Big Bike Thread

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Andelusion said:
Just had a call from bike shop and my new frame isn't going to be here for another 2 weeks :( I had an estimated delivery date of the end of last week.

Apparently the US have taken all of the first batch of orders (Transition bikes) and this hasn't happened before.

Not happy :(
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damn - frustrating stuff.
 
My god this Elliot Jackson kid can whip!
Reminds me of james Stewart - not because both are black, their styles are so similar, albeit different sports!

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Supercow said:
Sorry to be pedant, but that's so small you can't call it a "drop off"
Its a tiny little step, if anything. plopping off a pavement is about the same as this:D

As a rule of thumb, yes it's always better doing any obstacle at speed, be it
gap/table/jump/drop/roots etc. I've hurt myself a helluva lot more bottling it/braking than hammering it. Besides, most of us are going a helluva lot faster "in our heads" than we actually are riding.

On a side note, what are everyone's ways/methods of "just getting over yourself" or pushying your skills limit?
I've been riding like a right wobbler and I'm getting very frustrated with my riding. Ive been getting slower and slower in the last year, possibly due to all the niggling injuries Ive sustained and I really have a mental struggle with it.
Any idea/suggestions?

I guess it's not sport specific as I'm sure a lot of sportsmen run into similar issues?
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That was HUGE for purple head :p We all have to start somewhere.

On your side note:

Riding with faster/better riders helps a lot with becoming a better rider.
 
Supercow said:
Sorry to be pedant, but that's so small you can't call it a "drop off"
Its a tiny little step, if anything. plopping off a pavement is about the same as this:D

As a rule of thumb, yes it's always better doing any obstacle at speed, be it
gap/table/jump/drop/roots etc. I've hurt myself a helluva lot more bottling it/braking than hammering it. Besides, most of us are going a helluva lot faster "in our heads" than we actually are riding.

On a side note, what are everyone's ways/methods of "just getting over yourself" or pushying your skills limit?
I've been riding like a right wobbler and I'm getting very frustrated with my riding. Ive been getting slower and slower in the last year, possibly due to all the niggling injuries Ive sustained and I really have a mental struggle with it.
Any idea/suggestions?

I guess it's not sport specific as I'm sure a lot of sportsmen run into similar issues?
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Just build it up really. Take an easy trail, or one you know off by heart, and session it over and over again, focus on braking late, holding off the brakes round corners, using racing lines, that sort of thing. When you have that trail dialled move to a harder one and so on. It also really helps to ride with someone who is a bit faster, you will improve just to keep up and you won't make as many mistakes as you automatically follow their lines.

I'd recommend the book mastering mountain bike skills to everyone interested, it covers literally everything from effective pedalling technique to huge doubles, It really helped with my confidence anyway.
 
give it some beans is about the best advice

put your seat down a bit to give more room
let go of the brakes - no excuse these days when disc brakes are so powerful
if you need them you can easily apply them again and stop without any problems

most people fall off when they panic and lock up
going faster and loosening up is the best way to get over it

it never hurts as bad as you think it will when you fall off anyhow
I usually hurt myself more putting the bike in the car or messing about in the car park than actually from riding!
 
weescott said:
Riding with faster/better riders helps a lot with becoming a better rider.
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It's one thing putting me off. I'm at the moment slower than a lot of my riding mates - who are fast. This is causing me more frustration than anything else.

mistercrabb said:
Just build it up really. Take an easy trail, or one you know off by heart, and session it over and over again, focus on braking late, holding off the brakes round corners, using racing lines, that sort of thing.
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I know them all off by heart and I don't find any of them hard, it's just that I ride em crap :p
Like you said, sessioning is probably a good place to start.

gettothechopper said:
put your seat down a bit to give more room
let go of the brakes - no excuse these days when disc brakes are so powerful
if you need them you can easily apply them again and stop without any problems

most people fall off when they panic and lock up
going faster and loosening up is the best way to get over it

it never hurts as bad as you think it will when you fall off anyhow
I usually hurt myself more putting the bike in the car or messing about in the car park than actually from riding!
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Putting the seat down on my DH bike isn't going to make any difference :)
I get what you are saying though, but I'm giving it beans laying into corners and having my front wheel wash out... it's not coz im bottling it or grabbing my brakers that I ride like a wang, I'm just so super scetchy it's unreal.
 
Supercow said:
It's one thing putting me off. I'm at the moment slower than a lot of my riding mates - who are fast. This is causing me more frustration than anything else.



I know them all off by heart and I don't find any of them hard, it's just that I ride em crap :p
Like you said, sessioning is probably a good place to start.



Putting the seat down on my DH bike isn't going to make any difference :)
I get what you are saying though, but I'm giving it beans laying into corners and having my front wheel wash out... it's not coz im bottling it or grabbing my brakers that I ride like a wang, I'm just so super scetchy it's unreal.
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Try looking further into the corner, at where you want to be, rather than where you are now. There is no point being hung up about where you are because you're already there, when you look forward you can work out what's coming up and calculate where, how fast and what angle etc you need to be at. Maybe try some different tyres too?
 
Supercow said:
On a side note, what are everyone's ways/methods of "just getting over yourself" or pushying your skills limit?
I've been riding like a right wobbler and I'm getting very frustrated with my riding. Ive been getting slower and slower in the last year, possibly due to all the niggling injuries Ive sustained and I really have a mental struggle with it.
Any idea/suggestions?
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MTFU :p
 
Yea, I'm failing at the basics at the moment too and for some reason just looking right in front of me, even when I know it's not the right thing to do.

Reckon I need to go ride different places and try have fun again, reckon speed would naturally come when im having fun


ichabod crane said:
MTFU :p
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This too ^^
 
having a positive attitude makes a lot of difference too

it sounds cheesy but its true - bad riders tend to be forever planning when to fall off, good riders "know" that they are going to get away with it every time

almost to the point of arrogance - some of the best bmxers ive seen have just been arrogant to the point that they actually trick themselves into doing something ballsy

its like when you are riding along in a narrow rut - if you look ahead and dont think about the rut you ride down the middle of it perfectly
the second you start thinking about riding in a straight line you start bashing into the sides like crazy
 
Sounds like your trying to hard too, knowing that you feel your ridings not as good as it should be and trying to compensate.

Try the opposite, slow down a bit and concentrate on getting the flow and basics right, then pick the speed up.

I feel slightly like I'm teaching my grandmother to suck eggs :D
 
Supercow said:
I get what you are saying though, but I'm giving it beans laying into corners and having my front wheel wash out... it's not coz im bottling it or grabbing my brakers that I ride like a wang, I'm just so super scetchy it's unreal.
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Are we talking flat corners or berms here?

Because I used to (and sometimes still do) have the same problem.
My first tip is to lower your front tire pressure and/or raise rear pressure. It will make the rear more likely to wash out than the front.

Also, read this (there's a video). If you don't do it already, practise practise practise until it's natural and use it for flat corners.

There's not much else to it, just try to relax on the bike it helps a lot.
 
Went for the first ride out for a while, went up to Sheepwash and out over the moors a bit, good fun, lots of hills and sun! Took some pics that I thought I'd share with you, and here's the route we took;

http://www.endomondo.com/workouts/pUrtvAsa5RQ

And the pics;

My bike next to a 'shooting house'
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Both bikes next to the house
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Me
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Nice view!
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Rocky descent
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Nice flowers eh?
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:)
 
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