How to be a better rider

[foofighter]

Originally Posted by genusmtbkr5

Riding with someone better, faster helps. Ride often and ride hard. Don't get trapped into riding the same trails all the time. You need to ride all types of trails. Wheither it's single track, double track or fire roads, there are off chamber trails, sandy, rock gardens, hard packed, gravel, stream crossings, drops, log rollers.., you get the point. Riding the same trail over and over won't get you better, only better at that one trail.

that's an excellent point as well...you want to have a diverse ciriculum. riding the same loop is nice but if you can get out and do some new trail you'll see things in a whole new light. My saturday Quail Hill ride was a perfect example of humbling.

[allison]

Originally Posted by foofighter

that's an excellent point as well...you want to have a diverse ciriculum. riding the same loop is nice but if you can get out and do some new trail you'll see things in a whole new light. My saturday Quail Hill ride was a perfect example of humbling.

It's great to be really good at "your loop", but doesn't help you much if you ever go ride anywhere else.

[1x1clyde]

Originally Posted by nappyt

it sucks when I'm riding with people half my weight...

Why? Its a lot more satisfying when you drop them!!

[capnsavem]

Originally Posted by .8down

Im paying my dues now, just gotta ride I guess, I hit Cacti, break parts, push bigger gears, ride with guys better than me..Ride alone... I suck at pretty much everything right now... but Im on it, when ever I can go, and Im wrenching when Im not on it.

that sums it up for me too...

i'm terrible on climbs... or as i like to call them, "pushes".

[mp3]

[FONT=Times New Roman][FONT=Arial]This little Zen saying is useful to me when I work on my climbing,[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][FONT=Arial]"If you want to climb a mountain, begin at the top." -- The Climbing Budda[/FONT][/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]So start with the end in mind and visualize yourself at the top of whatever climb you're doing. After that it's all about will power...don't let anything, especially yourself, stop you. If you want to get faster then 1) take less breaks on long climbs (make your rest stops at the tops of climbs) 2) carry less weight (it's about power to weight), 3) mix it up: seated spinning on steeper stuff and out of the saddle mashing when the grade isn't so bad & 4[/FONT][FONT=Arial]) climb alot: long climbs, short climbs, super steep ones, rollers...[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]It'll take time before you can fly up the hills, be patient but most of all consistent. [/FONT]

[BSki]

I got a lot stronger while training for Ironman Lake Placid.

So you could sign up for one of those.

[.8down]

Originally Posted by capnsavem

that sums it up for me too...

i'm terrible on climbs... or as i like to call them, "pushes".

I find that stopping then getting back on from the point you stopped instead of pushing up the hill more really makes you better. Its a mental, and physical challenge to you as a rider to finish the way you are suppose to. Having said that I do push to a point that I can re-mount without hurting myself...plus don't take time off, I just recently took time off because other things were happening in my life and its almost(not quite) like start from square one....

[el_d00der1n0]

Originally Posted by .8down

I find that stopping then getting back on from the point you stopped instead of pushing up the hill more really makes you better. Its a mental, and physical challenge to you as a rider to finish the way you are suppose to. Having said that I do push to a point that I can re-mount without hurting myself...plus don't take time off, I just recently took time off because other things were happening in my life and its almost(not quite) like start from square one....

I do that on the non-technical climbs, but, to bring up Elfin again, I just can't seem to get through some of that stuff. I'm dying and here's a rock ledge. What am I supposed to do with it?

[JOx2]

On steep climb, "Just Don't Give Up" "Always give your 100% all the time"
To me it's not whoever do it the fastest, it's whoever got the most stoke out of a ride, whoever have the most "stoke" always wins. And just have fun!! you'll get better when you're having fun!!

[allison]

Originally Posted by el_d00der1n0

I do that on the non-technical climbs, but, to bring up Elfin again, I just can't seem to get through some of that stuff. I'm dying and here's a rock ledge. What am I supposed to do with it?

Do you ride with people that can clean it? If so, ask them to stop and you guys can discuss different lines through it. DHers do it all the time. We stopped in a few spots with other racers and discussed line strategy, watched others ride it, then went and did it.

Technical climbing, however, is NOT like technical descending. Technical climbing takes a lot more effort, finesse, and practice.

But, watching someone else do it, and having someone else explain to do you what they do, why, etc.. may at least help get your head straight about it.

e.g... there's a rock ledge when climbing San Juan that I *always* have a problem with. Seriously. I think I've cleaned it once, and I've ridden San Juan a lot in the past 2 years. I know how to do it, but just for some reason can't always muster up the energy for it. But, I charge it *every* time I climb.

[.8down]

Originally Posted by el_d00der1n0

I do that on the non-technical climbs, but, to bring up Elfin again, I just can't seem to get through some of that stuff. I'm dying and here's a rock ledge. What am I supposed to do with it?

I look at those as me against the mt, situations. That rock is in my way and I muster up and roll over some days and land flat on my ass other days...Crashing means you're trying.

[allison]

Originally Posted by .8down

I look at those as me against the mt, situations. That rock is in my way and I muster up and roll over some days and land flat on my ass other days...Crashing means you're trying.

Sometimes when racing XC I have to talk myself into climbing.. Like, tell myself one more hill, one more hill. Sometimes yell something at myself for motivation.

I think during a fun recreational ride I'd just get off and walk, though.

[.8down]

Originally Posted by allison

Sometimes when racing XC I have to talk myself into climbing.. Like, tell myself one more hill, one more hill. Sometimes yell something at myself for motivation.

I think during a fun recreational ride I'd just get off and walk, though.

I chant "all day, all day" , this saying my boxing instructor taught me when hes beating us up with core work outs and heavy bag work...I guess its kind of a challenge to yourself and what you are doing, that this pain means nothing and you can go "all day" long. Oh I like to spot people in front of me too, and challenge myself to catch up to them...use them as my pace, when I'm riding alone...when I ride with STR peeps getting a challenge is not really an issue..

[el_d00der1n0]

I like to climb, but is there a point where it's just a good workout and not a death march?

[mazer75]

As others have said in this thread, you just have to spend as much time as you can in the saddle out on the trails. On climbs, I push myself on climbs that I've "calibrated" myself to, where I know the time it's taken me to do it before, and I always try to beat my best time. And with my GPS I know the distance and ascent. I can't always do it, but I always try to. This is where you can start to see a measured inprovement in your fitness and climbing ability over time.

For descents, you should do what Allison proposes and that is talk to riders that you know can clean those tough sections. Most people are more than happy to help with that, even if it's just to pump up their own egos. Regardless of the motivation, you can learn a lot from these conversations. I try to ride with my friends who are much better than me, because I get pushed on the climbs and descents.

To get better you need to operate near your envelope, but you shouldn't go past this line too quickly because you could get hurt real bad (especially on descents). Spending months in a cast is not a good way to improve your riding! Whatever you do, take a measured approach and just keep trying. Learn from others and step outside your comfort range a bit, but don't overdo it.

Which trails are giving your problems right now?

[.8down]

Originally Posted by el_d00der1n0

I like to climb, but is there a point where it's just a good workout and not a death march?

call me strange but as hard as "the climb" is I like it. The sense of accomplishment I get when I clean a climb thats been kicking my arse makes me feel really good. There is something to the old saying "the more you ride the less it hurts"

Ever ride los Penisquitos Reserve in Sorrento Valley? I like that ride for training, some of the guys here at work ride it in our lunch time...we ride to the water fall and back, I like the steadiness of the increase in climbing. Progressively it gets harder. its a good ride. We are actually riding it tomorrow...like at 12:30ish if you want to stop by, Im on a red/and white 02 M5 S-works stumpy, with blue accent parts...black 95 pathfinder.

[el_d00der1n0]

Originally Posted by mazer75

Which trails are giving your problems right now?

Daley: Cardiac is a killer. I swear I almost died last time.

Elfin: I could probably climb the way up, but the ledges kill. Going down has it's challenges too. The ledges and the combination of ledges and switchbacks are very challenging for me.

[.8down]

Originally Posted by mazer75

As others have said in this thread, you just have to spend as much time as you can in the saddle out on the trails. On climbs, I push myself on climbs that I've "calibrated" myself to, where I know the time it's taken me to do it before, and I always try to beat my best time. And with my GPS I know the distance and ascent. I can't always do it, but I always try to. This is where you can start to see a measured inprovement in your fitness and climbing ability over time.

For descents, you should do what Allison proposes and that is talk to riders that you know can clean those tough sections. Most people are more than happy to help with that, even if it's just to pump up their own egos. Regardless of the motivation, you can learn a lot from these conversations. I try to ride with my friends who are much better than me, because I get pushed on the climbs and descents.

To get better you need to operate near your envelope, but you shouldn't go past this line too quickly because you could get hurt real bad (especially on descents). Spending months in a cast is not a good way to improve your riding! Whatever you do, take a measured approach and just keep trying. Learn from others and step outside your comfort range a bit, but don't overdo it.

Which trails are giving your problems right now?

I was climb Cholla and ran flat out of gas right on a normal line people use and this other guy took a completely different line and cleaned the rocky area up top, I'm gonna try that line next, but he hammered up so I'm hoping I have enough juice to do the same next time...