First go off-road. Daft mistakes, great fun and ouch

[GordyFaeEdinburgh]

Okay, so I went around the red trail at 7 Stanes Dalbeattie today and it was an utter blast but I clearly made some daft newbie mistakes as well.

Peedles - mine have toe-clips and I couldn't get in or out of them when I really really needed to a couple of times. Is this a common complaint? Flats or cleats for me next time methinks.

Saddle height - do people drop it for these sort of trails? I kept getting a shunt in the bum going down anything steep. In particular, that happened when I needed it least on the slab, throwing all my weight forward and I went for a short test flight, skelping my elbow and knee on landing. I did get down quite quickly that way though. ;O]

Glasses - I didn't have any.

Over-confidence - probably my biggest mistake. I maybe shouldn't have been trying things like the slab first time out.

What do you wish you had known when you first started? Any thoughts or advice welcome.


(Oops. I've put this in the wrong section. Site admins, feel free to move it to Beginners.)

 

[Cubist]

You never know till you try! Sounds like you had a great time.

Pedals. Try flats with skate shoes (like DMR V8s or similar) until you're confident enough to use SPDs or just spend plenty of time practising clipping in and out. The advantages of SPDs are that on occasions you'll find you can get in an upstroke to get yourself out of trouble.

Weight distribution is more important than saddle height. Can you comfortably get your arse over the back wheel with your midriff over the saddle for steep descents? If not lower the saddle a few inches so that you can. You won't spend much time sitting on it on technical sections anyway.

What are you riding?

 

[palinurus]

Great summary.

Where there's great fun there's usually ouch, or at least a fair chance of it.

 

[GordyFaeEdinburgh]

> until you're confident enough to use SPDs or just spend plenty of time practising clipping in and out

It's the old-fashioned box-type toe clips I've been using. I'm quite happy to try SPDs now though because I think they'll be a bit easier to get out of. Just have to get to the shop and buy some.

Yeah, I suppose fun and ouch often coincide. And downhills come at the price of uphills. All very ying and yang. ]

I'm on one of these.

 

[Cubist]

Wow, that's a bloody nice bike for the money. Spec sheet reads really well, and the Merida partnership means a real quality set-up. Good stuff!

 

[GordyFaeEdinburgh]

Seems a nice bike, yeah, but I haven't had another one to compare it to yet.

> Can you comfortably get your arse over the back wheel with your midriff over the saddle for steep descents?

Tried it this morning and no I can't. I'll drop it a bit next time because I'm really quite keen to try the not-falling-off style of cycling.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Seems a nice bike, yeah, but I haven't had another one to compare it to yet.

> Can you comfortably get your arse over the back wheel with your midriff over the saddle for steep descents?

Tried it this morning and no I can't. I'll drop it a bit next time because I'm really quite keen to try the not-falling-off style of cycling.

I set my mtb saddle about 2cm lower than my road bike. I rarely drop it lower for UK MTB'ing unless on some whacked out man made DH course when I'm going relatively slowly on a XC hardtail anyway. In the alps, when you may be going downhill for a long time it may go down 4 times that much.

For not to steep descents I'm off the saddle with the nose between my legs with my arse backaways, for steeper stuff, as the front of the bike drops then the arse is dropped towards the rear wheel and the saddle is under my midriff. Weight back there is really important on technical descents where the back brake is what is going to get you down the slope in one piece....

This is also an excellent position to throw yourself into, quickly, when doing full on braking off road, your 'emergency stop, gets your arse right over the back wheel so you won't over rotate. Find a nice fire road and practise getting your bum just above the rear wheel. some form of rear mudguard can help save your shorts.....

 

[GordyFaeEdinburgh]

> Weight back there is really important on technical descents

My aching elbow tells me you speak the truth. And throwing my weight forward during the drop at the weekend certainly left me all at sea. I'll need to drag the bike out somewhere else and practice shifting my weight right back.

I kept an eye out for an opportunity on the canal path today but it's all pretty flat. ;O)