[Closed] What's gonna make your riding better this year?

[url= http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/possibly-the-ultimate-go-faster-upgrade ]This[/url] is already proving very effective!

trail vision? is that a fancy phrase for looking where you're going? i intend to just keep riding as much as poss! 😉

Trail vision = looking where you are going in the right way so you can set yourself up correctly to go faster and be more in control. 🙂

Anything your going to be working on while out riding more?

riding more.

Mine has been something I am a bit ashamed off. I did a stw and spend some dosh on a 2nd hand meta 55 frame. Since I am fast as lightning... Ok not that fast, but everyone agrees that I am noticeably faster than before the purchase.
Next upgrade in speed is probably going to be a pair of tyres.

Next upgrade in speed is probably going to be a pair of tyres

True, riding without tyres will definitely slow you down.

I have no interest in improving my riding - I enjoy it just the way it is

Losing serious weight, and going on a course in May.

Fitness for me, getting out on the bike more than I did last year (which wasn't a lot!), might look into some skills training later in the year.

riding more and riding with a wider circle of people

I need to figure out why I can't turn right properly. Left is cool- any tight right handers though and I'm done for. The better the rest of my riding is getting the more this one thing stands out.

Ooo, turning right. I had that issue. Practice and watching DVDs like seasons and Dirt over and over again to see what they all do. Oh and relaxing on the bike and trying to stay off the brakes.

I need to figure out why I can't turn right properly

Lower gear than you think you'll need
Drop your inside elbow as far as it'll go
Ride as far around the outside of the corner as much you can & don't try to cut back in

So zoolander - you're not an ambi-turner!

zoolander, you right foot forward when you ride?

How can a trailgod like myself get any better?

😉

Drugs, lots of drugs!! (to sort my thyroid)

Niche - ride a proper bike?

Not having a plaster cast on my arm 😛

No that's right- not an ambi-turner? 🙂

It's weird as. Know I need to drop inside elbow and although I am normally left foot forward (although very right handed / footed) I always lower the outside leg in corners. Am rececently wondering if it's because I nearly always unclip my left foot when dismounting and feels a little weird dismounting to the right. So am practising that more to see if that helps. Prior to that I was putting it down to a week left knee but the knee is mostly fine now.

Zoolander, when you get it sorted its time for 'blue steel'!! 🙂

Well, like the OP I guess, I reckoned that a skills course was better value than a secondhand pair of 36 talas... and I was soooo right. It also meant I finally got to Glentress. And yup Tony that blue was ace!

Really need to up my fitness as I'm hoping to go back to Colorado again this summer so yeah. Entered the Balmoral 10k as incentive. So far this week I've done 2 x 5k's been down the climbing wall twice, been out for a 2 & 1/2 emteebee spin and just about to head out to the crag so if I can keep that up it should help.

Still [i]want[/i] a new Lynskey Soda though...

A skills course is seeming more and more a sensible option! But for today it will be a case of just getting out on the bike 🙂

No that's right- not an ambi-turner?

It's weird as. Know I need to drop inside elbow and although I am normally left foot forward (although very right handed / footed) I always lower the outside leg in corners. Am rececently wondering if it's because I nearly always unclip my left foot when dismounting and feels a little weird dismounting to the right. So am practising that more to see if that helps. Prior to that I was putting it down to a week left knee but the knee is mostly fine now.

That's quite unusual. People who ride left-foot-forward (actually quite normal for right-handed/footed people) usually find right-hand corners easier and struggle going to the left - even after 3 seasons guiding in the Alps, I still find left-hand switchbacks harder than right-hand ones!

You could try keeping your pedals level (left-foot-forward) on right-handers. Foot down is good for fast corners, forward often better for tight, techy switchbacks.

Otherwise, go see Jedi or someone like him!

A new left leg the current one has kept me off the bike for just about a year

More sun and dry weather would improve my riding, I'd get out more! Been spoilt by dry weather for the last week+ and didn't even have to clean my bike last weekend, been raining for a few days now and just can't be bothered today.

Interesting about the 'can't turn right properly' think I'm the same, maybe stems from cycling on the left and being able to turn left easy and quickly on roads and having to be a bit more cautious turning right? But, also just realised that nearly all my routes go in an anti-clockwise loop meaning mostly left turns, must try going the other way!

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More hours in the day.

Getting my back fixed!

Mer-man! Mer-MAN! 😆

will do a course at some point,really working on my fitness ,and make sure i ride with good riders,

i really notice the better i ride the slower everything seems,ive done techy sections before and things like wall rides and get to the end and think shit that was lucky and everthing was a blur,but as i get better i experiance the whole section i notice things before ,in the middle and at the end of sections

and for me riding differant bikes really helps,hardtail,ss,ss rigid ,full suss ,x bike and road bike oh and a little bmx

Last year I tried the 'riding more' thing - it didn't really work cos I just did the same bad habits more often so they got even more ingrained.

This year I know I definitely need to work on
looking further ahead
riding over the front more
cornering
not running death grip
slow speed drops
bunnyhopping

Oh, and I'm hoping to sort out a smaller and lighter DH bike so I can move it/my weight round a bit easier.

I need to ride more and ride with faster riders instead of riding alone alot.

And to hit the DH trails more for variety.

second the losing a load of weight and course with a health does of riding a lot more

For me it'll be a combination of riding more, losing weight and doing more group rides.

I gotta stop pulling on the bars when jumping or doing drops too

Riding my bike instead of staring at it hanging in the roof of the garage........ but hey it's getting closer at least i can now limp out to look at it. Just starting to walk for the first time this year, once i've mastered that i'm desperate to get back on the bike even if it's on the TT in the garage!!!

One small step for mankind one huge step for Chisel!!! :O)

May be even get to putting a race number on before the years out!!!!!! ;;O)

Gettin my ar$e out the door!

So generally increasing the quantity of riding then for most people.

Increasing quantity of riding for definite, and going back to a hardtail again (been messing about on a Reign/Meta 6/Heckler lately), building up a Stiffee at the moment and can guarantee it'll improve my skillllzz!

and going back to a hardtail

I've been finding just the opposite since building up my Enduro. What tends to happen is that I'll approach a section I won't really try on a hardtail but, given all the Enduro's advantages, manage to ride it on the full-suss. Next time I'm on the hardtail I'll then give the section a go and, usually, be able to ride it then also.

I'm hoping to do a skills course this spring; building confidence and generally understanding the basics of tech stuff. Also working on body toning and strength.

Exploring is key, I want to try out new trails.

And fun, the intention is to have lots and lots of fun 🙂

I gotta stop pulling on the bars when jumping or doing drops too

Hehe 😉

So generally increasing the quantity of riding then for most people.

As was confirmed to me yesterday, this is not necessarily the right answer to improving the quality of your riding. Without the right skillset in the first place, all that riding more does is make your bad habits worse as I learnt!

After yesterday though, a few hours re-learning how to actually ride a bike, then riding more (whilst making sure I implement my new skills) will actually be quite beneficial... I hope!

Riding more and riding faster with less comfort braking.

Changed my diet a bit and already lost a couple of pounds, hope this will be noticeable when riding. Too early to tell so far.

Hope I stop keep getting ill soon as well, that would improve my riding the most!

nothing. the thing that holds me back the most is my lack of confidence. some sort of course where they teach you how to let go of the fear of crashing would be most beneficial..

I've just been on one of those 🙂

What's gonna make your riding better this year?
.
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.CAKE 😀

Getting more rides in and a new set of wheels!

maverickboy, your cornering was awesome yesterday as was your linking sections together. drop technique was spot on physically, you just need time to believe it mentally 🙂

What is all this rubbish, the answer is as always new bits for my bike!

more totty please 🙂

Want to remember how to hop, used to be able to do it but lost my mojo.
Hoping first uplift and firsdt trip to the Alps will combine to make me a demon on wheels, or just a bit faster.

how to hop? you mean unweight the front then back?

Silver/grey bikes. Just noticed my 2 new bikes are a similar colour. Unfortunately they'll still be piloted by an overweight numpty, so they won't be any quicker than the old ones.

Jedi, well yes.
Used to be able to hop over two 15% extra lager cans, now nowhere near that, partly because I've never really practised enough on full sus and partly because I seem to have physically forgotten how to do it. In my mind I still know exactly what to do but it never seems to translate onto the bike.

either a tubeless wheelset, or a CK headset.

if i win the lottery, both.

I suspect the only thing that'll make me a better rider is death! followed by reincarnartion!
The first bit is easy enough, but the second...

soobalias, lol 🙂

loose 4 stone - thats it for 2010

I am finding going to the gym regularly is really improving my riding. I weigh less and I have improved my core stability. Having dropped 6kg since last October in weight I can see the difference in my riding. Save your money on that 50gram light seat post or 200gram lighter wheels and invest in some fitness and save 6000grams of real weight off your bike!

Yours: The Gym Queen 🙂

Sunshine and mates.

Sunshine and mates.

+ 1

A day I spent with that man Jedi will be the biggest single step forward in my riding this year. I'm riding more smoothly and confidently and no longer have a mortal fear of my wheels leaving the ground - in fact I'm growing to quite enjoy it... And of course +2 lowey

+ 1 for a Jedi day

+ 3 for sunshine and mates (and some dry trails)

Pawsy_Bear - Member

I am finding going to the gym regularly is really improving my riding. I weigh less and I have improved my core stability. Having dropped 6kg since last October in weight I can see the difference in my riding. Save your money on that 50gram light seat post or 200gram lighter wheels and invest in some fitness and save 6000grams of real weight off your bike!

Yours: The Gym Queen

Hey, a lighter bike still rides like a lighter bike!

Having said that, and also having just splashed out on a new carbon XC beast, I feel slightly embarassed at pottering around on it given my 14+ st. Hence my investment in this P90X fitness thing. I've been doing it a couple of weeks, have dropped about 7 pounds so far and I feel a million dollars. I think THAT is going to make my riding better this year. And the bike, obviously.

Riding off road at least 3 days a week.

A skills course in a couple of months.

Lots of nice dry weather!

Well what is a better riding after all? Getting to the top of the road/fireroad faster?
Or getting down the trail smoother/faster?

[i]Having dropped 6kg since last October in weight I can see the difference in my riding[/i]

If I lost 6kg I'd be in hospital...

[i]Save your money on that 50gram light seat post or 200gram lighter wheels[/i]

So lighter wheels for me!

Interesting reading these comments since I posted up. Seems everyone has different views on what is better - I was thinking more about how to improve my bike handling and confidence when I posted originally.

People seem to fall into a few categories in terms of what makes their riding better:

1. New bike bits
2. Fitness
3. Riding more
4. Conditions (sunshine, mates, location)
5. Skills

All totally right but for me focusing on the skills is the most important right now - once I have the physical and mental confidence the rest become so much more enjoyable. 🙂

Just to add to that to...

Once you know what to correct and how to correct it, you just want to ride all the time 🙂

Now when I'm out all I'm thinking of is improving my riding, going faster and grinning harder 🙂 🙂

Best way to improve your riding is to seek professional assistance from a certified skills tutor and not top trust peoples comments on web forums, the note above about dropping the elbow to improve your turning ability could not be further from the mark, this is one large contributing factor to taking a face plant as it aids your front wheel tucking under. I have just been contracted to produce a book for the Bloomsbury group and it will be available next year, until then you can book a session with us and we will help you develop your core skill set, you must develop good technique and this is done through repetition. Look us up at http://www.mtbskills.eu for more information, all the best with your riding.
Clive.

living in geneva

i) Commuting on rigid singlespeed (road and bridleway)
ii) Entering a couple of races (OneFGear and Brighton Big Dog)
iii) Getting myself fit for the races

Fitness is my main issue so the incentive of racing and daily commute will hopefully sort that out this year 🙂

losing a few kg. riding 100mi + a week for as long as poss.

By staying off the cigarettes!

I am on day 21 of not smoking and I can feel the benefits already 🙂

Ho hum - Nice one dude - keep at it. I smoked about 40 a day for about 10 years and don't miss the effects at all - but occasionally would love a fag until I try one and realise I hate it.

Thank you Bushwacked!

I am over the worst of the cravings, but I still get them at times. When they do occur I just tell myself that they will pass and remind myself just how much I hate it!

Pushing my limits!

Sounds like you are enjoying your biking at the moment Bushwaked !!

Hope you are going to pass on a few of your skills when we ride in the Brecons in May, so we can keep up.

Keep on getting better. My aim is to ride my bmx alot, as I am allready finding the skills cross over nicely.