Negoiating Switchbacks

[indysteel]

Catrin, did you mention that one of your riding friends was going to ride with you a day or two of your vacation? If so, perhaps it would be helpful to session some of Limekiln's tight turns and switchbacks with her. Watch her navigate them going both north and south and then have her watch you as you work on them. Perhaps she'll be able to offer some feedback.

[Catrin]

Catrin, did you mention that one of your riding friends was going to ride with you a day or two of your vacation? If so, perhaps it would be helpful to session some of Limekiln's tight turns and switchbacks with her. Watch her navigate them going both north and south and then have her watch you as you work on them. Perhaps she'll be able to offer some feedback.

Sadly that fell through, she has to work instead. Darned job, they decided she needed to travel instead. I agree this would be great if any of my other riding friends are available - I am checking to see if someone else can make it.

It isn't all of the tight turns on Limekiln, just the significant switchbacks - and one direction more than another but that makes sense to me. I think it is going to hold me back until I can address this....and I suspect it is more mental at this point than anything. It is in my head now that those turns are a "problem" so therefore they are

[Artista]

Catrin, this may sound like a kooky question but are you turning your handle bars enough to get through a switchback? This question comes from my own personal experience. I was initially trying to get through tight turns on my mountain bike by leaning as much I do on my road bike. My handle bars were usually pointed almost straight ahead regardless of how tight the curve was. I started negotiating switchbacks better once I started turning my handle bars more.

Speaking of switchbacks, I had forgotten about focusing on where I wanted to end up rather than looking just ahead of my front wheel on switchbacks. Today I focused on the exit of a couple of tricky switchbacks and rode them faster and much more smoothly than I've ever been able to do in the past.

I'm anxious to use this focus trick on a switchback that stumped me on my last ride. I tried that switchback three times and kept stopping at the same spot. Now I know that I was looking at the apex of the curve where I was mostly likely to ride off the trail. Sure enough, my bike started heading off the trail every time I approached that spot. I'm pretty sure that I can ace that switchback next time by focusing on the exit of the curve rather than the apex.

[Catrin]

Artista - I think you may have hit on the problem! When I was finally able to get a good ride going last week I focused on several of those problem switchbacks - especially the ones that don't have a drop-off at the apex of the curve.

I remembered the advice here about focusing on the outside of the curve rather than the inside - and of course looking through the curve. It went much better, so that does seems to indicate I've either been under steering or trying to take the curve like I do on the road (hadn't thought about that).

I also figured out my problem with several armored crossings. I made myself ride them and found my problem hasn't been with the actual armored crossing, but the switchback right after them. This was good to finally figure out The switchbacks are much easier going downhill, so I can obviously ride them - I just need to keep working at it.

[Artista]

What's an armored crossing?

If you find that you've been leaning more than turning your handle bars, be careful about reminding yourself to suddenly turn those handle bars part way through a curve after you've already begun leaning. It's a near fool-proof way to get your bike to skid out sideways underneath you. Ask me how I know

[Catrin]

An armored crossing are stream crossings that have been "armored" with rocks to protect the stream bed and to keep out of the mud. I've always been leery of those, and on this trail in particular they are either in a curve or not far from a switchback.

Your description of skidding out on the curve that way makes me remember when I skidded in the dust a few weeks back when I tweaked my bad knee. I bet that is what happened...

[Loraura]

Switchbacks (in the uphill direction) - as taught to me at a BetterRide clinic:

1)Put your seat at climbing height (optimal power)
2)Get low low low (chest/chin to the handle bars) - this keeps your front end from wandering. You think you're low, you're not. LOWER!
3)Scoot up on the saddle (toward the nose) -- this keeps traction on the back wheel while your low upperbody keeps the front wheel tracking where you want it to go. It's not the most comfortable place in the world to be on a saddle, but it doesn't last long and makes a difference.
4)Start wide on the outside, aim to finish wide on the outside. Make the corner as straight as you can.
5)Look ahead. No, further ahead than that! Look at your exit from the switchback as you enter it, as soon as you can see it, and look down the trail beyond the exit as soon as you can see that.

To practice, find a slope with a tree on it. Place some cones or rocks to mark the outside of the trail, with the tree being the inside of the switchback. Start with the cones/rocks allowing for a nice easy wide apex. Keep moving them in and trying again until you have a nice, tight, steep switchback.