MTB skills - are you happy with your riding ability?

brocklanders023 · Oct 23, 2016

mikee":2i26em94 said:
Lack of peddling ability is the biggest issue for me

Mike

I'm with Mike, fitness is my biggest problem. I'm a half decent rider with reasonable skill but nothing special. I struggle to find the time just to ride, let alone spend time consciously trying to improve so can't see that changing. can't say I give my skills much thought tbh.

tufty · Nov 1, 2016

I'm certainly not happy with my "mad skillz", such as they are. Every ride provides something to improve on, a corner you could have taken better, a line you could have held that bit longer, a climb you could have done faster or not puked at the top of, etc. If you're not improving, you're going backwards.

Bollox64 · Nov 1, 2016

Some interesting comments here about modern FS bikes also improving Retro skills.

At our local club, I've proposed the opposite - getting a couple of old retro HTs with 1-2" travel forks, so that the sprogs can hone some line-choosing skills, instead of simply bulldozering over all the babies-heads at 30Km/h.

As for myself, my modern FS with wide bars definitely helps my DH skills (not "real" DH, XC downhill), but my Retro rides definitely make me look stronger in the climbs, each one being about 3Kg lighter than my modern whip

Stick Legs · Nov 1, 2016

Yes and no.

Skill is a tool kit of available techniques you can draw on when necessary. However, like most tool boxes the more tools you have the harder it is to locate individual ones.
So the ones you use the most are easiest to hand.
I was lucky a few weeks ago on a fast descent when I the back end of my road bike stepped out and I managed to stay on at 50kmh plus. This is the tool box equivalent of the 3/16ths ring spanner randomly being on top at the right time!

Having not mountain biked for 5 years and building up the Cannondale I will be interested to see how deep in the tool box are my wet root & mossy rock skills! LOL

I think I have about 90% of the tools I need. Finding them is the trick!

gradeAfailure · Nov 2, 2016

Interesting way of putting it!

Now that we're coming into the dark end of the year, I'm fairly certain that the minimal amount of wet-weather offroad riding I do will mean that my abilities on wet roots and slippery off-camber stuff will be thrust to the fore, so that's something I definitely need to work on this winter. Especially as I'd actually like to get out and do some enduro races next year and not be DFL!

widowmaker · Nov 2, 2016

Re:

Sadly for me with age comes caution

When I was younger and thought about falling off my bike my main concern was if I would damage my bike, now its how many months at full sickpay my company will provide if I break a leg.

When I rode Mayhem this year I was slower in the daylight because I could see the dangers rather than at night when I barely touched the brakes

KDM · Nov 4, 2016

Agree, very much my bikes are like my motorcycling. During the war

I was like a hornet on crack, very little direction but plenty of energy. Now my ability has changed as has my fitness so I tend to ride more for giggles than results.

I don't see this as a bad thing however.

Muddy paw · Nov 4, 2016

I don't have any off road skills atm as i've not done any off roading for ni on 20 years now

and i've only just this year got my 1st proper mtb since i traded my last one in for a hybrid back in 1998 which i sold back in 2010 hardly used but any how as some already know my health has had a big impact on me being mobile this year although i have only just started getting back out on the bike over this last month so i need to get my fittness up before i worry about skill and i'm 50 at the end of the year so no pressure then

..

shinobi · Nov 9, 2016

Muddy paw":3779xz5b said:
I don't have any off road skills atm as i've not done any off roading for ni on 20 years now and i've only just this year got my 1st proper mtb since i traded my last one in for a hybrid back in 1998 which i sold back in 2010 hardly used but any how as some already know my health has had a big impact on me being mobile this year although i have only just started getting back out on the bike over this last month so i need to get my fittness up before i worry about skill and i'm 50 at the end of the year so no pressure then ..

Similar situation for me , as well losing fitness etc ( not to mention weight gain :facepalm: ) i seem have lost the confidence i had .
I had a background in moto x and this seemed to cross over into my cycling , i was a good single track / downhill rider in the late 90s but i tried some descents and trails i used to ride back then last year and i was terrified lol ! just felt totally out of control and very much a passenger clinging on for grim death . .
In my defence i used to ride a Spesh s works fsr and Santa cruz heckler so maybe the full sus helped in comparison to the M trax i rode last year

I rode last sunday and my mud/rut control was awful , i am 56 at the mo :facepalm: .

legrandefromage · Nov 9, 2016

Had fun in the sleety Peaks last Sunday. Was far better than I expected but couldnt help but think that a few inches of travel and some brakes would have been better...

MTB skills - are you happy with your riding ability?

brocklanders023

tufty

Retro Guru

Bollox64

Stick Legs

gradeAfailure

Senior Retro Guru

widowmaker

KDM

Senior Retro Guru

Muddy paw

Old School Grand Master

shinobi

Senior Retro Guru

legrandefromage

Similar threads

Latest posts