How to be a better rider

[el_d00der1n0]

How do I get to be a better rider? I want to climb better, descend techy stuff better, and eat 5#!7 a little less. Do I just need to ride more? Does it just take time?

How did you all get better at MTBing?

[HUGH]

Just ride! More time and more riding! Make every ride count! Nothing comes easy. Spend as much time as possible on your bike!

HUGH

[coldbrews]

What helped me climb better was pushing myself during a climb. Instead of shifting into the small ring stay in the middle and push it, youll be glad you did.

[bajamtnbkr]

I'm in the same boat here, what is being working for me is riding more often and riding with better riders than me. I found out that most moutain bikers are more than willing to teach you their skills if you ask. I use to do more solo rides and I was going no where as fas as riding skills. Just my 2 cents.

[davidB]

climb better? just like any exercise, do it more. working for me
descend techy stuff better? just like any excercise, do it more. working for me
eat $hit less? don't think about it, working for me.

whatever you want to do better do, and think about it.
whatever you don't want to do, don't think about it.

[el_d00der1n0]

Originally Posted by bajamtnbkr

I'm in the same boat here, what is being working for me is riding more often and riding with better riders than me. I found out that most moutain bikers are more than willing to teach you their skills if you ask. I use to do more solo rides and I was going no where as fas as riding skills. Just my 2 cents.

Yeah, I've heard that about riding with others who are better than you, but like at Elfin, they were all so far ahead, and I feel bad when they're sitting around waiting for me, or coming back to get me (thanks Ben).

[ezzyride]

Me too!

I am in the same predicament - it's crossed my mind to give up candy. Just to ride better instead I'll try getting on the bike faithfully 3 times a week.

Sure riding with better riders helps...

My little girl tells me the key is to ride and have fun and don't worry about it.

Hum!

-Elvia

[bajamtnbkr]

Most people I ride with don't mind waiting, since everybody started the same and build up their skills, I still have a lot of problems trying to keep up with the skinny guys but I keep working at it and in no time people start telling you about how better of a rider you are.

[nappyt]

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

[el_d00der1n0]

Originally Posted by nappyt

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

You're tall though -- you have an excuse.

[silverspot]

Originally Posted by el_d00der1n0

Yeah, I've heard that about riding with others who are better than you, but like at Elfin, they were all so far ahead, and I feel bad when they're sitting around waiting for me, or coming back to get me (thanks Ben).

The key to riding technical trails with others that are better than you is to try and ride with those who have the willingness and patience to teach, not to just ride away and wait for you up the trail. Anybody can take you on challenging trails and leave you in the dust.

I started riding with a dude who has been riding for 8-10 years before I even started riding and he was way better than me. But he had the patience to ride slowly down technical sections that I would walk down before and show me the line, shout tips, etc. It didn't take too long before I was flying down that trail right behind him.

As far as climbing goes, as others have said, ride more, push yourself and just keep going. Don't give up. It takes a bit of time to acquire climbing strength. "What doesn't kill you will make you stronger". I am no great climber by any means (even worse now that I've been off the bike for 4 weeks due to a shoulder injury). Time to just get back on and build up some strength again. I may be slow, but I still get to the top.

Good luck!

[nappyt]

It helps to have two buddies give you crap on the phone, in person, on the trail and online (str). Maybe even via email or txt if your really lucky...

[foofighter]

for me i was off the bike for 3 years. Back in the day i would be riding 4-5 times a week. but i crashed A LOT my climbing sucked etc.

Call getting older and wiser but after my 3 year hiatus, i found marked improvements in my ability to accomplish things that i once dreaded (climbing, descending, not eat so much S@(%) In the span since i started riding again (July) to now, i am pushing bigger gears while climbing, having more confidence while descending and not eating so much s1$&.

As others have said, your body is totally able to do things that your mind is telling you it cannot. Climbing is the perfect example of that, your mind wants you to stop but if you push yourself you can actually go further than you thought. It's good to set yourself little goals, if you do a loop normally and there are sections where you never can clear without stopping. Next time give yourself some little goals like i'll stop just past that once rock/cactus etc. once you hit that see if you can go a little further. The psychological sense of accomplishment does wonders on your motivation. Riding with buddies that push you also helps, i'm uber competitive (inside) so i work that much harder when i ride w/ buddies that I use as benchmarks.

Descending, just dont over analyze things in your head, that will cause you to go slower and sometimes going slower is worse for you than just letting go of the brakes an letting the bike do the work. It's building that trust w/ your machine.

Repetition is KEY to any sort of excercise/work. The more you do the more you learn and improve. Sorry for being so long winded

[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.

[amor587]

Ride more is key, as mentioned above try and ride with riders at a higher skill level then yours, they can teach you a thing or two and will give you an incentive to push yourself. Have a lot of self confidence, don't be scared to try those techy sections (just don't do it recklessly). If you believe you can ride it your already most of the way through it.

[CPATCRASH]

Hit the road too. Long road climbs will make you strong!

[allison]

Originally Posted by bajamtnbkr

I'm in the same boat here, what is being working for me is riding more often and riding with better riders than me. I found out that most moutain bikers are more than willing to teach you their skills if you ask. I use to do more solo rides and I was going no where as fas as riding skills. Just my 2 cents.

Great advice. Continue to ride, and make it up to OC when you can. There are a ton of very experienced riders doing fun rides all the time!

[el_d00der1n0]

Originally Posted by CPATCRASH

Hit the road too. Long road climbs will make you strong!

I got rid of the road bike, but I was going to turn it into a fixie because I had heard that was a good way to get stronger. Any truth to that?

[thebush]

To improve climbing, just climb more. About 6 months ago I had to mash my way up everything and now I middle ring stuff I never thought I would. I only climb about 1000-1200 feet a day on my street rides (on my mtb), but it's a short continuous climb that has helped me immensely. When I feel like giving up and stopping I tell myself that I’m not dead yet and my legs haven’t fallen off.

Foofighter stated it perfectly with "your body is totally able to do things that your mind is telling you it cannot. Climbing is the perfect example of that, your mind wants you to stop but if you push yourself you can actually go further than you thought."