just back from riding bmx. got 3 540tyre taps on the spot in a row. been trying ages.
no matter what you try to learn it's always sweet when it comes togther.
anyon else trying and getting better at anything?
I'm getting very good at falling off onto my head - I just can't seem to let go of the bars even when it's clear I'm going over them....
lol. thats alot to do with set up
I'm totally out of shape at the moment and got far further up two rocky climbs than i expected today - that was a buzz 🙂
Did my first ever pre-jump today 🙂 It was only a baby but it is a start
And the Sun was out
And the trails were proper summer-like dry
YYeeeeeessssss
Discovered that I'm getting much quicker on logstacle strewn windy singletrack after some weeks of obsessive practice. The downside was finding that I need more pressure in my tyres after getting my first pinch puncture - thump, pshhhhhh...
Took the tandem round Laggan red on Sunday - that was a buzz. Made a reasonable go of it as well - but grounded out a few times which broke the front mech cable and but a few more gouges in the bashrings.
Struggled to carry enough momentum into some of the rocky sections - lack of bottle I think. I can't decide whether it would be worth trying body armour to see if that would give us a bit more confidence - trouble is we only do that sort of stuff rarely and if we did go faster and crash it could get very messy indeed.
Yeah - getting way more comfortable with my wheels off the ground. Wonder why that is eh? 😉
Learnt 3 things at the weekend at Dales MTB and still buzzing too:
1. How to descend properly
2. Removing spacers really does change the feel of the bike
3. How to get the front wheel off the ground.
Probably stuff everyone else knows but revelations in their own way to me!
was buzzing on Sunday, just at still riding confidently on great trails in the sun.
I was also trying a project from when I was 17 (17 years ago...) to do the rockwalk. I WILL do that and manual before I hang up my riding shoes!
[url=
subtler, less flappy version of the rockwalk[/url]
EDIT: [url=
can now repeat this as desired"[/url]. Yeah...
i done me 1st open road race on saturday (just moved up to cat 3),and when 69 of us were doing 30+ down some twisty country road i got a real buzz
yeah lock, i used to get a buzz in the bunch at crits
Walking......... it's going great and will hopefully soon lead to riding once again!!! Have entered D2D in the off chance that it will have all fallen back in to place by then ;O)
whats a 540 tyre tap? (is it rock walking?)
ride out of ramp land on back tyre and spin 540 degrees and then hop back in
540? That's a turn and a half? Mental.
My biggest change is more aggression/involvement in cornering.
poppa, yeah 1.5 turns
just loving riding now the sun is here. had my shades on yesterday - after work!! 8)
jumpings coming on ace - cheers jedi.
my pleasure. I told you it was easy 🙂
I had a similar experience last night, first evening ride of the year, heading out after the kids are in bed. theres a nice little loop with a steep fire road climb and nice little downhill through the trees with a nice jump followed by a drop off into a corner. did that little circuit a few times using the climb to build fitness and the descent to improve my radness. Its amazing how repition allows you to analyse where your technique is letting you down. the last run was great finishing off as darkness was beginning to fall. rode home pleased that my fitness is returning and that I'm improving my skills too 🙂
on the other side of the coin with me i love just riding , no need for me to try to improve on something every ride. just riding is awesome too
Its a mix of both though isn't it, some rides are about getting out there and just enjoying it, other days its good to push yourself and try new things.
Having moved into the area a few months ago its been great to get out and explore and find out what is there. last night i didn't have time to do much but was delighted to find a place nearby where I could have a play. All riding is good, no matter how big your wheels are, how many gears you've got or how far you travel.
Couple of laps of trails I helped build on a SS 1995 Rocky Mountain Blizzard (mag 21's and canti brakes). Awesome fun descent through twisty downhill singletrack. Avoiding trees and pumping the trail. Getting the 2 wheel drift on in the switchbacks by the second lap!! Woooohooooo
Oh... and it was night riding too!!
Sometimes it is sooo nice going back to basics!!
Yup - all riding is good. Last weekend one run - a lot of miles and little technical challenge - but great scenery and another run - short but very technically challenging. Both are good
Had three full days up in the Brecons late last week and made it over to Cwmcarn Monday. **** the trails are fast at the mo' - sunshine and empty! This was a doubly good week as this was the first time I've been out on the Alpine 160 since buying it late last summer when trails have been dusty. I think I might have leaked a bit of wee on the final descent of the Twirch.
been buzzing from Sundays ride, good company, sun and dry dusty DH tracks.. so much so that I took the DH bike to my local (flat/pedally & tame) DH trails lastnight.. still fun but totally knackering.
haven't had the BMX anywhere interesting this year so prob gonna hurt when I finally do 😳
need to get back to "as good as before" before aiming at bettering anything on a bike just now TBH.
I'm finally 'getting' manuals on the bmx. I just got about 10 metres!
Yep. Last 2 time;s I've been to Lee Quarry on an Sunday, I couldn't sleep that night!
gw, sensible plan 🙂
a pedal strike at speed coming into pretty tight tree chicane got my heart fluttering last night.
still not sure how I stayed on and didn't hit anything. it'll teach me for riding the XC bike on the DH tracks...
Rode the "stairs of death" in our local woods for the first time yesterday night. Stupidly long flight of stairs, all twisty, ridiculously steep. Was well pleased.
Had an awesome Surrey based ride a couple of Sundays ago with two riding mates. I don't get to ride too much these days and am used to a 5" trail bike. We all rode lt hardtails & I was blown a way by how much fun a ht can be (I seem to have forgotten!) on the downs and what can be done on a ht. Also rode some jumps & drops that I had bottled in the past on my full suss but somehow managed to do on the ht. I was buzzing for days after that.
Now itching to build up my old cove stiffee and get out there for more of the same.
(PS - if reading this, big thanks to hei hei & jpcapel for the loan of their bikes for the ride and being cool when we had mechancials on the bikes I was riding).
I think every woods has a 'stairs of death' by law, mine is a short but steep afair, 90 degree turn into at the top with a bridge immediately at the bottom, get your line wrong and get wet!
But what got me buzzing was a)taking the rigid out around the trails I used to ride and b)finding that riding to work has already improved the fitness, theres a nice loop that I do, last summer I'd be struggling after the second one but on saturday I managed 4 and only left because i thought I'd had a major mechanical, but turned out to be 1 loose 4mm hex bolt 😡
Right, now I want a BMX.
I got a buzz learning to get air on my Patriot two years ago, then on learning to really hammer it down hills last year.. Maybe this time it's BMX. Or maybe I need to suit up and do some proper freeriding on the P.
I am getting better at cornering and trusting my position on both ht and fs. Went for my first proper bmx session and loved it. Next week I plan to hit the mini spine. Then there's the local xc route on a rigid mtb.Just love riding 8)
buzzing yesterday after doing the snowdon ranger path. rocky and technical. so sweet.
mainly buzzing from the ramps at the moment.
juiced. corby this tuesday!
I love the buzz after a good ride 🙂 Last ride I had was complete opposite though - I've had a few weeks away from the jumps and feel like I'm back to square one, tensing up too much and losing my flow 🙁 Will be going back on Sunday again, try to conquer them!
Looking forward to a night of no sleep after a brilliant dusty, grippy night ride with a superb sunset.
A price worth paying.
The buzz from last Sunday lasted 'till last nights ride - now the new buzz has to last 'till the weekend - just love biking me 😆
Jedi. i'll see what I can work out.Would be good. May be on. I'll inform you.
winner
I went out with your (jedi) suggestions about techniques for jumping in mind, the other day. I felt al ittle more confident but ultimately came home having not managed to pull any of them off properly! Think I don't enter with enough speed because every time I do I cock up and land sideways wiping out.
you are pulling on take off
i have taught myself to manual. Though first time idsid it on the trails i looped out due to being clipped in and having mud on the brakes. Can manual down stairs now but need to work on balance and pump for length. Buzzing fr.o.m. Dry trails after four months of snow, letting go of the brakes on super steeps and enhoying the woosh, My db Alpine which is mint, still got to pluck up the courage to do some of the big drop offs in the Woods.
I have been trying to just build my confidence back up after 7 months out the saddle and broken back. Landed a tiny little jump over a a path last weekend felt as good as if I land a monster GAP, is was great.
Also went down the skate park on my 4X bike and was trying to land a tail tap. Not sure of the name of the trick; You go up the ramp, 180 to tail tap, then 360 and drop back in. Kept under rotating on the 360, knees pads are great, shame I forgot to wear elbow pads though, ramp burn 😆
Getting up at 6am in Brighton, hammering around Llandegla black/red yesterday without dabbing, getting back to T.Wells at 10pm, all after chemo they day before.
Probably due to the amount of steroids still rattling around in me! 😀