Slow crashing

[stoneage]

Has anyone else found this true? Whenever you ride at a different pace then the 'norm', you end up OTB or in the weeds more often. Last night at Wirth (Topsy Turvy Teddy Tuesday) I went down three times doing maneuvers that normally wouldn't be that big a problem. OTB on the qualifier (reverse) and stall outs on the skinny (reverse) and the log by the beach, plus a couple of off the trail ventures. I don't know if I wrongly feel more secure or what. All I know is my handling is way off. Maybe it's just that my pace is so ingrained that altering it causes mishaps. It sure ain't fun. I haven't hit the ground three times all year until last night. BTW, L&M lights are the best I've ever used. So smooth!!

[Nita]

When I ride alone, its usually a slower pace and I pay more attention to other things off the trail (like birds :)) or I'm daydreaming and that's when I tend to crash more.

[smklugherz]

I have found that there is an “ideal” pace that I like to ride various obstacles (different for every obstacle). Usually I find it is more difficult to go slower than that to go faster. I have figured this is because of two things. First, the slower you go, the more likely you are to not role over things and/or stop when you hit a rock, log etc. And as we all know stopping forward movement is strongly associated with falling (unless you are one of those freaks that can stand on a bike for the entire red light). Second and this is coming out of the one sememster of physics I took for my lab science requirement, the faster a wheel spins, the more angular momentum it has and the more it wants to maintain its orientation (meaning to keep you upright).
<O:p</O:p
This is how I put it all together in my head anyway, I could be completely wrong, but my world is a fragile place.

[Kayakoholic]

Bill, I know exactly what you mean. That always happens to me when I drink beer before a ride. :p

[destrago]

While riding with my fiance at leb I was going far slower than usual and she biffed on a log crossing. I just stopped to let her clear. When I tried to go over the crossing without any momentum I ended up biffing as well and bent my derailure hanger in the crash. This was on the really easy uphill log crossing in the intermediate loop too.

2 years ago I was planning on starting racing so I started pushing myself to go faster and faster. I ended up so out of breath and blood oxygen that my brain was slow and I ALWAYS bail when I'm pushing myself too far. What ended up happening was I flipped over the handle bars and hurt my left wrist. After one week of healing I went out and did the same thing and since it was already weak it got damaged so badly that I was out for about 2 months and I can still feel it from time to time now.

These days I ride and an good even pace for me and stay there. I get hurt a LOT less when I do that.

-Tony

[Dave]

I think this was part of the reason I crashed in the first place on Monday night at Theo. See post:

http://www.morcmtb.org/forums/showthread.php?t=21752

[manual63]

I had a hard time riding technical sections at a slower speed. Especially technical downhills. Ever since mara has been interested in hanging out and riding technical stuff, I have learned to take things slower. mara has skills and doesn't need a ton of speed to clear a tech section. It's easy to go fast over stuff. Just point your bike and power through it. But try slowing down and picking a line. Also you need to feather your brakes correctly and push and pull the bike over stuff. It's a whole new challenge to do things slower. Now I have fun seeing how slow I can go through a technical section. My balance and skills have become a lot more dialed. If I am going fast through a technical section now, I am smooth and precise. I used to just bash through stuff before.

IMO, too many riders rely on speed, and many on suspension, to get them through stuff. Dial in the skills and slow down.....see if you can work your way through. It's fun!!

[flombe]

I think this was part of the reason I crashed in the first place on Monday night at Theo. See post:

http://www.morcmtb.org/forums/showthread.php?t=21752

Sorry to hear about the broken leg!

Yeah, riding off normal pace is troublesome >>>> http://www.morcmtb.org/forums/showthread.php?t=13889

Slow pace = relax. The thing is, trees, rocks, logs, the ground, etc. never change their pace.;)