Tygerberg MTB Trails

[Robbie Stewart]

Here's some take away from my upskilling over the course of this year. 

1. Manuals are bad for you. Avoid...????

2. Go ride a trail like Black Rhino 2 at least. Take it easy. Stop. Inspect. Stare at the obstacle. Turn back and go again. Don't go beyond your comfort level. Keep at it.

3. The next time you get there again, suddenly the bit tripping you up last time seems tamer now. Try again. Take it easy. Repeat. When you do it the first time without any fear, do it again. And again. 

4. Move on down the trail doing the same thing. Keep taking it easy.

5. Soon, you will ride the entire line and wonder why it was so hard before.

[Robbie Stewart]

24 minutes ago, Mamil said:

I'd be interested to know the correlation co-efficient between number of years riding bikes on mountains and subjective rating of the cobra slab. I bet it's a negative one.

Bikehub does science. 

1. How old are you?

2. How many years have you been riding mtb?

3. On a scale of 1 to 10 - with 10 being impossible I'll never do it and one being - meh piece of cake how hard would you say the rock slab on the cobra is.

 

 

1.  45
2.  9
3.  6 (I'm trying to be completely objective) 

note: My 6/10 for the cobra is more to do with the notoriety of that slab and the amount of injuries it has wrought over the years. Once you ride it you find its not that hard. The tricky bits are the loose rocks once you get off the slab into the right-hand corner. I would not suggest riding it blind for the first time if your skills are low, but the first series of drops at the top are adequate squirrel catchers to prep one for this rock.

[Skubarra]

36 minutes ago, Mamil said:

I'd be interested to know the correlation co-efficient between number of years riding bikes on mountains and subjective rating of the cobra slab. I bet it's a negative one.

Bikehub does science. 

1. How old are you?

2. How many years have you been riding mtb?

3. On a scale of 1 to 10 - with 10 being impossible I'll never do it and one being - meh piece of cake how hard would you say the rock slab on the cobra is.

 

 

I used to be able to ride that rockslab, but I think over time it became much more washed out. Had a tumble there 2 years back when my back wheel swiped out under me when the rocks were wet and walked it since. Would probably be able to ride it again if I put my mind to it but I don't aspire to push my limits on technical stuff. When I ride the cobra with friends its usually about 50/50 split between peeps who ride it and those who walk it.

I'm not quite on the wicket that it is super easy, but happy for the hardcore okes on here who think it is.

[Mamil]

I'm 53, been riding 6 years, and I'd give that slab a solid 8.

I've ridden it a few times - once quite comfortably following a better rider down, once or twice alone less comfortably and sometimes I've got there and thought "fork this" and almost killed myself walking it. I've also wheeled a mate's bike out after he ran out of skill on it and then taken him to hospital and I've not gone back there since. 

Reflecting on it I am not so interested in progressing to the point of riding more technical stuff - I've got a happy balance between thrill and fear - I have also been under the knife as a result of my stupidity / lack of skill on a bike a few years back and I'm happy (and lucky) to still be riding. Disinclined to go through that again so perhaps a bit risk averse.

As you say @Robbie Stewartgetting older does suck a bit but I am finding there are some compensations.

[Rock Guy]

I'm probably what you'd call an Enduro Bru. Learned how to wheelie, bunny hop and ride trails when I was still in school, many years ago. So ja, I know my difficulty gauge is not the same as someone who only started riding at the age of 35. I'm not the best rider out there by any means and I can't ride jumps to save my life. I ride on the cautious side nowadays after having had a few surgeries myself.

That said. I don't think the cobra is difficult. Its also not the easiest trial to ride if you've just started riding. Grabbing a hand-full of front brake in the rock pile that lies just beyond the aforementioned rock slab is going to cost you a collar bone. Keep left as you enter the slab (this used to be a sneaky line, but it's now pretty much the main line). Break on the rock slab, then control your speed with the rear break around the right hand corner. Don't touch your front break in the corner, you will crash. make sure you enter the slab slow enough. You can always put in a few pedal strokes after you exit the right hand corner at the bottom.

Just take you time, and learn the correct technique.

 

[Robbie Stewart]

These are the line options on the slab. The one works well. 

The other one does too if you feel the need to be operated on.

[Rock Guy]

5 minutes ago, Robbie Stewart said:

These are the line options on the slab. The one works well. 

The other one does too if you feel the need to be operated on.

This is the line_____________________________________________________________________ ^

Edited November 15, 2021 by Rock Guy
fixed arrow

[Robbie Stewart]

1 minute ago, Rock Guy said:

This is the line ^

Just to clarify - are you meaning the red line? - your ^ is right beneath it, hence my asking.

I would hesitate to ride that line, as it is BEGGING for a fistful of front brake to moer you over the bars onto some gnarly stones below, resulting in another helivac.

 

[Thermophage]

1 minute ago, Rock Guy said:

This is the line ^

TBH both of those work fine...the body position in that picture is what is the difficult part and is increasing the probability of your front wheel going bye bye.

Shift weight forward, chest more over the bars, elbows out, not tucked backwards and you will find you have WAY more control even if you want to putter down there at a snails pace. That rearward body position unweights the front so you have no grip and the elbow position will mean you are more likely to fold the arm when hitting a compression and loose control and then well...

[Rock Guy]

Just now, Robbie Stewart said:

Just to clarify - are you meaning the red line? - your ^ is right beneath it, hence my asking.

I would hesitate to ride that line, as it is BEGGING for a fistful of front brake to moer you over the bars onto some gnarly stones below, resulting in another helivac.

 

Fixed the arrow  defos the blue line for me.

[Robbie Stewart]

4 minutes ago, Thermophage said:

TBH both of those work fine...the body position in that picture is what is the difficult part and is increasing the probability of your front wheel going bye bye.

Shift weight forward, chest more over the bars, elbows out, not tucked backwards and you will find you have WAY more control even if you want to putter down there at a snails pace. That rearward body position unweights the front so you have no grip and the elbow position will mean you are more likely to fold the arm when hitting a compression and loose control and then well...

and there I thought I was going to be advised on my sock choice and beverage holder...????

I shall give your advice a try next time I ride there. This was taken when I was riding clipless and without a dropper, and if I recall I was too lazy to drop the seatpost on this run, hence my hanging over the rear wheel. Since this pic I changed to flats and installed a dropper which is something I should have done years ago already, but just never did. Just that made a HUGE difference already.

[Thermophage]

Just now, Robbie Stewart said:

and there I thought I was going to be advised on my sock choice and beverage holder...????

I shall give your advice a try next time I ride there. This was taken when I was riding clipless and without a dropper, and if I recall I was too lazy to drop the seatpost on this run, hence my hanging over the rear wheel. Since this pic I changed to flats and installed a dropper which is something I should have done years ago already, but just never did. Just that made a HUGE difference already.

Hahahaha I have no problem with any socks, hell you should see mine...sometimes you can't cos they're too short

The type/body position I'm describing, unfortunately doesnt come naturally, but once you focus practice it you will seriously level up your riding mental game and tackling steeper things (not that we have many steep official trails - no, Black Rhino is not steep) will be significantly simpler.

But we alllll find ourselves riding with *** body position from time to time...myself more often that I am probably even aware of.

 

[Mamil]

23 minutes ago, Thermophage said:

TBH both of those work fine...the body position in that picture is what is the difficult part and is increasing the probability of your front wheel going bye bye.

Shift weight forward, chest more over the bars, elbows out, not tucked backwards and you will find you have WAY more control even if you want to putter down there at a snails pace. That rearward body position unweights the front so you have no grip and the elbow position will mean you are more likely to fold the arm when hitting a compression and loose control and then well...

Interesting - cos pictured stance is the one I am in most of the time - the one you describe with elbows out and raised and weight pushing down on the front wheel feels a little OTB-ish to me.

I suspect I've practiced all sorts of poor technique things and my whole riding style has adapted around that. I'd have to unlearn first. You can't unteach an old dog.

[Thermophage]

17 minutes ago, Mamil said:

Interesting - cos pictured stance is the one I am in most of the time - the one you describe with elbows out and raised and weight pushing down on the front wheel feels a little OTB-ish to me.

I suspect I've practiced all sorts of poor technique things and my whole riding style has adapted around that. I'd have to unlearn first. You can't unteach an old dog.

You can learn. Will not take you long if you try. But yes, it does feel VERY foreign at first and a too long (subjective and eprsonal) a stem will also make it feel worse unfortunately

Get a skills session or two, it will do wonders for your riding and help out the local skills coaches.

A "reasonable" example of body position coming into steeper/rocky bump to roll over.

Edited November 15, 2021 by Thermophage

[Robbie Stewart]

1 hour ago, Thermophage said:

You can learn. Will not take you long if you try. But yes, it does feel VERY foreign at first and a too long (subjective and eprsonal) a stem will also make it feel worse unfortunately

Get a skills session or two, it will do wonders for your riding and help out the local skills coaches.

A "reasonable" example of body position coming into steeper/rocky bump to roll over.

a'right, I see what you mean. And kuk (mine) form aside, it (your form) looks better too. 

Edit 2 - Witfontein? I would have loved to go ride there December...maybe next year

Edited November 15, 2021 by Robbie Stewart
the bold bits - and again, where?

[Jewbacca]

There is some *** form at Witfontein on a kids bike....

I guess Thermo is saying 'commit'. As soon as you're not over the bike you can't shift your weight forward and backwards, so you paint yourself into a corner. 

I'm not going to hand out advice though. I don't regard myself as being particularly 'good' but I can ride a bit.