I'm not sure with the pedals – I like both and I ride poorly whichever ones I use.
My wife reckons you need to take your time, ride as and when possible and enjoy. Maybe a 1-2-1 training some time in the future?

I'll agree with a few others regarding the SPDs. Stick with them. I've ridden with them for a while now, and rode the other day with flats and felt completely out of control.

BUT, you need to learn in the first place to control/unweight the bike properly without having your feet attached to the pedals, you shouldn't feel out of control with flats its all because your not controlling the bike properly, don't blame the pedals 😉

Same goes for riding a hardtail to begin with, it will pay dividends in your riding in the long run, through feeling the grip, unweighting, line choice etc etc.

🙂

I think talking about line choice, un-weighting etc. probably just adds more things for a beginner to get nervous about, as it's another thing to ponder if you're doing correctly. When I started riding, none of this terminology had been invented, so there was a lot less to worry about 🙂
I would say dump the spds if they're making you anxious though. There's plenty of good riders who don't like the sensation of being clipped in.
If you do want to continue with them, you can get multi-release cleats. These allow you foot to unclip from any angle apart from backwards. Also don't worry about worrying, I regularly unclip from spds and rest my feet on the top of the pedals on bits of terrain that I don't like.
TJ's advice on the first page sounds the best though.

The best mountain biker is the one with the biggest smile

I'd have a bike shop look at your bike setup. I'm an experienced rider and I've had all my confidence and skill knocked out of me by riding a setup which had the bars too low and forward. I fell forward over the bars three times on one rocky descent that I was mincing down anyway cos I felt so unstable. I went straight home and put on a shorter stem and risers, and my riding skills returned. The bike was lovely.

My wife, similarly nervy at first gained much more confidence when she got her new women's Spesh FSR. It's just a few subtle tweaks that make all the difference. Not to mention full sus 🙂 Also, she much prefers SPDs despite being nervy because her feet don't bounce off the pedals. I also got her some multi-release cleats (available for shimano SPDs) that work like normal ie twist and release, but they also pop out if you pull up hard too – which is what you end up doing when you panic and it normally leads to SPD falls.

So I'd say check out bike setup. Or post a pic of yourself on the bike on here, and we'll all give you pointers 🙂

with regards to the (now vanished) tag, I always try to help out newbies of any sex 🙂

The best mountain biker is the one with the biggest smile

Are you a Merkin?

Haven't read this fully, so apologies if someone already mentioned it, but think seriously about some skills coaching from a reputable company/coach. Will cost you around £100 a day (less that the price of a good goretex). Think of it as an investment. They will look at your technique, teach you the core skills and techniques that you may not be using, and basically give you a platform to gain confidence and skill. I work freelance as a coach myself, so am I biased, but I have seen first hand the difference it can make to riders just like yourself.

I'm not sure about these skills courses. Of the folk that I know who've been on them, I've not seen an improvement.

My apologies to anyone concerned, it's not personal.

Of the folk that I know who've been on them, I've not seen an improvement.

Potentially not a very good coach? Potentially the riders didn't embrace or practice what they'd been taught? Maybe you just couldn't see the improvement.

In one day, you don't turn people into biking gods, but almost whithout fail I get folk smoother, faster, more in control and tackling things they couldn't/wouldn't before.

The pros use skills coaches and practice their technique to get better, so why shouldn't punters? The margin for improvement is greater, so arguably punters will see more benefit.

Everyone has the potential to improve their riding technique.

A formal course might be right for some but not for others. But a good coach who has studied the skills to get a qulaifications and has experience of breaking the skills down, communicating them and getting people to use them is going to make a difference.

Like a say, choose a good/reputable coach.

And incidentally, we teach intro/beginners courses with flats – it's safer for inexperienced uriders trying new stuff, and it often means the technique is learned properly without cheating.

If you can't bunnyhop with flats, you can't bunnyhop – but that's not a beginners technique anyway.

I'd suggest that you stop trying to push yourself so much, and just enjoy some fairly gentle riding in beautiful parts of the country, whilst improving your fitness.

I'd suggest that you stop trying to push yourself so much, and just enjoy some fairly gentle riding in beautiful parts of the country, whilst improving your fitness.

….hear hear

Can you define why you don't want to do it? Fear of getting hurt, or too much pressure to do it? If it's fear of getting hurt, maybe try some body armour – and ignore all the people on here who say you don't need it. Maybe you don't need it, but it can help confidence if you feel you won't be as badly hurt when you crash. If it's a pressure thing, ride what you want and when you want – don't go out with a group because someone says you should, unless you've formed the group and are going to have a say in what you do.

As far as getting used to SPDs is concerned, I got on with them OK from the start, but maybe it's worth spending time in a quiet, flat park just riding and unclipping until you know whether they will work for you; not everyone gets on with them, so there's nothing wrong with deciding they're not the right answer for you.

I wouldn't necessarily go straight for coaching, but if you do, try to get one-on-one rather than a group so that there's a bit less pressure and it can be tailored to what you need/feel comfortable with.

If you can't bunnyhop with flats, you can't bunnyhop.

Very, very true.

It's a load of bilge to say "stick with SPDs" to get used to them because if you don't like them NOW you're not going to enjoy the ride NOW. They won't make you a better rider, in fact they could well teach bad habits. I've long believed that to be a decent rider, you have to be able to switch between the two anyway!
Above all else you must be comfotable with your bike. If you're constantly fighting it, unsure of something, or thinking/compensating for something then you're not concentrating on the ride/trail are you?

Above all else, go with what feels right to _you_. I know people that have swithched flats to SPDs and visa-versa after years of riding and it's really helped them out. Ask Cinnamon Girl of these parts, she knows….

😀

ANd start small and work your way up!
😀

Someone earlier mentioned flats and a hardtail, that's a very good place to start, also another thing to help is to learn to bail properly. This really does help reduce the fear of crashing. We all bin it from time to time, even Peaty!

Stealthcat's advice about armour is very good. Knee and elbow guards are a good start. A core saver (not full body armour) whilst comforting will make you sweat and tire easlity on an XC-ride, which won't make you feel any better about riding.

Also, make sure you feel confident on the bike itself before you try ANYTHING. You'll know when the bike feels "right," and what feels wrong with it. Frame size is key. Ride this bike everywhere, even to work if you can. Try bunnyhopping off speed humps, kerbs etc. This will help you get a better feel for the bike and increaes confidence.

The main thing though is to learn to try and jump off the bike when things go wrong, and armour will seriously help with that.

Take it easy, and keep trying. As long as you have the willpower to progress you will.

And incidentally, we teach intro/beginners courses with – it's safer for inexperienced uriders trying new stuff, and it often means the technique is learned properly without cheating.

If you can't bunnyhop with flats, you can't bunnyhop.

Exactly the point i am trying to get across. Confidence in riding starts from the very basics. Get a hardtail, get some flats, and learn to bunnyhop, manual, trackstand etc. these are the basic's needed to be a confident mtb'er.
I can remember learning to bunnyhop from video's of jmc and hans rey, practicing it outside my house for hours on end, ahhh the good old days…!

Its too easy now for a complete novice to go into a shop, pick up a very good 5-6" trail bike for not much money (comparatively speaking). Whack some clipless pedals on, hit a trail centre then wonder why they're struggling when coming upto a small drop/jump/rock garden or whatever…

So get some flats, start with the basics and progress from there. Its very important that you ride with people of a higher skill (or as said get some coaching) or you won't improve.

🙂

I would also add working on your fitness and core strength a bit,not to mention nutrition out riding, it sounds to me like you might be tiring yourself too, which certainly makes me grumpy and rubbish.

When I started biking the fitter I got the better my handling was and the reverse too.

Blokes have a lot more strength naturally and don't really realise it so aren;t aware that girls don't have it.

Running is good for core, and spin classes or road riding to help with fitness.

And all of the above of course, ride more to get better !

The main thing though is to learn to try and jump off the bike when things go wrong, and armour will seriously help with that.

Have to say I strongly disagree – that's going into it with a very negative attitude – expecting to fail and is exactly what the OP is having trouble with. She is equating riding with falling and getting hurt.

That approach Maybe needed for trials or jumping, or even down hill, but not for just riding some trails xc style.

It's all about the core skills – learning to ride the bike, increasing skills level slowly and steadily.

Pay attention to comfort zone; stay in it most of the time, but every so often give it a gentle push to stretch it a bit; as skills increase, so does comfort zone, and therefore confidence. But if confidence gets too far ahead of skills, that's when people get hurt.

However I don't think too much confidence is a problem for the OP 😉

My advice – concentrate on skills, push your comfort zone very gently (that's where a coach or experienced buddies come in) and confidence will take care of itself.

No armour needed, no spd's needed, no suspension needed.

Running is good for core, and spin classes or road riding to help with fitness.

unfortunately these are all very boring 🙁

Go for a downhill holiday in the alps, in one week you will progress immensely and be wondering what all the fuss was about.

OK, female perspective here. Get some one-to-one tuition – ask for recommendations on here. Might be worth having a few of these.

Ride by yourself in different places. If you feel you don't want to do this, ride with other girlies cos we're good at empathy and trying to help.

Riding with others can make you feel under pressure. Make sure YOU want to ride rather than your husband wanting you to.

Ditch the SPDs and I speak as someone who used them for years (had some nasty falls and couldn't unclip). Get some decent flats (DMRs) together with decent shoes (5:10s) and cover your legs, or wear 3/4 baggies with knee warmers.

Get your bike setup checked over, a bit of tweaking can make all the difference. You need to feel comfortable WITH the bike rather than just sitting on it.

I'm afraid I will disagree about the point about it being scary – it doesn't have to be if you don't want it to be! I personally don't want to scare myself, rather have more time riding and less time injured. You need to decide what you want from your riding.

Best of luck and if you're ever down South, I would be happy to show you around my trails.

Edit: start off on a hardtail.

I'd agree with what's been said above. My wife is a very nervy rider, but has steadily improved since she started. One of the things that she found really helped was doing a couple of one 2 one half-days of tuition with an experienced female instructor (Kate Potter from 'AQR' – highly recommended btw). The improvement in her confidence was very noticeable after the one 2 ones.

Personally, I'd ditch the SPD's. I rode SPD's for years without trouble, but following knee surgery, my surgeon (also a cyclist) advised me against them for off-road use. I struggled a bit getting used to flats, but then did a skills course where the guy showed me how to ride with them properly (piece of cake btw) – and now, I'd not bother with SPD's off road. If you get some decent footwear (5.10's, Vans etc) and learn a bit of simple technique, you'll find you hardly ever gouge your shins or have feet pop off pedals etc. – being able to bale out with flatties has saved me on a couple of mad cornering/descending 'moments'.

I do have to laugh at some of the reponses re: crashing er…I wonder which ones are from young relatively inexperienced males who still have that invincible feeling:wink:

Given the nature of mountain biking it's likely that, at some point, you're gonna take the odd tumble – but as long as you're sensible and ride within the limits of your expertise/experience, you shouldn't come to too much grief – and if you want to get off and walk on some technical/scary bits, so what! As long as you're enjoying it and not harming anyone else, who cares.

Stick with it & good luck.

I'm still a nervy rider after 10 odd years, so you're not alone.
Women in general do have a different mind set to men.
We have different spacial awareness. For instance I see boardwalk as being very narrow and I'm going to fall over the edge at any moment. Men will see it as a lot wider and not worry about fallin off . This is just an example of the way we're different.
I often see a downhill full of boulders, Hubby sees it as a descent full of plain old smallish rocks.
I think you should get rid of the spds too. Having ridden with them for 8 years, I had a year off the bike and had to have flats. I find they're o.k and I can ride everything I did before with the new flats.

I think cinnamon_girl and Hels have got it completely right.

If you really aren't enjoying the mtbing, stay off the bike for a few weeks, get some fitness by other means and give it another go later on.

Riding with the other half always has it's good and bad points. Maybe for the time being ride without him, so the pressure isn't on.

I alternate flats and SPDs, in an attempt to become a good all round MTBer. I feel more confident doing tricky stuff with my flats.

Are you a Merkin?

That's a kind of wig isn't it? For "downstairs"?

I thought the current fashion was the hairless look; but what do I know!?!

BTW – I have been practising bunny hops, manuals, wheelies etc for years and sadly cannot do any of them on the trail. And do you know what? It doesn't spoil my enjoyment of blasting past everyone, up and down, on my lightweight, over-suspended, SPD equipped bike and I don't cry about it.

Just try to have fun with the time you have.

Curly, this is a variation on what others have said, but see if you can get some of your female friends into mountainbiking. Or the partners of your husband's ruidng mates (if you like them!)

Luckily, the other halves of the guys I ride with are are quite keen, and if we go away for a weekend, the girls have fun riding at their pace, and the guys have fun riding at their pace.

They don't have to worry about holding us up, we can get all stupid and competitive if we want, without worrying about people getting left behind. We all meet up afterwards and everyone's happy.

And it gives you the chance to enjoy one of the best things about mountainbiking, passing it on! It's such a great feeling to watch someone get to the end of a fun bit of trail with a big, open grin of complete joy on their face, knowing you helped put it there!

Helps remind you how much fun it is, too, and how much you've learnt.

I agree that riding with better riders is a good to do, but not tooo much better than you because you know they can ride everything that you can't (In your head at least)!
Finding someone on your level or slightly better gives you the confidence to think "well if she/he can ride it, then so can I"
Skills days are great, I really rally do recommend them – but the improvements were slow, not immediate. In fact after mine I thought I was even more rubbish than before… but then I started to notice little things creeping into my riding (slight wheel lift, getting over THAT drainage ditch without going over the bars)….!

Just out of interest how tall are you and what bike and size do you have? I didn't really realise until last year that pretty much all of my bikes have been too big for me. That leaves you a bit stretched out and too high up sometimes!! What a difference the correct size bike has made to me.

Stick with it but really really try to find a group to ride with that will not make you lose your nerve totally. It will be so worth it 😀

SPD………….

Very important, have somebody skilled adjust the pedal, (you have to use a small unbraco key)so release at a only a slight twist by your foot is enough for you to release.
You will grow to love them 🙂

Ride the same trail regularly enough that you get to know it and feel comfortable with it. At the moment it sounds like you're jetting off all over the place.

BUT, you need to learn in the first place to control/unweight the bike properly without having your feet attached to the pedals, you shouldn't feel out of control with flats its all because your not controlling the bike properly, don't blame the pedals

Do not and never have understood this statement

What feenster says

Have been riding for over 20yrs.

I ride with guys who are probably way more skilfull than me re jumping/bunnyhoping/wheelying etc BUT they all fall off more than I do and are generally a lot slower than me anyway. If I am behind and they start all this wheelying/bunnyhoping I just end up blasting past them. Looks good but is way slower. ime ofcourse….I am more a wheels on the ground type of rider. Learn to control the bike first, jumping is only for those that want to, not a must do. I am in the dont/wont/cant category.

Lots of good advice up there, lots of conflicting stuff to. Print it all off, sit down and make a list of the good, bad and the ugly and try and set yourself some easily met targets.

Such as bike set up.
Are you riding with the best mix of mates?
Are you just trying too much too soon?

Could be as has been said mtbing is just not for you.
My best riding buddy gave up after around 10yrs post Foot & Mouth. He just lost his mojo, kept crashing and decided enough was enough. He had,as we all did at that time, taken up road biking and doing Audax events. He now has a couple of really good road bikes and 2 tandems which he and his wife go on Euro tours.

Wow. Have just logged back on and am truly astounded! Thank you all so much for your kind advice – this is my first post on here and I'm so chuffed that you have all taken the time to try to help me out. You all really are great peeples! 😀

Let me try to explain my state of mind on a bike: I am Mrs. Worst Case Scenario! Honestly, give me any situation and I could come out with the worst outcome imaginable! I could write the screenplay for the Final Destination films – I really am that bad!

I have ridden and fallen off a few times, given myself a bit of a knock and a scrape and have obviously survived (and have even been very proud of the war wounds!). I have even ridden and not fallen off at all!

These experiences however, completely vanish from my memory as soon as I get back on the bike. All that is left is the absolute certainty that I will fall off and maime/disfigure/kill myself (or all of the above). This, I have to admit is 10 times worse since I went clipless.

Is it just a case of keep riding and the more I fall off and don't kill myself, or don't fall off at all the less scared of it I'll be?
That seems to be where you're coming from and it sounds like very good advice to me, just gotta get my head around it! 🙄

I started off on a Kona Lisa hardtail, and the first trail I rode was Follow the Dog at Cannock (and went off the plank and over the bars – thank god for my 'airbags' or I wouldn't have any teeth!). I then went to a Spesh full suss and realised within 6 months that it definitely wasn't for me! I'm now the proud owner of a beautiful Ltd Edition Clockwork Orange with 100mm fork. I have done 2 of the AQR skills days (one being a women and their lads day) from which I did pick up some good tips.

I've also ridden Sherwood Pines, the blue at Coed Llandegla and the Mam Tor/Rushops Edge loop in the peaks (and rode all the way down the rocky stuff!) Also aquired a v.attractive crank kiss on my calf (scarred for life there!)Do you think I've been riding the scary stuff to soon?

I don't think fitness is an issue, I'm a regular runner and resistance excercise class goer. I know bike fitness is different, but I don't feel too bad on the hlls nowadays – that's what got me started running in the first place!

With regards to the spd's, I've been riding to work and back in them every day to try to make them feel 'natural' to me. I have them set at their loosest; I did have a stationary crash outside the Leisure Centre which didn't do wonders for my confidence! But I can see where some of you are coming from and am wondering whether to go flat until I'm not scared anymore, then go back to spd's. Walk before you can run type thing…

My best mate is a girl who rides, and she is very encouraging – she got into it after I did – but she's a bit more 'Feel the Fear and do it anyway' than I am, so I can go into my shell a bit when out riding with her. Funnily enough, I did my most technical ride when out with the husband and his best mate, I've always been better around boys 😉
Note: after this ride, my bike ended up falling off the roof of the car at 70mph on a dual carriageway. Eep! Thankfully, it survived.

My husband by the way, is endlessly encouring and supportive – he's a member on here and is feeling a little hard done to at the moment after reading some of your comments…show him some love! 🙂

I really do want to ride, I came close to selling my bike the other week because I felt I wasn't doing it justice (it's recently upgraded after an insurance claim – see above – and is a pretty nice build) but I just couldn't bring myself to do it – that's gotta be a good thing, right?

So, I'm going to take your advice – just get out and ride – maybe not do the trickier stuff for a while until I'm all grown up and brave! But I'll just get out there and keep trying. 😀

Thanks again for all your help, and I might take some of you up on the meeting up to ride offers when I'm a leeetle braver – very kind of you.

Apologies for the long post, but I wanted to make sure that you knew I really am paying attention and am taking your advice on board!

😀

And BoardinBob? As for posting a picture of my ______ on here – it might make me a better rider, but you'll be scarred for life buddy! 😉

simple steps – loose the spuds, get some light and comfy knee and elbow pads eg 661's and do a beginers course that will take you right back to basics and build from there (if youre in the north Ed o on here gets good reports)also try to ride with good people that will encourage you but only push it when you feel good, that way you will feel good more often then all of a sudden you'll find youre riding is in a different league – job done!!

CurlyGurl – sounds like you're doing just fine with what you've been riding. Mam Tor and Rushup Edge isn't to be sniffed at.

I think that quite a few of us boys feel the fear from time to time as well.

Have just found my blog from my first mtb trail ride 2 years ago (!) 😯

No wonder I'm nervous….

Monday, September 03, 2007

Ouch
Current mood: accomplished
Category: Blogging
Today I got talked into trying out 'Follow the Dog', a red mountain bike trail around Cannock Chase. I have to admit, I was a little nervous about it. I was a little concerned about my level of fitness, mostly due to the fact that I have only just recovered from a concussion I'd managed to inflict on myself after a particularly drunken Friday night two weeks ago. I am also a bit of a wimp when it comes to putting myself in positions where it is possible for me to suffer physical damage (apart from Friday nights, obviously!).
I had been reassured on numerous occasions that this was very unlikely and that I "would be fine" and that it was "absolutely nothing to worry about".

Armed with this reassurance I headed out onto the trail.

Right at the beginning of the trail there is a small 'bridge' over a stream, which basically consists of 2 planks of wood laid skewiff on top of each other. I had been told on many previous mountain bike excursions that I am too hesitant and nervy when I am negotiating obstacles, and that I would be far better off "just going for it". So I saw the wood, thought 'Jeefus that looks narrow, I could fall off that and hurt myself' but thought I'd pay heed to previous advice and just 'went for it'.

Next thing I know my bike has disappeared from underneath me and I am hurtling face first towards the ground. I landed on my chin. Luckily (?) the 'twin air bags' cushioned the blow (the right one is rather tender at the moment) so I didn't lose any teeth or break my jaw (I was gleefully told later on that this may have come as a welcome thing as it would have stopped me whinging the rest of the way around the trail – cheeky buggers!).
I suffered an instant headache – which made me a little paranoid about another concussion – fortunately that's gone now. My legs are rather nicely cut and bruised, I have a nice bruise forming on my bum, and one on my pubic region the exact shape and size of a handlebar stem!

I got back on the 'horse' and carried on around the trail, some of the hills were rather punishing and I had to get off and walk a couple of times (even on some of the downhills – I am such a girl sometimes!), but I think I did pretty well. Anyone following me may have been offended as I was yelling 'Foook' and 'B0ll0cks' a lot of the time, followed by a few 'Aaaarrrgghhh's! and 'TREE!!!' every now and again.

It now hurts to move and I have a fair idea of the amount of pain I'll be in as soon as I try to get out of bed in the morning, but I will go back out there, and I will one day manage to get all the way around it without falling off or walking. I have some rather impressive 'war wounds' to show off at the pub tonight.
I'm a little ashamed that I managed to sustain them whilst trying to perform such a tame manoeuvre and not on some 'gnarly' tree root whilst travelling at 50 miles an hour down some single track, but they are mine, and I earned them.

I am now off to Karns to down a well earned beer to numb the pain.

Hey,
I just started riding this year and have pretty much the same fear/anxiety's about riding. Recently it has become a total addiction, I still crap myself on pretty much ever descent. Annoyingly my foot cramps up when Im afraid on my bike cause I am so tense, yet I still enjoy it, why? I think its the challenge, getting totally muddy/wet/bloody/exhausted and the disapproving looks that at 26 with 2 kids I should know better. Just ride what you enjoy and from time to time if you feel ready push yourself a bit. If you think other riders are gonna judge you cause your not as good as them thats there problem, we all start out somewhere. Please dont give up, we need more girls doing this, I want my daughter to grow up seeing Mummy riding her bike. I would rather blow all my extra cash now on upgrading my forks than fake tan and topshop sprees. If you ever want to go for a ride together than i'd love too! Just drop me an email.
Lou x

Hey Lou!

I was reading your post earlier and had much admiration for you 🙂 very brave, just starting out and trying to get a group together with complete strangers. x

Thanks for the empathy – it's nice to know that it's not just me!

I don't know how far you are from me – I'm in the midlands – but if we're ever nearby a ride sounds like fun 😀

Alaine x

I'm a fellow nervy girl rider, but I actually want to enter the Downhill category at the Student Championships in March, and I'm terrified I won't be able to get down the track!

And now I'm caught between really wanting to get out on my bike to get better (and of course, I want to enjoy myself), but because I've set myself a goal of 'getting decent' I've put so much pressure on myself and it gets to me if I can't do a piece of trail. all I can say is what works best for me:

I personally hate riding with a group of people who are better than me. Their presence just reminds me of my own 'failings' and I constantly feel like I'm holding them back, which just makes me nervous and more panicky.

I push myself best when by myself because I can go at exactly the pace that I want to without worrying about anyone watching or waiting around.

I do eventually 'man up' and do something I'm afraid of, but it takes me a lot longer than it would for other people. Half of mountainbiking for me is fighting those inner demons.

My approach means that I'm probably fairly slow when it comes to progressing, but at the moment I can't do it any other way.

I tell myself, if I was so scared I never tried anything challenging, then I wouldn't have progressed at all. And I obviously have, so I must be better than I think I am 🙂

Wow Miaowing_kat, sounds like you're gonna kick those inner demons' asses! Downhill? Cripes…. Much respect 🙂

What you're describing sounds exactly like what goes through my head, and it's very reassuring – do you ever sometimes feel like you're the only person that feels like it?

I'm so glad I posted on here, it's making me feel so much better! I hope it's helped you a little to realise you're not the only one too 🙂

edit:
ha, yes, I feel like an absolute failure at times (it's a very isolating feeling) – but I'm slowly getting better at not giving myself such a hard time. Ever since primary school I've always been my harshest judge. I think a lot of girls suffer from this, but as I only ride with boys, I sometimes forget this!

I would also suggest perhaps mixing your rides?
Like, do you have a trail that you ride more often than others and feel comfortable with?

I have access to trails that are quite different in difficulty. So I make sure to challenge myself a little with one track, but I go back to a 'staple' trail (spooky wood at GT for me – it's fun, easy, I know what I'm doing) every so often. It's a quick confidence boost and is a good reminder of why I got into biking in the first place.

flats, 5.10s, knee plus shin pads and elbow pads and padded shorts plus decent lid and push yourself on local trails or sections of local trails (flat corners and small berms etc) that aren't dangerous and fall off a bit more. learning to go for it, fall off and bounce up again – learning to fall off is good, flats good for dabbing on corners.