[Closed] Confidence plateau

a big part of mtb is the mental side. ask your self why are you not confident? why are you fearful, how can you over come this fear?
mtfu is NOT the answer.
sometimes the same thing you're scared of will be because of your focus on it. try to find a replica elsewhere to practice on

I had just this the other day on a local trail to me, but then my 11 yo did it, proving it wasn't really THAT bad after all.

try to find a replica elsewhere to practice on

Or go on a course with jedi...

I use the replica thing, in fact I just nailed a little gap jump which has a jump in the line before it of the same size (length) except if you land short its ok. It really well built because if you clear the first you know its going fine for the second..

Say to yourself 'whats the worst that could happen' and make sure your peddling towards it before you answer it

this may help darrenh

Sebgt- I like that idea, I've used that technique before 😉
Jedi, I'm saving for a course with you soon!

hey, try following my advice above and it may be enough 🙂

I had a very similar thing! Jedi completely turned it around for me and it's still working a year on! Had a massive block on air until I met him, now can't get enough!!

If I'm really struggling with stuff like that I usually ride different trails for a while.. maybe ride with other people.. push my boundaries on similar obstacles somewhere else..

then come back to it later and it often looks easy..

sometimes the same thing you're scared of will be because of your focus on it. try to find a replica elsewhere to practice on

Totally spot on.

The thing is, we remember this lesson most of the times in our lives, but forget it when we get on our bikes. Going out on a night out focussing on meeting girls will inevitably result in failure, whereas going out to have fun with mates with no specific agenda will often result in meeting people of the opposite sex (quite possibly)... You get the picture anyway.

IT WORKS...

And MTBing is one of the most "mental" sports out there, much more of it is about the mental side than fitness or ability when it comes down to it, they're just the differentiators for those at the top level.

We've all been there. I find watching someone else clear it does help, especially if they can talk you through it. Also, if you can find an area with similar obstacles, not necessarily together and can happily clear them individually then you should be on your way. Unfortunately, as others have said, there's a lot of mental gremlins in mountain biking. It does sound like you're building this one up, sometimes it's better to go and ride something else for a few days then come back once you've calmed down a bit.

On the bright side, you'll be surprised what you and your bike are capable of when the confidence is there. I'm sure you'll crack it but no rush 😀

Confidence in the bike is a biggy, i have stepped uyp my riding another notch with a new bike each time over the years. But largely, Jedi has great advice up there!

agree with all up there,

MTFU is generally a shortcut to hospital

Dear God people, do any of you actually read Singletrack magazine?

There was an article on this exact thing last issue, it referred to being confident in your ability to do stuff as self-efficacy and therefore gaining confidence as increasing your efficacy expectations. It was broken down into:
1) Change something to make it seem less daunting - pads/bigger bike/flats etc
2) Practice on something similar to build confidence
3) Watch someone you deem similar in ability do it
4) Get feedback - video/trained bod (Jedi for example)

There's more to it for the finer details but the article does put it relatively simply.

number one has big flaws. 🙂
pads wont give you the correct technique
a change of bike will feel different
changing pedals could be disasterous

I've tried 2 and 3.
I can do drops etc up to a certain height but then I get to point where my self preservation "jiminy cricket" kicks in.
I know i've (probably) got the technique to do both of these obstacles,
I've just got to switch off my inner doubt I guess...
Somehow...

then don't be in a hurry. do more drops of lower hieght so they become an unconcious action

Fair play Jedi, I had to dig out the issue to find what was actually written and it seems that I have distilled the advice given a little too much 😉

The pads/flats thing is to help reduce anxiety about getting hurt (and in fairness I swapped to flats and pads and it helped me ride a couple of sections I was struggling on). The diferent bike was about creating success so you had a positive riding experience over a section. I did the same but in reverse when I got my new full suss. I wasn't used to the riding position and actually felt more confident on my hardtail. Once I'd sorted my lines on that I moved back to the suss and it all clicked.

On a final note, it does say that these are some techniques to help reduce anxiety and increase confidence, as opposed to teaching a particular riding skill.

Yeah +1 for what Kip said.

I usually ride xc but wanted to try a drop-off in my local down-hill course. Shoved a set of pads on and felt way more protected. Gave me the confidence to have a go. Nailed it first time.

Guess different techniques work for different people.

Not sure where you are based but you could think about doing an uplift. Varies a bit from week to week but there are often loads of non DH riders at innerleithen. The amount of descent you get in a day can really bring on your skill level and confidence. Probably best to go with a couple of mates to get the most out of it.

Agree that MTFU is not really useful and testosterone is never really going to be the answer. IMO however there are lots of riders who easily have the skills and ability to do a move and can break it down and visualize all the sections. At some point a hand, that is not theirs, grabs the brakes on the run in. Think that in the right, well considered situation, you do just have to get on with it sometimes.

well said bella!
I'm off up for another go tomorrow,
or maybe a few other different trails as other posters on here have suggested.
(cheers people)