I know I shouldn’t let it get to me but wet roots freak me out!!! especially those at an angle on the trail (pointing down the slope when you are traversing across it).

Find myself focusing on them and going against everything I know – is there any hope for me???

Just don’t look at them.

yup, roots freak me out as well.. I try not to focus on them, and just keep going forward… but, as always is the case I go forward without the bike.. roots just trip me up each time… 😥 👿

I know I shouldn’t focus on them but I’ve got the fear that the bike will wash out sideways etc…

Yep, can’t race if it’s wet roots. In a vicious circle now and can’t get past the fear of flidding out.

Yes, my left thumb doesn’t work properly because of wet root induced stack about 6 years ago. Slightly nervous about them now but a super tacky minion or mud-x works wonders as does a bit of speed/jumping!

Look ahead of the bike, unweight slightly and try not to turn on them! If you look at something you will hit it!

Just MTFU will you 😉

Thank God it’s just not me then! 😯

Bit of weight on the fork, “chin up!” and expect to slide. Don’t pretend it won’t happen but if you expect badness, badness will abound. Unweighting the bike evenly will also help you roll over instead of into them. Once your fronts over, the back can do what it likes really!

But yes, they bother me too 😀

Exact opposite, try and lift the front over the root/roots, that way if the bike slides it’ll inevitably be the back end and that’s way easier to catch.

If you think you are going to fall you probably will, if you think about getting through them smoothly or don’t think about falling you will probably be fine. That’s basically Marc Beaumont’s advise on the Dirt fundamentals dvd and it works well.Saying that it’s quite hard not to think about slipping if you have had a big crash on roots before.

Iain

Yep freak me as well – couple of years ago wiped out twice in the space of 100 metres.

I seldom pass one without coming off. Mud X tyres make it more of a “slow motion” fall rather than an instant “thwack” sideways.

couple of years ago wiped out twice in the space of 100 metres

A couple of years ago?? Who are you? Danny McCasgill? I would say any time it rains I’d wipe out at least twice in a 100 yards.

They don’t freak me out, but I don’t like them, especially if I’m clipped in.

I try more and more to look through them, but there’s always the element of expectation that either end of the bike will step out as you go over them…

Hop front wheel over and lighten the rear so it dosent slide.

This is coming from a bloke who went over the bars on Sunday and broke his Giro zen helmet 😥

Bit of weight on the fork,

WTF? 😯

Exact opposite, try and lift the front over the root/roots

And relax….. Order is restored.

Hate them, and locally we’ve 6 months of slippery roots to look forward to…

If its really off camber then yeah they can be a bit intimidating but usually rideable, its all about approach. If they are only little try and unweight and push the bike through them, so you might get a bit of a slide but if you push through it then you get over it quick and onto grippy ground so no bother. The best solution if they are bigger is to just use them, again using the unweight and push (or lurch/lunge if you fancy) then try and work out where your wheel will end up and ride to that, so weight on the outside body weight moving down as you hit it and ride it down the root and over the other side. As always with these things, a little bit of speed is good, too much can lead to rouble tho.

In winter I tend to only ride singletrack where the roots are perpendicular to the trail and where there’s no off camber.

I’ve gradually been introducing some trails where I know there’s slidey roots but ‘the fear’ tends to take hold and thenI just fall off on everything because I’m so tense.

Embrace the mediocrity.

Yes. Had a big off a few years ago during a Dragon Downhill race at Abercarn. Hit them at full tilt and can’t remember anything other than coming round way down the hill, unable to breathe with a medic asking me what day it was. I didn’t unweight and paid the price. Been a bit wary ever since.

Bunny hop the thing if its big maybe? Perhaps a bit more speed & commitment, unweight the bike & dont pedal when you’re on them.

Or maybe its just wishcraft – I dont **** know..

Don’t do the pie run at GT in the rain!

Our riding area tends to be over rocky terrain, so the minute I see any wet roots (which I’m not used to) I panic.

They usually come attached to a tree, which is so easy to hit when the wet root has thrown you off.

I’ve got a fear of wet roots and smooth steep wet rocks and it all comes from me having bad falls on both surfaces.

It’s a bit of a vicious circle for me……

I see them, tense up, get target fixation and then either fall off or by sheer luck slide uncontrollably over them just about managing to stay on 🙁

I am freaked too. So,this autumn/winter I am going to throw myself over roots with reckless abandon until I shake the fear. Or break something, whichever comes first.

Try riding aston hill after a cloud burst, :twisted:that will teach you to ride in the wet…

I get freaked out by anything that isn’t a flat, wide fire road that goes (gently) down hill!

Is it possible, when you know that you’re going to slide and come off, to adopt a “stance” whereby the bike slides sideways and you simply let go and land gently on your feet in a sort of “spreadeagle” position but remaining upright? Thought not.

I reckon if youre freaked by them, then go find some and get some practice in with a few mates who can ride them comfortably, watch and learn how they are doing it and then just practice in your own time.

I actually like wet roots. As my riding buddie says, – The speed, is your friend fella.

Suppose the fear in your head, and you concetrate on front wheel instead of looking ahead into trail. Looking way ahead into trail you do notice your bike sliding around, but it doesn’t bother you that much as long as you keep up momentum rolling. Obviously if you are too slow then nothing will ever help you.

My 2p worth.

My local riding is root city, I can only offer the following advice:

Try to look past the root – if you focus on any obstacle you WILL hit it.
Don’t be too hesitant – speed is your friend
Stay off the brakes.
DON’T weight the fork – that’s crazy talk!!
Relax – try to unweight and “float” the bike over the root if possible (practise this in dry conditions if you’re not that confident)
Always try to cross them at right angles – if you cross them at an angle, your tyres are more likely to bounce off them.
Switch to flats in the winter to give you a bit more confidence

Don’t do the pie run at GT in the rain!

or go anywhere near Drumlanrig 😆

That might help you … although it’s dry 🙁

hat goes (gently) down hill!

Steady now!

Go quick, don’t look at them and stay high if it’s off camber that way if you slip you’ll have more room to recover.

When I said weight the fork, I meant – don’t lean away from the hazard and lean back so your front wheel skitters!

“Bit of weight on the fork” Jesus, anyone riding with their hands on the bars will have a bit weight on the fork! If you have a stigma to an obstacle your body language will put your balance and bike off. A more committed stance will see you through. Hence me also describing the unweighting of the bike. It’s contradictory when taken literally, as it has been. Hit the thing with conviction and you’ll probably make it, a rearward hesitant stance will reduce the tyre’s ability to track. Maybe it’s because where I ride it’s more of a drdrdrdrdr sequence of roots than a donk…donk…donk so the lifty method doesn’t work. Hence the agreed with; unweight balanced approach.

I should have just said MTFU 😈

bushwacked, didn’t you listen to me 🙂

i binned it badly last month on a downhill corner, prob too much weight on the front, was just out of the corner when all hell let loose! couldnt work it out, done the same line loads. inspecting the trail the rain had exposed a web of finger size slick roots right across the trail almost flush to the ground…hidden roots freak me out, esp as now im paranoid theyre lurking everywhere waiting for me.

Sorry if this has already been said, cba to read through all the above on my phone screen!

I used to get a bit of wet root fear. What worked for me was riding them lots. Find a tricky but short section with no massive consequences and just play; try lots of lines and get a feel for what happens. Granted, if you hit em quick or square you will be fine but sometimes it’s fun to use the slip to your advantage, switchbacks etc can be easier when a bit greasy. It really psyches your mates out too. Run your tyres lowish too, 20 front 25 rear is my usual rule of thumb