manual63
08-16-2005, 01:50 PM
I thought I wrote about this already, but I don't see it. Since Chris is bringing up old tip threads for newer riders who might want to read up on them, I might as well talk about this one.
One thing I notice with newer riders or riders who are learning to be more technical, is how they tense up or grab on tight right before they do something such as a log roll, jump, or rock garden. This is more of a natural reaction caused mostly by being a bit nervous. This will do you in quicker than anything else. If you tighten up, especially over jumps, you will end up crashing pretty hard or at least not making it through or over a section.
Staying loose is key. One way to do this is to not do something way beyond your skill level, especially if it's something dangerous. Recently, I have been learning to ride skinny's and the higher ones tend to get me to be nervous and I tense up. So, in order to get over this I have to concentrate on not tensing up. I take a few deeps breaths to get relaxed and I plan out what I am going to do. I also plan what I am going to do if I don't/can't make it. How am I going to bail? That is important to know. On a skinny, the worst thing that can happen is you slide your front wheel off the side......yep....over you go and the higher you are the harder you are gonna fall. If you get tense, you are very likely to slide the front wheel off of the skinny. So being relaxed is the key. As for other things, being relaxed will allow your bike to move under you and your arms and legs can bend and move to allow the bike to do this. If you are tense, everything your bike hits gets jarred into your body and also slows the bike down dramatically. In a rock garden, staying lose will help you steer and pick a line, being tense will most likely set you on a straight path through the rough stuff.
So keep this in mind whenever you are riding. If you feel like you are grabbing super tight on the grips, whether climbing or doing an obstacle, you are not staying loose. Being relaxed will allow you to breathe better and allow you to flow with the bike better. Sometimes you will need to stop and just calm yourself down and take some deep breaths. Then get back on the bike and ride the crap out of it. Eventually, you will just get more natural at being loose on the bike.
One thing I notice with newer riders or riders who are learning to be more technical, is how they tense up or grab on tight right before they do something such as a log roll, jump, or rock garden. This is more of a natural reaction caused mostly by being a bit nervous. This will do you in quicker than anything else. If you tighten up, especially over jumps, you will end up crashing pretty hard or at least not making it through or over a section.
Staying loose is key. One way to do this is to not do something way beyond your skill level, especially if it's something dangerous. Recently, I have been learning to ride skinny's and the higher ones tend to get me to be nervous and I tense up. So, in order to get over this I have to concentrate on not tensing up. I take a few deeps breaths to get relaxed and I plan out what I am going to do. I also plan what I am going to do if I don't/can't make it. How am I going to bail? That is important to know. On a skinny, the worst thing that can happen is you slide your front wheel off the side......yep....over you go and the higher you are the harder you are gonna fall. If you get tense, you are very likely to slide the front wheel off of the skinny. So being relaxed is the key. As for other things, being relaxed will allow your bike to move under you and your arms and legs can bend and move to allow the bike to do this. If you are tense, everything your bike hits gets jarred into your body and also slows the bike down dramatically. In a rock garden, staying lose will help you steer and pick a line, being tense will most likely set you on a straight path through the rough stuff.
So keep this in mind whenever you are riding. If you feel like you are grabbing super tight on the grips, whether climbing or doing an obstacle, you are not staying loose. Being relaxed will allow you to breathe better and allow you to flow with the bike better. Sometimes you will need to stop and just calm yourself down and take some deep breaths. Then get back on the bike and ride the crap out of it. Eventually, you will just get more natural at being loose on the bike.