Or just "go for a ride"
I have a free Friday and I fancy spending a morning trying to put into practice all the blurb about drops/ steps I have been watching over on IMB. Need to find the right candidates though. There are quite a few local (Cranham/ Standish) but ideally, I would love to feast on an area ranging from tiddlers to something a bit more challenging
Trouble is I also want to visit Ashton court as I have never been.
Sometimes on a ride I'll "session" a particular bit of trail to get it "just right" can be fun but you've go to have receptive mates.
yes sometimes
No, I *practise*, particularly when it comes to pedantry...
I wouldn't say I do, though; even when I'm riding somewhere like Peaslake, and going over particular trails a couple of times in a ride, it's not practising so much as just riding. Weird, 'cause there's definitely a thought process of 'want to do it better this time', even though it doesn't feel like practising.
Sometimes I do... It's not something that really occurs to me that much though. But, when I'm out for a general ride I do usually have at least part of my brain working on general improvement- do that corner better, brake a little less, etc. So not intensive practicing, sessioning or whatever but not quite "just riding" either.
If I fail a section I do usually go back and repeat it til I can do it well, though. I guess that counts.
All the time. My local trails are nothing special but there is a great big grassy area where I can practice endos and wheelies till my hearts content - still need more practise though!
Yep, I practice a fair bit, even play riding with the kids in the close out front gives an opportunity to hone track stands and the like...went to hog hill on Sunday by myself just to practice technique on the pump and descent tracks....all good stuff that you don't always remember to train out on the trail.
Do you "practice" ?Or just "go for a ride"
The euph of today.
No, hardly ever, but I recognise that if I did I would be a better rider.
yes - mostly when i'm own my own and particularly if i woose something out, in which case i'll session a few times until i feel like i'm not being so pathetic.
yes and no
every time I cock a leg over a bike I'll be reviving old and new skills but not always consiously practicing, rides for me last anything from 10-15 seconds to all day I rarely sit down and rarely do dull miles.
eg. I'm going out on a nightride later, it's only one mile and almost entirely DH and on a very quiet road. I'll usually try to manual most of it, drift the one loose turn, rail others without braking or cut in to hop a kerb and try to make a tight consequential gap without braking at all. I'd be bored otherwise.
never 
was out the other day with a mate and we were being shown/reminded how to bunnyhop. We both said we couldn't remember the last time we just pissed about on our bikes
No, but I really really should...practice makes perfect and also makes the necessary moves become natural and second nature...so yes, I really really should!
GW - Member
yes and noevery time I cock a leg over a bike I'll be reviving old and new skills but not always consiously practicing, rides for me last anything from 10-15 seconds to all day I rarely sit down and rarely do dull miles.
eg. I'm going out on a nightride later, it's only one mile and almost entirely DH and on a very quiet road. I'll usually try to manual most of it, drift the one loose turn, rail others without braking or cut in to hop a kerb and try to make a tight consequential gap without braking at all. I'd be bored otherwise.
swoons...
neverI honestly can't understand why folk like you even bother, no offence meant BTW.was out the other day with a mate and we were being shown/reminded how to bunnyhop. We both said we couldn't remember the last time we just pissed about on our bikes
I do find this interesting - in motorcycling practising technique, reflecting analysing and so on is a part of the game - people actively practice and look yo hone skills especially practicing braking.
Its not in MTBing in the same way it appears.
I certainly will go out and practise techniquies on my MTB - probably most rides I will have something in mind that I am working on
I honestly can't understand why folk like you even bother, no offence meant BTW.
... but it's the only sport I do routinely, so it'll have to do as a description (mind, tubby middle-aged (not) IT worker is a fairer description and that's what stw is REALLY for after all)
I "bother" 'cos I quite like biking (esp compared to running, gym etc), want to keep minimally fittish just to ward off an early death and only find time for about 2hrs a week on the bike.
Have had 2 separate weeks in the alps over the last few years, both of which about doubled the amount of riding I did for the year and resulted in massive % improvement in my skillz due to riding time. Sadly, those don't get much of an airing during the rest of my life, so they disappear quite fast.
Imagine how long it'd take me to reach your deific level even if I did practise 
yes and noevery time I cock a leg over a bike I'll be reviving old and new skills but not always consiously practicing, rides for me last anything from 10-15 seconds to all day I rarely sit down and rarely do dull miles.
eg. I'm going out on a nightride later, it's only one mile and almost entirely DH and on a very quiet road. I'll usually try to manual most of it, drift the one loose turn, rail others without braking or cut in to hop a kerb and try to make a tight consequential gap without braking at all. I'd be bored otherwise. yes and noevery time I cock a leg over a bike I'll be reviving old and new skills but not always consiously practicing, rides for me last anything from 10-15 seconds to all day I rarely sit down and rarely do dull miles.
eg. I'm going out on a nightride later, it's only one mile and almost entirely DH and on a very quiet road. I'll usually try to manual most of it, drift the one loose turn, rail others without braking or cut in to hop a kerb and try to make a tight consequential gap without braking at all. I'd be bored otherwise.
You can sometimes come across like a miserable sod GW, but you sound like you would be great fun to ride with.
@op. Constantly practicing, but rarely go out just to practice. Until I can do decent bunnyhops, manual for more than about 4 seconds and get the feeling of flowing down the trail consistently, I will continue to practice as much as I can.
I do find this interesting - in motorcycling practising technique, reflecting analysing and so on is a part of the game - people actively practice and look yo hone skills especially practicing braking.
This is the big one for me. I still have a bad habit of dragging my brakes, leftover from when I was younger.
It seems a lot of the other skills are pretty easy to fix, but braking is one that takes time to get out of bad habits.
I honestly struggle to see how and why people don't practice. Bikes, musical instrument, driving, sport, cooking..anything really. The more you practise the better you get?! If time limits, ten mins Evey now and then is better than nufink.
Its also practising braking hard - the number of folk I hear saying " mustn't use the front brake here" and who are unable to stop quickly surprises me.
I don't really know. I used to practice my hops, grinds, 180s etc when I bmxed, but don't really do any tricks on a mtb. I try to manual when I go riding but they never improve. tbh my favourite kind of riding now is having fun on jumps and drops etc so I guess I'm always practicing jumping and trying to improve at them and smooth as possible. I sometimes have a ride around the village just messing around hopping up curbs and stuff and again trying to manual, suppose that's practice in a way. Oh and I've stared kicking the back end round into puddles to make em splash, it's fun 
If you go to Ashton court and don't want to practice berms and pumping, you'll be right cross!
TandemJeremy - MemberI think the difference might be that most people have been riding bikes since they were children, so the skills learned then follow seemlessly into adulthood. So you just learn things when you need to, the base is there really.
I do find this interesting - in motorcycling practising technique, reflecting analysing and so on is a part of the game - people actively practice and look yo hone skills especially practicing braking.Its not in MTBing in the same way it appears.
With motorbiking, well it's something most people learn as adults so probably feel they need to actively practice it.
well maybe, i'm just guessing.
I honestly struggle to see how and why people don't practice. Bikes, musical instrument, driving, sport, cooking..anything really. The more you practise the better you get?! If time limits, ten mins Evey now and then is better than nufink.
It doesn't make a lot of sense to me either. I will often ride my 24" dj bike round the village for a bit of fresh air. The ride might only last 10 minutes, but I am messing about, practicing manuals, bunnyhops and cornering.
seosamh77
I am talking about people who have been riding motorcycles for decades still doing it - actively practising technique and analysing / reflecting on it.
Its just a differnt ethos I think
Sometimes I practice to improve my skills, sometimes I'm out for a social ride, sometimes I just want to get out and clear my head, as long as I'm riding I'm happy
I don't actively practise, no. But all riding makes you better, right?
I do find this interesting - in motorcycling practising technique, reflecting analysing and so on is a part of the game - people actively practice and look yo hone skills especially practicing braking.Aarghhhhhhh!! FFS TJ it's nothing like motorcycling no matter how often you try to make comparisons. every single second I just rode would have been braking a law on a MC
I love doing but not motivated to practise, and not just. Coaching works well for me for this reason.
I think the difference might be that most people have been riding bikes since they were children, so the skills learned then follow seemlessly into adulthood. So you just learn things when you need to, the base is there really.
With motorbiking, well it's something most people learn as adults so probably feel they need to actively practice it.
I've been riding bikes since I was 3ish. I've always wanted to be better than I am. I get a kick out of learning, no matter what it is, bikes, boards, work.... so I've always got an idea of what I want to improve.
What makes me happy, puts a smile on my face, excites me, calms me down, puts things right with the world, it's coming back from a climb, bike, ride whatever, having "got" something better than I have before.
Nailed a couple of V4s this evening! 
I know people who go down the local Industrial Estate and put out cones and all sorts and spend hours practising skills. Unfortunately, my current regular riding partner does MTB only for fitness and getting out in the hills. He just takes the p1$$ if I ever suggest skills courses or practising skills. I went on a skills course at Gisburn this weekend and was absolutely hopeless, despite considering myself a reasonable bikist.
Calm down GW, it's not necessarily about motorcycling, or biking, or climbing, or anything. But it can be. Some people go out wanting to be be better when they come back than they were when they left. Some aren't so bothered. Doesn't matter what they were doing while they were out.
It seems a lot of the other skills are pretty easy to fix, but braking is one that takes time to get out of bad habits.
I do too much comfort braking.
It's usually in situations where I'm not entirely confident in my riding skills so my body says "whoah there" and makes my fingers grab the brake levers.
chapaking, try comfort braking with the back brake only. it doesn't do as much, doesn't affect the steering as much and if all you want is to tickle a lever before a bend, it does the trick!
Works for me...
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