Went back to Aston Hill and got “sat down” a few times for the first time today.

Just wondering why on earth it happened. One second I’m rattling along downhill like Felix Baumgartner’s spanners, the next, the bike has run away from me and I’m feeling like Wiley E Coyote when the rocket runs out of fuel.

Kept telling myself to stay loose on the descents. Seems like I stayed so loose I let the handlebars go. Any tips?

Monday morning bump for some help please? I am aching all over.

Are you shifting your weight too far back? Are you pumping the terrain to keep yourself and the bike flowing as a unit rather than being a passenger?

I pump the terrain where it’s “pumpable” (berms and little lips) with the little skill I have, but where I’m coming off is where there are a number of repeated downhill step downs. With step downs I just smash the handlebars down which works, but when there are repeated ones I can’t handle them in time.

Problem is when I slow down I either bottle it, or slip off line on the roots. Any tips for keeping my weight centred? I think you have hit the nail on the head though. It is to do with my position on the bike.

What’s a “sit-down”?

It is something that only science can explain, if you don’t know then I cannot explain it to you.

There are two types, one more embarrassing that the other. I’ve experienced both.

Type 1
You come down a track, and suddenly it disappears into what (to you) looks like a vertical section. You decide to walk down it, but unfortunately you’re wearing SPD shoes with no grip and find yourself sliding down it on your butt.

Type 2
Your bike is suddenly going faster than you for some reason and you come off it landing on your posterior. Usually happens riding downhill, or trying to do a wheelie.

when I was a kid one of my mates (honest) managed to let go of his handlebars going down a hill when we were ‘scrambling’.

Sadly rather than the ground his bum landed on the back wheel and he was propelled forward at speed until his groin hit the seat stay/seat tube junction.

My how we laughed.

It’s not just you OP I went up to Aston, for the first time in a long while, a couple of weeks ago on my HT, it was cold, wet and greasy. pretty much all the runs apart from the top section of “Surface to air” (the new one) were having me off…

S2A was great up the top (mostly armoured) and it’s not as dicey as the other lines further down the hill either. So stick to that line until the weather improves IMO.

TBH it’s just Aston Hills geography IMO, Chalk, Clay mud, roots and drainage, all working together in perfect harmony to bollox your runs on wet days.

Actually I had a brilliant moment in the top bowl/bermy bit, I’d been riding it fine all day, start into the turn and halfway through without warning, both of my tires decide to skate off siedways out towards the top of the berm and I’m sat upside down on my left hip, Pretty much called it a day after that…

Cheers, good to know it wasn’t just me stacking it. Most of the runs seemed to have grown icicles on them yesterday. It was hard going if you weren’t committed enough.

What is the drop to the berm like? I’ve sized it up a couple of times, but I’ve not had the confidence to ride it yet. Any tips?

What is the drop to the berm like? I’ve sized it up a couple of times, but I’ve not had the confidence to ride it yet. Any tips?

The very first one at the top you mean? It’s easy peasy (technical term) honest..

I bet there were a few people just stood watching there again weren’t there? Just ignore them, people seem to hover round it like flies on shite but it’s not actually the scariest feature on the line by a long way…

you only need a comfortable pace and you can simply plop it then roll on, then try it with a bit more pace if you like and you can hold speed through the berm without any need for braking, don’t worry about hoiking a big old jump all the way into the berm from the lip, low and fast is fine IMO, just concerntrate on holding speed and try to maintain flow (sounds like that’s what you’ve been doing anyway) TBH the bigger stuff is further down the line with chicken runs, roll through the lot and size it up for yourself…

The “worst” thing about the top section is the braking bumps that seem to have come in on the berms already, but TBH it still rolls really nicely, I really like the new line, it will be brilliant fun come summer…

Ach, I must admit I stood around watching a couple of people go past. Sorry 🙁 They did just plop down like you said. Was having a look at the bigger stuff from near the other DH runs (the one with the berm to big tabletop) too. Definitely will be fun in the summer!