt up to me on the flats....this one uncle looks at me and say...... u r very reclous back there.....on whish i replyed no sir i am just a mountain biker.......so please to the people that r scared of bailing....just go of to the side walk down but let us trough......

 

well enough said.....safe rides to u all

[porqui]

Skills - who needs skills ?? Most of the trails have been turned into freeways.

You take Canaries for instance it's been turned into a flow trail if you can call it a trail at all.

And still riders get off and walk - bunch of wooses!

No thinking needed!

[DJR]

I have reduced the number of one day mtb races I do every year, precisely because of the lack of "crowd control". I simply go ride on my own, or with a few friends, more often. I've also gone back to riding more road races, mostly because they felt like more fun and less frustration.

 

So, where have all the skills gone?

 

They avoid the big mtb races, that's for sure!

[VicanZA]

I have reduced the number of one day mtb races I do every year, precisely because of the lack of "crowd control". I simply go ride on my own, or with a few friends, more often. I've also gone back to riding more road races, mostly because they felt like more fun and less frustration.

 

So, where have all the skills gone?

 

They avoid the big mtb races, that's for sure!

spot on, go ride the trails with ur mates, most event are getting to big, cant blame the guys for trying to make some cash.

 

If you do wanna race u need to come to terms with guys with better seeding than you will not ride the technical stuff but over 70km they gonna finish ahead of you. over a 70km trailseeker maybe 500m of the track will be technical so if they had to complain about the real mtb who can ride the 500m but hold everything up over the 69,5km wouldnt it be the same?

 

just enjoy it! make new friends and be thankful that u get to enjoy ur time doing what u love and that lots of other people enjoy it too, its those numbers that have cycle parks pop up everywhere and events almost every weekend.

 

so chill dick, u need to take the good with the bad.