Newbie needs help with singletrack!!!

[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.