How Expert Are You? Take our MTB skills and experience survey.

We’re not going to skew your answers, because, science… so let’s jump straight into the questions. There aren’t any repeats, but there are some simi …

By stwhannah

Get the full story here:

https://singletrackworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/how-expert-are-you-take-our-mtb-skills-and-experience-survey/

Question is, what are STW going to do with the survey answers? It’d be interesting to see the spread.

Done.

Your network connection was lost 😞

Done, but the which bikes do you ride every week has no option for none.

Done.

Needs commuting bike as an option and BMX as type of racing done.

What constitutes “doing a wheelie”? I can get the front wheel up and keep it there for a few pedal strokes (maybe 10 on a good day) but that’s about it.

Emphasis on other bike for me – fatbike, (suppose no sus, is still hardtail) and of course the tourer.  Along with the navigation we need tide table interpretation too down here in Sandyland

What constitutes “doing a wheelie”? I can get the front wheel up and keep it there for a few pedal strokes (maybe 10 on a good day) but that’s about it.

🤷🏻‍♂️ I’d say a wheelie is getting it up and having control over when you put it down.

A few pedal strokes is a ‘dad wheelie’ and doesn’t count. 😔

Does the form just reset when submitted?

I was expecting a ‘thanks, results later’ message.

I was expecting a ‘thanks, results later’ message.

Mine said

Thank you for answering, we’ll be doing an analysis of results soon.

It was at the top of the page though, which wasn’t where I would have expected it.

Good questions. Enjoyed thinking about the answers.

Where are the results?

Needs commuting bike as an option and BMX as type of racing done.

I just went with the town bike option. And you’ve got Other for types of racing, which in my case also covers Cyclocross.

Done. No idea what that colour grading corresponds to so I put red on the basis that Ainsa blacks sometimes have me walking down sections. A bit embarassing answering “no” to a wheelie but my idea of a wheelie is what the local Uber Eats guys can do.

A few pedal strokes is a ‘dad wheelie’ and doesn’t count. 😔

Oiiiii! I resemble that comment!

I got to Q4 and didn’t know which to select. Shouldn’t the results of the survey provide the answer to that question?

Was amused by Nepal in the list of countries – that’s a bit specific 🙂

No tandem on the list of bikes, could upset a few here

No tandem on the list of bikes, could upset a few here

only a couple at a time

Was amused by Nepal in the list of countries – that’s a bit specific 🙂

I actually got to tick that one! Went trekking for a few weeks the summer I left university, (very early version of student loan paid for it 👍) and managed to get a guided day ride from Kathmandu. The bikes were really nice Raleigh ones the bonded carbon tubes, which dates this story somewhat. I manged to OTB into a drainage ditch that was thankfully just full of weed growth and not water. A group of local ladies thought this was absolutely bloody hilarious.

🤷🏻‍♂️ I’d say a wheelie is getting it up and having control over when you put it down.

A few pedal strokes is a ‘dad wheelie’ and doesn’t count.

Yeah this. No dad wheelies allowed I reckon.

You need an option for none on which bike do you ride more than once a week.  It is STW after all…

Do lapsed MTB, coaching and cyctech quallies count? 😉

Decided not to answer any. I didn’t want to get an OH GOD, THAT’S PATHETIC ! result.

Can’t wheelie, never have been able to. Never likely to learn. One of those things I can’t see a use for on an actual ride so no compulsion to practise it.

Decided not to answer any. I didn’t want to get an OH GOD, THAT’S PATHETIC ! result.

Fear not, there is no result, it’s a data gathering exercise.

 

There were no explicit mentions of dad wheelies not counting so mine counted 😁 and you made that rule up. Or stole it from your teenage children. Dad wheelies obviously count they have the word wheelie in them. They count right they do.

A dad Wheelie is a misnomer, as it’s a pedal assisted front wheel lift.

For it to be a true wheelie, you have to get to, and remain at the balance point.

Didn’t see any mention of the word true. So there.

There’s not a wheelie option of ‘my bike is too long, low and slack to ever be able to wheelie’

There’s not a wheelie option of ‘my bike is too long, low and slack to ever be able to wheelie’

That’s not a thing! There was a bloke wheelieing a platform cargo bike on Danny MacAskill’s do a wheelie film.

The older I get, the better I was.

Does that count as Expert?!

Done.

No option for rigid MTB?

No option for rigid MTB?

Ooh, get you and your fancy modern MTB! Bet it had gears and everything! 😉

It’s funny really – I got into MTB in the early/mid 90’s, raced XC and enduro (back when enduro meant “a really long XC race”, not what it means now!), did some 24hr races etc. Did quite well, I was sort of mid-pack in Expert XC for a while and did loads of MTBing in Peak & Lake District plus MTB holidays in the Alps etc.

But that was all way back when – I rarely do MTB any more, I only have the one bike now – a very old Cove hardtail – and I’ve only ridden modern geometry MTBs a couple of times, both hire bikes. Honestly, if I was to go MTBing now, I would not be “expert” in any way, I’d be a complete newbie trying to get to grips with riding something with (to me) brand new geometry. I’m a very experienced MTBer – from back in the day. Honestly if you put me on a MTB now, I’d be shit! Embarrassingly so. Also, I’d be wondering why the stem was so short and WHY IS MY SEAT MOVING UP AND DOWN?!

SO if STW could pop that in as an answer to the questions, it’d pigeonhole me nicely! 😉

Ah, trying to decide how good a rider you are. Tricky, especially if you’re not a confident person. Turns out I’m in the dad wheelie club too 😂

“Dad Wheelie Club” – expect to see  this on a tshirt soon.

 

Thought I was okay. Then tried Ard rock on Sunday. Now I know I am sh1t.

Ah, trying to decide how good a rider you are. Tricky, especially if you’re not a confident person.

I’ll calibrate it for you – I put intermediate, so you are definitely above that!!

My take away from answering those questions is I’m a better mechanic than I am a rider.

Everyone ticked Hardline right?