I conquered it!! - My fear that is....

[Running Mommy]

I'm just so freaking proud of myself that I have to share.
There is a trail out here that I LOVE, but it has this little downhill part that I've always been skeered of. It's always bugged me that I didnt have the cajones to take it.
Well today thanks to a wonderful pro, I DID IT!!! I told her that I was scared of it, so when we got to it she stopped and we analyzed it. She broke it down for me, and told me that I could easily do it, but I had to exhale while I was riding it.
So I took a deep breath, and took the plunge. And I MADE IT!!!
That gave me the confidence to take on a couple of other spots that I'd previously not been able to do. And.... I made those two!!
I have a long way to go before I will consider myself a mtn biker. But I'm on my way.
One thing I did realize is that my fitness is in the TOILET! So I'm vowing to spend more time on my bike.
AND more time on my mtn bike!! It's so much different than road riding.
My major issue is short steep climbs that come after a downhill or technical transition.
I THINK I'm in the right gear, but I just don't have the umph to make it up the hill. Maybe it's a combo of fitness/right (or wrong) gear/ and technique??

Anyway, thank goodness for the folks that volunteer their time to put on beginner clinics!

[Biciclista]

congrats! and get your fitness out of the toilet!

[OakLeaf]

yay you!!!!

[Trekhawk]

Well done!

[Aggie_Ama]

Yippee!! Mountain biking is a crazy animal that I am on a steep learning curve with. On downhills sometimes just having someone slowdown to break down the line is what I need. Congratulations.

[alpinerabbit]

My major issue is short steep climbs that come after a downhill or technical transition.
I THINK I'm in the right gear, but I just don't have the umph to make it up the hill. Maybe it's a combo of fitness/right (or wrong) gear/ and technique?

My beginner brain thinks so too.

And yeah, I went to that beginner's clinic and he coaxed us to do things that I now absolutely won't. Guess I need another go at the clinic.

[Miranda]

Congrats to you! What a great feeling. All those things just help to build confidence to do some more for sure.

My skills are very humble, but here's one comment about the downhill with the sharp up hill and gearing...

One of my guy friends who is a very good mtb and roadie told me that part of it is planning ahead. Plus, having more momentum on the way down is your friend to take you right back up.

In my humble mtb experience I say in my head on the trail: "what goes down will surely go back up". So, I shift into the lower gear that I think I will need before I get to the top to descend. I'm chicken yet at going really fast down, but when I do (as my guy friend says I should) I only need that gearing for half the way up. Speed took me through the first part.

If I didn't make it, I try to take note of how much more gear I needed to have to do so. Then I do that one next round.

EDIT ADD:

"Trust your bike"...

That is another catch phrase I have heard mtbs say. I never really got that until one day I was on an advanced trail (way over my beginner head) with my experienced guy friend.

It was quite a descent, with an equally steep up. My prior gearing advice should work, right? Well, here was the kicker: big sand wash at the bottom of the descent before the steep up. I could hear my friend ahead yelling back "trust your bike! don't slow down!". Say what???

First time, I choked at the thought of wiping out at the bottom in the sand at a high speed. My head first said "go harder gear and slow through the sand to maintain control... but I absolutely had no gearing time or speed ump to get up! Thus, a dismount *sigh*.

Next time, I took off the brake to let my bike fly with my weight back. I hit the sand and the bike rocked back and forth underneath me like a boat out to sea in a storm. However... I didn't fight her and try to overcompensate the steering... I "trusted my bike", stayed loose, and let her rock right through the sand with momentum. Once out of the sand spot, I had already shifted into the easier gear before I went down, so... I pedaled it out for 3/4 of the climb and speed took the first 1/4... the sand ate up some speed.

"Trusting your bike" I think is something that is really hard to do. From road riding, I don't want everything all loosey-goosey... as a car might run ya over if you get out of your line. My thought anyway. Two different animals.

[Mr. Bloom]

Good Job!