How can we get Better on the Bike?

[Jigger]

I've been doing this for 8 years now - started at the rime old age of 47. I was basically self taught, which is a bad thing. I am always watching and talking with other riders trying to learn technique. Seems to me a logical way to go, but what if you ride with others who are equally as clueless? Bad habits develop, and they are hard to break.

Two solutions come to mind - read and take a skills clinic. An Excellent book is "Mastering Mountain Bike Skills" by Lee McCormack. Excellent book for all levels of riding.

Another solution is to join a group ride - and purposefully ride with a group just a little bit better than you. This will take you out of your comfort zone and force you to get better and more fit in a hurry. I used to ride the same trails with the same 2 guys all the time. No variation in speed or technical aspects of the ride. Got a little boring, to say the least. Now I ride with them and it is obvious that they are just out for a ride - which is good - but I want to get better.

So, get out of your comfort zone! Read, ride up a level, and take a clinic!

Have fun - you are literally in for the ride of your life...(-;

[chazpat]

Faster? Able to ride longer distances? Able to clean more technical sections?

All of the above?

I mostly work on my endurance. I can clean pretty much everything around here, most of it isn't very technical. I work some on speed but at my age and with a few health concerns, I can't afford a bad crash. And with my family, etc., sometimes my time runs out faster than my endurance.

[dark_horse]

This is something I really need to do. The few times I have ridden with other people, especially those that are better than me, I develop far more than anything else. I have been invited to ride with a group here, and each time I pass because I feel like I am "not a good enough rider" to ride with them. Seems like a silly reason, but it is almost like the "group leader" has this expectation of me and I feel like I will let him down when he realizes I don't ride as hard as he and most of his group does (I've seen him ride before, and wow, much higher level than I am).

The other people that I can get to ride with me are typically new to mt biking or about the same level as I am. I've been sort of stuck in a rut for a couple of years now and really need a breakthrough. I've also got McCormack's book, and it is great for those that can learn via "manuals." Unfortunately, I am and always will be a hands on learner. I need to set my pride aside and step up to the group now.

[hani12]

These are a few things I have done to make myself a better rider.

1. Ride frequently: I have been riding for about 13 years in fits and starts. But started riding 2-3 days a week about 5 years ago. The increase in riding made a huge impact over years 1-2.

2. Ride in groups and with those better than you. This is something I only started doing the last year and it has made a huge difference. I jump and drop things I would never have thought off doing a year or two ago.

3. Evaluate your set up: two years ago I moved to wide bars 720mm and a short stem 70mm and this made such huge difference in my handling. Right now I am transitioning to flats to get e better idea of how to control the bike with out it being strapped to my feet. These changes may not be te best for everyone but at least it makes you conscious of how you handle your bike.

[Jigger]

Dark Horse - may I call you horse? - I ride once a week with a pretty big group. They divide up into 4 levels of riders - you pick where you think you belong. I never go with the top group - they are super fit. I do go with the next level though - and sometimes I am last. Oh well. I get better each time I go with them. A couple of guys have been a little snooty when I get dropped on long climbs, but most folks are very patient. So....go with them. The real jerks may have a problem, but al of us have been in the same boat. Push yourself into that group to get better. If the leader has a problem, well I guess that's his problem!

Good luck - life's too shrot to put up with a-holes like that!

[azjuice1]

I agree 100%

[Kurt Kurtz]

Take some classes (clinics) I took some about 18months ago and learned that most of what I knew was not very good. I had to relearn a truckload and a half of skills but it was worth the effort.