So I have had 3 legitimate crashes on my new Salsa El Mariachi 3 29er. The bike fits me like a dream and is so comfortable and easier to operate/move than my previous Cannondale F5 26er. But gotdammit I can't seem to handle some roots at all! There is one spot where I have had 2 reasonably bad crashes (the other crash was when my handlebars tagged a tree in a narrow spot). I have hit the SAME root and had my bike slide out sideways from under me. It's in a spot on a slight downhill and camber going into a turn. The root is roughly perpendicular of the trail. DH has nearly lost it in the same spot. I have actually gone down hard.

I never had issues with this spot on the old bike. Is it the tires? Previous bike had Kenda Nevegals, current bike has Conti Trail Kings. I read mostly really glowing reviews of the TKs, but a few people had the same sort of root slip issues that I have had. I have noticed I seem to slip off of roots in other areas, too, but I suspect part of that could be the loose leaves covering the trail (which really unnerve me) and maybe tire pressure was too high. I never had issues with the Nevegals, but that was on a different bike with smaller wheels.

Unfortunately these 2 falls have really made me gunshy and now I am mistrusting my abilities, my tires, the trail...and I keep adding to my bruise collection and the first 2 fingers on my right hand are all swollen from hitting my hand (fell to the left, so I think I whacked my hand/fingers on my bike--handlebars were totally rotated around).

Advice?