MTBers of TE Unite!

[CyclChyk]

And you can count on me being about a mile behind you wondering how the hell you do it! I'll try to keep this brief.

My DH is a MTB'er at heart. He was an avid and great rider pre-me days. We have talked about doing it, but both love road riding so it was kinda conversation in passing. Well now that winter is creeping in, we decided to give it a go. MY DH has an older Parkpre mountain bike thats just my size. So we cleaned it up, got new tires etc, and hit the trails.

HolyMackeral! Do I SUCK at it!!!! And its so scary!! There were drop offs and rocks and rolling hills.... the rolling hills I can sort of handle as long as they weren't steep desents, but most of the single track trail was down the side of a hill and I kept envisioning myself losing balance and careening down the "mountain".....I managed to stay mostly vertical (only because I walked about 2 of the 7 mile trail) but I did kinda of fall once when my back tire got too close to a tree stump and I was stressed from a series of rolling hills I had just cleared (a miracle) so I freaked and wobbled and went down. Jammbed my thumb. Still hurts like the devil but that was my only fall.

Will it get better??? Cuz right now my DH is so PUMPED to be MTBing again and I am scared to death to get back out there..... we are going to try an "easier" trail next time but this one was supposed to be simple enough.

I am attaching a link for a rider on a trail similar to the one we were on. Its called The FATS trails, and ours was the "Skinny Loop". This guy is doing the "Brown Wave" trail. The guy in the video is a daredevil so needless to say I took the trail considerably slower but it gives you the general idea.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoWyd_tUnBE

[Kitsune06]

It does get better. I'd ride the MTB around for awhile to get a feel for his (her?) balance and handling. I hate parts that are edged with 'not rock' as in 'air'... "If you're going to fall, fall toward the hill... not down the slope". eek.

Keep your speed up with dropoffs and lean your weight back a little bit. If you brake on a fast dh, use both but gently. Going off a dropoff, keep your speed up- momentum will carry you through amazing things as long as you keep your balance. Don't overthink it. Look at the path and try to figure out how you'd maneuver through/over/around things if you were a little stream.

I'm going to be taking the boss out mountain biking sometime (eeehehehehe) he's not really a mtb-er. He "Has a Schwinn with the spring-y thing in front"... this'll be too much fun.

[CyclChyk]

I'm going to be taking the boss out mountain biking sometime (eeehehehehe) he's not really a mtb-er. He "Has a Schwinn with the spring-y thing in front"... this'll be too much fun.

Geez even I know its a shock and I'm stooopid!! Be kind to him, Kit... remember who butters your bread...

[velogirl]

Yes, it gets much better. I've been road riding for years but just started mtn biking about three years ago. I was scared of everything. Roadie mentality -- gravel is loose and scary, tire pressure should be high, don't fall into ruts, etc.

The past year or so I really started riding my mtn bike a lot and I learned a lot too. The biggest thing that helped was riding with a lower psi in the tires. It made the bike feel so much more stable and I could just roll over everything. The other big lesson was that yes, you can roll over just about everything as long as you keep a bit of speed up. It's not necessary to look down at the trail (and it's bad for your balance and weight distribution). Just roll over it.

The more you ride the more you learn. Don't be afraid to be a beginner. If you need to walk, that's cool. Mtn bikers are pretty casual in that respect, so have fun, build your confidence, and you'll be nailing it in no time.

[7rider]

Wow. That looked fun.

I suck at mtb'ing, too.
DH says my issues are all in my head...that I psych myself out of so many things.

Various people have tried giving me pointers, and they boil down to 3 basic things:
1. Speed is your friend. At Kitsune pointed out, momentum carries the day for lots of trail obstacles.
2. Pedal, pedal, pedal. This is closely tied to 1#. Also, "don't give up."
3. Don't look AT the obstacle. Look at the line you want to take. Your bike will go where you are looking. If you look at the rock, that's what you'll hit (ouch!). Incidently, I've found #3 works for downhill skiing, too.

[rocknrollgirl]

That is some nice looking single track in that video. Yes, it will get better, and time in the saddle is what will make it better. I recommend the book Mt. Bike Like A Champion by Ned Overend. It gives lots of tips and instructions on all aspects of mt biking.

have fun!

Ruth

[spokewench]

Don't worry, it will get better. You have no idea how many stories I hear from ladies where their DO or hubby takes them out on a ride and it usually is too hard for their first time. Almost everyone I know that got taken out by a man/boy/guy the first time has the same type of story! The guys never think the trails are very hard, BUT, they usually are for your first time. It's not that they don't like us, they just don't get it!

So, like I said don't worry. You will be fine! If you need to walk, walk. Don't feel bad. Slowly but surely you will get the feeling that you can ride it and then you will. Challenge yourself a little each time. Have fun, keep loose, and look way ahead of yourself don't look down right in front of your wheel and whatever you do don't look at the thing you don't want to hit! If you look at it, you WILL hit it!

spoke

[Trekhawk]

That is some nice looking single track in that video. Yes, it will get better, and time in the saddle is what will make it better. I recommend the book Mt. Bike Like A Champion by Ned Overend. It gives lots of tips and instructions on all aspects of mt biking.

have fun!

Ruth

Love Ned, he also has a DVD called Performance Mountain Biking which SadieKate recommended. It really is full of great info for new mountain bikers and has helped me lots. The tip from Velogirl about tyre pressure is a good one. When I went out with SK she laughed at how high my tyre pressure was (still thinking road riding I guess and pumped them way up). Once I had a lower pressure things seemed a little easier.

That trail looks like fun. I love the downhills unfortunately you need the up to do the down and this I dont like quite so much.

Good on you for giving it a whirl. Stick with it you will get better and dirt is so much fun.

[fatbottomedgurl]

Thats the sweetest piece of singletrack! Just wait til you can catch some air like like that! That looks like a great place to learn. And you will. BTW I would rather crash in the dirt than pavement any day of the week

[bcipam]

Just a suggestion... what really helped me get over the "what the H*LL I'm doing on a mountain bike" fear is asked a good friend who is a strong and skillful rider, to take me out and just go over skills with me. We practiced attacking descents, climbing, going over obstacles, negotiating whoop-de-does, etc. Once I realized the bike does most of the work and I'm not going to fall and kill myself, then I got more confidence. More confidence means more speed, more speed means the bike is able to work better etc.

Tell the DH you loved the ride, and want to improve would he mind just spending an hour or two with you reviewing skills before you start a ride. Or if you come across something "scary", stop and ask for him to show you how to attack the "scary", practice it a few times and move on. He'll love and appreciate your enthusiasm.

Stick with the sport - it's just so much fun. And I've learned, even if I fall, I'm less likely to be really injured like a fall on a road bike (dirt and sand can be soft!).

[ima_bleeder]

The trail looks totally fun.

I second fatbottomedgurl, crashing in the dirt hurts a whole lot less than crashing on the pavement. And actually a little spill is pretty freeing. If you're a regular learner (as opposed to someone with freakish natural talent), this won't be your last crash. But you'll get a little better every time you ride, and crash a whole lot less with experience.

I still consider myself something of a newbie ... I'm definitely still learning. And I find myself constantly working on Regina's #3. That's a biggie. Look where you want to go, don't focus on where you don't want to go (like over the side of the hill). And constantly scan the trail! Don't let yourself get so focused on the portion of trail immediately in front of you that you're not prepared for what's right after that section. Your eyes should be scanning near and far, and focusing on the path you want to take.

Another major issues for me: LOOSEN UP! When I get freaked out by the trail I tense my upper body, which makes it really difficult to control the bike. Breathe, smile, and keep your shoulders and arms a little loose.

And the one skill I really improved on this summer (after taking a womens' skills class) was shifting my weight. I don't like messing around with the seatpost while riding. I'm more of a X-country rider, and I don't plan on stopping every 20 minutes to adjust my seat height again for up-hill or down-hill sections. So I've learned how to adjust my center of gravity by moving off and behind the seat when going down the steap stuff. Very freeing.

Every ride is a learning experience for me, and I'm guessing it will be for you as well for quite a while. But it's also more fun than I thought I'd ever have on a bike.

I would also suggest trying out different bikes when you can. I had a mountain bike for several years, and almost never rode it. On my old bike I always felt like I was hanging out over the front wheel, and just about to land on my nose. My new bike just fits me better. I'm feel much more stable and more confident riding it, so I'm also faster and more interested in taking on more challenging sections of trail. Different bikes work for different people, and I'd suggest both trying as many bikes as you can, and thinking about fine-tuning your seating position on your current bike (eg: new stem, shifting your seat forward/back, etc).

Find as many riding partners as you can, and keep on riding! You'll be great in no time!

[madisongrrl]

The best piece of advice that I can give is: MOMENTUM is your friend....

[ClockworkOrange]

WOW..................thoroughly enjoyed the video clip.

Stick with it, practice makes perfect.

Sally

[CyclChyk]

Thanks all of you for your words of encouragement. I will definately check out Ned's book and video. My DH is all for helping me work on my "skill" (or lack thereof) - he is definately the one with the "freakish natural talent" while I on the otherhand, have "freakish natural klutz" syndrome.

I'm not going to give up... yet... I don't like quitting. But geezzz, I hope my confidence builds soon. We are going out again this weekend..... fingers crossed.

[emily_in_nc]

Hi ~ I am like you, a mtb newbie. I started riding dirt this summer after years of road riding, and it was very eye-opening! If you read back through some of the older posts in this forum, you'll find some of my "stinking at single track" queries and more good tips from the experienced gals. I'm still learning and have a LONG way to go before I feel even remotely comfortable on rooty singletrack, downhill switchbacks, etc etc. I've crashed several times, which is scary, but I've recovered with no major issues. I definitely know EXACTLY where you are coming from. There is a fine line between terror and fun on the trails for me!

Although I haven't really experienced it yet, I've been assured that it WILL get better. Let's hope!

Emily