Thread: I suck at downhilling

Originally Posted by lph

Marshall, You mean you don't have rangers with radar guns out on your trails in CO like they do in the Bay Area?!?! Lucky bastards. 15mph speed limits on some trails.

The biggest mistake my XC friends make while descending and, I am convinced the reason why they never improve, is they sit down most of the time. You need to be up out of the saddle. bikes don't work well in rock gardens or while cornering if you are sitting down. You need to be up and active. If you are sitting you will never get the feel that foggy goggles is talking about. the only feeling you will get is a sore ass.

It may be because I have a fat ass but I can only stand up for so long, especially in a longer rock garden like the fronside of Hall. My wrists feel like they could brake off after a certain point.

Is it just about getting stronger? Maybe I should get out moar than once a week...

Yeah man, think of it like this, do you see DH racers sitting down?

This vid is the shit.

^TITS

678

Originally Posted by Hott Butt Mud

Go tubeless. Makes DH better.

Lower pressure = better grip. No tubes = better grip.

...until you burp air and rip your tire off the rim. There's a reason almost all of the fast guys run tubes.

Originally Posted by Foggy_Goggles

1. Go back to when you were 8 and get a BMX bike.

2. Ride it every waking hour until you figure out BMX and playing in your fort ain't cool anymore

3. Buy some POS Diamond Bike "MTB" and ride it on every hiking trail you can find.

4. In the 90s, never give in to the spandex craze. Ride your XC race bike like a freeride bike before freeride existing. (This will = lots of hospital visits but it's worth it).

5. When you can finally afford a good FS bike, JUST FUKKIN' PIN IT!!! This is key. Bikes these days are able to go so much faster than most riders, myself included, are willing to go. Have faith and PIN IT!!!

Without sounding like a dick (hard to do on the webs) riding a bike is riding a bike. Those that are the most fluid and natural on the DH or Trail or AM or XC bikes are those who have never stopped riding a bike since they were a kid. So if you want to get good at riding a bike, put on the miles. Flat track your cruiser while walking the dog, trials up on every boulder while your waiting for your girl on the XC ride, try to manual though sections of trail that you use to bounce down.

I'm not saying that the advanced techniques are not helpful, but you got to get to the point where the basics are automatic. When are where to use f and r brake, lightly gripping the bars, which pedal to have in what o'clock, suspension compression before jumping. You've got to able to feel this shit.

GO RIDE YOUR BIKE!!!

HOW DO YOU KNOW MY LIFE!!!??!

Originally Posted by Hott Butt Mud

Yeah man, think of it like this, do you see DH racers sitting down?

Yes. All the time.

Originally Posted by toast2266

...until you burp air and rip your tire off the rim. There's a reason almost all of the fast guys run tubes.

I think he's 'new'

They sit for like 10 seconds at a time maybe. You guys are so retarded sometimes with taking everything to the literal.

Tubeless advice is for OP not DH racers. Tubeless is a good thing.

You say stupid shit and I'm retarded?

Keep lowerin' that seat yo.

haha, so now it's cool to ride downhill with your seat 15" high?

We are talking about XC riders who don't lower their seats when descending a 3K vert trail. You arguing that is ideal?

Step 1: Race BMX

Originally Posted by Hott Butt Mud

haha, so now it's cool to ride downhill with your seat 15" high?

We are talking about XC riders who don't lower their seats when descending a 3K vert trail. You arguing that is ideal?

.

I know what you're saying, it's just that 'below full climbing height on an xc bike' seems kind of obvious. I might have been reading your statement as 'slam your seat' and that's not what you meant. I and everyone else I ride with keeps their seat high enough to still be efficient while pedaling seated. It's no xc height but it's not dirtjumper height either. It provides a good lever to lean your bike with your legs too.

^^DH racers keep their seats WAY higher than your average bike park/shuttle monkey. Just sayin.

Originally Posted by Particle

^^DH racers keep their seats WAY higher than your average bike park/shuttle monkey. Just sayin.

You and I both know this.

hence, why I made fun of the lowering the seat comment

But whatever helps I guess.

Karl taught arty, and arty taught me the trick about pushing or levering on the seat with the inside of your thigh. I use that all the time now. (i am guessing you taught Karl??? )

and yeah, i sit down occasionally to pedal. sometimes it is more efficient than standing and mashing on pedals.

but in general, a new DH'er should be up out of the seat, in a postion to be able to shift and move body weight quickly.

The Shore is horrible for everyone thinking they need to slam their seat below dirtjumper level to ride.

Originally Posted by lph

Karl taught arty, and arty taught me the trick about pushing or levering on the seat with the inside of your thigh. I use that all the time now. (i am guessing you taught Karl??? )

More like...Karl and Woo took me to Moab, shook their heads at me for sucking, and then taught me how to to not suck as much.

And yes, as I've gotten better, my seat has gotten noticably higher (from slammed all the way down). I'm also a fan of the WTB DH seat on the big bike. It's longer, so it's easier to toss around in your thighs. And yes, I think I just made myself throw up.

When I said something about letting the bike dance beneath you I was talking about something like what you can see here:

http://www.pinkbike.com/news/iXS-Ger...ideo-2012.html

Originally Posted by lph

Karl taught arty, and arty taught me the trick about pushing or levering on the seat with the inside of your thigh. I use that all the time now.

Ehhh, that's OK in certain situations but you should really get your legs/knees OUT and away from the bike. Otherwise the seat-grab-steer-with-thighs thing gets to be a crutch, and forces you out of a better riding position.

On the seat height thing: hells yes. My overall descending improved quite a bit when I figured out things worked my better only having the seat down a little vs. slammed.

I like it down and out of the way on the slow speed and trialsy stuff, but for the faster stuff, only about 3" lower than pedaling height now.

My bike has two left pedals.

Originally Posted by Foggy_Goggles

Have faith and PIN IT!!!!

Yes. Saw a course walk with Aaron Gwin (this year, Mont St. Anne, maybe) and he pretty much said this. He was describing how he does a super steep rock garden/root section. He responded something like, "I don't really think about it. I just go fast." Word Mr. Gwinsanity.

Originally Posted by flowtron's ghost

Don't ever wear a full face with sunglasses (or a camelback for that matter)

Heh, I fequently rock this trifecta, even raced Super-D and DH in it. Also rocked the goggles with the XC helmet in races, even the cool kids do that though.

This thread seems to be reaching a mountain bike action magazine level of awesome. Which is a good thing because they always has the best tips for the shredding.

Originally Posted by bagtagley

My advice? Ride with people better than you...lots.

this works for me when i ride with boob.

Originally Posted by Hott Butt Mud

I might get some shit for this, but get a GoPro and do some follow-cams with your friends. Watching yourself on video will help you improve. There's a reason a lot of athletes review themselves on video.

well, sometimes you can see boob in the video when he slows down.