Beginner? Intermediate? Advanced? How do you know?

[gurp13]

Since having gotten back on the bike, I've had to admit that my skills and experience were less than I had previously thought. Mostly this was because I had ridden a lot of easy trails. And, because I was fat and out of shape.

But, now I've been riding since last August, more or less consistently. In January I made a resolution to ride at least three times a week which I have kept unless you count the weeks I was sick. Anyway, I have seen my fitness level bump up considerably. On my usual fitness loop, my average speed has doubled from 6 mph to 12-13mph. I've ridden over 350 miles in the last 5 mos. I went from crashing 3 times a ride because of my clipless pedals to not crashing at all yesterday in 14.5 miles at Marshall Cyn. I rode 28 miles the other week on a road ride. I rode the 17+ Marshall Cyn geoladders route. I cleaned Cholla going uphill the second time I rode it. I dabbed on Lynx but still made it down. I cleaned Rockit, too, albeit slowly.

Yes, I ride slowly downhill because I have 4 kids, a wife, and a mortgage as well as work to go to. I have to granny gear it on long steep climbs. I don't bomb downhill or huck. At all. I'm a XC guy and old and I don't feel like breaking anything really. I'm a cautious rider. If a section looks too technical I'll walk it. If I feel like I'm going to stall out I unclip and put my foot down. I'm not afraid to push my bike.

What I'm getting at is this. When do you consider someone has progressed beyond beginner and is intermediate? What marks an intermediate rider? An advanced/expert rider? What skills and abilities does one have to possess to move on to the next level? What do you think?

[dstepper]

I think you are well past the beginner stage.

Find a long steep hill and keep at it until you conquer it, then find a longer steeper one and do it again. Then ditch the gears and start over again. The only thing that makes you a stronger better rider is saddle time.

[Krunk]

i use granny gear , even at bonelli park

[Pain Freak]

Gurp, you are not a beginner. In fact with just a few more months or so you'll be what I define as a novice rider. You already have some decent skills and your stick-to-it-ness is great. Be patient ,Grasshoppa. With the ride time comes all the other things. Having a family and mortgage slows a lot of us "older" guys down too. I call it the mortgage gene. It's what keeps us alive.
just another word of advice, don't go all out on every ride. Take it easy and ride at a much slower pace then you'd normally do, then the next ride maybe do some interval work, but first and foremost, have fun. Don't get to wrapped up where you are in the pack or any of that. Are you doing the Incycle Monday night ride tomorrow? I'm going to head over there.

[FoShizzle]

Originally Posted by gurp13

Yes, I ride slowly downhill because I have 4 kids, a wife, and a mortgage as well as work to go to.

Amen to that brutha!

Having said that, I am already looking at a Bullit/Dirtbag/ASX/King Fisher/etc., to replace my full suspensoin bike I just sold which is the last thing I need....

always remember, there is ALWAYS gonna be somebody that makes you feel like a beginner every time you go out. i ride with one guy who literally makes me feel like i am standing still when we ride.....thank God there is only one of him that I ride with.

[ShinKen]

I've been riding over 5 years (lost count ) and I still think to be a Beginner!! JUST DONT WORRY BUB!! ride hard and forget about having a tag that tells people how good or bad u R!!! NOOBS ROCK!!!


btw PAIN!! I will be there tomorrow w/the SS!!

[Innes]

Originally Posted by gurp13

Yes, I ride slowly downhill because I have 4 kids, a wife, and a mortgage as well as work to go to. I have to granny gear it on long steep climbs. I don't bomb downhill or huck. At all. I'm a XC guy and old and I don't feel like breaking anything really. I'm a cautious rider. If a section looks too technical I'll walk it. If I feel like I'm going to stall out I unclip and put my foot down. I'm not afraid to push my bike.

Amen to that!

Originally Posted by gurp13

Yes, I ride slowly downhill because I have 4 kids, a wife, and a mortgage as well as work to go to. I have to granny gear it on long steep climbs. I don't bomb downhill or huck. At all. I'm a XC guy and old and I don't feel like breaking anything really. I'm a cautious rider. If a section looks too technical I'll walk it. If I feel like I'm going to stall out I unclip and put my foot down. I'm not afraid to push my bike.

Yo Gurp,

This is just my opinion and take it with a grain of salt. I've been riding at least once a week since around 2002, of course I took some time off here and there but in the past two years I've ridden consistantly at least once a week and more recently at least 2 times a week. With that being said, the more time on the bike you spend, the more comfortable you will be with different terrain. I consider myself to be a solid intermediate level rider. Like someone else said, just when you think you are really honing your skills, someone else flies by you on a technical s/t that you thought you were going pretty fast down, or climbing etc... There are some sections on some trails that I will walk if I get a tad sketched out on...and to other more advanced riders, those sections may be easier to them, just like something that may seem difficult to you, might seem easier to me...does that make any sense? I'd say that a good way to distinguish a beginner/novice rider from an intermediate rider is bike control, being able to negotiate technical descents with confidence and believing in your bike and letting it do what it is suppose to do. Regarding climbing, everyone knows I'm not the fastest climber in our group, but I am consistent and can clean most of our climbs in a reasonable amount of time...a beginner rider may not be able to negotiate tight switchbacks (both uphill and downhill) while an intermediate rider can.

All in all, there isn't anything wrong with going slow down technical s/t or walking sketchy sections, however I don't think progression can be made unless you push your limits. For example, two years ago when I first did T&A in LCWP and came up to the play area and saw some guys hucking the rocks and doing the rock-roll I thought there was no way in hell I could ever do that...2 years later I now do those same hucks and rock-roll without any hesitation. The same can be said for Rock-It, Lynx, Rattlesnake, StairSteps, 5 Oaks amongst other trails, a couple years back I would have a little bit of uneasiness when first riding those trails, now I look forward to them and each time I ride them I challenge myself to find a more difficult line to take.

Okay, after all this rambling I've concluded that there really isn't one defining morning you wake up and realize that you are an intermediate or advanced rider. It is something that takes time to develop and when you can look back and say "I remember when I used to walk that section, or I remember when that climb used to kick my ass." or things of that nature that is when you know that you have progressed.

I hope I made some sense and just put confidence in your bike to get you through some stuff that you might not think you can do, I bet you'll be really surprised when you clean that section that used to trip you out when approaching it.

Keep up the hardwork bro!

[gurp13]

Thanks for the information, guys, really.

Y'know, it's mostly that I'm dying to go on some of these cool rides but I don't want to be an anchor. Strawberry Peak, Noble Canyon, The Plunge, SART, all of those sound so effing cool! I want to get out there and ride! I'm not afraid, per se, but cautious and trying to be considerate. It'd really bum me out if I was riding with a group and people were all bummed because I was so slow or keeping them from having fun. You know?

Yeah, Dino, that made since. I get what you're saying. Thanks. You too, Pain Freak, I appreciate your input. I have a feeling that around some people I will always feel like they are kicking my ass. That's not really the point, though. I just wanna ride with them and not hold them back. Dig? I get way better every time I ride with Epic_Mtn_Biker, for example.

And, yeah, barring rain, I'll be riding the Incycle ride.

[dhshuttlemonkey]

Hey Gurp, I've been riding since 2002 and used to be in the same boat as you, The downhills used to scare me too but the only way to get faster and gain confidence is practice, practice, and more practice. i've crashed dozens of times and kept at it. You'll get there dude, just be patient.

[dstepper]

gurp, If you want and you think you are ready I would be more than happy to show you to either Strawberry Peak or SART next weekend. We will take our time and enjoy the trail. Neither of those trails are that techincal. Exposure yes! Climbing Yes.

Dean

[gurp13]

Originally Posted by dstepper

gurp, If you want and you think you are ready I would be more than happy to show you to either Strawberry Peak or SART next weekend. We will take our time and enjoy the trail. Neither of those trails are that techincal. Exposure yes! Climbing Yes.

Dean

Either one sounds fun. If by "next weekend" you mean June 3rd and 4th, then the 3rd is out because my daughter is turning 3 and we're having the party that day. I'll be lucky to get little morning ride in that day, much less something epic. The 4th might be doable. This weekend, Saturday the 27th is open, although EMB and I talked about doing Marshall that day. EMB, you out there? Breaker breaker got your ears on? Anyway, so yeah. I would love to do both of those rides. If something looks too sketchy, I'll walk it. Too steep, I'll grind until I have to walk. I don't have to prove my manhood on the trail. I prove it by making my credit card and mortgage payments on time. Oh, and changing diapers. Man, talk about exposure.

[dstepper]

I am free all those dates, this weekend, next weekend just pick a trail pick a date and lets do it. Anyone else may join us if they want.

[Pain Freak]

I'm always a sucker for Strawberry.

[gurp13]

What's the time frame like? My sister just got orders that she's going to Iraq and they scheduled a quick party to wish her a good trip for Saturday at 1pm. Does that rule out a ride? What's Sunday, the 28th like?

[dstepper]

Originally Posted by gurp13

What's the time frame like? My sister just got orders that she's going to Iraq and they scheduled a quick party to wish her a good trip for Saturday at 1pm. Does that rule out a ride? What's Sunday, the 28th like?

Sunday looks like a better day for me, I may be doing trail maintaince on Mt. Zion on Saturday.

[gurp13]

Originally Posted by dstepper

Sunday looks like a better day for me, I may be doing trail maintaince on Mt. Zion on Saturday.

I think Sunday is good, too, then. I'll let you pick which trail you think would be better since I've been to neither.

::Cough:: use PM feature ::Cough::

[gurp13]

Originally Posted by DINO

::Cough:: use PM feature ::Cough::

My bad.

[dstepper]

OK hear it is: SART

• Who: anyone who is wondering if they are a beginner or intermediate rider and those who ride for fun.
• What: Mountain Biking ride on sweet singletrack.
• Why: Because we can.
• Where: Santa Ana River Trail, meeting place dirt pull-out on Highway 38 right after Angelus Oaks....where Middle Control Road mets Highway 38.
• When:Sunday the 28th @ 9am

Last question Single Speeds or Geared?

Dean