Forum menu
It's the ones you don't notice that get you.
Dont ride them enough to have learnt how deal with them.
Blimey.
Come to the Chilterns. Encounter them every ride. Spot the exit, speed is your friend, keep it light. I'd do no riding otherwise...
Letting pressure out did seem to help!
Jedi - I always listen - just remembering all the good advice is where I struggle 😉
just email me and ask as i tell all my riders 🙂
OK. Cheers!
My Nemesis. After a particularly nasty fall on ice a few years ago, anything that now looks remotely slippery (wet rock, roots, snow) has me mincing like a girl.
I;m a reasonable rider in dry conditions but when the wet stuff comes I go to pieces. Although last winter helped me a lot as I had no choice but to go out in it.
I can offer no advise as, no matter what I tell myself, I tense up seeing something slippy and just have an image of me being slammed hard into the floor and the front wheel washes out with alarming speed.
after reading this i ended up riding the wettest offcamber downhill roots on any of my local trails 🙄
one ripped kneewarmer and a gashed leg resulted 😕
I dabbed on a steep bit over polished roots (mind you it was the tiniest dab known to man). The next you know I'd headbutted the roots in question! Matey found that hilarious (mind you he laughs at anything).
Still doesn't bother me. Its if you feel the steering wheel go light if you are potentially aqua-planning in a car - just relax.
Always make me nervous but just try to hit em straight on and hope for the best....sometimes works 😉
Bushwacked, thought it was a time to ride together in Surrey this Sunday?
Low pressure/sticky tyres, kneepads and speed are the ideal combination. Perfect in the Alps during the summer.
Wintertime's not so good: I ride Trailrakers in the Chlterns at 45psi. I tend to fall off a lot.
[i]the tiniest dab known to man[/i]
both feet on the ground but straddling the top tube?
They freak me out too. I'm slowly getting better, practise is key. Keep your head up and your heels down seems to be about the best advice I've heard
a bit of speed, try and get a line to hit them at right angles and keep your chin up with an eye on your exit.
the last time I got "rooted" I was night riding alone, in the wet through the woods and I went from hammering down a slope with no major concerns on it, to sailing sideways and turning 90 degrees through the air whilst stopping myself by applying my face to the mud. Unhurt just a bit shaken, laughed all the way home 🙂
Not me - my formative riding years were at QE Country Park, which is just a root fest! So I learned to ride the buggers in the wettest weather.
Off camber ones are a matter of aiming high, unweighting and crossing at speed (something like that anyway).
I did bust my neck due to the off camber roots on the final downhill section on a very wet day. But I blame that on the demo-bike having summer tyres! (and a bit of showing off to other demo riders 😳 )
[i]I did bust my neck due to the off camber roots on the final downhill section on a very wet day[/i]
Well, that's me reassured, anyway.
[i]Well, that's me reassured, anyway.[/i]
😆
Happy to help!
Try riding aston hill after a cloud burst, :twisted:that will teach you to ride in the wet...
Jeez, I went over there this morning. I've not ridden there before and it's been dry most of the week, so despite some overnight rain I thought I'd give it a punt. I have never had so many offs and near-misses! The bits that weren't covered in roots were slippy chalk.
I'm a wee bit upset... I've always loved wet roots.. a joyous slippery slithery challenge.. the sudden and severe sideways plunge.. what fun.. I never even contemplated for one second that anyone would see them as anything other than a right good trail obstacle..
I've lost a little bit of faith after reading this..
+1 yunki
rOcKeTdOg - Member
Don't do the pie run at GT in the rain!
A fully tree covered armoured trail designed specifically with quick drainage in mind and grippy compacted hardpack placed in between every pathetic little root they've strategically left in for you?
FFS! get out in the real world and find some proper root sections to worry about!
no, i don't like 'em. suppose you can slip and hurt yerself. oh well. try and not hurt yorself innit?