Quite an interesting topic, one I have with a lot of my clients, the one thing I try telling them is wheel size will not make them a better rider! It will make them a lazy rider that’s for sure but we must go back to basics eventually! I’m a very fast downhiller by all standards but a bigger wheeled bike would just ‘dampen’ this effect.

The thing with these dropper posts is it makes riders far too lazy, one thing I always do when a client comes to see me is take there seat post out, it’s good practice for them to learn how to use their body more without having to rely on the position of the ‘automatic’ seat post, this is the name I call them while teaching! 😆

richmtb – Member
Pedals level I would say

Vision is just as important though, look through the corner to where you are going.

I find if I concentrate on vision I can always go faster through a bend

POSTED 2 HOURS AGO # REPORT-POST

Absolutely! One thing I always made sure my clients would do before a race was to go through it in their heads the night before, spend a few hours going down a local downhill course in your head and visualise yourself going around the berm, feel every bump going around, try to make it as relaxing as possible, perhaps put some soothing music on in the background. Make sure to kill your speed before the berm, and learn to throw your hips into it, once you’ve mastered this technique in your head you then need to put it into practice out on the course, always check you have adequate grip on your pedals or if wearing spds make sure they’re not too tight as you may need to get them out early while going around, the berm. Good luck with your task and always wear a helmet. 🙂

pinhead – Memberthink riding that bike and badly must be kinda hard to do,looks like the seat is right up his arse… POS

hmmm… I would say certainly he is making it hard for himself, seatpost at an appropriate height is something I always make my clients aware of before I begin with the skills coaching.

Could be a job for me this…however, I didnt do all my training and gain all my qualifications to pay someone to let me guide them down a mountain! 😐

Ive taught mountain biking skills to a high level, Even tuitioned some up and coming pros…but never and I mean never do I think I could do anything for this chap! and Ive never said that to anyone before! 😆

Well I’ve been in the paras, could have been a professional boxer, as well as doing mixed martial arts at a very high level! My dad is 6ft 4″ built solid, probably was the hardest dad here and was an ex underground fist fighter, so I guess I don’t know! 😕
Actually I think I would as I have the fitness advantage! 😆

richmtbguru – Member
I don’t think you realise how passionate I am about my riding, I’m willing to risk my life to get to the best times possible,

my god are you being serious? i have never heard anything so stupid in all my life!
And wow there certainly is an abundance of competition on STW.
I will stick to my lovely steady rides
But cannot wait to at least do a bit of downhill racing this year,including the Steel City Downhill to start my season off with a bang!
POSTED 15 HOURS AGO # REPORT-POST

I’ve been riding bikes from a very early age in fact they say I was in the biking position on my 20 week scan!! 😀
But seriously though, it’s not stupid at all! Although I was told that I was by the french locals while out guiding, I dont think they’d seen riders going down things i was doing 10 years ago on a fully rigid! 😮 Im just very passionate about my riding,, when you’ve been in the industry all your life you get a competitive streak, it’s what makes us champions, I think maybe people who aren’t competitive have a lazy streak to them, I’ve always been hungry for wanting to achieve nothing but the best, If it wasn’t with mountain biking then it would be with rowing, but that’s another story! 😆

scaredypants – Member
radoggair, not sure you’re right there – most of the best natural sportsmen I’ve known have also been lazy bastards who never achieved what they could have if they’d been competitive or even just a bit committed
(no, I don’t include myself in there)
POSTED 7 HOURS AGO # REPORT-POST

This is somehow true of my own situation although I wouldn’t say I’ve been lazy, maybe just ignorant of my own abilities, I’v always been committed especially when it comes to helping others hence the reason why I’ve taught and guided in the past, I think being competitive is a good natural streak that helps us achieve the best out of sports, as long as its in a controlled manner. 🙂

tazzymtb – Member
I just will not let anyone overtake me on the descents, not even a pro on a full on downhill bike! I just will not let it happen!
oooo so you’re one of those slow miserable geezers who’ll ride erratically rather than let a faster rider safely come past just to prove a point
has surfmat got a doppelgänger?
POSTED 1 HOUR AGO #

I’m not miserable, and I’m certainly not slow! I’m just being honest with myself, Infact it wasn’t even me who noticed how quick I was downhill, I’ve been told by a lot of my clients in the past how fast I am. I don’t think you realise how passionate I am about my riding, I’m willing to risk my life to get to the best times possible, I’m more than capable on my Scott genius so imagine how much quicker I could be on a full on downhill bike! But to be honest I’d rather give something back to the mountain bike community like spreading my knowledge and experiences and hopefully that can help riders through whichever categories of mountain biking they choose to do.

Good thread op! I was thinking the same thing the other day, I myself never thought I was competitive until one of my clients told me how fast I was at descending, I’d never thought much about it before that but it had me thinking that I honestly cannot remember the last time or any time for that matter anybody overtaking me! I just will not let anyone overtake me on the descents, not even a pro on a full on downhill bike! I just will not let it happen! I’m quite confident in my biking skills, having taught people for a good number of years makes me think what I could have achieved if I’d have taken up full on downhill racing as a career. So yes I suppose I am a bit! 🙂

Buy cheap, pay twice! I would highly recommend the reverb! I’m a trained bike mechanic and I’ve stripped these down can say that these are a top quality product.

Dales_rider – Member
Gritsone so Wharncliffe ?

POSTED 23 HOURS AGO # REPORT-POST

Yes I’d rather gathered it was gritstone! :roll:I just think that maybe try lowering the pressure more on steep rocky riding as this would help you out a lot. Hope my advise helps you, nice effort though boys. 🙂

nickc – Member
don’t need a full face, listen to the guys bout flats though. I jump on spds now (’cause that’s what’s on my bike), but learned on flats and the advice “Get the bike away from you as fast as you can when it goes tits up” rings as true now as it was when I was taught it years and years ago.
crashing off a jump on spds is a world of wrongness
POSTED 46 MINUTES AGO #

Hmmm.. Who would have taught such a thing as ‘getting the bike away’ during a crash?? The one thing I always taught my clients was to try think more about body posture, do NOT tense up, this is by far the worst mistakes that I see on a regular basis! Stay calm and keep as relaxed as possible, thus stopping any breaks that could occur if one was to tense up, when you concentrate on getting your bike away you are not relaxing! Please do not listen to the people telling you not to wear a full face, that would be plain silly when trying such manoeuvres on a bike. Hope this helps to take you to the next level. 🙂

Great vid guys, what sort of tyre pressures do you put in riding this sort of terrain?

singlespeedstu – Member
Pussy.
Does the c thing in your signoff signature stand for ****?
POSTED 40 MINUTES AGO # REPORT-POST

What a thing to say! 🙄
You may not agree with his or her opinion but there is no such need for foul language! I think I am right in my last post about you being an idiot!
My opinion on this matter is rather a mixed feel towards what the industry seems to think they can get away with, I am all for bettering the industry as I’ve always played a big part in it myself however not sure about such big wheels being an improvement to alpine riding.. Although it seems an excellent way to propel oneself better on a cross country course.
Interesting subject and one I feel won’t go away for a long time! 🙄

First off, I would like to congratulate you on the achievement of your first ever table top.. I spent many years tutoring basic skills courses, and the table top was always a psychological one. If you can do it on a table top then it’s exactly the same technique as performing it on a gap, however overcoming this physiological obstical is the hard bit! Bit of courage and you will see! As for the helmet, I would seriously advise in a paying a premium for a top quality helmet such as troy lee, and yes definitely a full face, there is no point in all the body armour if your not going to protect the one part that is the most vulnerable to gravitational impacts.

singlespeedstu – Member

POSTED 6 MINUTES AGO # REPORT-POST

What an idiot!

The lawson park descent isn’t really that good if your wanting an ‘alpine’ feel, I’ve done a lot of riding around grizedale and I would recommend parkamoor, it is worth the slog!!

Be prepared for aching legs! I did this when I was in the army team as part of my training programme, it is completely different to downhill! Although I was the fittest in my regiment it was still hard work! Enjoy. 🙂

Paceman – Member
That quoted weight must include pedals, even for a bike aimed more at going down that up, 34lbs+ seems very lardy.
POSTED 3 MINUTES AGO #

I don’t think you know much about mountain biking do you?

I was regularly rowing under 6 mins doing sets of 10 of 2000m..I was in the 100metre national team though years ago! 🙂

Try heightening your stem by using more spacers if your steerer tube is long enough, also I think more and more people are using wider bars when they are simply not needed, this can cause an unnatural body position, I wouldn’t recommend more 675mm wide.

Yeah yeah utter shite! Lets all stick together on this fellas.

Pook – Member
or are a **** moron.

POSTED 26 MINUTES AGO #

Couldn’t agree more pook, I find it absolute distasteful that anybody could laugh at such vulgar behaviour!
It should be banned from television, I think it’s more for the common idiot types who don’t know any more intelligent comedy, I’m with you all guys! It’s not intelligent enough for us fellas.

Best with milk I think, swish it around and taste the flavour explode!

Great vid, I think the old bloke could do with some tuition, he needs to get the front end up, that’s why he “nose dived” one of the most common mistakes with beginners. Good to see the dog doing a bit of freeride! 😀

So do we know yet which coach has taught this individual? 😀

Brilliant!

Oh my word! You have to be kidding? Or did you forget to put a nought on the end of £25?? This always makes me laugh when people want to take short cuts in and penny pinch on items I would regard as safety equipment. A good jacket is a vitally important in any serious mountain bikers backpack!! Ok… Well anyway, you should be looking to spend between the 2-3 hundred pound mark, that will get you something that’s fully weatherproof for any kind of weather god can throw at you! Breathable and waterproof is essential! Look for good brands such as berghaus, enduro, gore, Altura, to name but a few, hope this helps, good luck.

When is the next venture out tony? I really would like to join in on this event but would need to book it early enough with my other half, he’s always got something on lately! 🙄 I can show you some other great bridleways I did a lot of my skills classes over there before I went over to the alps guiding.

I can bet you I’ve done a hell lot more technical riding than you mr wonder! I’ve guided in the alps for the last 7 years as well as being a part of a skills course team.

Absolutely devastated I missed this pootle! I know a lot about hebden, I could have shown you some fine tracks, some extremely technical terrain like the blue pig, count me in too on your next adventure, I too will bring cake for all. 🙂

Blower – Member
open bath for the win sod the weight..
**** the Fox maintain every 2 hours lark,and price!
POSTED 4 HOURS AGO # REPORT-POST

Sod the weight??? What kind of an answer is that?? Before you insult fox, I think the reviews speak for themselves!
I’ve always used fox and never had a problem, I don’t mind paying a premium price for a premium brand.
And I’ve done a hell of a lot of riding around serious terrain, guiding around the alps!

Arrgh…don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing, might make it more wet! Least with the frost it hardens it all up. Cheers anyhow.

Thanks for that, hopefully won’t get much worse! 😮

£100 is just not enough for a descent waterproof jacket, look to spend between the 2-3hundred pound mark, also look for good brands such as gore, berghaus, even endura do good jackets.
A good jacket is worth every penny spent!

I did it in 1hr 23 about 7 year ago, I was at my fittest and also competed to a high level in rowing, I could do 50 pull ups in 70 seconds, 100 push ups in 2 minutes! if you put the time into your training I’m sure you’ll achieve a good time. But training alone won’t be enough, I have very good genes and my father was an Olympic champion and even trained with Daley Thompson. 8)

I used to compete in rowing, I did a lot at uni and could have even made it to the olympics at one stage!! Other than that I’ve done a lot of skiing to a high level, climbing I used to climb in chamonix once a year, quite a lot of bmx too.

Yes, I have ridden one and yes they’re a great compromise for those who don’t like the way a 29er feels but want the benefit of a bigger wheel! I used to work for a big bike company, and let me tell you, they will be the next big thing on the market!!!