Inclusiveness! Mountainbiking is no longer a sport, it is an activity. Lets go on down to the retirement home and get grandma involved!
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***Thursderp GMT***
- Thread starter Pesqueeb
- Start date
Is there a trail coordinator you can talk to, or is it not that kind of trail?
My riding friend pointed that out. She said that most of the mountain bikers around here that are our age and have been riding as long as we have do not want to ride technical trails anymore. Neither of us have any comprehension of this concept. She's got a secret stash of uber tech trails on her property, so there is that.
Nah, total illegal system with no organization. Basically it's an uninforced closure. Even a few of the local cops ride out there. But there has been talk of going legit. Last I heard any noise about that, the OG trails were to remain as is.
This place has been a real gem over the years because it has such a unique flavor. It's all about some low speed bike maneuvering through dense woods. Logs don't get cut out, they get hopped over. No berms, no buffed rockless dirt sidewalks, just a narrow, twisty, ribbon of dirt.
I'll be right up...
I recently rode with some dudes who I used to ride with 15 years ago. We all have been riding continuously for 20-30+ years. We all have gotten older, fatter and slower. However, I was astonished by what pussies they have become. Yep our vision is worse, reflexes are slower and our aversion to risk has increased, but that does not explain how poorly they rode. They clearly gave up on getting any better decades ago. I wasn't born with an ounce of natural skill and still pretty much suck, but every ride I make a conscious effort to get better. It seems a lot of people just give up once they can clean the local county park trails.
On the other end of the spectrum, I regularly ride with a few dudes in their 50s and even 60s that will shame 99.9% of riders both technically and fitness wise, on basic hardtails to boot.
Have a semi-secret set of tech trails locally, openly discourage everyone attempting to ride there. Half the system is flow, half the system is old school steep rocky tech. Most people love the flow and get frustrated by the tech. I don't get it. I can ride the flow with out any challenge. The day I clean all the tech is one i will remember for a very long time.
I'll give you a guided tour. Com'on.
Hell yeah it is. I love the fact that there are a few trails where I cannot clean every obstacle, every time I ride there. I keep going back because of it.
Westy I too have no natural athletic ability, but I continue to improve simply because I keep practicing. Talent is just the expeditor of skill acquisition and repetition is the next best substitute. Unlike the majority of the locals, I actually want to constantly improve my skills, not just pedal fast through the woods without having to pay attention to the trail.
Last October I went with my above mentioned friend to ride Bent Creek in Asheville. I had not ridden there since I moved. Back then BC was the place were you went for an easy after work ride, also a big tourist destination. The deal was that it was just easy and use of a granny gear would draw the ridicule of your friends. The trail kicked my butt. Keep in mind I ride a lot, just not in the mountains. I felt really sad about it because I can go out and rip the shit out of the local stuff and feel all good about myself, but up there I flaied on the easiest stuff WNC has to offer.
I love cornering.
Have you ever found a corner and sessioned it ? There are a few berms around here that I have done that on. There is one where I am close to dragging my bar on the ground.
Love the feeling of both tires starting to drift at speed.I love cornering.
Have you ever found a corner and sessioned it ? There are a few berms around here that I have done that on. There is one where I am close to dragging my bar on the ground.
Heh, only 1 corner comes to mind that I have really just ridding time after time... I can hit it with confidence now, and get the treads to make that tearing sound, no brakes, it's awesome. But to hit a series of different corners with different shapes, different support, different surface, etc... I'm blown away watching how "those who can" do it.
No excuse for ruining trails, of course... I just meant that the "gnar", is part of what my wisdom has taught me to avoid.
Unless I'm on my DH bike with lots of armour on, then what the hell...
Just keep practicing, you'll get it. Try to observe "those who can" and study the way they corner. Hell watch some world cup dh video and rewind and watch slowed down.