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I have been completely floored by my inability to ride a steep section at my local woods. The more I think about it the more it bugs me, and I've got to the point where I don't even want to go riding... unless... I ride that section. Everything else has become irrelevant. I've ridden far scarier stuff and I know I am technically capable of riding it, but there's something about the right hand corner leading into it that makes me stop and get off every single time. It's bl88dy ridiculous really. And it would be so much easier to actually ride down it than walk (slide on my ar5e). I need to forget it's there or do it. I can't see myself forgetting it easily so how do I get on and do it?!
what sort of bike are you on? clips or flats?
awkward slow corner before a technical section is quite a challenge.
Any way you could stop, set yourself up with a straight run in to the steep bit and practice it like that until you nail it, then work on the entrance?
How many posts before someone says "just get behind your saddle"?
Bird Aether 9c - long and fairly slack so ideal for steep stuff, although a bit of a barge to steer round the tight right hander on the lead in. Flats - have never clipped in on an MTB.
I like the 'set myself up with a straight run in idea' - that's good, I'm up for that.
Ha yeah, its definitely a section for getting super low on the bike, not off the back!
Hard to say without seeing it but the answer is definitely out there on the trail and not here on STW.
Break it down into chunks. Can you ride the steep bit with the corner by coming in straight, then stitch them together?
Our local ride had a section like that, problem was that it was a loose surface so you couldn't brake heavily and eveyone was too chicken to just let the brakes off and go for it. Then one of my mates bailed halfway down and his bike just rolled to the bottom all by itself. Once that happened, it was obvious it was ridable, so people kept trying. Nobody actually made it, but it was quite motivational knowing that the bike could do it, the limitation was our lack of skill and bravery. So, try just letting a bike roll down it and see if it makes it without a rider. If it does, it will confirm that it's you that sucks, not the bike or trail.
Follow someone down it and don't think.
I had the same issue on the Slab at Dalbeatie, couldn't get the qualifier right and then my line was all screwed up. Bottled it again and again amd again.
Watched a 14yr old do it, and I still couldn't. Then he asked if I wanted to try it on his bike (bigger grippier tyres, and more importantly flat pedals) I suspect the bike made bugger all difference apart from to my confidence, did it first attempt on that, realised there was plenty of grip after all and then did it just fine on mine.
It's just proving to yourself once that you can do it, then it will be fine.
As for how to do it the first time...
I'm going to break it down as ayjay and sharkattack have suggested. Hadn't thought of that. There's a small ledge the other side that will give me an almost straight run in to the really steep bit. I'll try and nail that bit first I think. Cheers I feel more positive already!
Bird Aether 9c – long and fairly slack so ideal for steep stuff, although a bit of a barge to steer round the tight right hander on the lead in. Flats – have never clipped in on an MTB.
appropriate bike and no clipless anxiety, so can't see much of an issue here.
Are you riding solo, or have you seen another rider do it? Or obvious fresh tyre marks?
mud and dirt can move, an old unloved bit of trail can become harder or even impossible over time.
Watched a 14yr old do it, and I still couldn’t. Then he asked if I wanted to try it on his bike (bigger grippier tyres, and more importantly flat pedals) I suspect the bike made bugger all difference
Sounds like the 14 year old is already a better human than most adults! Good on him!
this -> "Follow someone down it and don’t think."
Oh come on people, skills day!
Run down it first with your arms out pretending to steer and making bike noises.
It'll go after that.
Watched a 14yr old do it
First time we went to Dalbeatie we were sat at the bottom of it and some local kids that all looked pre teens turned up with a BSO kids bike that looked like they'd just found it behind a skip, 20" wheels and front canti brake flailing in the wind with no cable.
They then all took turns to ride it.
Awsumz.
spaniardclimber
Free Member
this -> “Follow someone down it and don’t think.”
https://www.youtube.com/embed/E2a_oRBXTwQ
Follow someone down it and don’t think.
Does work really well - I've occasionally ridden things way better than I actually can doing this ... but what if you "think" half way through ?
Are you right handed? Not an immediate definite thing but it’s something one of the ladies who used to do the coaching out of the hub (was it Tracey Mosley?) asked me (right handed) about my fear of right hand bends. It’s to do with how you weight your body (even now I throw kettlebells around with my right hand that are a labour on my left) and how you need to weight your body on the bike.
My guess is the same steep after a left hander wouldn’t bother you.
If so go find trails with multiple right and left switchbacks. Up or down but more down.
Locally the end of the blue at Dalby is fantastic for that. The trails don’t need to be hard.
@igm that's me. Right handed and hate right hand turns. Can happily turn left all day...........but that just ends up as going in circles 🙂
@igm this is definitely a big part of it. Always been better at lefts than rights on both bicycles and motorbikes. Can’t seem to get such a natural relaxed body position going right. Used to think it was because right was my throttle hand on the motorbike but must be more to it.
Anyway I’m definitely guilty of overthinking just about everything in life which I’m also doing now.
I’m going to practice the steep bit by setting up with a nearly straight run in, get that bit taped before trying the right hander to lead in
Have a watch of this:
They're sessioning steep rollers, breaking it down exactly as above,
I think there is some sort of sub concious thing of trying to protect your right side maybe to do with being right handed. I think I am aware of it. Leaning far left when cornering feels fine but there is some kind of vulnerable feeling when leaning right as if I am trying to protect something.
I think there is some sort of sub concious thing of trying to protect your right side maybe to do with being right handed.
Wasn't that a sub-plot in The Blue Max? Or possibly a Biggles story.
No idea what you're talking about other than perhaps I'm talking shite.....wouldn't be the first time to be fair 🙂
Most rider s who struggle with a turn is to do with their front foot. Right foot forward makes right turns harder as it closes the body position ime
That’s a good point, I’ll remember to get my feet in the correct position too on the right hander. With right foot forward it’s trying to turn my hips away from the corner which is totally the opposite of what should be happening. I had a session with you Jedi years ago and you taught me that, funny how difficult bits of trail can make you forget how to ride properly
Just grow a pair and send it 😀, but seriously I used to bottle it on stuff until it made me so furious with myself I'd just say f#ck it and do it, then when I make it to the bottom I think why the hell did I build that up so much in my head, the stuff I used to bottle out of now gets hit at speeds I never imagined were possible, but its better to watch someone nail it first though.
Strangely enough I'm right handed, mostly ride right foot forward but used to skate, snowboard left foot forward and don't have issues with right turns.
I find a couple of extra clicks of compression damping in the fork helps me mentally sometimes on really steep stuff, it kind of reassures me the front end wont dive and pitch me over the bars. It's a mental trick but as long as you have the basics skills most tech riding is a mental game isnt it?
I've been deliberately riding some of my local easier features "wrong footed" which feels all kinds of bad, and i certainly wouldn't yet want to get my wheels too far off the ground like this, but it's really helped my balance on the odd naggery turn where you're pedals are out of sync with the turn and feature!
Also, when you're waiting for your phaffy mates to get ready (everyone has at least one right!) practise things like trackstanding, endo turns and the like 😉 Try not to look too much like you're showing off, so fall off at least once during this process......