Went on a course yesterday and am buzzing to progress.

I know now that I need to focus on my trail vision and to a degree my speed management, but one will not come without the other.

I was gonna buy a new bike but I know its not about the bike really but how I ride it.

What is everyone focusing on to improve their riding? Do you have anything in mind? Do you have any specific goals?

This 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 want 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!

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!