What's your biggest problem in mountain biking?

**Mr. Toad** · 10-31-2020, 07:28 AM

Planned obsolescence. BRING BACK 9 SPD!

**Self Jupiter** · 10-31-2020, 07:43 AM

Being slow and sucky with the wrenches

**EWG** · 10-31-2020, 08:19 AM

When I was younger I was pretty immersed in the scene - I raced, ran a mtn bike team, many pro riding buddies and a pro racing brother, friends that owned a shop that was our social club, etc. We had a group that charged pretty hard. Had a motto of 'clean it or bleed." We bled a lot, and the group was very skilled. And kinda crazy.

Now I am older, and much more fragile, and the pressure to attempt, clean and race every feature and route is ever-present. And frankly, it's diminished my enjoyment pretty considerably as I've gotten away from that place in my life. To the point where I stepped away from bikes for 4-5 years. Every time I got on the saddle it became a mixture of pressure and nerves.

My problem is that I'm pretty bad at just enjoying the ride. I'm back on the bike now, trying to leave the competitiveness at home each time. Not worried about miles traveled or speed - or at least I tell myself that. It's kinda easy cause I'm so very much slower than I was. But mostly I'm trying to tell myself it's ok if I get off and walk something. It's not a failure if I don't risk a major crash to clean a rock move, or a nasty outside corner over exposure, or even a simple sharp rock garden I used to do in my sleep at speed just cause I'm not feeling it now as my older self. Often I will still consider not riding on any given day cause I don't want to get hurt, rather than riding and just walking the tech stuff that I'm nervous about, cause I either don't trust myself to get off or because walking will feel like such failure.

I guess my biggest mountain biking problem is the ghosts in my head. I'm working on it. I think I'm getting better, hopefully.

**Powder Ho** · 10-31-2020, 08:49 AM

Originally Posted by Whiteroom_Guardian

Huh? Is an 80 year old Italian hand forging your new bike from rare earth elements using microscopic tools?

After an 8 month wait GG stopped making size 1 (smalls). Ordered a Mojo 3 this Feb not available till Jun because of the Mojo 4 roll out. Now waiting on the XT drive train to complete the bike.

**bagtagley** · 10-31-2020, 09:01 AM

Right now, burnout. Tired of local trails, tired of driving to variety, tired of working on the bike. Leaves on the trails are the capper. I’m looking forward to hanging up the mountain bikes for a few months.

**Dantheman** · 10-31-2020, 09:30 AM

Originally Posted by Bushwacka

Honestly on moderately tough to easy trails I can KOM or be top 5 on the down or up and there are ton of Pro level DH rider.

I find this totally believable.

**zion zig zag** · 10-31-2020, 09:35 AM

Back pain. I’ve taken the last three months off.

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**rod9301** · 10-31-2020, 10:48 AM

Man, and i thought i has problems with my skills needing improving.

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**TahoeJ** · 10-31-2020, 11:42 AM

Originally Posted by Dantheman

I find this totally believable.

Ha. I understand your reaction but I can actually relate so I don't think what he's saying is BS. I have some top 10 strava times (including a few KOM's) on some heavily frequented trails that I know really well, but when shit gets real with bigger drops and consequences I just can't commit. Maybe it's a lack of balls or maybe I'm just smart? Or maybe both?

**happytimefunbox** · 10-31-2020, 11:44 AM

how expensive new bikes are Jesus Fuck

Sent from a van down by the river

**blackalps** · 10-31-2020, 11:56 AM

Originally Posted by Andeh

Other than that, jumping.

Originally Posted by skaredshtles

Drops and jumps.

take a jumping lesson. Seriously. If you're near Denver, I know a guy that is really reasonably priced and a really good teacher. I went from not being able to jump at all, to clearing medium sized jumps in one lesson. Two weeks later, I was clearing all the jumps on Rainmaker easily.

that said, my current problem with mountain biking, personally, is that since my wreck I don't enjoy the gnar at all. But having spent the last few season riding mostly bike park and the gnarly dh trails, riding more mellow stuff is boring AF. sold my bike and gonna take a break. maybe next year.

**El Chupacabra** · 10-31-2020, 11:59 AM

Originally Posted by Dantheman

I find this totally believable.

I'm the best rider on the mountain.

**Bushwacka** · 10-31-2020, 02:26 PM

I am far from the best rider...but I am actually pretty fast when I want to be and used to be Cat 1 XC, Cat 2 Cross, and Cat 3 road. I can for sure pedal. I was also an Expert Level BMX racers as a teen, and used to Dirt Jump BMX bike and wasnt scared of huge doubles. Hell I even won a couple official pump track races like where dozen of people showed up around the various state I lived in.

11th out of 2500. This trail is DH but very tech in a non scary way.

https://www.strava.com/segments/772053

1st Place is this guy.

https://www.pinkbike.com/video/444623/

he was 40 seconds faster....ill take it.

1st out of 608
https://www.strava.com/segments/16377469

1st out of 1235. Hell I was faster than million vertical feet in winter man Arron Rice.

https://www.strava.com/segments/1533262

1st out of 289

https://www.strava.com/segments/7318070

again like I said I am pussy and I am sure I have skilled to improve, but I literally spend time drilling cornering, sesssioning awkward sections of trails, track stand practice, tons of pump tracking and quite frankly I do it all because I'm a nerd, I dont not race anymore because riding 15+ hours a week burned me out. If someone could coach me to not be a wimp I am all ears. I know Dantheman used to ride with me in Utah, when quite frankly I didnt have enough bike nor could I afford it enough to keep on long sustained downhill with your guys, and do remember 20 mile Hammer fest around Flying Dog, or over mid mountain with you and Matt, and Altagirl though.

**EWG** · 10-31-2020, 02:57 PM

Self dox FTW!

**Bushwacka** · 10-31-2020, 03:04 PM

EH if you didnt know who I was, you were sleeping under a rock. Most places I just go by my actual name. I quite frankly hate aliases because people hide behind them.

So my name is Josh Matta, and I have skills but like to ride well below my skill limit because I am a wimp.

**EWG** · 10-31-2020, 04:34 PM

Hey man, I like my sleeping rock.

**Dantheman** · 10-31-2020, 06:15 PM

Well I stand corrected. Congrats on getting faster and not repeating the slalom points incident

**Pauldotcom** · 10-31-2020, 06:19 PM

Originally Posted by powdork

having spent a total of 15 seconds on a top end ebike, i would never consider a dirt bike.

An Ebike is still pretty much still a motorized dirt bike.. lol

**rideit** · 10-31-2020, 06:57 PM

Dick waving is totally acceptable if you brought a ruler!

Those are fast times for being conservative, good jorb

**jackstraw** · 10-31-2020, 07:28 PM

Dumbing down trails and braids.

Seeing that a trail had been ridden a lot recently, yet people just ride around or over large debris instead of pitching in 20 seconds for the good of all.

**plugboots** · 10-31-2020, 11:27 PM

Originally Posted by jackstraw

Dumbing down trails and braids.

Seeing that a trail had been ridden a lot recently, yet people just ride around or over large debris instead of pitching in 20 seconds for the good of all.

Or just ride through that tiny puddle, you fucking bunch of pussies. JFC

**powdork** · 11-01-2020, 12:06 AM

Originally Posted by Pauldotcom

An Ebike is still pretty much still a motorized dirt bike.. lol

that was the point I was trying to make, minus the noise and smell.

although i know for some the noise and smell is part of the attraction.

**Conundrum** · 11-01-2020, 06:10 AM

Crowds but it could be worse. Still riding, just yielding more and not going as fast.

**One (+) Sentence** · 11-01-2020, 02:15 PM

I’d have to say terminology. The use of the words: gutted, pitted, and banger all make my skin crawl.

That, and people who worry about the clothes other people choose to wear while riding. You shouldn’t feel gutted if I like to wear basketball shorts and high-top trail runners while getting pitted posing for some banger shots.