Newbie needs help with singletrack!!!

[wavedancer]

Lots of good advice on this thread for another beginner with a great bike (same Titus Racer X), hoping to become a better rider. I went to a mtb camp this weekend at Coyote Hill in Vermont. Learned lots and got to practice some skills in a series of practice drills and then out onto some varied single track. Had LOTS of falls. Some were because I was pushing my limits and some were because I just couldn't seem to get my *^&% left foot off the pedal to catch myself! I experienced a lot of frustration...a few tears, but took away some more experience and things to work on.

One of the most important things I need to work on is the slow-speed balance stuff. Most of my falls happen on up hill technical stuff (except for the failed log-clearing crash). It was pointed out to me that if I could improve my slow-speed balance I would have more time to pick my line on the technical stuff, and could probably choose when to unclip and save myself from a fall, if necessary. I tend to get so focused on getting thorugh a section that I'm not prepared to bail when I need to.

I also need to work on climbing out of the saddle in a higher gear. I sometimes get into too low a gear and then end up losing momentum.

We did some practice of shifting our weight on the bike, not just forward and back, but also side to side, which really helped me with downhill cornering.

The falling-down stuff can be really confidence-depleting, and I came home with lots of bruises and probably a cracked rib But I still love it!! And I am looking forward to working on the dance some more.

Thanks to everyone for all your advice and encouragement to us newbies!

Linda

[emily_in_nc]

BTW - you're not far from me - what trail were you riding? if you don't mind the drive, Craptree and Harris Lake, both around Raleigh, would be great trails to ride for a weekend 1/2 day trip. It would be about 45 minutes for you and both trails are wonderful for beginners and getting you use to all kinds of trail conditions. There are drops, log crossings and steep hills but most things have trails around them too (not the steep hills...we have to do those).

It was Crabtree. I'd read online that there are beginner and intermediate trails there, and markers for "more difficult" and "less difficult" where they cross. With my two friends, we went on all the trails there; I never knew when we were on one of the less or more difficult ones, because they all seemed to have easy parts that I rolled over just fine, and more difficult parts with rooty switchbacks and/or steep descents/climbs with roots. Without the roots, I would have been fine!

We had been riding at Umstead (primarily Turkey Run) prior to this, and I also have trails on my own property which have a few rocks and roots but are quite a bit easier than Crabtree - no switchbacks and nothing too steep. I'd gotten pretty fast and comfortable on all this terrain so thought I was "ready" for Crabtree. I have heard that Harris is easier than Crabtree, but it's a long drive for me, so I've never made it there (I work in RTP and ride with friends one day a week after work - then at home on weekends).

Thanks for all the GREAT advice everyone has offered! I've still got some ugly bruises from last week's fall (and my neck was really sore for several days due to the head snap), but I feel fine. (I've been out of state over the weekend and did two road rides but no mountain biking.) I guess I just have to get back on the horse and try again. I do think that not staring at those roots I'm about to go over is a great tip and may well keep me upright. I had a hard time keeping up with my friends, so they got a bit ahead of me. As a result, I often couldn't see their line to know how best to pick my way over the tough parts. Hopefully the next time will be better!

Thanks all!!!
Emily

[Crankin]

Linda, I hope your rib is OK. I was interested in the advice you got. I think I also approach some hills in too low a gear because i always just spin up hills on the road and i can do that quite well and not so slowly! I find it hard to stand when I climb, it kills my knees. I always bail at the same point on a hill with obstacles; i just feel like I am going to fall over. I usually unclip one foot before i start, just in case. The thought of having that heavy bike on top of me doesn't thrill me. Plus, all this stuff about picking a line... at first I didn't know what the **** people were talking about. I get it now, but it seems like I tend to change my mind about where to go as I go, or my bike is changing its direction because I'm a sucky rider! At least I am getting used to staying clipped in except on the really scary stuff.
Hope you feel better.

Robyn (who also has no slow speed or any other speed balance)

[littlegrasshopp]

I know what you mean about not being sure what level trail you are riding on at Crabtree! It can be a confusing trail system! I finally rode the entire trail system without bailing on anything. I celebrated A LOT!!! for that victory (buying a better fork!). You'll be amazed at how fast your progress at Crabtree! In about two weeks I was riding things that I didn't think I EVER would try.

I haven't ridden Turkey Creek but I hear the climbs will whip you into shape Good luck!! There are beginner rides that do crabtree and Umstead on Mondays or Wednesdays too if you every wanted to hop onto those. I haven't ever joined one....just found out about it.

[velogirl]

Hi Emily! Good to see you back on the bike. I remember you from Trish Albert's email group, don't I?

All good advice from the other women. The only thing I'd add is make sure your tires aren't over-inflated. One of the biggest mistakes that roadies-turned-dirt-divas make is to put too much air in their tires. It's taken me three seasons of mtn biking to finally "get it." Once I started putting less air in my tires, my technical skills went way up. No more bouncing around on the trails. Just for kicks, try a ride with the minimum tire pressure and see how stable you feel. It's a good thing.

[emily_in_nc]

Hi Emily! Good to see you back on the bike. I remember you from Trish Albert's email group, don't I?

All good advice from the other women. The only thing I'd add is make sure your tires aren't over-inflated. One of the biggest mistakes that roadies-turned-dirt-divas make is to put too much air in their tires. It's taken me three seasons of mtn biking to finally "get it." Once I started putting less air in my tires, my technical skills went way up. No more bouncing around on the trails. Just for kicks, try a ride with the minimum tire pressure and see how stable you feel. It's a good thing.

Hi VG, yep, that's me!

I'm pretty sure my tires were already at minimum pressure. I had read that it was wise to do that for the trails and also because I am a lightweight. I will check them before I go out there again, just in case, but I do think I had just 40 pounds in them. Too bad I can't blame that for all my mistakes!

Thanks,
Emily

[Blueberry]

(I've been out of state over the weekend and did two road rides but no mountain biking.)

Emily-

No mtb experience or advice to offer - I'm too chicken

Glad to hear you're continuing on getting back out on the road, though..... Let me know if you get the inclination to ride any evening/weekend. Depending on the storm track, we may be headed out of town for the weekend, but otherwise we're usually around...

We're still counting down to the bike friday delivery date - think we caught them at one of their longer delivery periods as had we decided 1 week earlier, we could have had bikes 1 month earlier....ah well

[fatbottomedgurl]

I'm pretty sure my tires were already at minimum pressure. I had read that it was wise to do that for the trails and also because I am a lightweight. I will check them before I go out there again, just in case, but I do think I had just 40 pounds in them. Too bad I can't blame that for all my mistakes!

That's not even close to minimum! Especially because you weigh, what, 105? I don't go out higher than 32, and lower is even better except that you may get a pinch flat. I just started running tubeless and am trying even lower than that.

It's funny you girls talking about roots because most of where I ride there is nary a tree in sight. Have a few canyon trails through the oaks and sycamores and I might hit a root crossing creekbeds, but for the most part "technical" where I live is rocks- lots of them! Rock gardens, steep descents through sandstone, all in the hot So Cal sunshine. I'll take some pictures (and of my new bike) when my #@%* camera gets back from repair.

http://mountainbike.about.com/od/tip...e_pressure.htm

[SadieKate]

I agree on the tire pressure thing. I run mine at 32 also. Teensy bit higher if the trails are smooth and gummy. Experiment - If you bounce off stuff or feel like the tires are skittering around, lower the pressure. Once they pinch flat, increase the pressure a tad (1-2 lbs) and you've probably found the ideal pressure for those conditions.

[fatbottomedgurl]

Yeah, some ride at 28#. Tubeless though.

[emily_in_nc]

That's not even close to minimum! Especially because you weigh, what, 105? I don't go out higher than 32, and lower is even better except that you may get a pinch flat. I just started running tubeless and am trying even lower than that.

It's funny you girls talking about roots because most of where I ride there is nary a tree in sight. Have a few canyon trails through the oaks and sycamores and I might hit a root crossing creekbeds, but for the most part "technical" where I live is rocks- lots of them! Rock gardens, steep descents through sandstone, all in the hot So Cal sunshine. I'll take some pictures (and of my new bike) when my #@%* camera gets back from repair.

http://mountainbike.about.com/od/tip...e_pressure.htm

Thanks so much for this information! I just figured that since my tires say "40-60 PSI" on the sidewalls, 40 was the bare minimum even at my weight. That said, I didn't pump them right before last week's wicked ride, so I have no idea how much I actually had in them - whether 30 lbs. or 40, but I am very sure it was no more than 40.

I'll try going even lower for my next try at Crabtree. I don't relish risking a pinch flat on the trail, but it's worth it if I get better control. I decided to drop back to the easier trail at Umstead for tomorrow's ride til I'm all healed from my last week's accident - I don't want to get bruises on top of my bruises! I figure I can gain confidence on this ride and then try Crabtree again next week. With low tire pressure!

On roots....how I wish I didn't have to deal with them! I'm not minimizing your difficult rocks at ALL, but Crabtree is roots everywhere. I'll keep working at it!

Thanks again for all the wonderful tips, all!

Emily

[littlegrasshopp]

You should see trails like Rocky Road (rock gardens and root EVERYWHERE!) and Beaverdamn - LOTS and LOTS of roots. I won't go near Rocky road. It's just not fun - you bounce from root to root for the entire trail!!

I swapped my tires out for bigger ones and run at about 33. It made the ride so much easier!!! DF keeps trying to sneak pressure into the tires but I can tell when he does!

I wish I could tell you the way to ride the beginner stuff at Craptree...I can ride it but I can't give directions worth crap! Don't give up on it! It will all get easier with time!!!

[emily_in_nc]

You should see trails like Rocky Road (rock gardens and root EVERYWHERE!) and Beaverdamn - LOTS and LOTS of roots. I won't go near Rocky road. It's just not fun - you bounce from root to root for the entire trail!!

A guy at work told me that Rocky Road is no big deal and that whenever I wanted to try it, he'd go with me. Hahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!



Needless to say, I'd heard about it and told him that it surely wouldn't be this year - if EVER!

Emily

P.S. I felt like I bounced from root to root at Crabtree so can't imagine anything being worse!

[Kitsune06]

My tires are rated 35-80 (Specialized dual-material supposedly wsd tires) and I ride them at ~30ish on really technical stuff, because I'm only around 120 with all my gear on. I've never pinchflatted, but then again, I'm a sissy and don't do big drops and probably won't until I know I have available funds for an emergency room visit or to true wheels (one of those is more important, but I'm sure my priorities lie with the bike...)

[littlegrasshopp]

Kitsune06 - I keep an aflac policy just for bike riding. ha! I'm pretty graceless so I'm sure it's there for the rest of life too...but riding seems to be the mostly likely investment for insurance!! I understand completely!!

Emily - my fiance took me to new light for my first ride. Some parts are advanced - some are insane!! He took me to the really insane stuff. He remembered it being easy. As I lay there on the ground with my head hanging off one ledge - looking at water below and my bike hanging off the other one....I cried and cried! He felt horrible!! So the next time he took me to beaver damn. I cussed the entire time!! I don't know how he EVER got me back on a bike!!!! I still haven't been back to New light - but I try that trail at BD every now and then and I still don't like it. Too many roots!! All over the place!!

Oh and the fiance won't even ride Rocky Road and he's not afraid of anything on a bike. Says it's just too rocky and rooty to enjoy. Plus it's really crowded!.