Trail ride :)

While I posted a summary on the Clinic thread, I just wanted to say here how much I enjoyed my little trail ride yesterday. Yes I fell over. A lot. I learned multiple ways to bail without instruction :rolleyes: What is it about that huge tree beside the trail that draws the eyeballs? Oddly enough the bridges without railings didn't much bother me. I only walked about 5 feet in two places as I didn't want to start going uphill.

It seems it was the sections with long embankments that gave me the most trouble - probably the drop-offs were drawing my eyes more than I realized. There were long sections where there WERE no drop-offs, and I did much better on those, I was able to pick a line around roots and stuff. So I managed to stay on the bike long enough to have some fun :D

One of the other students had a bad headache, so the decision was made to take a fast shortcut back to the parking lot before the others headed to more challenging trails - and the instructor riding with me had me stay in the saddle during the descent rather than assuming the position - but that was fun too!

I need to revisit those parking lot drills quite a bit, AND need to practice tight turns in particular. It is all good though, and though I did get a little frustrated with myself, I can't wait for the next time!

Sounds like you learned a lot! The embankment, do you mean slightly off camber or bench cut? It took me a long time to get comfortable on that and I am still not super comfortable. And with more rides you will stop staring at the big trees! :)

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Originally Posted by Aggie_Ama

Sounds like you learned a lot! The embankment, do you mean slightly off camber or bench cut? It took me a long time to get comfortable on that and I am still not super comfortable. And with more rides you will stop staring at the big trees! :)

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If I know what section she's talking about, it's bench cut. I will say that I had the same reaction when I rode the trail for the first time last Tuesday. I rode it Sunday without even thinking about it so there's hope, Catrin!

I'll echo Catrin's comments. It was a lot of fun and a lot of work. I found myself pretty drained by the end of the day. I ended up turning back from the group myself about mid-way through the next trail because the steeper downhill sections were starting to freak me out. DH has offered to shim my brake levers a bit because I'm otherwise struggling to get sufficient leverage, at least not without my index finger totally cramping, on them to control my speed on downhill sections. That, and I think I just need to take some more baby steps.

After leaving the group, I did the first trail again on my own and felt okay, but tired. There was an added challenge yesterday, too, in that the trails were crowded with guys who were going super fast. I know they have every right to be on beginner trails, but it would be nice if we had them to ourselves. :rolleyes:

I'm really glad I took the clinic. I do wish we'd had a bit more instruction on the trails themselves. We did the skills and drills portion in the morning, and then we more or less got on the trail without too much additional formal instruction. As Catrin indicated, she was with one of our two instructors, and the other was tied up with something else during our first loop. So the group was being led by a "helper." While he appeared to be a good MTBer, he was not an instructor per se. I saw some of the other instructors (there were several distinct groups) actually get off their bikes and coach their students through certain sections of the trail. That would have been helpful I think.

Our group's second instructor eventually rejoined us, but the format was for one instructor to lead and the second to pull up the rear. With roughly 15 women in between, we were sort of on our own. I realize that at some point you just have to get on the trail, but it was hard to integrate all that we learned in a parking lot with real trail conditions. I don't know; it just seems like there might be a better way to approach that part of the clinic. I'm hoping the clinic will send out a questionnaire asking for feedback because I certainly got the sense that they want to make this a great experience for everyone. The event has grown a lot over the last few years, so my guess is that it has presented both new opportunities and new obstacles for instruction.

I assume bench cut means that it is flat? There did seem to be a slight drop to it, but I probably only noticed it because it was my first time on the trail. Good to hear that Indy didn't even notice it after riding it a few times earlier in the week. Part of what caused me problems was that I wanted to ride as far over from the edge as I could which caused me to ride in some sketchy stuff off the trail.

I also recognize that everyone else probably had significantly more experience on the bike in general, and that certainly helps. I did have some shifting problems - the RD on my Jamis is opposite that on my LHT and it keeps messing me up. My Jamis is currently at the LBS getting an inline shift indicator installed. It will go in the cable housing and is a quite inexpensive solution.

It probably would have been better for the actual instructor to have been leading the group and have the helper following - and he would have been with me instead of otherwise. The difference was that he knew the trail and she had not been there before. I also have the idea that they had more students in our group than expected, but I could be wrong.

I am already searching for a safe place to practice locally - the parking lot drills are fine and I will do them, but I really need to practice in a more realistic setting so I can get used to how my bike feels on the dirt and be able to use the various positions I learned yesterday. Interestingly enough the bridges didn't bother me at all, and I thought they would.

My bike is also getting her "new bike" tuneup as a way to check and make certain everything is still in good working order. She did hit the ground quite a few times yesterday :o On the good side, the rear suspension is finally broken in :)

Catrin, where is your other thread?
I wanted to read about the clinic.

I just added to the original Clinic thread here.

If I were to add to that original post, I would have to say that it appeared to go off without a hitch. The organizer is an amazing multi-tasker and she seemed to have her eye on everything, it was amazing! If there were problems it wasn't very apparent! I just realized today that we didn't do a group photo, but frankly, there were so many of us that might have been a problem.

I was amazed by the broad spectrum of experience I found among the other women, and it was very encouraging :) It was a little daunting to go camping by myself, but am very glad that I went. I did watch some of the more advanced women's skills and drills that first day and it was just inspiring what I saw those women doing. Even if I never get that advanced, it is encouraging knowing women can do that stuff :)

I have since spoken with my fitter, who is one of the instructors there, and he told me the things I had trouble with on the trail are the same problems that everyone has at the beginning. I cannot express how glad I was to hear that - it just means I am normal and need to practice a lot!

We did a group photo immediately after lunch. Where were you?

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Originally Posted by indysteel

We did a group photo immediately after lunch. Where were you?

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Dagnabbit! I went to my car to store my goodies and grab my Camelbak and shin guards that I hadn't wanted to carry around with food - they were still doing the Naked Lady table when I left :( I wasn't gone but a couple of minutes. Darn it! Oh well, I will still get a copy of the photo if I can, at least I wasn't there to break the camera :o

Here are two photos bench cut (first one) and off camber (Georgia Gould rocking Bonelli). Bench cut can be off camber but if built to IMBA standards it will have a certain percent grade, if Irulan pops in I bet she can tell you the percent. In some cases I find bench cut harder because I will lose focus and wonder if I will clip a pedal. But off camber just feels funky, you really got to have balance and confidence in your positioning.

hmmm, the section in question is bench cut, Indy had it right as I figured she did :) I think it was only a problem, really, because I could SEE the drop off.

I've found a local trail that is VERY short, right at one mile, that is classed as an "Gateway" trail and said to be a little easier than the trail I was on yesterday. I just need someplace local where I can play on dirt and practice the skills I learned yesterday - on dirt and not concrete. I need to get used to how my Jamis feels/acts on dirt. Once I get more comfortable I will head back to yesterday's trail ;)

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Originally Posted by Catrin

I've found a local trail that is VERY short, right at one mile, that is classed as an "Gateway" trail and said to be a little easier than the trail I was on yesterday.

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What trail is that?

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Originally Posted by indysteel

What trail is that?

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It is called "River Road Park" and is in Hamilton county at 126th and River Road. It isn't close to you, but it might be worth the drive. Here is the description from the HMBA website:

"Thanks to Hamilton County Parks Dept. we have access to a new trail within River Rd Park at 126th & River Rd. This trail has been built along the White River with access near the south canoe launch or one of the two overlooks off of the paved multi-use trail. It has been designed and built according to IMBA standards for a "Gateway" trail. A Gateway trail is usually near an urban area and designed to introduce people to the sport of Mt. Biking. This trail is nearly a 1 mile loop with an upper and lower trail built above the seasonal flooding of the White River."

I asked Jonathan about it yesterday and while he said he has never seen it, a friend of his built the trail. It is not long at all but that provides more control over how far/long to ride. I am going to go look at it sometime this week, it is supposed to rain so I can take an umbrella and not waste riding time hiking it :)

I posted a question here asking how it compares to Pine Loop. The person who answered my question mentions Town Run as well but I've been told by everyone I know/trust to avoid Town Run at this time. They said isn't like other mountain bike trails and it would be better to drive to BCSP instead.

There is a new trail opening at Fort Ben, but I've not heard how it will be classified.

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Originally Posted by Catrin

It is called "River Road Park" and is in Hamilton county at 126th and River Road. It isn't close to you, but it might be worth the drive. Here is the description from the HMBA website:

"Thanks to Hamilton County Parks Dept. we have access to a new trail within River Rd Park at 126th & River Rd. This trail has been built along the White River with access near the south canoe launch or one of the two overlooks off of the paved multi-use trail. It has been designed and built according to IMBA standards for a "Gateway" trail. A Gateway trail is usually near an urban area and designed to introduce people to the sport of Mt. Biking. This trail is nearly a 1 mile loop with an upper and lower trail built above the seasonal flooding of the White River."

I asked Jonathan about it yesterday and while he said he has never seen it, a friend of his built the trail. It is not long at all but that provides more control over how far/long to ride. I am going to go look at it sometime this week, it is supposed to rain so I can take an umbrella and not waste riding time hiking it :)

I posted a question here asking how it compares to Pine Loop. The person who answered my question mentions Town Run as well but I've been told by everyone I know/trust to avoid Town Run at this time. They said isn't like other mountain bike trails and it would be better to drive to BCSP instead.

There is a new trail opening at Fort Ben, but I've not heard how it will be classified.

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That sounds like a great place for you to practice. It's way out of the way for me, so I doubt I'll get up there, but if I'm ever going to be in the area, I'll try it. I'll likely just keep doing Pine Loop for the time being. I'm willing to try the other beginner trails, but my guess is that I'll end up having to walk some sections. Good thing DH and I bought an annual state park pass!

Catrin & Indy, which skills did you learn in the clinic? Which skill(s) are you finding to be the toughest?

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Originally Posted by Artista

Catrin & Indy, which skills did you learn in the clinic? Which skill(s) are you finding to be the toughest?

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We practiced neutral and what they called "ready" position, modulated and controlled braking, what they called "window washing," i.e,. getting up out of the saddle and moving our body back and forth over the bike, moving fore and aft over the saddle, ratcheting and tight turns, and getting our front wheel up. At least those are the ones I remember.

I had a bit of trouble with getting my wheel up, although I got better with it as the day progressed, and I still have room for improvement on tight turns. Honestly, I thought I did pretty well during the skills and drills portion; it's simply a matter of integrating it once on the trail. I felt pretty good on the trail itself, too, so long as I wasn't descending. Descending scares me a bit. I think part of it is that I'm having trouble braking with one finger. As I mentioned upthread, DH is going to adjust my levers to a bit easier for me. I'll see if that helps. Part of it is "just" mental. I need practice and exposure to lessen my nerves.

I had no problems with the neutral/ready/fore/aft positions. The sideways, "window washing" technique was challenging and I am unsure that I actually have that down. Hopping over a little stick with my front wheel was also challenging. I did improve a bit on this, but I do not think that I could actually hop over a real obstacle, that is going to take some time and that is ok. More upper body strength can only help :)

Shifting was something of a challenge on the trail, but that improved when I just put it in the granny gear and worked with the little gears.

The braking techniques were fun, and I found my balance to be better than I expected, so that was all good. We did some sharp turn practices and I did have a little trouble with this. I think the trouble was more from having others so close to me - most of my road riding is solo so I am just not accustomed to having other cyclists in such close proximity. Ever. Of course, one doesn't normally do such tight turns on the road so I need to practice them anyway.

One cool thing that came out of all of the drills. I got so used to the neutral position that I came out of one drill still standing on my pedals and actually caught myself pedaling! Resistance wasn't high enough for that, not really, but I've NEVER been able to do that on my other bikes :)

The "ready" position is a little difficult for me to separate from the ready position for some reason...but one of the instructors pulled me aside and helped me to figure it out. This still needs practice, but it was a great start!

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Originally Posted by indysteel

That sounds like a great place for you to practice. It's way out of the way for me, so I doubt I'll get up there, but if I'm ever going to be in the area, I'll try it. I'll likely just keep doing Pine Loop for the time being. I'm willing to try the other beginner trails, but my guess is that I'll end up having to walk some sections. Good thing DH and I bought an annual state park pass!

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I need to get one of those state park passes. I can't go down every weekend as I am further than you are, but will head down as often as I can. The River Road trail is less than a mile, so knowing me, once I get more comfortable I will be pining for Pine :cool: Do let me know if the two of you find other beginner trails in the area, though I think most of them are at BCSP.

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Originally Posted by Catrin

I need to get one of those state park passes. I can't go down every weekend as I am further than you are, but will head down as often as I can. The River Road trail is less than a mile, so knowing me, once I get more comfortable I will be pining for Pine :cool: Do let me know if the two of you find other beginner trails in the area, though I think most of them are at BCSP.

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It's $36 for a calendar year. It's otherwise $5.00 to enter any state park, so if you think you're going to be at a park at least 8 more times between now and the end of the year, then it'll be worth your while. Otherwise, just wait until next year.

Quick comment - know I need to post in the clinic thread, too. Hopefully will have sometime at hotel tonight (at Indy airport now, Chicago later).

Realize that Town Run trail is ver close to the hotel I always stay at when in town for biz. Heck I was within a block or two of it in last 24 hours.......but the boys (DH and kiddo) had taken my bike home. Woulda been fun to try it.

Now I'm scheming how I can have a bike on my biz trips ;)

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Originally Posted by kimikaw

Quick comment - know I need to post in the clinic thread, too. Hopefully will have sometime at hotel tonight (at Indy airport now, Chicago later).

Realize that Town Run trail is ver close to the hotel I always stay at when in town for biz. Heck I was within a block or two of it in last 24 hours.......but the boys (DH and kiddo) had taken my bike home. Woulda been fun to try it.

Now I'm scheming how I can have a bike on my biz trips ;)

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I guess they don't have folding mountain bikes :cool: Ya know, BGI North does mountain bike rentals, that might be an option? I won't ride Town Run until I've more experience under my belt, but it sounds like a great option for you for sure. How often are you in town for biz?

kimikaw, I don't guess you have the option of flying Frontier too often but I believe they've recently changed their policy to charge only normal baggage fees ($25) for bikes.

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Originally Posted by jessmarimba

kimikaw, I don't guess you have the option of flying Frontier too often but I believe they've recently changed their policy to charge only normal baggage fees ($25) for bikes.

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I'm actually "elite" status with Frontier- being based in Milwaukee where they swallowed up local Midwest Airlines, I fly them or AirTran most trips. I love that they changed their baggage policy re: bikes. Even sent them a note and couple of nice tweets. Just unsure what dragging a bike along will really entail. But something to think about.

Then again rentals may provide opportunities forest out some bikes in my summer long hunt towhat MTB am I gonna buy.

true true. It irks me sometimes how drastically different rental/demo prices can be. I've paid as little as $35 for a mountain bike I adored (in Montana), or as much as $150 (here in town), for 24-48 hours.

(I actually loathe Frontier - I'm US Airways girl - but have conceded that I will give them business simply b/c of that fee change. And I told them that. )

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Originally Posted by jessmarimba

(I actually loathe Frontier - I'm US Airways girl - but have conceded that I will give them business simply b/c of that fee change. And I told them that. )

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I actually loathe US Airways - I'm a Southwest girl or Frontier in a pinch;)

And now back to your regularly scheduled conversation...:)

And the regularly scheduled conversation...

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Originally Posted by Catrin

I guess they don't have folding mountain bikes

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Actually, they do! For example, the full suspension Dahon Jetstream:

http://us.dahon.com/bikes/1637/jetstream-p8