Still not got my head round north shore. Was in Mabie and had a play on their skills section. I had hoped it would be a gentle beginners intro to the dreaded woodwork (and I'm sure for many on here it is) but it was at least 30 metres long and maybe 40cm wide. I got no more than a 1/3 of the way in before wimping out and hopping off. It was no more than 70/80cm off the ground but getting higher.

My question is, am I just a wimp or does anyone else think that was a bit excessive for a "beginners" bit of NS?

Glad I didn't head over to the Dark Side…

Dan – stainburn black run is your friend….

Neither have I. I'm not sure what the point of trunding around on some bits of wood at 5mph is. Except for the potential of breaking one's neck, cycling at 5mph.

If I'm going to break my neck, I want to be doing at least double digit speeds, if not treble digits…

PS: I also do not understand caving. If you cock up, you've got a good idea that you have for a long time. And they used to pay people good money to go down holes in the ground around here.

its not everyones cup of tea. i love it 🙂

Pook – nice jeans!

I have been very freaked quite close to the ground on boards. But its a basic skill for lots of trails now. I was told to look at the centre of the boards ahead not the edges. You tend to ride towards where you are looking. I'm now much better on boards. But I've never been up high

it follows the same physical skills as on the ground riding

Its much like life – Focus on where you are going rather than where you are at 🙂

Never used to be a problem, then i broke my knee and now it gives me
the heebeegeebee's! didn't even break it falling from woodwork?

I've followed Jedi's advice on this in the past and to fair I thought I did well at Mabie to get as far as I did. I had hoped and expected shorter sections to hone my skillz, but eventually I started to think about it – with some way to go – and that was when the bail-out kicked in

(I wasn't too hot on the table tops either, but it wasn't for a lack of confidence!)

Chris – I'll take some training from you on the next Peaks Pootle 😉

riding wooden singletrack video

PikeBN14 – Member
Pook – nice jeans!

cheers pikey – i wasn't riding that day, just filming, but everyone was wimping out of doing the shore so i borrowed a bike and helmet and had a go.

I think I've seen that vid before Jedi. It's excellent. It's not that I don't like North Shore, I'm just a bit naff at it. You've given me some tips before on here and they did work, but the Mabie woodwork just seemed to go on and on… 😯

That bit at Llandegla where you suddenly find yourself 100ft in the air on a long wooden pallet makes my palms sweat – even now as I am typing!
And you can't see where the end goes till you're on it.

I am just glad there isn't a corner up there – I am sh.. at the corners.

OP – you are not alone – I have a complete mental block with any boardwalk at all – even if its a metre wide and 20 cm high its still gives me the heebiejeebies – totally irrational

I bet all of you could ride along the line of paint on the road without your wheel going outside. Practice doing that kind of thing for a while to improve confidence. (sorry not saying I am a Riding Goddess or anything but I'm right good at lines of paint…)

That bit at Llandegla where you suddenly find yourself 100ft in the air on a long wooden pallet makes my palms sweat – even now as I am typing!
And you can't see where the end goes till you're on it.

When I did that for the first time, I got up on top, couldn't see the end, and for some inexplicable reason my brain suddenly went "oh shit, I wonder if this is the bit of shore with a big gap drop at the end that I was looking at pictures of recently ", my legs instantly turned to jelly and I managed to wobble towards the end somehow.

Luckily it turned out I was on this:

Even though my brain was telling me this was at the end of it;

I'm the same since I had a tumble off one of the 'humps' at Gisburn and separated the AC joint in my left shoulder.

I do think they're pretty pointless, there's not much reward from riding them, and the potential for serious injury is very high – my fall was simply down to my rear wheel spinning out on wet boards as I reached the top of a platform.

Jedi…. What can I say about that video? Awesome.

What's the soundtrack by the way? I likes it a lot.

I like it if it's wide, but i can't do anything that's less than about 12-18" wide. The bit in gisburn forest is just right imho, nice and long and winds through a bit of forest, but wide enough and low enough not to be too perilous.
For me it's the chances of something bad happening multiplied by how bad bad is. For instance if it's 4" wide but only 2" off the ground, the chances of me falling off it are high but the consequences are low, equally that one at llandegla, the consequences would probably be really bad but the chances are almost nil.
The one at llandegla's pretty flattering in that you're rolling pretty fast and straight when you hit it, and it's high enough to be dramatic but wide enough not to feel like you might die. I don't have time for the notion that something has to be dangerous/difficult to be fun.

I think you've just got to be farely aggressive and 'go for it' with north shore.

I dont really enjoy riding it, but last time i was at mabie i did the darkside and it was real good fun. Spent alot of time jumping off, but keep the saddle low and this isnt a problem.

I found just letting go of the brakes was the best idea. its proper class when you get a few sections ridden without putting your foot down, especially when its only a tire width.

Spet alot of time jumping off the bike, but your only going slow so it doesnt really matter.

I know it is not everyones cup of tea, but riding NS is not all about really slow, narrow, silly high and big drops. BUT if you can get your head around riding a 12" wide log 2ft in the air at a reasonable speed, next time you are out on a trail and come across a narrow section with a bit of a drop to the side, then it becomes a doddle. My trail riding has definately improved since messing around on north shore stuff. When you are out in the Peaks why ride in a narrow rut clipping your pedals, when you can ride that raised 12" wide thin strip of grass in the middle without losing any speed? starts to make sense then!

I hate it if it's wet. Broke my ankle / leg on Cannock "northshore" pootling along it.

i have to say its for fags, wtf is the point in riding a mountain bike on thin planks in the air? I like wooden wall rides, and ladders for road gaps etc but what is the point in skinnies on a dh bike? So my thoughts would be dont worry about it!

You tried it?

I "get it" but I just can't do it very well! I've ridden plenty of very narrow trails with drops to the side and coped OK too. I think it's not being able to put my foot down that bothers me. Stabilisers??

sounds like you need to learn to bail.

i jump off the bike sideways if i think i'mm in trouble. that way i can pick a spot and catch the bike and try again.

my mate can stop and start no problem but i have to roll it all or i cant do it.

once you can bail without hurting yourself you realise stopping is not bad and then as you get more confident you stop less.

My target this year is to get better at this stuff. Scares the willies out of me at the mo. Did the bits at Newcastleton and felt really chuffed. Have managed the skinnies at the top of the GT freeride park, but only once, come off every time since 😥

Even got a few planks in the garden to practice riding along.

I am not a big fan of the wooden stuff. The long slightly elevated bit at Llandegla is ok but BORING!!! And the ridiculously high stuuf belongs at Go Ape imho.