Newbie needs help with singletrack!!!

[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!.

[telegirl]

I agree - lots of great advice here!

I ride where there are roots, roots on roots, roots with roots....and have learned one really great lesson: You want to ride in one of two places - either close to the tree, or in off-camber sections, ride as far down the root as you can. That way, if you slide, you basically slide back onto the trail.

This is year 2 of mountain biking, after many years of saying "ARE THEY NUTS??" Now, I LOVE singletrack and it doesn't hurt that I have access to some of the best singletrack anywhere, right out of my back door. Just keep plugging along - as hubby says, you never know how fast you can go or how technical you can do till you fall down.....

[fatbottomedgurl]

Kitsune06 - I keep an aflac policy just for bike riding. ha!

I have a friend who makes money on Aflac every time she gets stitches (which seems to be often)! They pay her to get hurt

[littlegrasshopp]

So far I haven't used the policy - but it's in the back of my mind when I try new stuff.