ACK! so i'm NOT a MTB-er

[singletrackmind]

Wow. You should be impressed with yourself, not beating yourself up so. They took you onto too tough a trail and you tried to troop it out. Sure, it didn't end the best and there was emotion but so what? Sometimes it's darned frustrating and scary to take on that kind of challenge without any chance to build the skill you need to tackle the job. That kind of emotion is bound to surface at some point and it did, no need for you to feel apologetic or weak about that. Even winners cry-like the Frenchman who won the stage on Bastille day during the tour. Sometimes we get so many feelings we just can't swallow all of them down and they come bubbling out. I've been impressed thus far with your week-long efforts and I remain so-keep up the great work!
Keep riding the trails you feel comfortable with and throw in new stuff as you feel more balanced and comfortable on the bike. Who gets on a mountain bike and can do it all instantly? Who can expect themselves to? I have a feeling you'll do just fine over time. Look how far you've come in such a short time! Have fun!
You can do this!

PS. If you are on a bike and in the dirt you are too so a mountain biker! You just happen to be a beginning one, is all.

[Irulan]

I think as mtbers we get a lot more used to falling, whethers it's a slow motion tip over into a bush or something a little more intense. You WILL go down. You learn to not be freaked about it most of the time.

I think if you come from a road background, it's more terrifying because you fall less on the road, but when you do, it' usually at high speed and involves major road rash and sliding across asphalt, possibly vehicles.. As a mountain biker, you get used to a)laughing at yourself and b) dusting yourself back off and getting on the bike.

Irulan

[SadieKate]

. . . it's more terrifying because you fall less on the road, but when you do, it' usually at high speed and involves major road rash and sliding across asphalt, possibly vehicles.. As a mountain biker, you get used to a)laughing at yourself and b) dusting yourself back off and getting on the bike.

Totally agree, if you can't learn to do (a) and (b) you're going to have a tough time out there. My worst injury came from a road crash. I'll take a multitude of dirt crashes anytime to a fall on the road.

Besides you'll find that your bike handling skills on the road will shoot way up for learning to ride the dirt. Go find yourself a coach for a few hours. There is nothing like having an expert give you pointers on the basics. Seems rudimentary, but braking, cornering, everything is very different.

[Irulan]

I was dowhilling at a resort last year, the guys had gone way ahead and I was with my good girlfried who was behind me on the trail. I hear this "wham! thump! and the breaking of branches...

Des? Des? Are you ok?
Silence.
I start hiking up the trail.
and then the giggling starts. Lots of giggling.
She's landed in bushes totally unhurt, but completely tangled.
I have to give her a yank to get her out of the bushes.
It takes two of us to pull the bike,undamaged out of the bushes.
We are laughing so hard our stomachs hurt.

[caligurl]

that's cute!!!!!!! killer bush!

[Irulan]

I think you just missed the Big Bear women's weekend, I read about it on another forum.

Tinker somethingerother, (juarez)OMG, that guy is one of the all time world champions!!

[SadieKate]

Tinker and Ned: when I grow up I want to be like them! The guys never stop! Gives hope to us aging baby boomers.

[Irulan]

Big Bear Women's Weekend

[Adventure Girl]

At the 24-hours of Adrenalin in 2002, one of my team's goals was to beat Tinker. We were a 5-man team. He was solo! We beat him by one lap!