Newbie needs help with singletrack!!!

[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

[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...)