in Beginners, Newbies, Noobz, etc (Moderators: imwjl, TheMayor1)

At this point, I have no way of knowing if I lack basic talent & skill, or simply lack experience, but either way, there are four spots on the main/outer loop at QR that give me fits:
1. The rock-garden that is after a long flat section along the pond and then a turn to the right -- I don't trust myself to be able to roll over the big rocks, so I unclip and bail.
2. On the long climb, the spot about 1/2 up where it gets really steep (between two trees) -- I can't seem to produce enough power to get up the pitch without spinning-out the back tire.
3. The sandy climb -- I can make it up the first pitch, but am unable to maintain enough momentum to continue rolling where it starts getting rocky again.
4.  On the "intermdiate" downhill trail, I lack the guts to ride the one short & steep section (after a 90 degree left turn).  Every time: I approach, I look, I freeze, I get off the bike, and walk.

I'd appreciate any tips or advice.

Kevin

p.s.  Probably stating the obvious here, but I've not even attempted the "expert" downhill trails.  I figure that once I finally nail that little piece of "intermediate" downhill, then I'll starting thinking about the others.

#4.  If I'm thinking of the correct place, that gives me the willies nearly every time I hit it too...I don't have any tips other than commit to it!  I know that doesn't help much at all though.

Secret to the rock garden is just to pick a line and charge full speed into it.  I had a lot of troubles here when I first started.  Make sure you are keeping enough weight on your front wheel so it doesn't lift up.  Go into the turn at high speed and drop a few gears before the climb.  Don't slow down.  It is very counter intuitive, but the more speed you have atacking it, the easier it is to clear.

Same deal on the sandy climb.  Just keep pedaling.  If you are stalling out, you are either in too high a gear or have too much weight on your rear wheel.  You need to stretch out and crouch low. If you are spinning out the back tire, then you have too much weight in the front......you have to practice to find the "sweet spot".

As a newb, I remembered a tendency to freeze up or stop if I picked a bad line, rgot in a rut, or hit a rock.....don't.  Just keep pedalling and you will most likely be able to clear it.  Assuming you ride with suspension, don't focus all your attention on the two feet in front of you.  Look where you want to go and KEEP PEDALLING!

Go fast and ride more. And go ride with a group of more experienced riders to show you how it's done/ motivate you. That's how I learn!

As Tim mentioned, getting up to speed and downshifting before the climb is important.

Also, when you are on the climbs, pick out where you will pedal harder (smoother/flatter spots) and where you can just maintain a steady cadence or even coast.

For the downhill section, keep your weight back with your butt over the rear wheel (consider lowering your seat to accomplish this), and rely mostly on the rear brake.

I find leverage is a huge benefit as well when climbing. If you are crouched and climbing with your backside on the front of the seat. Now you get to a tough pitch or climb, like the rocks on the CamRock Cliff Edge Trail or the Sandy Climb. Keep pedaling and lift slightly to get your front tire over it. Then as your rear tire approaches the obstacle you shift your body forward. Your bike may even stop progress as you stop pedaling momentarily. Then you shift your weight forward and "pull" the bike over the obstacle. Then get hard on the pedals again to keep your momentum.
And practice, practice, practice

DH and Freeride is best done on platform pedals I think.  Makes crashes much less dramatic and it's easier to bail, just jump off!

To make it up the rocks just pedal harder, there really isn't rocks that big there that you can't just plow through if you push hard. 

If your spinning out you can try diff tires, I often have the back tire on backwards for more grip.  Or less pressure maybe.  I ride at like 45 - 55 and don't usually spin out.  A lot of people ride at like 30 or something. 

That rocky dh section is not bad if you just put the front tire out in front of you and roll down it.  There are a bunch of good spots you can practice jumping off small rock drops into soft sand in the sandy bowl. 

I can't stress this enough though, learn to trackstand.  There are points on climbs including that one that if I get off course, I stop, hop the front or back tire accordingly and resume.

Follow someone and do what they do, that's how I learned a lot too!  It's way easier to focus on someont in front of you than the scary trail that you would normally see but you can't cause there a person there.

If you can trackstand well, getting stopped by a rock on a climb doesn't stop you.

I'll support the value of flat pedals even if you use them when you race or ride on roads, add the suggestion to wear padding or long pants n sleeves when you practice stuff, and to put your seat down. These boost confidence and reduce penalty for failure.

The flat pedals thing was hard for me at first - less than 1g while not attached to bike. If you man up or woman up and can do this you'll get more pleasure even when you ride with feet belts and other benefits like better handling if you're on edge of control. I learned what I thought was jumping or air was just my being a goof lifting a bike with my feet.

Just be shameless in your pursuit of fun and join the fun rides. Last year the club had rides that replicate the everybody try, no drop rides the Quarry Park and PV riders have done for years. The Tuesday evening rides in summer are also great. The best riders are often out but it's not competitive in the way riding can be so you learn from them and have fun working at stuff with those at your own skill level.

On the other hand, I ride everything with the exception of the big airs at PV, and I feel a LOT more comfortable riding technical features clipped in I also feel like I have a lot better control of my bike.

Some of the differences are the bike as well. Went riding with Tim last week. He has issues with the landings of some airs on the new DH run features on Gettin' Started. I don't see it at all. He rides a hard tail and is used to jumping things with built landings. I ride a full susser and love getting air and I prefer landing where I land. Not having to hit a gap to get to my landing.

Different riders. Different Bikes. Different styles.

I started riding mtb last summer so I was in basically the same spot about a year ago and now I can ride almost everything at QR (I still stink at the sandy bowl and haven't tried any but the smallest sister drop).  I think committing to a line and keeping momentum have been key for me. 

I too would disagree with the importance of flat pedals.  They can be helpful if you are used to them but if you are not then you're trying to learn to ride new terrain and new pedals at the same time.  I prefer to not worry about losing my footing by being clipped in even when doing the dirt jumps at PV.  Clips are also vital to me when climbing though as I ride a single speed that is bordering on geared too high for a lot of the climbs around here.
 
For the rocky dh area, I found it helpful at first to come into the turn above it rather slow and wide. Once I got halfway into the turn I would shoot for the right hand side of the trail (the drops seemed shorter there than the middle or left), let off the brake, and shift my weight to the back of the bike.  Just coasting from the turn gives you plenty of speed for the rocks and the little drops.  After several runs like that I started getting enough confidence to come into the turn with more speed.  That section was definitely very intimidating at first though. 

I tried clipping in a bunch last summer, just not for me. 

It's all about comfort, that's a personal choice.  Your balance can change easier when on flat as you can move your feet around on the pedals, i feel like the clipped ones are always attached way to far forward, there in the right spot for good pedaling, but when I'm bombing dh or jumping I go more centered on the pedals.  When riding ttf I often take a foot off the pedals to keep my balance as chuck saw when I rode a feature with like an eightgh of my tire hanging off the edge and my opposite leg pointing straight out to the side. 

Nick c was saying the other day that learning to ride flat pedals has made him a way better rider even when clipped in cause you learn how to use your feet for more control.

There have been so many times that while bombing down something I've almost lost it and just touching one foot to the ground to stabalize me and push me in the right direction (not over sideways) has saved my ass from a wicked crash.  Or like the last time I rode qr the line to the far left of the sandy bowl, i did the rock drop and had to avert my eyes from a tree branck that hit me in the face, when i looked up i was booking toward a tree so i jacked the brakes and turned a little left, that was enough to send my bike over front ways.  Not being clippen in i basically stepped over it as it was going over and walked away pretty clean from what would have sent most clipped in riders face first tumbling down the trail. 

That reminds me of the best advice on getting better, it's ok to crash, I do it pretty regularly, the best lessons i learn while biking are while laying on the ground off to the side of the trail with my bike stuck in a bush!

This afternoon I learned not to let the pedal hit the back of my leg when falling off the side of the ttf that is my nemesis at pv cause the spikes dig in and cut you. 

This evening I learned not to go so fast down rip n ride when it's a little slick so that your bike slides out from under you on a berm and you and bike go tumbling down the trail.  Thank god again I wasn't clipped in or that would have been much worse. 

Just bomb it, getting good at mtn biking might hurt a little!

When you are clipped in you learn to stay on your bike and ride it, instead of falling off all the time   :P

Sorry to further jack this thread into a pedal discussion but...
Again I think it all comes down to what you are comfortable with.  If you aren't used to being on flat pedals the ability to move your foot around that is a plus for Tim becomes the inability to keep my foot on the pedals in rough terrain for me.  Similarly, Tim was able to bail off his bike in a situation he can't see a clipped in rider getting out of but I think you would be surprised how quickly you can release once you are really used to the pedals. 

I was riding my cyclocross bike in badger prairie with a friend last weekend and we wound up on a trail that had a deep section washed out of it.  He saw this and managed to get across  the eroded ditch before it got very deep but I couldn't see it until he moved out of the way and it was way too late for me.  I slammed on my brakes just before the ditch grabbed my front tire, the bike flew backwards between my legs and the next thing I know I'm jogging down the trail instead of biking it.  I don't really know how I managed that maneuver, but I can definitely say being clipped in did not slow me down any.