I want head over the handlebars and faceplanted dropping down into Edale from Hollins Cross on the Mam tor ridge yesterday. As it is a bank holiday weekend, I hade quite an audience as well. I think my pride was only slighty less hurt than I was physically. It seemed an innocuous drop off about a foot or so but my front wheel snagged on a rock as it landed and over I went, bruised face, ribs and wrists. So my question is this, do all MTB riders at some point suffer and experience falls, is it part of the learning process and in the long run, joy of mountain biking?
I had a dropper post but must admit I think my weight was too far forward, or not far enough back, I looked down at where I was rather than looking ahead where I was going. If I had been one of the by-standers looking down off the ridge, I honestly think I would have found it funny.
On the plus side, I dusted myself down and I did carry on and completed the inner loop of the Peak 200 but a bit sore today. Is it just me?
It's not just you.
Without more information I can't offer any diagnosis or advice but I guess we all have to find our and our bikes' boundaries. I know things that I would have come cropper on a few years back don't hold any fear now, through a combination of longer bike, technique and experience. I also know what not to attempt too.
Thanks Big John,
Yes its all experience, and getting back on again.
Its all just part of the game is it not? Take the rough with the smooth and all that jazz. Try not to dwell, just keep enjoying riding bikes 😁
Maybe worth some skills training ? The best money I ever spent on my bike.
Not local to you, but UK Bike Skills (Tony Doyle/Jedi) in Hertfordshire is just brilliant.
Some people crash more than others, but we all crash. I just like to make sure I learn from my mistakes
Dropped in to the first rocky steps on the gap route in brecon. Sunny day, big audience, done the route many times before. Crashed. Immediately hopped back on to escape, crashed again. Rushed back on and rode on down. Started to hurt about halfway down as the adrenaline faded. Broken ribs and damaged pride!
Everyone falls off, you have the normal stuff, where you just hit a bit of dirt/mud/etc and come off, or the wheel gets stuck in a rut or the likes, pretty standard and sounds like what you did, just keep doing that feature and get over the hump, this type of fall can just be down to being a bit lazy on the trail and not giving it enough thought, we all do this!
It doesn't sound like a lack of skills/technique for a feature, that one can be nasty, and take a lot longer to overcome, i know this!
Last one is just bad luck, had one a couple of weeks ago, going down a loose DH run, broken bit of a branch jumped up and snagged my backwheel, you just have to suck those ones up unfortunately.
Give me the most innocuous flat grassy field and I can still make a tit of myself by falling off.
If you ain't fallin', you ain't haulin'
Crashing is part of mountain biking! Just try not to do it ALL the time 🙂
IME, the one thing i see more often than not from newbies, is people "getting right back" because they are scared of a feature, and as a result ending up with arms rigid, locked out forwards to the bars. The danger here is that ANY drop of the front has to pull on the rider, and once their weight has started to move forwards, and little front wheel hang up or further drop WILL pull them over the bars.
Yes, there are times when you have to be right off the back, but really they are surprisingly few and far between for most people. Getting low, with bent arms is a much safer body position, allowing you to push the front wheel into and through stuff whilst your main weight simply floats along on top 🙂
Not just you.
Some things I've learnt, some were hard lessons, in no particular order:
Watch skills videos instead of shredits. Try the stuff yourself, watch it again. Watch the same topic explained differently by someone else too. Recommend Cathro's how to bike on Pinkbike.
Watch crashes (Pinkbike Friday fails), figure out why it happened. GMBN Neil did some postmortems like this a while back, there's a playlist.
Know what your bike and you can do, so you don't freeze or try to dismount it needlessly when things are going wrong.
Do edgy stuff intentionally for learning, because eventually you'll encounter that situation anyway. It's best to be prepared.
Some things are trickier at a slower speed.
Look far enough ahead. Plan where you're going, let the bike deal with the small stuff.
Beware shifting off-line to avoid a puddle or to avoid whipping your hand on small branches.
Beware not concentrating on easy bits, or riding with one hand while drinking or faffing with your fork/shock/GPS.
Get off and walk sometimes, trust your self-preservation instinct. Can I do it, what happens if I don't - can I put my feet down or am I going to fall off a cliff.
Go on skills course every once in a while.
Think before doing things. That kicker by the side of the trail, that jump - what's on the other side, that feature - what's the bike going to do.
Be aware of tiredness, its effect on your skills/strength can cause problems and also leaves you unable to give that little extra to remedy mistakes.
TheWrongTrousers
Full Member
Maybe worth some skills training ? The best money I ever spent on my bike.
Not local to you, but UK Bike Skills (Tony Doyle/Jedi) in Hertfordshire is just brilliant
Good advice TheWrongTrousers. I had a one to one training day in the Peaks last month, without it I would have been walking down that route from the top. We discussed line, body position, staying loose and dynamic on the bike, looking ahead, it increased my confidence enormously, it was money well spent.
Danmac and DC98 thank you, Reformedfatty thanks for sharing!
Agree, thank you for taking the time and sharing
JoshVegas LOL! kayak23 True.
Maxtourqe, great advice, thank you.
BikesandBoots, Thank you as well, all good advice I will be taking on board.
All of you, thanks again for taking the time, my ego is less dented and my ribs will be soon.