[E. Bryant]

Fear can be good or bad, sometimes simultaneously. You need some fear to keep from getting in over your head, but you need to know when to dial it back so that you can make some progression. Either find some formal instruction (ask at your local bike shop) or ride with people that are both more experienced and empathic to your current situation (a combination which is surprisingly rare, considering that we all started at the bottom).

Progression is difficult. You need to build up base fitness, and it's not just about cardio - proper mountain bike riding requires explosive strength throughout the body. You need to then put that strength to use through a series of complex coordinated moves, and do so while facing dangerous situations.

Ultimately, you're most dangerous to yourself when you become tired and/or over-confident. If your fear decreases faster than your skill increases, then you get in trouble. It'll eventually happen to all of us.

I'm torn on the topic of protective gear. It's good to cover up stuff that's easily injured, but if the gear provides false confidence, then eventually you could just get hurt worse. If I lived in an area with lots of rocks, then maybe some light knee and elbow pads would make sense.

 

[Harold]

Fear can be good or bad, sometimes simultaneously. You need some fear to keep from getting in over your head, but you need to know when to dial it back so that you can make some progression. Either find some formal instruction (ask at your local bike shop) or ride with people that are both more experienced and empathic to your current situation (a combination which is surprisingly rare, considering that we all started at the bottom).

Progression is difficult. You need to build up base fitness, and it's not just about cardio - proper mountain bike riding requires explosive strength throughout the body. You need to then put that strength to use through a series of complex coordinated moves, and do so while facing dangerous situations.

Ultimately, you're most dangerous to yourself when you become tired and/or over-confident. If your fear decreases faster than your skill increases, then you get in trouble. It'll eventually happen to all of us.

I'm torn on the topic of protective gear. It's good to cover up stuff that's easily injured, but if the gear provides false confidence, then eventually you could just get hurt worse. If I lived in an area with lots of rocks, then maybe some light knee and elbow pads would make sense.

There's a lot of truth to this. I would say, however, that FEAR is not good, ever. Turning fear into respect and a measured risk assessment is what's good, though. You have to have a realistic assessment of your own skills and fitness, as well as your weaknesses in order to assess the trail and make a measured decision about whether to try something or not. If you're fearful, then your own head is going to get in your way before you can make that measured decision.

To be fair, I absolutely make decisions based on fear from time to time. The number one thing that generates fear for me is big exposure. Narrow trails alongside huge cliffs/super steep slopes. Even if the trail itself is entirely within my skills, the exposure changes things drastically for me. Simply because I have a mild fear of heights and my anxiety ramps up. My threshold has changed over the years as I've become a more skilled and confident rider, but there still is one.

But more often than not, my decisions about whether to ride something or not are more measured. There are lots of janky jumps in my area. I know that my skills with jumping aren't great, so I'll only ride them when they've got a good approach, have a smooth entrance and transition to the lip, and a good landing zone. There are a lot of cool, technical lines that I'll pass by because they're at the top of some big climb and I'm absolutely tapped out when I get there. I know I'm not riding my best at that point, so trying stuff at that time is a recipe for a stupid wreck (and those seem to be the ones that cause the worst injuries), so I make a measured decision to pass it by.

I could go on, but I hope that OP gets the point.

 

[Fleshbits]

For something different, have you tried Spider Mountain yet?

I have not. It looks to be an hour and 45 away, so I'd have to wake up at like 4am, but I'll see what I can do.

 

[Fleshbits]

Don't know which trails you ride but you might check out walnut Creek which has more single track and not as many rocks like brushy Creek and just get some time there working on your skills and techniques.

We did Walnut Creek and found one loop there that was really really fun, flowy and dug out manually for sure. Aside from that there were a few down sections to the water and back up, but for the most part, the trails were really short and the rest was flat :/

Maybe we didn't find the best parts?

 

[Fleshbits]

I upgraded my bike to a Giant Trance 2, and am doing much better. My first bike was constantly trying to launch me over the handlebars. You are right, the dropper post is the awesome sauce.

 

[291748]

scrubbing jumps

If you can scrub, you can ride blacks all day long.

 

[Forest Rider]

I upgraded my bike to a Giant Trance 2, and am doing much better. My first bike was constantly trying to launch me over the handlebars. You are right, the dropper post is the awesome sauce.

Well thats one way to go about it.
What was your first bike (that you just replaced) after about 5 rides?

 

[Attacking Mid]

A couple ideas I've found helpful...

Watch mtb skills videos and then go out and work on those skills. I'm working on learning to manual. Just the process of working on it has made me more comfortable with steps and drops.

Spend some time "sessioning" a challenging section of trail. If I'm dismounting on a trail section or feature I know I should be able to ride, I'll go work on it until I clear it. I had one tree root on an uphill climb that I just couldn't get over. I probably repeated it ten times one day until I finally made it. The next time I rode that trail, I went right up it again.

Knee pads and elbow pads are your friends. Those are your most vulnerable areas to get banged-up if/when you fall. Having them on can add a little courage to your attempts. Sometimes all it takes is having a little attitude to "attack" the feature rather than approaching it cautiously. Momentum is your friend.

Don't get discouraged. Recognize there are very specific skills to be learned. Oftentimes, riders who have been riding for many, many years can't even really tell you how they do something as it's become second nature to them.

AM.

 

[ocnLogan]

Dropper posts really do help with confidence, especially in steep stuff.

That said, if you haven't already, I'd recommend pads again/as well (I mentioned them in my first response). Smallish tip-overs/falls can happen frequently when you're starting out, and knowing that if you get stuck on that climb, and fall over, that you won't have any new cuts/scrapes to explain at work the next day does let you relax a little. And relaxing does wonders for your riding.

Anyway, glad to see someone else out enjoying the ride. Good luck progressing .

 

[anf]

I understand the whole 'fear blocking progress' thing.

For me, it's 'manuals'. I managed for 40 years to have fun on bikes without even knowing there was a technique called a manual, let alone being able to do one. But since I've started to take it up a notch, all the serious riders on YouTube seem to say its an essential skill. It gets you over rough patches, off drops, or up obstacles apparently. So I've been practicing.

Here's the thing. I know I can physically do it. How do I know? Because I've set up obstacles in my garden to practice in a way where even if it goes horribly wrong, worst case I'll land on my back on flat grass. In my clinically simple practice setup, I can get my front wheel up onto an obstacle about 3ft high no bother, and control it back down no messing. I try the exact same principle out in the wild, I get the front wheel a few inches off the floor for like a second or two. I know it's because I don't fully commit, but that's not conscious choice, something on a subconscious level simply stops me doing it.

 

[targnik]

Ride with people slightly better than yourself...

I'm guessing your younger cohorts are shreddy ;-) i.e. their prefrontal cortex allow them to attempt things that our more mature brains won't o_0

If I went out & rode with Richie Rude, the only thing I'd learn is how slow & old I am...

If I went out for a ride with BCPOV, I'd likely learn 2-3 things =)

Another bonus of riding with those of similar level/slightly better than you, you'll notice when each other improve & you'll naturally push yourself to catch up or surpass each other.

Sent from my Nokia X6

 

[TwiceHorn]

Baby steps, dude, baby steps. It kind of sounds like you may not really even understand some of the risks you may be taking.

Learn to be fast and in control on those flat boring trails and they won't be boring any more and you'll learn quite a bit that you can use on the more rugged trails. Learn to keep your traction and your front wheel down on non-technical but steepish climbs. Do them seated and standing.

Learn to get your front wheel up and on/over obstacles. Learn to land small jumps flat and make some things that aren't really jumps huckable. These skills will serve you well on the more rugged trails.

 

[abaughman]

Build your fitness up, not being tired and trying to learn stuff is a game changer. Pads are magic for me, I relax, ride good, and DONT fall.. so can’t actually tell you how much the pads help in a crash. But it sure hurts without them. Don’t be afraid to walk, can always try it next time.

I did shop rides that also provided some coaching and showed you the lines. Don’t know if all shops are as cool in that aspect, But I really enjoy it.

To the person that has anxiety Over the wood stuff you are not alone. I finally got the nerve to do this small little jump that that you couldn’t really fail at that I looked at all day. Get at the point of no return and it’s now BROKEN last board is missing and there is now a gap....but landed it. But if that same obstacle was dirt and rock I wouldn't of had a problem.

 

[Narrowback]

Build your fitness up, not being tired and trying to learn stuff is a game changer. Pads are magic for me, I relax, ride good, and DONT fall.. so can't actually tell you how much the pads help in a crash. But it sure hurts without them. Don't be afraid to walk, can always try it next time.

I did shop rides that also provided some coaching and showed you the lines. Don't know if all shops are as cool in that aspect, But I really enjoy it.

To the person that has anxiety Over the wood stuff you are not alone. I finally got the nerve to do this small little jump that that you couldn't really fail at that I looked at all day. Get at the point of no return and it's now BROKEN last board is missing and there is now a gap....but landed it. But if that same obstacle was dirt and rock I wouldn't of had a problem.

That's very true about fitness. I've now ridden 125+ miles and can start seeing a difference. I'm also doing bridges without hesitation. There was one particular one that I finally cleaned the last time out. It was over a brook and you have to jump up about a foot onto it and the approach is sketchy. It felt good to accomplish it. My stamina and strength are much better too.

 

[Harold]

I understand the whole 'fear blocking progress' thing.

For me, it's 'manuals'. I managed for 40 years to have fun on bikes without even knowing there was a technique called a manual, let alone being able to do one. But since I've started to take it up a notch, all the serious riders on YouTube seem to say its an essential skill. It gets you over rough patches, off drops, or up obstacles apparently. So I've been practicing.

Here's the thing. I know I can physically do it. How do I know? Because I've set up obstacles in my garden to practice in a way where even if it goes horribly wrong, worst case I'll land on my back on flat grass. In my clinically simple practice setup, I can get my front wheel up onto an obstacle about 3ft high no bother, and control it back down no messing. I try the exact same principle out in the wild, I get the front wheel a few inches off the floor for like a second or two. I know it's because I don't fully commit, but that's not conscious choice, something on a subconscious level simply stops me doing it.

There's a bit of order of operations here and I think you're on an earlier one than a full "manual" which is a particular way of getting the front wheel up using body weight shifts and lots of leg as well as HOLDING it. I'm sure a whole lot of people are able to do a "manual front wheel lift" as you're actually describing without realizing that there are actually words to describe what they're doing. All that means is using the manual technique to lift the front wheel over and onto things.

No question, lifting the front wheel is an essential skill. Having a toolbox of WAYS to lift the front wheel (there are quite a few) will make it easier to ride technical trails, since you might use a different technique in different situations.

However, the ability to do a full manual (where you hold the wheel up for a length of time) isn't really an essential skill. It's a skill you can use to add more fun or style to your riding, but it's pretty rare for manual skills to make or break a rider's ability to ride a certain trail.

 

[LorenzoP]

Fear is a funny thing, on one hand it's a reason why I'm still alive and can still bike, on the other hand it can be frustrating. Like when I stop short or dab on a feature I've done many times - and I know that feature is absolutely within my skills. I've got a bridge like that right now - done it before, can still do it one direction - but stop short going the other direction.
Not much to add to posts above except inspect feature and honestly determine if it's within your capabilities. If not skip it and live to ride another day.
BTW, wife and I spent last winter camping near Austin and Hill Country and found lots of lively MTB trails. Walnut Creek Metro Park has a nice set of trails, Reimers Ranch, Reveille's Ranch near Burnet is crazy, also Pedernales State Park has a trail just across the main road that is a great beginners trail.

 

[SouthSoundRider]

Kind of interesting that this 1 year old thread was bumped. It gave me the opportunity to think about how far I've come with my bad anxiety and mountain biking. For some reason, practicing skills and tricks like endo turns and manuals have given me a bit more courage to break through some of the fear and stress I deal with when cycling. I'm now riding/balancing on logs and actually pedaling on wooden features. I'm just tackling the little things that give me the least amount fear and anxiety and slowly work my way upwards from there. I should have thought about that years ago!

 

[fly4130]

That has been helpful for me as well, the idea of actually practicing techniques and sessioning features instead of just pedaling away. I am advanced enough to realistically assess things and if I pause on something that I know I can hit I have taken to stopping and running it until I get it.

Of course things can go awry, and I am 41 and not as nimble or as slight as I used to be. I am refusing to let that stop me, and I feel skills-wise I might be at the best level I have ever been. Fitness needs some work but is getting there too.

That said, mistakes do get made. You just have to let the blood dry and bruises heal, and get back to it. Here is to hope for the weekend. Big thanks to my kid for helping me record for review and focused improvement.

 

[SouthSoundRider]

That said, mistakes do get made. You just have to let the blood dry and bruises heal, and get back to it. Here is to hope for the weekend. Big thanks to my kid for helping me record for review and focused improvement.

Ouch! Looks like you went dead sailor on that one! Other than the crash, that place looks like a lot of fun.

 

[fly4130]

It is awesome; a Chicago city park, albeit in the boonies of the city, with a pretty good skills progression focus. Very rare for my neck of the woods. My daughter went from being afraid of any terrain change last year to rolling the entire line in the video and asking to go weekly.

As for the video as funny as "man falls down" is I was really looking for a third party view into what I was doing so I could review and I got what I was looking for. It may seem over-analytical but doing things like this and focusing on one or two little things got me from rolling every jump to being able to clear most of them with occasional deceased seaman in there.

I am not sure I really want to do the same on the trail, but sessioning and a bit of mental review helps too. I used to just roll a log pile and say that was ugly but its done, never to see it again on the ride, or skip a drop and wonder what could of been. Now I have taken to pausing, walking it, and at least trying to get it done clean even if it takes a few tries.

Everything is always bigger before you hit it for the first time. Then it strangely shrinks down a bit.