no skills

[buffybike]

Last week, I tried my hand at singletrack for the first time. It was with a LBS group and was SUPPOSEDLY a beginner's ride, but I found it to be very technically difficult. To make a long story short, I crashed four times and accumulated quite a number of cuts, scrapes and bruises. I don't want to throw in the towel, but I'm not ready to head out onto that kind of terrain until I feel a little more confident about how to turn through lots of switchbacks, "choose a line", and pick up speed without being terrified that I'm going to run into a tree and kill myself. I was hoping the guys from the LBS would offer advice, but no. They just said, "Are you okay?" and continued on. (Oh, well.)

Are there any helpful videos or books you'd recommend I check out? I really want to improve my bike handling skills. I'm not trying to be any kind of expert--I prefer riding road, anyway--I just want to have fun without getting bloody.

[softthings]

i don't know either. i am new to this as well. i will keep an eye on the thread. however, i just went down with my boyfriend who is a bit more skilled than i and we took it sloooooooow. i got off and walked if i had to. if you know someone who will do that, i recommend it. all that technical stuff takes time unless you are just totally fearless. good luck! :)

[limewave]

Here is an outline I found that lists basic technique that I found helpful:
http://www.durangomountainbikecamp.com/Skills%20Sheet.pdf

I do think a lot xcountry riding is getting comfortable on the bike. I'll practice in my neighborhood. There's a highschool near us that has ramps and stairwells that I will sometimes practice riding on.

I found this site and the how-to videos seem pretty good:
http://www.bikeskills.com/blog/?page_id=422

Hope this helps! Don't give up. I cried the first few times I started xcountry riding. Now its my favorite thing to do.

[Zen]

There are a few upcoming MTB skills clinics in my area. You should do a search for one in your neighborhood

[indigoiis]

I have the same issue, but got good advice here: Get out and ride on that mountain bike! Ride on sidewalks, grass, gravel, dirt roads, and keep riding. Eventually you'll end up on a trail.

I also went to a skills clinic offered by REI. That helped a little.

My husband and I went out to a local state park with trails ranging from easy to hard. He went out on the hard trails, I went by myself on the easy loop, and we met back at the truck.

I am still a noob, and I still screech on sandy bits (I fell really hard on a sandy road in Martha's Vineyard and it took a long time to heal my disclocated shoulder), I still avoid logs (I went rear over handlebars trying to get over a log), I still walk on most *sweet* downhills and while I'll attempt an uphill, it is rarely without unclipping and having to stop halfway up.

I don't know if that helps, but just know, you are in good company. :D

[buffybike]

Don't give up. I cried the first few times I started xcountry riding. Now its my favorite thing to do.[/QUOTE]

Really??!! Thanks for saying that...I was THIS CLOSE to crying after my 4th fall and not just from the physical pain. I don't know which was hurt worse--my shins or my ego! Good to know that I'm not alone...I'll keep trying.

[limewave]

The last two group xcountry rides I went on, someone cried. It can be tough. But that's what makes it all that much more rewarding.

[snowroo]

Gawd, I still fall. Hug fenceposts. Swing around the odd tree. Orchestrate some creative flip dismounts. And that was BEFORE going clipless.

Keep your head up. Look ahead. Don't look down in front of your wheel. Look at that tree and yes that's where you'll end up. Try not to think of all the things that *could* happen. Trust your bike. It was made for this. Relax. Learn to move around the cockpit.

Time on bike will help. Ride. Ride more. Take it easy. Go at a speed where you feel comfortable

[chickabonita]

Ok, I just have to say, I think it sucks that the others you were riding with were not more help to you. You were a beginner off road rider, you should have been given a little extra attention, it's just the sportsman like thing to do. It's just not a way to welcome someone to a new sport, I would be mad about that. But, I guess we've all been there and we just put our big girl pants on and deal with it. That's all I'm gonna say about that.

Otherwise, the advise given from others is all good. I still walk down hills sometimes, I've wiped out on plenty of tree roots and rocks. Keep your eyes on what is coming at you not just the road in front of you, don't let anyone make you feel rushed, and there's no shame in crying. :p

[katherine]

...how to turn through lots of switchbacks, "choose a line", and pick up speed without being terrified that I'm going to run into a tree and kill myself. I was hoping the guys from the LBS would offer advice, but no. They just said, "Are you okay?" and continued on. (Oh, well.)...I just want to have fun without getting bloody.

It can be said again that we have all been there, and those guys are jerks.
Switchbacks are tough, even for seasoned riders, the more you do it the faster you'll get, like anything else practice helps. As time goes on you'll get better at reading the trail too, watching the line others take is sometimes helpful, but not always the best choice for you. Try to go over rocks and roots at a 90 degree angle, and going over larger embedded rocks is often easier than smaller loose rock. Some speed helps, you are actually less likely to fall if momentum is on your side. I learned this by going for big rides and getting too tired to get off my bike, which also builds confidence. When going downhill get your butt back over your back tire, if you downhill ski it's a similar position, move your center of gravity back. And don't look at the tree! It's like driving, look where you want the car/bike to go. When you're totally frustrated on a trail remember that it will be easier next time, the first time on a trail is the hardest it'll ever be. And it's not a bike ride if there is no skin left on the trail, everything else is just a cruise through the woods, wear those bruises with pride, you earned them!

[crazycanuck]

I say get back out there & give it another shot.Dirt is more fun than roadie riding :D.


Mountain biking isn't about "if" you're going to fall but WHEN!!!
A few ideas:
Core strength helps heaps in mtn biking-uphill & down.
You need to switch your brain on when doing dirt.(I switch off my brain when i road ride..) Go and ride the trail again & again until you remember what's coming & how you need to position yourself etc. You'll eventually notice how you pick the right line and how to get over x or y.

Mountain biking is hard but it's sooooo much fun!!! :D

[ny biker]

Try this video:

http://www.wildflowermtb.com/

If you have any problems ordering it, let me know and I can try to track down the woman who made it. I'm one of the newbie riders in it and I know my LBS still sells it.

FWIW, I will always be a newbie when it comes to mountain biking. I enjoy it but I'm not very skilled at it. And yes, even the best riders fall, in fact I think they fall more than new riders do.

[MartianDestiny]

I have two suggestions I think might help.

1) look for (beginner) skills clinics in your area, maybe ask around at the local shops. You may even be able to find a women's only one if that's your cup of tea and will make you more comfortable. These clinics go over things like: getting over logs, shifting your weight, navigating switchbacks, precision steering, etc.

REI does these from time to time if you have one nearby, along with a lot of independent coaches and shops.

2) talk to your group riding buddies. To them falling may be part of the game (it is, more or less, something that happens when you ride technical single-track often) and they may not have even thought you wanted advice (people fall even when they know what they should have done or what they did wrong). It's also possible that they were hesitant to give advice. A lot of times people, myself included, react negatively to advice given right after they've fallen/not quite succeeded at something. If you communicate clearly to them that tips, both before and after crashes, will be greatly appreciated you may find a few of them start piping up, hanging back so you can try something again, etc.

That they stayed with you and kept you with the bunch at all indicates to me they really are a good group of people to ride with if you give them another try or two.

Otherwise watch and emulate, and don't be afraid to get off and walk sections you aren't ready for. There's no shame in that. Everyone does it from time to time.

[Crankin]

I haven't been on my mountain bike in 2 years because of this stuff. I love being on the trails and I actually don't mind falling. But, I do mind the thought of serious injury. At one point, I got pretty good going downhill, but unless you practice all of the time, it doesn't stick. And I actually don't see how I could ever get my bike over a log.
The most humiliating cycling experience of my life was when I went on a group mountain bike ride. And this was when I was doing it regularly. I just remember a bunch of people yelling at me to "hold my line," and I didn't know what the hell they meant.

[SheFly]

And I actually don't see how I could ever get my bike over a log.

I could teach you this in one outing. :D

NEMBA hosts skills clinics, as does the Luna Chix group, locally. You should check these out - they are REALLY good, and will ensure that you learn these types of skills.

SheFly

[Crankin]

I may take you up on that, SheFly...

[Cato]

What jerks! When I started mountain biking I read everything I could about skills and rode as much as I could. Rode over my head often, crashed ALOT, and learned something new every time. One great book that really helped me is Ned Overend's "Mountain Bike Like a Champion", and he has a video as well. I'd read one chapter a week and work on that one skill on the weekend.

It would be great if you can find a more skilled rider who's willing to take you out and show you how it's done. With patience, of course!

[nerdgirl]

OMG! I can't believe that group treated you that way! So not cool! What jerks!

First and foremost, stop riding with that group. When I started riding, I had one good riding partner, who was more advanced than me and very patient, to show me the ropes and set me on my way. He was so great that within 4 months I was riding intermediate trails at Mammoth! There is no way I could have progressed that quickly had I gone with a group.

What also helped was Brian Lopes' book, Mastering Mountain Bike Skills http://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Mountain-Bike-Skills-2nd/dp/0736083715 . I learn well from books, so it worked great for me. It's readable, humorous, and has lots of diagrams. (In case you don't know who Brian Lopes is, he's a pro downhill racer who has been competing for over 20 years, and still kicks the arses of guys half his age!).

I've also learned quite a bit from this site:
http://www.bikeskills.com/blog/?page_id=422
I used it for help with learning how to jump, the advantages of pumping, and improving my switchback skills (which I still struggle with).

Don't give up! You just need better riding partners :)