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Technical Riding

Slaverson

In the parking lot (formerly "At the base lodge")
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Feb 11, 2019
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I’ve been trying to get better at technical riding at Deer Valley this year and I’ve jumped over my bars too many times

Any tips out there for steep and rocky riding?
 

scott43

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Well depending.. Speed can be your friend. Ass dragging on the rear tire. If neither of those work you may be trying something a little too tough. Sometimes you need to just jump the drop. How high are you willing to drop?
 

Wilhelmson

Making fresh tracks
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Practice on easier stuff where you won't break your neck. Check geometry and lower the seat. Sort of odd that we take bike riding skills for granted. I bet I would benefit from some lessons.
 

Lauren

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Any tips out there for steep and rocky riding?

LOOK AHEAD! I have issues with this one when the terrain gets tougher. I end up looking directly in front of my front tire at the rock/root/etc rather than looking up. Just like skiing...always be scanning 2-3 "moguls" ahead.
 

coskigirl

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If you're going over the handlebars on downhills then get your ass back and low. Dropping your seat is really helpful if you have a dropper. Make sure you have enough momentum to carry you over the rocky stuff. Take a skills class. I agree with looking ahead. Session tough sections so you can learn to spot your line then use it as you continue to look ahead to be ready for the next thing.
 

coskigirl

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Also, make sure your body is loose enough to absorb bouncing and bumping by the bike under you. Your body should stay relatively quiet while the bike gets bumped around.
 

Ken_R

Living the Dream
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I’ve been trying to get better at technical riding at Deer Valley this year and I’ve jumped over my bars too many times

Any tips out there for steep and rocky riding?

What is your bike and bike setup? Pics?

Also there are PLENTY of great videos on youtube that offer great tips and techniques

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0QuCui5pNF9k9fiNXkqn_w

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu8YylsPiu9XfaQC74Hr_Gw

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfUGBBnxQYezwJM9wi3F-Lg
 

Doug Briggs

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Also, make sure your body is loose enough to absorb bouncing and bumping by the bike under you. Your body should stay relatively quiet while the bike gets bumped around.

QFT.

Suspension can bottom out and/or not respond sufficiently to make all terrain ride-able without helping it out with proper COM placement (low and back on descents) and added 'body suspension'.
 
Thread Starter
TS
Slaverson

Slaverson

In the parking lot (formerly "At the base lodge")
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Park City, Utah
Thread Starter
TS
Slaverson

Slaverson

In the parking lot (formerly "At the base lodge")
Skier
Joined
Feb 11, 2019
Posts
35
Location
Park City, Utah
If you're going over the handlebars on downhills then get your ass back and low. Dropping your seat is really helpful if you have a dropper. Make sure you have enough momentum to carry you over the rocky stuff. Take a skills class. I agree with looking ahead. Session tough sections so you can learn to spot your line then use it as you continue to look ahead to be ready for the next thing.
Thanks I rode Devo at Deer Valley which is a black diamond technical run and I was able to do it better. And thanks for the good advice everyone I’m already feeling more confident
 

Ken_R

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I have a 2018 Giant Reign Sx

Perfect trail bike for park use as well

:thumb::cool:

Using the dropper post on the downhills is a HUGE help. When the seat hits you bad things happen.
 

Rod9301

Making fresh tracks
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If you're going over the handlebars on downhills then get your ass back and low. Dropping your seat is really helpful if you have a dropper. Make sure you have enough momentum to carry you over the rocky stuff. Take a skills class. I agree with looking ahead. Session tough sections so you can learn to spot your line then use it as you continue to look ahead to be ready for the next thing.
And if you don't have a dropper, get one. I can't imagine riding without one.
 

Erik Timmerman

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My advice = go faster, get more air, take smoother lines. If you are in the air, obstacles can't upset your suspension and balance. If you go faster you won't hang up on things as easily. Smother lines seems obvious enough too. Make sure your suspension isn't too soft. You shouldn't be using all of your travel very often. My telltale O-ring usually shows an inch or two of remaining travel at the end of the ride. If it doesn't, I can probably tell you where it bottomed and how it saved me from my own mistake.
 

Tony S

I have a confusion to make ...
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I’ve been trying to get better at technical riding at Deer Valley this year and I’ve jumped over my bars too many times

Any tips out there for steep and rocky riding?

Which causes you more trouble - climbs or descents? Others are interpreting your OTB reference to mean most of your issues are with descending. True?
 

Tom K.

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All these comments about speed are pretty much on the mark, but remind me of my favorite mtb saying:

Speed is always your friend, right up until it becomes your enemy! ;)

Seriously, in mtb there is a range of speed for any given situation that will work out fine. On easy trails, the gap between too slow and too fast is big. A wide margin of "speed success".

On highly technical trails, that margin may decrease to 0.1 mph.

Learning how to feel the envelope of acceptable speed takes time, and failures. There is no shortcut.

Luckily the journey is fun!
 

martyg

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Practice on easier stuff where you won't break your neck. Check geometry and lower the seat. Sort of odd that we take bike riding skills for granted. I bet I would benefit from some lessons.

Ditto on lessons. My coach is a multiple national champion, X-Games winner, represented the US on the world cup DH mtn bike circuit, coach of the most successful collegiate mtn bike team. He opened my eyes in session one. A few tweaks netted huge improvements in efficiencies. I knew that I sucked and lacked efficiencies, which hurts me in XC races. Rather than trust someone on YouTube, who may not have a clue, who has never conducted movement analysis on me, I went right to a viable source of the truth. For me it is all being balanced on the bike. The positioning is extremely counter intuitive to me, and something that I wouldn't have realized with self discovery / trial and error.

He'd agree with everyone's comment on speed - but only once you've mastered the ability to ride a section slowly - like you were riding trials. Which makes total sense to me. If you don't have the mastery to deliberately ride a piece of terrain with control and place your bike exactly where you want at slow speeds, you are probably just in survival mode at high speeds.

Check out the indoor skills park that Lenzerheide, Switzerland has. That low speed skills development seems to be essential in mtn biking - like it is in skiing. I think it is one of the reasons why youth programs like DEVO has turned out so much world-class talent - training basic skills in benign conditions - patterns of grace / moments of pressure. Train your body to move in the most efficient manner possible. You will be that rider / skier / paddler who flows, and doesn't fight to make every move.
 

Erik Timmerman

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My coach is a multiple national champion, X-Games winner, represented the US on the world cup DH mtn bike circuit, coach of the most successful collegiate mtn bike team.

OK, just guessing - Miles Rockwell?
 

Crank

Making fresh tracks
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Dec 19, 2015
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Skiing analogy here.

I can ski a tricky or bumpy or technical section easily, fluidly and fast. I notice intermediates struggling, taking a line that is a lot more work and maybe more difficult and definitely will rock them around more.

In mountain biking it is the opposite. I am the intermediate take a slow, painful bumpy line and am just happy that I made it while an expert rider just flows smoothly by with nary a thought or concern or much effort expended.

Thing is I learned to ski when I was younger and less breakable. Also, snow is usually more forgiving to fall on than rocks.
 

Josh Matta

Skiing the powder
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Dec 21, 2015
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do you ever ride Pump tracks Crank? IE with out actually out pedaling........
 

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