discouraged...

sunny · May 16, 2007

Dear Yada,

Hang in there. You had a pretty bad crash. Give yourself mad props for picking yourself up and finishing the ride. That takes a lot of courage.

Don't dismiss the fact that your mind needs time to heal, just like your body does. And somewhat akin to physical therapy, where you slowly work your way back to 100%, "mental edge" therapy takes time to build your confidence back up.

I had similar troubles when I started riding in clips. I tried the Crank Bros, but didn't like the engagement. Too much float. I felt like I couldn't get out.
Questions: Have you dripped White Lightning (or other wax lubricant) onto the pedals where they contact the cleats so make it easier to get in/out? Are your cleats tight in the shoes?
FWIW, I've found that Shimano spd's are the easiest to learn in. You can loosen up the spring tension to make them easier to get in and out of.

Past any "mechanical" issues, I'd say give yourself some credit for getting out there and hitting it hard, falling, and getting back up again. And as much as I hate to say it (because I hate to hear it), try to be patient with yourself.

Everyone gets frustrated and discouraged. There have been plenty of times I've asked myself what I think I'm doing on a mountain bike... what have I got to prove... I should just go home, because I can't really ride like I think I should... I crash a lot and only slow people down... I think everyone has these moments. Let yourself have a moment of self-pitying indulgence, then move on and leave the crash in the past.

This is an exerpt from a race report I wrote in July 2004:
I still have those vivid images of my last time here at Big Bear (Gotta Thunder Downhill) when I took an unscheduled flight over-the-bars in the rock garden on Fall Line (how ironic), then another bad spill on Westridge. By the end of the Gotta Thunder race I was hurting so badly I could hardly move. Then the next time I got on a mountain bike was almost 3 weeks later at Diablo Freeride Park, where I foolishly followed a much better rider than me around a blind corner and over a 4-foot drop that I wasnt expecting. I landed on my helmet. And while I did get up and get back on the bike and continue the ride, for the rest of the day I thought about my neck and I wondered when it was going to happen that I would turn my head casually and hear a snap, and suddenly not be able to feel my toes.

The fear slowly crept up my legs and stretched itself like a shadow across my chest and around my throat. And although I tried to shake it off by focusing on the things I was doing right or by doing some fun and easy riding, that fear clung to me like a vine. It stayed with me the following weekend at Plattekill, where I went over a 9-foot descent too fast and landed on my chest and helmet, knocking the wind out of me.

Fear followed me into West Virginia to the NORBA Nationals. It refused to leave, no matter how many times I tried to breathe through it, no matter how many times I did the Relax, youre here to have fun mantra. The smallest descents became terrifying, and my East Coast buddies, who have always known me to be aggressive and fearless, couldnt understand why I stood for three minutes at the top of a 4-foot descent on the Snowshoe beginner/sport course before finally walking my bike down it, trembling...

The only trick I havent tried is time

BTW, the time trick does work. As well as going back and doing things you know you can do. You don't have to push yourself all the time, even though it sounds like that's what you usually do. And yes, it takes one to know one.

Stay tough. It does get better.

-sunny

littlemissmarz · May 16, 2007

I'm a newbie to riding compared to most. I started riding last july when a current boyfriend took me for a ride (after 2 exes who were crazy about riding but never took me ... coincidence I promise ... but thats a story for another time). Anyway, it was my first time on a bike full stop since I got hit by a car riding to the shops when I was 16 ... took me over 10 years to get back on a bike.

BUT i loved it. On my 5th time riding at our local mountainbike park, while still on hire bikes, I took on a wooden training structure, which wasn't the smartest thing as I didn't have the best bike handling skills yet. I turned the handlebars at the highest point of the structure, the bike went off the side, the chainring caught the side of the structure and sent me spearheading the ground. I got knocked unconcious from that one, got a nasty black eye and bad grazes down my face. But a week later I was back. However ... 6 months later and I'm STILL teaching myself to trust structures. Even a little 1foot wide, 4 foot long wooden bridge over a tiny 2foot ditch freaks me out if I think about it because my brain says "its a structure, remember, you're scared of those".
I've also gone over a jump, freaked out that it was bigger than I thought (anything is big on a hardtail, lol) and I moved forward on my bike, landed ok-ish as in stayed on the bike, but my tailbone went and landed straight down on the front of my seat with an almighty bang. I broke my tailbone. But ... 2 weeks later I was back out there. And I'm more cautious about what I attempt.

But the main thing is I got myself back out there. There's limits to what I can do cos I'm on a hardtail, and want to be doing freeride stuff, and I'm scared of wooden structures etc, but I'm slowly training myself back into them with small ones. I'm practising and re-practising basic skills that will help me to gain confidence again.

I think in your case ... don't get discouraged! Look at the fact that you came out of all your crashes ok, and you were able to get up and walk away. As for clipless ... I got mine taken off before i bought the bike from the shop and got flats. But i think its just a case of going over the basics again with clips and re-teaching yourself to ride in a way ... practise all the basic stuff you did when you started riding, and show yourself you can do it in your clipless pedals.

And hey ... if it doesn't work out with the clipless pedals ... go back to flats. they dont work for everyone. But give them a decent run if you think you can do it

It probably just takes some getting used to.

Echo · May 16, 2007

Were you in Durand? I think I know the exact spot. If your crash happened where I'm picturing it, that's a sketchy section no matter how long you've been riding. Getting used to clipless can take a while but I promise the day will come when releasing your clips will be as natural as lifting your foot off a flat pedal... just stick with it

NJ Jess · May 16, 2007

Sorry to hear about your bad crash. Yes, it is scary to think of what would happen if it were worse. For me, that thought makes me concentrate even harder on the trails I'm on. I must admit,...I take easier trails when I'm alone. I practice different skills like cornering, bunny hobs, coming to a quick stop, and track stands.

Give yourself a workout warmup schedule that you can do on a soccer field to practice the clips.

PS. Everyone should have an old drivers license or dog tag that states their name, current address, phone number, etc. In NC, I used to leave a note on my car that told what time I left to ride and what time I expected to return. One time, after a major mechanical, I got to my car and there were 2 park rangers about to ride in and find me. It's nice to know I could have been rescued. Keep practicing.

tmx · May 16, 2007

Yeah, what they said.

Also, did you spend any time with the clipless on easy terrain and/or concrete? I don't use those pedals but always heard that's the best way to start. First heard it from Marla Streb. If you haven't done that already, might be worth a try. Also, don't those things have an adjustment for how tight or loose they release? That might also help.

Correct me if I'm wrong but I get the impression you might perfer to ride alone. Me too. However, I encourage you to find some fun women to ride with sometimes. If you're from Rochester NY you've got some really cool ones in your area, like TreeSaw. Fun dudes are cool too, but very rare to find on the trails.

My own early frustrations: I was absurdly shy the first four or five years of riding so never spoke to any of the very few women I'd see at the mtn. I'd go to the mtn with my boyfriend but inspite of his fast fluid style and decades of experience, he SUCKED as an intro companion. (I've since whipped him into submission...I mean shape and we now often take some time from our day to ride with newbies.)

It wasn't until a temporary change of location found me riding with some really cool supportive betties. Only then did my riding finally begin to improve. After four years!!!! (*&^$#%^&**&!!!)

All that said, I still have those days or moments of overwhelming frustration. I'm pretty sure everyone gets those, you, me, Allison Dunlop, (insert male world champ XCer here, I don't know any).

I really like Sunny's recommendation "Let yourself have a moment of self-pitying indulgence.." Finally learning to grant myself this ended up giving me more patience, confidence and humor to get back on it and progress.

Good luck!

Terry

mohshee · May 16, 2007

I can't tell you how many times I spent crashing, eating s*$@, and cussing like a sailor. I am not a normal cusser either. I mostly started out riding with the hubby and I began riding strong for a newbie and my skills got better very fast, and then I kind of hit a peak. I started trying more technical things and I'd beat myself up over stupid things. I felt like I was appologizing all the time to fellow riders and slowing my hubby down. I think the stress of wanting to be good (and being a perfectionist anyways) really made it all the more frustrating. And then, one day, it just came together. Granted I still fall a lot and after breaking my collarbone in mountain cross, I definitely starting hesitating again. But time really does help. I am typically confident now. But I always have a healthy respect for what could happen. And inevitably, the easiest things will cause me to have a brain lapse and I'll be caught unawares. Some days are also more confident-feeling then others. But I love riding, so I'll take the good with the bad and try to laugh off anxiety. I started a new mantra everytime I take the lift up to a DH run; "the bike will roll". The bike wants to roll anyways; it's more efficient that way. I need to remind myself to be loose and lighten up on the brakes, etc.

I ride alone sometimes, but mostly on trails that are heavily travelled and the hubby always knows where I am. It's just like hiking in that sense, or rock climbing, or mountaineering -- never go out alone without letting someone know where you are. It's not wise. You never know when something can go wrong and you are suddenly the one trying to saw off your own wedged hand with a pocket knife after days of being stuck and undiscovered.

I second the shimano spds. I have never tried any other clips. I've ridden them for about 6 years now, road and mountain. I am fine with them and I've probably been able to come unclipped, during a fall, about 99% of the time.

amydalayna · May 16, 2007

think the advice I'm going to give you is the advice I'm always trying to give myself: relax and just pedal your bike and have fun. if you're not having fun than do something different. sometimes i start getting frustrated and then i hang out at the bmx track for a bit and try to have the mindset of a 9-year old. or lately i've been having fun riding around town and doing road rides on my commuter bike.
i have the same problem where i think i've got something down and then screw it up royally. I had this jump down last year... then right at the end of the season i came off of it all sketchy and now i'm afraid to hit it again. i'm ok w/ that. i'd rather go around it then spend the whole beginning of my ride worrying about it.

as for pedals... that's tough because I've always loved the Time pedals. I fell over a couple of times in the beginning, but now I bail out of them almost every time I need to.
But I also have some friends who swear by flats. I can't use them without having them pop back and mash me in the shins... but maybe they are for you???

i used to ride alone ALOT. when we moved to Tahoe it took me a while to make riding friends so I ventured alone and just carried all the gear I could possible need. at the time i wish i had someone to tell me where the cool trails were, but exploring them on my own was great. the only downside about riding alone is you don't get pictures of you when you accomplish something good.

Echo · May 16, 2007

Oh and as far as pedals: a lot of people around here ride Time ATACs but those Candys should be fine if they are adjusted properly. It's probably worth it to take them to a good shop and explain to them what's going on, they can probably improve the setup. And by "a good shop", I mean pretty much anywhere but Towners.

*edit: actually the Candys are not adjustable... oops

you could still try reversing the cleats and see if that helps with disengagement.

sanjuro · May 16, 2007

It is a bit glib, but "Fear is the mind killer". Last night, I went for a night ride by myself in the heavy fog, a rather fearful riding situation. I could barely see farther than 10 feet in front of me, and I jumped off my bike on an easy technical section I cleared 2 weeks before.

While it is is easy to say and harder to do, if you let go of the brakes on most of those hard sections, you are very likely to just roll over them without a problem. It is when one tightens up, starts braking (which reduces the suspension), and losing the balance a faster bike has, well, you know what happens.

I would try that slightly harder section, one you can do already but tenatively, and just roll it. You will be pleasantly surprised when you clear it easily and then that confidence will carry to the next harder section.

amydalayna · May 16, 2007

yadadada said:
And I think I'm also going to reconsider the trails I choose when riding solo.

i disagree... but i seem to be the only one. i don't think you need to stay away from a trail if you're solo unless it is super gnar. riding solo can have it's advantage. if there is a feature on trail you might ignore it all of the time just because you are concerned w/ keeping up w/ the group of people you are riding with. when you are alone the only person you are concerned w/ holding up is yourself and this can give you the freedom to stare at a particular section for as much time as you need in order to become comfortable w/ it.

VT Mtbkr · May 16, 2007

I'd agree with the SPD recommendation. I've been leading a women's ride for 2 years and I've seen at least 3 cases where someone has started out with Candies and had tons of trouble with them and then switch to SPDs and been completely happy with the tension adjustment.

I have a terrible knack of riding things faster and trying new stuff when I'm by myself...I have no idea why....I guess I don't want others to see the attempts.

I agree that Times and Eggbeaters have their advantage with mud shed and predictable engagement, disengagement but women beginners always seem to have better luck with SPDs in my experiance.

tmx · May 16, 2007

yadadada said:
...snip....
Thanks again! I'm also hoping the that women's clinic at Whiteface will help me improve and give me a confidence boost.

I have goosebumps for what you will inevitably experience at Whiteface. I'd put money on it that it'll be one of the incredible experiences you've had on a bike thus far and something you'll treasure and continue to improve from for years to come.

If Alexis Wruble is helping Tara with the clinic, tell her I sent you to her for a quick lesson in my patented "pre-race funky chicken loosey goosey shake down". (<< (c) LOL. ) Whether or not you race, it works for pre-ride warm ups and chill outs, as well as mid-ride mega-frustrations and hissy fits.

btw, I really like the soccer field idea of getting used to clipless. Grass should be much more kind than concrete, asphault or rock hard mother earth.

Please give us an update after the clinic.

Paging "cupcake": If you're lurking, get your ass to the Whiteface clinic.

mohshee · May 16, 2007

amydalayna said:
i disagree... but i seem to be the only one. i don't think you need to stay away from a trail if you're solo unless it is super gnar. riding solo can have it's advantage. if there is a feature on trail you might ignore it all of the time just because you are concerned w/ keeping up w/ the group of people you are riding with. when you are alone the only person you are concerned w/ holding up is yourself and this can give you the freedom to stare at a particular section for as much time as you need in order to become comfortable w/ it.

I totally agree that you don't need to stay away from harder trails when you are solo. You just need to be more prepared and aware of the danger.

bluebug32 · May 16, 2007

Hang in there! Don't give up! I've been flat on my face several times, thinking about bagging it and calculating how much I could sell my bike for on ebay. If there's one thing I've learned it's that the body and the mind are both resilient as hell!

It sounds like you might be pushing yourself a little too hard and not giving yourself credit for the things you've already accomplished. I find this happens to me all the time when I ride with a group of strong guys and compare myself to them. Riding with other women is such a confidence booster. Finding a good group can take a while, however.

I agree with what everyone else has said about the clipless pedals. There's a definite learning curve with them. SPDs are easier to learn on than Candies IMO.

Also, do you wear any kind of pads/armor? For me that was the turning point, seeing that I could fall and not get hurt. Pads are such a good confidence booster and if you get the right ones, you won't even feel them after a while.

TreeSaw · May 16, 2007

tmx said:
I have goosebumps for what you will inevitably experience at Whiteface. I'd put money on it that it'll be one of the incredible experiences you've had on a bike thus far and something you'll treasure and continue to improve from for years to come.

If Alexis Wruble is helping Tara with the clinic, tell her I sent you to her for a quick lesson in my patented "pre-race funky chicken loosey goosey shake down". (<< (c) LOL. ) Whether or not you race, it works for pre-ride warm ups and chill outs, as well as mid-ride mega-frustrations and hissy fits.

btw, I really like the soccer field idea of getting used to clipless. Grass should be much more kind than concrete, asphault or rock hard mother earth.

Please give us an update after the clinic.

Paging "cupcake": If you're lurking, get your ass to the Whiteface clinic.

I have goose bumps thinking about the clinic at Whiteface and I am one of the organizers

Alexis won't be assisting Tara...gulp...I will (if I live through our rides on Thursday that is

). I am SO excited to be helping to provide this opportunity to the east coast women. I will definitely have a FULL write-up with pictures shortly after the clinic. Also, any of you ladies that are interested in staying in the area and riding after the clinic are welcome to stay with me as I would be happy to extend the weekend of riding!

TreeSaw · May 16, 2007

Well Yadda...you've gotten a lot of great advice here and I concur with what I have read. I haven't tried the Candy pedals myself, but I can tell you my experience with clipless wasn't easy in the beginning either (I would pretty much fall over everywhere because I would forget that I was clipped in). I personally ride Time Atacs and love them. I also had the benefit of stealing my husband's pre-enjoyed cleats & pedals (he broke them in for me) and that was AWESOME because they were easier to get into and out of than a brand new set.

As for riding alone, I have been doing a lot of that lately (well, on the trail...on the road I have my daughter snoring in the trailer behind me). I would LOVE to get out on the trails with you and will definitely PM you when I am going to be out in your area and you should definitely do the same when you're going to be out in my area. I don't presume to be an expert, but I was a beginner once and still feel like it some days.

tmx · May 16, 2007

TreeSaw, that's so cool. Not only will it be a blast, but you yourself are going to get even better too. Too bad we don't have video phones so I can show you the patented move to share with our "discouraged" sister.

Joking, really but it is pretty funny and has indeed served to calm Alexis before many an anxious race run.

I'm so excited for you Tree and the rest of the lucky women to partake in the clinic.

btw, I moved far far away and the 3,000 mile commute isn't possible at this time or else I would be there.

Can't wait for the write up.

GrapeApe79 · May 16, 2007

I'd love to see a video of this patented move...

tmx · May 16, 2007

Uh-oh....

....Um, yeah...well...I'll see if I can get Alexis to video tape herself doing it. (Far too embarrassing for me to put out on the world wide web. Hehe.)

tmx · May 17, 2007

Wowee, it's a damn good thing we had this "discussion" yesterday. Finally got my ass out for some XCing and jeez Louise I am not good at climbing. Not sure why I'd choose the mega-uphill on my first XC ride in a thousand years, but I did. And I thought of our 'discouraged' monkette and Sunny when I threw a bit of a hissy when I had to get off and walk up a section. It was along a ridgeline and in view of houses, and I'm sure everyone in their homes were watching me be a weak talentless spazz (can you say "self-concious"?)...so I couldn't do the funky chicken jam to get myself in a groove. So I sat down for a moment, remembered to grant myself the mini-pity-party, thought of you lovely monkeys and got back on it with a grin on my face. That ended up happening four too many times on the way up....but hot damn the ride back was sweet. So day one under the belt. As long as I keep showing up it should get better. Yea!

Oh yeah, and TreeSaw, there's a very slight chance my job needs me back in NYC around the time of clinic. I'm pushing for it and will sign up as soon as I get confirmation of the trip.

TreeSaw · May 17, 2007

tmx said:
Wowee, it's a damn good thing we had this "discussion" yesterday. Finally got my ass out for some XCing and jeez Louise I am not good at climbing. Not sure why I'd choose the mega-uphill on my first XC ride in a thousand years, but I did. And I thought of our 'discouraged' monkette and Sunny when I threw a bit of a hissy when I had to get off and walk up a section. It was along a ridgeline and in view of houses, and I'm sure everyone in their homes were watching me be a weak talentless spazz (can you say "self-concious"?)...so I couldn't do the funky chicken jam to get myself in a groove. So I sat down for a moment, remembered to grant myself the mini-pity-party, thought of you lovely monkeys and got back on it with a grin on my face. That ended up happening four too many times on the way up....but hot damn the ride back was sweet. So day one under the belt. As long as I keep showing up it should get better. Yea!

Oh yeah, and TreeSaw, there's a very slight chance my job needs me back in NYC around the time of clinic. I'm pushing for it and will sign up as soon as I get confirmation of the trip.

WHOOT!!!! I will keep my fingers crossed. If you can be around, you should come up and help keep me safe while Tara & I ride on Thursday

In a non-biking related discouraged, I tried to pick--up where I left off with my core strength training (which I haven't been faithfully been doing in about a month) and boy was I having a rough night! My arms and abs are sore today!!!

weimie · May 17, 2007

Yikes...that's a pretty scary crash to have by yourself! And it's okay to be scared or frustrated. I know that if I crash hard...the rest of the ride won't be the same.

Last year I was climbing on a really narrow trail, to my left was land and to my right was nothing but a cliff. At the very top of the climb, I couldn't make it over some rocks and had to stop and unclip....I stepped to the right and there was nothing under my foot. Needless to say I tumbled until I was able to catch a tree. My bf was running down the side of the cliff before I even stopped falling. He said he heard me swear and when he looked back he didn't see me. I was terrified the rest of the ride and almost walked the same section coming back down.

I crashed in a rock garden at Keystone last year going pretty fast. My front wheel hit a stump and threw me over the bars. I landed thigh first into some rocks and my bike was on top of me. I couldn't breathe for a few minutes and couldn't walk for about 15 minutes. That hurt and scared the beejezus out of me. I hobbled my way down and called it a day. We were going back the next day and I couldn't stop thinking about that section of trail all night. I could barely walk the next day so I loaded up on ibuprophen. I was scared to whole drive up to Keystone and I was literally shaking all the way up the chairlift....I knew I had to ride that trail and do that section first thing so I could put it behind me. When we got to the section, I got off and walked it to see where I fell and see what the good line was. Walked back up, got on my bike and slowly rode it. Felt good to just put my fears behind me. **knock on wood** I haven't fallen there since.

Don't get discouraged...just remember your head can really mess with your riding. And the best thing to do is get back on your bike and keep riding, your confidence will build with every pedal stroke.

Oh yeah, almost forgot...I got hit by a car last week on my commute home. Nothing happened but a bunch of bruises and a wobbly front wheel. I'm not going to stop commuting (darn gas prices) but I'm going to go a different way and avoid the stupid 4 way stop that people in cars don't seem to know what to do with when they see a cyclist waiting their turn........

Pebble · May 26, 2007

I tried Candies for a year, my only big fall was the bike slipping out suddenly around the corner & instead of my feet clipping out the whole knees twisted / popped out of joint. For a second I thought they were broken, until I moved slightly & they popped back in.
Prior to that it was just the typical falls when stalling up a hill etc. I would clip out in sections that were too techy & I wasn't sure about. And there were plenty of times that I almost fell down the side of a hill from one foot not clipping out, and steep rocky downhills were real scary! After that big fall I could never gain 100% confidence when cornering.
And honestly I did not wish to risk braking my legs!

Since i switched to flats the freedom on the bike is unbelievable, I'm more than happy to push the speed around corners knowing I can stick a leg out etc and it's just freedom & joy of riding as it should be.

I do agree with what others have said, if I had started on Shimanos perhaps I'd still be having a go. But hey don't persist with clipless pedals just for the sake of it, how many fun years on the bike are you willing to loose and even so you may never be as confident on them as you are on platforms.

Depends if you're out riding just for fun or if you plan on racing though but in the end at least you can say you gave it a good go and it just wasn't for you.

Good set of platforms and a set of shoes to match you will find that your foot won't be slipping off the pedal any time soon. It's kind of funny I got a set of knee/shin guards since getting flats purely because in a fall the pins can do some nice damage, but I reckon I needed the protection a lot more when I was riding clipless because since the switch I have not had a single fall that's worth mentioning - only one that comes to mind was an "over the bars" when I was practicing going over a rocky bund wall & the front wheel stopped by a big rock, it didn't hurt and would have been a good laugh if someone else was watching

, with the clipless not sure if I would have even been doing that.

Like you I ride solo 100% of the time.

Stick it out if you want to, but do it for your own reasons not because everyone else says it's better.

RimJobbed · May 30, 2007

Try learning to manual with clipless. You'll never knock the wind out of yourself more.

captplanet · May 30, 2007

I had many crashes during my initiation phase with clipless pedals too.
My suggestion is to set the pedals to release easily, check them to be sure they are comfortablely releasing, then go out and expand your horizons! I started out on the SPD pedals way back in the mid 90's and came home skinned and bruised many a time.. but I have mastered the art of escaping after practicing and riding. Good Luck!
cp

bluebug32 · May 31, 2007

It seems odd that you're having so much trouble unclipping from the shimanos. I got rid of mine because I had trouble keeping my foot clipped in! See if you can adjust them perhaps?

I'm very fond of Candies and recently built up my SS and put a cheap pair of mallets on them (from ebay) because I wanted a platform to practice trackstands, manuals, etc. The pedals are definitely heavier, but I like their beefiness because you have a choice of clipping in or not and the part you clip into is very low profile.

bluebug32 · May 31, 2007

It sounds like you're really making your way! Enjoy the trails this summer

sunny · May 31, 2007

yadadada said:
What kind of platform pedals/shoes do you use? I want to switch the cheap platforms to better ones while I still feel like using platforms, but I'm not sure what to get.

How much do you want to spend?
My first choice would be the Straitline pedals. They're seriously some of the best pedals out there in terms of being lightweight, rebuild-able, durable, and low-maintenance. about $150. Pinks are in stock.

Second choice: NYC Freeride Race Lite pedals... if you know where to find them. About $120.

Crank Brothers 5050XX (a better choice than the 5050X)
The Crank Brothers 50 50 X Pedals uses a "cup and cone" loose ball bearing system. This system is typically larger, which means that the pedal needs to be thicker that increases stack height and has additional weight.
The Crank Brothers 50 50 XX Pedals use cartridge bearings; the pedals have a lower profile, which means lower stack height and lower weight. It also means that you can completely replace the bearings. This pedal also has a build in grease port for easy maintenance (as per the Internet).
5050X = about $80
5050XX = about $120

TreeSaw · Jun 1, 2007

I used to use platforms (when I first started and on my DH bike). I think mine were Wellgo or Sun/Ringle Zu Zu's (both are available at jensonusa.com). They were BMX style with the metal pins...beware of those! One wrong slip and your shin will turn to hamburger!

The Crank brothers are on sale at Jenson too.

Lady Gravity · Jun 6, 2007

wow, just finished reading this thread and i can totally relate to the stories about wanting to sell your bike. i have encountered a small slump in my skill level lately, crashed hard on a trail off a piddly 3-4ft huck, and am finding the fear taking over. that and turning 42 in a couple of weeks make me question what i'm doing on the trails...but i love it too much to quit. riding keeps me whole, and somehow i just need to work past the fear.

i prefer to ride alone, as the group of guys that i've been riding with in the past are more concerned about the big gaps and drops that they want to do, to spend time and help me build confidence on the little drops and gaps that i want to do.

i'm taking a clinic starting this week with some really good instructors and hopefully that will help get me past this confidence slump. it's kinda tricky when you only have yourself saying "good job" on a ride - i occasionally need someone to say i actually am doing it right!

just wanted to say thanks, i feel better knowing i'm not the only going through this (or have gone through it).

bluebug32 · Jun 6, 2007

Lady Gravity said:
wow, just finished reading this thread and i can totally relate to the stories about wanting to sell your bike. i have encountered a small slump in my skill level lately, crashed hard on a trail off a piddly 3-4ft huck, and am finding the fear taking over. that and turning 42 in a couple of weeks make me question what i'm doing on the trails...but i love it too much to quit. riding keeps me whole, and somehow i just need to work past the fear.

i prefer to ride alone, as the group of guys that i've been riding with in the past are more concerned about the big gaps and drops that they want to do, to spend time and help me build confidence on the little drops and gaps that i want to do.

i'm taking a clinic starting this week with some really good instructors and hopefully that will help get me past this confidence slump. it's kinda tricky when you only have yourself saying "good job" on a ride - i occasionally need someone to say i actually am doing it right!

just wanted to say thanks, i feel better knowing i'm not the only going through this (or have gone through it).

I think a lot of women can relate to what you're saying. I just read an article about how it's not always in a woman's best interest to train with men and that their pace and pushing past your limits can actually hinder our own training. It's definitely taken me awhile to learn how to ride in sync with the guys in my group; how to learn when it's good to push myself but to feel okay with backing off. And I definitely still have periods where I relapse and feel stupid or slow. I just try to remember how far I've come and keep my head in a good place.

amydalayna · Jun 6, 2007

hoorah.
i think you have come to the conclusion that it takes many people years to get to... the most important thing w/ riding your bike is having fun!!!
tonight is the opening night of practice at the bmx track and i'm excited to go and ride like i'm a little kid.

TreeSaw · Jun 6, 2007

amydalayna said:
hoorah.
i think you have come to the conclusion that it takes many people years to get to... the most important thing w/ riding your bike is having fun!!!

Definitely :thumb:

It took me a long time to get comfortable riding with some of our friends because they were so much faster than me and I found that I really wasn't having fun when I tried to ride with them. Now I am older & wiser or maybe I just don't care anymore

amydalayna · Jun 6, 2007

I vividly remember the first organized shop ride i went on and how nervious i was and sitting in the car wondering why i convinced myself to do this and fearing i would be the slowest one there.
so dumb. i made friends on that same ride that i still have to this day. and they could care less if i was the fastest or slowest person out there. mainly the dudes were just happy to see a girl show up for their ride.

discouraged...

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