[Closed] Do you "practice" ?

Sometimes on a ride I'll "session" a particular bit of trail to get it "just right" can be fun but you've go to have receptive mates.

yes sometimes

No, I *practise*, particularly when it comes to pedantry...

I wouldn't say I do, though; even when I'm riding somewhere like Peaslake, and going over particular trails a couple of times in a ride, it's not practising so much as just riding. Weird, 'cause there's definitely a thought process of 'want to do it better this time', even though it doesn't feel like practising.

Sometimes I do... It's not something that really occurs to me that much though. But, when I'm out for a general ride I do usually have at least part of my brain working on general improvement- do that corner better, brake a little less, etc. So not intensive practicing, sessioning or whatever but not quite "just riding" either.

If I fail a section I do usually go back and repeat it til I can do it well, though. I guess that counts.

All the time. My local trails are nothing special but there is a great big grassy area where I can practice endos and wheelies till my hearts content - still need more practise though!

Yep, I practice a fair bit, even play riding with the kids in the close out front gives an opportunity to hone track stands and the like...went to hog hill on Sunday by myself just to practice technique on the pump and descent tracks....all good stuff that you don't always remember to train out on the trail.

Do you "practice" ?

Or just "go for a ride"

The euph of today.

No, hardly ever, but I recognise that if I did I would be a better rider.

yes - mostly when i'm own my own and particularly if i woose something out, in which case i'll session a few times until i feel like i'm not being so pathetic.

yes and no

every time I cock a leg over a bike I'll be reviving old and new skills but not always consiously practicing, rides for me last anything from 10-15 seconds to all day I rarely sit down and rarely do dull miles.
eg. I'm going out on a nightride later, it's only one mile and almost entirely DH and on a very quiet road. I'll usually try to manual most of it, drift the one loose turn, rail others without braking or cut in to hop a kerb and try to make a tight consequential gap without braking at all. I'd be bored otherwise.

never 😐

was out the other day with a mate and we were being shown/reminded how to bunnyhop. We both said we couldn't remember the last time we just pissed about on our bikes

No, but I really really should...practice makes perfect and also makes the necessary moves become natural and second nature...so yes, I really really should!

GW - Member
yes and no

every time I cock a leg over a bike I'll be reviving old and new skills but not always consiously practicing, rides for me last anything from 10-15 seconds to all day I rarely sit down and rarely do dull miles.
eg. I'm going out on a nightride later, it's only one mile and almost entirely DH and on a very quiet road. I'll usually try to manual most of it, drift the one loose turn, rail others without braking or cut in to hop a kerb and try to make a tight consequential gap without braking at all. I'd be bored otherwise.

swoons...

never

was out the other day with a mate and we were being shown/reminded how to bunnyhop. We both said we couldn't remember the last time we just pissed about on our bikes

I do find this interesting - in motorcycling practising technique, reflecting analysing and so on is a part of the game - people actively practice and look yo hone skills especially practicing braking.

Its not in MTBing in the same way it appears.

I certainly will go out and practise techniquies on my MTB - probably most rides I will have something in mind that I am working on

I honestly can't understand why folk like you even bother, no offence meant BTW.

... but it's the only sport I do routinely, so it'll have to do as a description (mind, tubby middle-aged (not) IT worker is a fairer description and that's what stw is REALLY for after all)

I "bother" 'cos I quite like biking (esp compared to running, gym etc), want to keep minimally fittish just to ward off an early death and only find time for about 2hrs a week on the bike.

Have had 2 separate weeks in the alps over the last few years, both of which about doubled the amount of riding I did for the year and resulted in massive % improvement in my skillz due to riding time. Sadly, those don't get much of an airing during the rest of my life, so they disappear quite fast.

Imagine how long it'd take me to reach your deific level even if I did practise 😉

yes and no

every time I cock a leg over a bike I'll be reviving old and new skills but not always consiously practicing, rides for me last anything from 10-15 seconds to all day I rarely sit down and rarely do dull miles.
eg. I'm going out on a nightride later, it's only one mile and almost entirely DH and on a very quiet road. I'll usually try to manual most of it, drift the one loose turn, rail others without braking or cut in to hop a kerb and try to make a tight consequential gap without braking at all. I'd be bored otherwise. yes and no

every time I cock a leg over a bike I'll be reviving old and new skills but not always consiously practicing, rides for me last anything from 10-15 seconds to all day I rarely sit down and rarely do dull miles.
eg. I'm going out on a nightride later, it's only one mile and almost entirely DH and on a very quiet road. I'll usually try to manual most of it, drift the one loose turn, rail others without braking or cut in to hop a kerb and try to make a tight consequential gap without braking at all. I'd be bored otherwise.

You can sometimes come across like a miserable sod GW, but you sound like you would be great fun to ride with.

@op. Constantly practicing, but rarely go out just to practice. Until I can do decent bunnyhops, manual for more than about 4 seconds and get the feeling of flowing down the trail consistently, I will continue to practice as much as I can.

I do find this interesting - in motorcycling practising technique, reflecting analysing and so on is a part of the game - people actively practice and look yo hone skills especially practicing braking.

This is the big one for me. I still have a bad habit of dragging my brakes, leftover from when I was younger.

It seems a lot of the other skills are pretty easy to fix, but braking is one that takes time to get out of bad habits.

I honestly struggle to see how and why people don't practice. Bikes, musical instrument, driving, sport, cooking..anything really. The more you practise the better you get?! If time limits, ten mins Evey now and then is better than nufink.

Its also practising braking hard - the number of folk I hear saying " mustn't use the front brake here" and who are unable to stop quickly surprises me.

I don't really know. I used to practice my hops, grinds, 180s etc when I bmxed, but don't really do any tricks on a mtb. I try to manual when I go riding but they never improve. tbh my favourite kind of riding now is having fun on jumps and drops etc so I guess I'm always practicing jumping and trying to improve at them and smooth as possible. I sometimes have a ride around the village just messing around hopping up curbs and stuff and again trying to manual, suppose that's practice in a way. Oh and I've stared kicking the back end round into puddles to make em splash, it's fun 🙂

If you go to Ashton court and don't want to practice berms and pumping, you'll be right cross!

TandemJeremy - Member
I do find this interesting - in motorcycling practising technique, reflecting analysing and so on is a part of the game - people actively practice and look yo hone skills especially practicing braking.

Its not in MTBing in the same way it appears.

With motorbiking, well it's something most people learn as adults so probably feel they need to actively practice it.

well maybe, i'm just guessing.

I honestly struggle to see how and why people don't practice. Bikes, musical instrument, driving, sport, cooking..anything really. The more you practise the better you get?! If time limits, ten mins Evey now and then is better than nufink.

It doesn't make a lot of sense to me either. I will often ride my 24" dj bike round the village for a bit of fresh air. The ride might only last 10 minutes, but I am messing about, practicing manuals, bunnyhops and cornering.

seosamh77

I am talking about people who have been riding motorcycles for decades still doing it - actively practising technique and analysing / reflecting on it.

Its just a differnt ethos I think

Sometimes I practice to improve my skills, sometimes I'm out for a social ride, sometimes I just want to get out and clear my head, as long as I'm riding I'm happy

I don't actively practise, no. But all riding makes you better, right?

I do find this interesting - in motorcycling practising technique, reflecting analysing and so on is a part of the game - people actively practice and look yo hone skills especially practicing braking.

I love doing but not motivated to practise, and not just. Coaching works well for me for this reason.

I think the difference might be that most people have been riding bikes since they were children, so the skills learned then follow seemlessly into adulthood. So you just learn things when you need to, the base is there really.
With motorbiking, well it's something most people learn as adults so probably feel they need to actively practice it.

I've been riding bikes since I was 3ish. I've always wanted to be better than I am. I get a kick out of learning, no matter what it is, bikes, boards, work.... so I've always got an idea of what I want to improve.

What makes me happy, puts a smile on my face, excites me, calms me down, puts things right with the world, it's coming back from a climb, bike, ride whatever, having "got" something better than I have before.

Nailed a couple of V4s this evening! 😀

I know people who go down the local Industrial Estate and put out cones and all sorts and spend hours practising skills. Unfortunately, my current regular riding partner does MTB only for fitness and getting out in the hills. He just takes the p1$$ if I ever suggest skills courses or practising skills. I went on a skills course at Gisburn this weekend and was absolutely hopeless, despite considering myself a reasonable bikist.

Calm down GW, it's not necessarily about motorcycling, or biking, or climbing, or anything. But it can be. Some people go out wanting to be be better when they come back than they were when they left. Some aren't so bothered. Doesn't matter what they were doing while they were out.

It seems a lot of the other skills are pretty easy to fix, but braking is one that takes time to get out of bad habits.

I do too much comfort braking.

It's usually in situations where I'm not entirely confident in my riding skills so my body says "whoah there" and makes my fingers grab the brake levers.

cha****ng, try comfort braking with the back brake only. it doesn't do as much, doesn't affect the steering as much and if all you want is to tickle a lever before a bend, it does the trick!

Works for me...

Used to practice jumpy stuff a few years back at Swinley, but didn't really keep it up (no pun intended 🙂 ).

Don't tend to see myself as the sort to practice per se - more a case of just riding. Having said that, I did just buy the DirtSchool DVD and can see myself practicing loads of stuff from that.

nedrapier - Member
I've been riding bikes since I was 3ish. I've always wanted to be better than I am. I get a kick out of learning, no matter what it is, bikes, boards, work.... so I've always got an idea of what I want to improve.

Maybe that's another difference. like i say dunno, I'm just blabbering! 😀

TandemJeremy

I am talking about people who have been riding motorcycles for decades still doing it - actively practising technique and analysing / reflecting on it.

Its just a differnt ethos I think

Totally - always working on my consequential gaps.

WTF is a "consequential gap"? Is it the Suez Canal?

Yep. Love it.

Sadly I am a bit limited timewise at the mo and my wed night crew prefer going for a ride.

I hit forty this year so the testosterone has gone along with the bravery of youth. If I want my riding to progress then it's skills courses and practise for me...

Just bear in mind that there is no point practicing doing things 'wrong'. How I wish I had gone to more snowboarding lessons earlier, before I picked up such bad habits!

Now where the hell is Jedi's number... 🙂

i am always trying stuff differently or new things. riding is aspirational innit 🙂

If you don't 'practise' biking what do you do - just sit down, pedal and wait until you get somewhere 😆

When i've got a day off and my mates haven't i'll often build a bit of practice into my solo ride, usually sessioning sections of our local trail that I find more difficult, or just doing trying out core skills.

I practice all the time. The local woods dont have much of a distance lap(about 3 miles) but its well techy so. I use that for practice. Really,really useful. Builds confidence and the stuff in the woods are at least black grade and tougher. Very handy and I would recommend it to all.

[i]TandemJeremy

I am talking about people who have been riding motorcycles for decades still doing it - actively practising technique and analysing / reflecting on it.[/i]

TBH it doesn't work like that for me. When I try to think about what I'm doing it generally goes to pieces. If I just get on and ride it's fine.

birky - Member
When I try to think about what I'm doing it generally goes to pieces. If I just get on and ride it's fine.

Yes, you're so right - stop to think and it all goes wrong, let your bike/body 'do it's thing' and it usually goes better.
Riding a bike is (IMO) more of an art than a science, you don't have to think "how much lean do I need, what speed, what suspension setting etc to ride this corner" just ride the corner 😉

In answer to my own question, I am in the "practise" camp. (I can even spell it some days).

I believe everything I read and it does have a positive effect. Did a bit of skills training recently too. Right now, I am forcing heels and wrists down and trying to make it natural. On the way to work every day, up down kerbs, down sets of steps etc etc even if I cant get a proper session in at the woods. I have even stuck my brake levers up unnaturally flat to try and force my wrists down while braking.

I was interested because I have riding Mates (who are very good) who never read the manual, never go on the skills course and wouldnt dream of spending a morning on one technique!

Off to standish woods tomorrow. There is loads in a tiny area and my wife has stolen my free time. Bless her

I practise, doing something exactly how you planned/felt in your head is challenging and rewarding. I practise turning a lot, especially in mud, you can always get better at turning.

I work in a shop and do shop rides, i always get asked "how do you do that", I then ask if they've ever tried or practised it, the response is usually a no.

Hilldodger raises a good point where it is an art rather than a science. For those people that are naturally amazing, it is an art, but us mere mortals do need to think about it somewhat. There is over thinking though, if you get the right idea, relax and don't panic, it normally works out nicely.

Might incorprorate a particular section into my route twice but I don't session anything on a xc bike!

Never . I just get on and ride . If im on my own i will start slow , warm up , ride somewhere at my sensible speed , stop , turn round and ride back .
sorry

odd as it may seem, top roadies (the two specifically mentioned to me were Cancellara and Hushovd) practice bike handling skills.

Just want to get better.

Taking one of my fav trails, for example, I can thrash my way down it until right at the bottom where I scrub off all my speed to go AROUND a log drop off. Similar story with other trails. Ruined flow and and your mates are off in the distance. I cant get by on balls (*I have none) so my only chance is technique

practice - a bunch of lawyers
practise = lame
sessioning a feature/section/trail = rad to the power gnarr

😉

I 'practise' my favourite bits of trail in the way the first beer or glass of nice red is 'practise' for the next one.

Gary Player said it best 'the more I practise the luckier I get' and MTB is the new golf after all...

And Fred Astaire (I think?) If it doesn't look easy, you haven't done enough work.

You wouldn't say that about general bike riding, but would translate better to slopstyle or something.

I honestly struggle to see how and why people don't practice. Bikes, musical instrument, driving, sport, cooking..anything really. The more you practise the better you get?! If time limits, ten mins Evey now and then is better than nufink.

Maybe some of us don't care about 'getting better'? Maybe 'getting better' is not directly proportional to enjoying yourself? I'd rather my riding style/ability just reflected the hours in the saddle I'd done and the terrain I'd ridden, rather than laboriously hitting the same section over and over just so I can measure up to GW 😉

Can't be arsed breaking the flow of a ride anyway, which is why I can never 'session' a trail, just can't help but keep pedalling and keep going.

Maybe some of us don't care about 'getting better'? Maybe 'getting better' is not directly proportional to enjoying yourself? I'd rather my riding style/ability just reflected the hours in the saddle I'd done and the terrain I'd ridden, rather than laboriously hitting the same section over and over just so I can measure up to GW

Can't be arsed breaking the flow of a ride anyway, which is why I can never 'session' a trail, just can't help but keep pedalling and keep going.

Each to their own I guess. Hours in the saddle is great and of course nobody likes breaking flow. Practise for me personally is a seperate event to a 'proper' ride and the better my technique gets the more I enjoy my 'proper' rides.

I do both, spent 6 hours(ish) pedalling natural XC today.

and there's **** all "laborious" about the time I spend on my bike

WTF is a "consequential gap"?

top roadies (the two specifically mentioned to me were Cancellara and Hushovd) practice bike handling skills

Thanks...

I was named after Gary Player = true story 😳