[Zippy_Slug]

So, I go riding the first time in a long time this past weekend and of course I encounter something new for me. Skree.. you know.. those pesky rocks which slide as soon as you land on them.. larger than pebbles, but smaller than boulders.. so.. what does one do?

Going up: say there is a steep hill covered in this.. i'm already in a low gear, so when I spin out when a rock shoots out, I stall, and end up walking up the rest of the way.. grr :madman:

Going down: Rolling over some rocks which have a different idea of direction than I do.. Go fast and eat it? Or slide with the rocks on the way down.. :madman:

Hints? Tips?

 

[spkell]

Up: even pressure, pedal in circles. the trick is to find a gear where you spin just fast enough that you have constant pressure on the pedals. too high and you'll have to jam on the down stroke (slip). too low and you'll end up slipping and bouncing.

down: i tend to ride it out until I find a spot where the traction is good and really brake hard. feathering the brakes helps, too. Sometimes, the edges of the trail have less scree than the center.

 

[jeffscott]

We have large scree hills out here. The over all line to get up acree hill is critical. You usually want to pick the line that avoids it as much as possible stay to the ridges and then traverse across and down if possible.

Downhill on the open scree is a riot. Just pretend your skiing and through the rear of the bike out to effect the turn.

On trails you stuck with just manageing the momentum, conserve it going up, let roll when going down.

 

[Zippy_Slug]

:thumbsup:

Thanks for the tips/hints.. I'll have to give it a try when I get out there again.. The trail I was riding didn't have much on the sides as far as being able to switch back or get out of the scree field.. it was either barb wire on one side or heavy overgrowth and trees on the other..

Guess I'll have to keep practicing..

 

[jeffscott]

:thumbsup:

Thanks for the tips/hints.. I'll have to give it a try when I get out there again.. The trail I was riding didn't have much on the sides as far as being able to switch back or get out of the scree field.. it was either barb wire on one side or heavy overgrowth and trees on the other..

Guess I'll have to keep practicing..

BARBED WIRE that could hurt!

 

[Zippy_Slug]

BARBED WIRE that could hurt!

Yeah.. The scree run was next to the edge of the trail's property. I didn't go crazy enough to get tangled in it.

 

[spkell]

a matter of perspective

jeff, i'm betting that "scree" in calgary is a bit different from "scree" in georgia or houston! probably your "scree" is my "omigod, do people RIDE that?"

i'll agree with you about right line being an essential consideration in the rocks, though. The ability to pick the right one the first time in a technical section is a fine art most of us are still developing.

 

[Zippy_Slug]

jeff, i'm betting that "scree" in calgary is a bit different from "scree" in georgia or houston! probably your "scree" is my "omigod, do people RIDE that?"

i'll agree with you about right line being an essential consideration in the rocks, though. The ability to pick the right one the first time in a technical section is a fine art most of us are still developing.

Yeah.. the kind I was talking about is more like ROCKS which slide quite readily.. lets say 3-4" diameter if they were round.. some smaller, some bigger.. the kind of skree I've hiked in colorado is more like gravel, and I could see that be more like.. head down and keep on truckin'..