[luvz2ridez]

Hey girls, I was wondering what everyone's riding goals are for this season.

I'll share mine:
To master dropping onto a trannie (not being able to see the other side freakes me out)
To conquer my fear of steep rock faces (fear of heights)
And to hit the black trails at Whistler (I've only been once, was on a XC bike and didn't get off Easy Does It.)

So I've got some work to do, but have been stepping it up at the local flow park with the drops and jumps, but I need to be doing it consistently correct each and every time I attempt itoster_oops: .

 

[mohshee]

My goals are to step up my DH riding a bit, specifically:

(1) DROPS. I don't get to practice these much and I think "fear of the unknown" is the biggest problem for me.

(2) Jumping. I've made progress on this a little bit. I am so close to cleaning some table tops at a local dirtjump/4x track. I'm getting the hang of it ... again I think a lot of it is just fear of the unknown. And not looking where I want to land, which is why I come up sort a few times.

(3) Become a better pumper. I've been riding a lot better lately, I think, and a lot of it is because I've been loose, fluid, and am trying to pump through a lot of things.

(4) On the XC side of things, I need to get UP things better. I find I can go down most things, but haven't mastered the technique to really get up anything bigger then maybe 1.5 feet. I think Urban riding would help here. When the hubby (before he was the hubby) took me out "on the town" in downtown Dallas 2 years ago, I was hopping up things and working on my pedal kicking. I've been lax about this lately, and need to practice stuff in the driveway/parking lot -- wheelies, manuals, pedal-kicking. etc.

Goal: To go back to Keystone and do at least 2 of those wooden-plank drops that increase in height (6 ft drop minimum to nice transition)

 

[bluebug32]

My goal this year is to scare away that overly-cautious voice in my head!

 

[luvz2ridez]

My goal this year is to scare away that overly-cautious voice in my head!

I like that one! Good call.

 

[redFoxx]

I'll second that! I'm tired of being the cautious one.

1. I want to stay one drop/jump ahead of shuttlefever, a guy in the group I ride with who was ahead of me on lots of stuff last year. But this year I have pulled ahead of him. This mostly applies to our sessions at our local Flow Park where we practice on the drops and jumps there. I'm keeping a tally of who does what!
2. Get lots faster at Whistler and get over my fear of steep rock faces there, ie off of Garbanzo.
3. Ride the Shore and be able to ride the skinnies and ladders at a more advanced level than I'm at now.
4. Go to least two new places this year - that won't be hard to do, we already have Silver Star Resort, B.C. as a planned trip.
5. Stay in shape throughout the year and that includes the rainy season!

 

[amydalayna]

my goal is to maximize the fun i have on my bike. which means i'm not really setting any goals.

sometimes i stress out too much about not being fast enough, or going big enough and that is totally stupid.

 

[Snacks]

my goal is to maximize the fun i have on my bike. which means i'm not really setting any goals.

sometimes i stress out too much about not being fast enough, or going big enough and that is totally stupid.

Totally! I have spent the last 3 seasons stressing about what I want to accomplish by the end of the summer. NO MORE! This being my first season in a while when I'm not rehabing some kind of broke bone, I'm in it for fun.

Good luck to all Mudhunnies in reaching their goals for this season

 

[TreeSaw]

my goal is to maximize the fun i have on my bike. which means i'm not really setting any goals.

sometimes i stress out too much about not being fast enough, or going big enough and that is totally stupid.

Now that sounds like an excellent goal to me too!!!

 

[TreeSaw]

Well, I hvae been doing a lot of thinking about this since last year at this time I had made a goal of doing my first solo24 and I accomplished that. I think this year is going to be about me! I have a lot planned and I just keep coming back to wanting to have fun on my bike and enjoy riding with Syd in her trailer. I am planning on racing and would love to do well in one event so we'll see how that goes. I guess having knee surgery made me feel human again and I just want to be able to ride as much as I can and enjoy the time I have riding with friends!

 

[GrapeApe79]

my goal is to maximize the fun i have on my bike. which means i'm not really setting any goals.

sometimes i stress out too much about not being fast enough, or going big enough and that is totally stupid.

Amy, Its weird but I'll bet that you'll find by going back to the basics of just having fun, you'll improve your riding b/c thats what its all about! Goals are good as long as you are having fun, but it is easy to get caught up in frustration.

Speaking of goals--Amy, did you ever get your wheelie down last fall? I did, but don't have a pic...I'll have to get one and post it!

 

[amydalayna]

my wheelie is still pretty weak, but much better on my jump bike. you should get a picture of you!!

i think you're right too. having fun will clear my head and probably make me ride smoother. it's not worth getting all stressed out about things. last year i spent too many rides annoyed or irritated because i didn't do a jump as well as i would have liked to or wussing out of something i should have done. those stupid thoughts made an otherwise positive ride turn negative.

Anyways... I'll make some goals:

This year...
I would like to not get absolutely wasted after the Downieville race so I can stay up with my friends past 10pm

I want to visit a friend who has moved to Rossland, B.C. and ride, ride, ride

Ride safe so I don't get injured

Have fun at N* since they are reoppening the mtn for summer biking

and now that I have a job biking distance from home I am really looking forward to bike commuting!

 

[GrapeApe79]

Those are some great goals! I'm excited about N* opening! My fiance's dad lives in Reno, so we'll have to do a weekend trip down there. If we do, I'll let you know so we can hook up and ride! What is the riding like there?

I'll get a pic of my wheelie (on my XC bike)--I can barely manual my DH bike! Its not like I can wheelie down a block or anything like that, but I can at least go 4-5 pedal strokes. Enough to get over an obstacle is all I care about.

What are my goals?
I have my ongoing goal of progessing on drops and feeling more comfortable. I'd like to do the GLC at Whistler by the end of the season.
I'd like to get better on skinnies so that I can do the Fatcrobat trail at Whistler.
I'd like to hit every tranny on A-line by the end of the season.

The only way for me to meet those goals is have fun and play, and in the words of Brian Lopes, "be 12 again."

 

[luvz2ridez]

it's not worth getting all stressed out about things. last year i spent too many rides annoyed or irritated because i didn't do a jump as well as i would have liked to or wussing out of something i should have done. those stupid thoughts made an otherwise positive ride turn negative.

You are so right! This week at the local flow park, I regressed on a drop I've done perfectly in the past and went home frustrated with myself and my biking. It wasn't until I realized I did a spinning class the day before (1st one in 3 weeks) and my legs were tired and wobbly so I was having a very very tired day! I'm going back this weekend to nail the drop once again!

 

[amydalayna]

N* is a bit different then whistler. Less maintained... More loose and dusty and rocky. Riding there still scares me to the point that i pee pee my pants just a little. O.K., maybe not... but there is some tough stuff out there.

In the summer I spend almost every Sunday up there. You should totally come down and meet me for some riding! Tahoe as a whole has alot of great riding.

one more goal: i'm bumping up to race expert at downieville this year. my goal is, that no matter how i do to not be down on myself.

 

[mohshee]

amydalayna -- I just cat'ed up to expert myself, and while it may be rather premature, I'm super excited. I'm just going to try to be mellow about it, and not get too stressed either. I think the biggest worry I have is trying to do practice runs with crazy expert guys.

I like your philosophy, though. If I make it out to Downieville, we'll be racing together!

 

[littlemissmarz]

My goals ... well lets put it in perspective ...
bearing in mind that last july was my first time on a bike in 10 years (I'd ridden one to school when i was 16 and that was the last time). I've only been riding for 9 months, a little on and off due to work commitments. AND I'm on a hardtail ... so not doing anything psychotic. BUT ... I do have goals

1) Not break my bike ... too much
2) Not break me ... again Broke my tailbone riding about 5 months ago .... long story.
3) Get over the stupid voice in my head telling me to freak out at the beginning of steep sections of trails.
4) Get over my fear of wooden structures. I came off one being over ambitious a couple of months after my first ride ... spearheaded the ground, got knocked unconcious, and had a nice black eye and grazes down my face. So now my mind sees wooden structures and goes "stop, slam on the brakes!". Wanna get over that!
5) And overall... become a better rider ... fitter, better skill level, practise more, etc. So I can learn jumps

 

[luvz2ridez]

Just think, if you learn on a hard tail, there's nothing you can't do!

 

[laura]

Goals

TO get out and do some more downhilling. Nothing competitive really, just to get more comfortable with it.

Road riding. I wouldn't mind getting competitive with my road cycling. Don't know if I'll do it or not but I love it, have a lot of fun doing it and am pretty good at it.

I really just want to ride more.

 

[littlemissmarz]

Just think, if you learn on a hard tail, there's nothing you can't do!

yep and thats what i keep reminding myself of every time i go down a downhill section that nearly kills me from all the lack of suspension, haha. But I still do it.