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Getting focused on doing some more DHing and improving my fast / technical skills.
What one (or maybe more) tip(s) would you pass on in your experience?
Don't crash 😉
PEDAL!
Follow someone slightly quicker than you. When you get as fast as them, find someone else to follow.
drop the saddle low.
Stay off the brakes.
your bike is capable of more than you are
Look up, not down. (not literally) 😆
Eating lots of hormone-laden processed meat will give you the necessary aggression.
Focus your mind, relax your body, improve your reaction times and fitness. Practice individual skills one at a time. Get someone to give you constructive criticism.
Check your armour is doing its job by getting someone to administer round-house kicks to various parts of your body.
Do chainless runs and learn to pump the trials.
keep your weight central.....not far back..
One finger braking
Dont hang on for dear life
The bike will make it even if you dont think it will
USE the bike to get down the hill, dont just be along for the ride.
Stay loose! Dont rely on your suspension to do all the work, Move about and try and make the bike flow over/around obstacles, pick the smoothest lines possible,
Completely disregard that voice in the back of your head that says "I could get hurt", "What happens if", "Should I", "What are the risks" etc etc. Its when you doubt yourself you end up crashing.
Also the faster you get the easier it is!!
go high on off camber roots relax your wrists and ankles and let the suspension do the rest
carry your speed less braking more pumping chainless is a good idea is an eyeopener too
pick your lines carefully.
learn to pump dips and berms and manualling dips and little rooty bits, learn to unweight the bike so you can clear rocky/rooty bits and little jumps without losing time getting too much air. Basically learning to carry as much speed through/over obstacles as possible as it can often be hard to get much pedalling in over the rougher stuff. Ride to the edge of control, you will slide out and go down a few times but tbh that's part of the learning curve.
Dont brake in corners or off camber, let it roll and it WILL grip.
Look well ahead and also where you want to go, if you look at that big evil tree stump you will naturally ride into it 😆
Relax, let your arms and legs work with the suspension not against it.
Also a fine line knowing when to let the bike have its own way and when to reign it in and correct it but you cant really teach that.
All good, I was thinking earlier while riding that I always look about 2-3 metres infront of the bike so I tried looking about 10-15m ahead and ignore the state of the trail directly infront and I just flowed over it. Felt great!
wear lycra
practise. Ride the same sections over and over. Try new lines. Follow the lines of the fastest riders. Keep the bike setup as you want it, not what you think it should be.
- pump and learn to keep the bike on the floor as much as possible.
- lean the bike hard into corners.
- look ahead
- 'session' the same run.
- follow good riders
- sounds silly but... don't brake (or brake less)
Turn off your fear.
relax, get loose, you will stay higher longer
enjoy it
Ride.More!
(Not implying that you don't ride enough or anything!)
Cheers for the advice - had a good ride about an hour ago, whizzing down the techy runs round me!!! feel like I've improved overnight!!! 😉
watch freeride downhill videos to get pumped before hand - seasons is a favourite.
Block from your mind the crippling arthritis in later years from all those broken bones and dislocations as you set yourself up for that next jump.
Relax, dont tense up
Do lots of it 🙂 ...and try and be relaxed and smooth.
Much, much further ahead. To the horizon, literally. Head up with your eye-line level.All good, I was thinking earlier while riding that I always look about 2-3 metres infront of the bike so I tried looking about 10-15m ahead and ignore the state of the trail directly infront and I just flowed over it. Felt great!
If you're going to have a go properly why not go for a proper coaching session? Several top downhill riders have done the CTC instructor course - Rowan Sorrell for one, plus plenty of others. Not sure where you are based, but Llandegla is good for that.
Having said that, if you're used to looking only a couple of metres in front of the bike then a more general skills session would be a better place to start. I hear there's a good outfit working out of Surrey Hills...
Dont brake in corners or off camber, let it roll and it WILL grip.
I've had a few wipe-outs that would disagree with you there!
I've just bought my first Full face helemt for a bit more confidence when pinning my local triple black pirate trails.
Trying to jump far enough to get a good smooth landing like the big boys, carry more speed through corners, not slowign down before technical bits. Confidence and practise is the key.
Learn to pump the ground, also pump through berms. Keep your weight on your outside pedal in flat or off camber corners, unweight the bike over roots. Walk the course and watch elite / expert riders to find the best lines. Don't drag the back brake, brake with the front brake just before corners. Learn to jump!
Make sure you are wearing this season's best gear. Its all about how you look 🙂
Ride a lot, don't take it to seriously, laugh, do it on your own and with friends, enter some races, mix it up, drop, dodge, dive, drop and er dodge.
Guys - thanks for the advice.
Having said that, if you're used to looking only a couple of metres in front of the bike then a more general skills session would be a better place to start. I hear there's a good outfit working out of Surrey Hills...
I should say I can handle a bike, just haven't done much DHing before as roots, off camber and steep scare me a little. But from the skills I've got already I feel I should be able to adapt easily...
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Buy a red coloured bike. Red bikes are faster. FACT.
Buy a fantastic bike that's totally wasted on you and hope that makes you better. At least, that's what I'm going to try this summer.
tyre pressures and saddle right down. I run 15 psi and it grips like a bad rash
David_r - can I just spray mine red - will it be faster then?
Wear bright orange trousers and top
Apologies - you misled me with the looking thing. Hope you don't mind me saying, but all of your riding will be transformed if you start looking way ahead and stop inspecting the ground in detail. It is quite surprising that the very first thing we teach novices comes very late in the day to experienced riders.I should say I can handle a bike, just haven't done much DHing before as roots, off camber and steep scare me a little. But from the skills I've got already I feel I should be able to adapt easily...
I've got a red bike 😀
I think the distance you look ahead should be qualified. Basically the distance varies according to the speed. so 3-4metres is probably about right up a steep hill in Granny, but coming down the other way it could be 25-30 metres.
Perhaps looking 2-3 seconds ahead is a better description?
Doesn't strictly work like that, Rockape63, because it isn't purely about looking for things. There are many reasons to keep your head up and your eyes level. I think I'm letting my enthusiasm get the better of me though - if I go through it all on these threads I won't have anything left over to sell!
[i]Bushwacked - Member
David_r - can I just spray mine red - will it be faster then? [/i]
Yes. Needs to be a proper job though costing you loads, not some half assed home respray job - that will just make you slower.
Hay, Bushwacked, you do realise that its is a year to the day, that I took that photo of you doing The Chute..
someone once told me to count thrins through in 3's.
so look ahead, say theres a dip, a serction of roots and a corner.
Then think pump, lift, brake.
The logic being 3 is an easy number of instructions to remember, and it helps learn tracks quicker. I know for a fact that it sped me up on one local run, as the more you do, the more you think about each instruction and make mental notes like rather than jsut pedal, i need 3 cranks in 7th gear.
It now starts with 3 cranks (flat bit) , pump lift pump (steep chute with some roots halfway down) , 5 cranks (straight bit).
then......
left, right crank
then......
brake, get into the rut, right.
etc etc etc
And huge tires help (2.4's here) run low.
Keep weight verticaly over the BB
Hump the stem in corners
Fit tiny disk rotors, it saves weight and you'll go faster.
Realise there are exceptions to rules, like cornering isnt always possible wit the outside foot down, it may even me quicker to pump it if theres enough grip with the cranks level.
I know I'm new around here Thisisnotasspoon, so I assume the above is some kind of in-house joke??? 😯
Don't drag the back brake, brake with the front brake just before corners.
Wow, I've been doing that for years and people usually tell me I'm "wrong". First time I've heard anyone else say it.
Really interesting thread, some things I'm definitely going to try. That counting to three tip sounds like a recipe for disaster with my rubbish old brain.
Graham - Really - its still one of my favorite photos.
GlenP - I suppose what I was on about was I found looking further ahead than normal I went loads faster. The stuff I'd normally worry about (Braking bumps, roots and drops / jumps) didn't really cause much of an issue. I thought they would if I didn't give them the death stare as I got near to / went over them.
Rockape63, joke or not, thisisnotaspoon is on the button there...... some great ideas, pointers on this thread worth catching as a list, but knowing it does not mean you (especially I) can do it!
my spelling - yea, im mildly dyslexic and type too quickly
the advice is all stuff people have told me, and most of it works! Counting things through in threes simplifies it, and means your already thinking of linking bits together that ther than mu old way of getting through the same section was......
pedal like a maniac, get out of shape down the chute as a reuslt, attempt to brake for the next two corners (no need no im actualy on the right line getting into them), miss the quick pedal out the second as im out of shape, forget which line to take into the right hander, pop out the rut and bounce into hedge.
Much simplified if i only have to remember three distinct instructions to get me though any given section.
my bestest dh tip is put the mtb away on saturday and grab the 20 and head to corby for the customriders 25th aniverasy sesh 🙂
Indeed, ride 4X or BMX, or even your MTB on a BMX/4X or pump track and you will deffo improve your Dh skilz
If I wasn't at a wedding I'd be there - Enjoy!!!
Should see you Tues though - Wanna get over the big Spine!!
😉
if in doubt...flat out
Keep the pisspot helmet... it's a must! If you buy a fullfacer you're only going to put yourself in the 'I might crash' mental zone. In terms of armour, if you're really committed skins and speedos is where the hardcore fraternity are at these days.
I never knew Singletrack had so many Peat-a-likes... felt like flicking through MBUK reading this post 😀
Isn't 'heels down' one of the basics?
tuesday is in fact spine o'clock
Good to see your watch is fixed 🙂
Actually. I take my advice back.
My new advice is 'Don't ask DH questions on Singletrackworld' 🙂
GlenP - I suppose what I was on about was I found looking further ahead than normal I went loads faster. The stuff I'd normally worry about (Braking bumps, roots and drops / jumps) didn't really cause much of an issue. I thought they would if I didn't give them the death stare as I got near to / went over them.
Yes. That's exactly what I'm talking about. It is the very first most basic rule of mtb technique. We learn to ride bikes not long after we learn to walk, so we do the looking like we're walking - checking for divots and trip hazards for our little feet, despite having 26" round and squishy/grippy "feet" (wheels). Whereas we should do the looking more like we're driving a car.
Just been out again and fillowed some advice which I thought I saw in this thread - looking back though I can't see it!!!
Anyway, was switching my vision from just in front of me to mid distance to long distance and kept repeating this, allowed me to really focus on what I was going over, coming up to and had to get myself ready for!!
Now I just need to improve my cornering technique!!! 😉
corner like you pumping the bowl
Nice one Bushwacked. And the progress so far is just with looking further ahead, which is in itself just a small part of "looking", which is a basic skill component. There is more - maybe see you down Surrey Hills some time for the bigger picture, including lots of cornering. (Actually, the way that you put various "looking" skills into cornering is very important - but you'll have to come and see us to find out more!)
Why has no one mentioned the art of exiting the bike if need be?? There are times when it is wise to dismount your trusty steed to avoid a bigger thrashing several yards later, or if the grip has gone beyond the point of no return!! P.s stepping off in mid air cos you've decided you're gonna die is a bad option, ride it out you, you WILL land, you may fall off. But if you bail you're definately crashing!! For me its all about finding a way to bypass the personal survival instinct on/off switch.
Pretend you meant to fall off