Bicycling

Eomer

Eomer

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opiate82_sl said:
As far as downhilling safety, most downhillers dress like a storm-trooper and all that gear really does help.
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That's true for mid-level riders. I find though that the high level and semi-pro guys at Whistler just wear a helmet and gloves, very little body armor. Not sure about the logic behind it.

As far as being "humbled" and relegated to green runs goes, the other thing I've found with downhilling is that the course ratings are extremely subjective. Far more so than with ski hills, although there's some variation there as well. A black at Whistler is like a double black at Silver Star, and a black at Silver Star is a blue at Whistler. So depending on where you were, maybe you didn't pussy out as much as you thought.

Here's a brief clip of me riding Blue Velvet at Whistler for the first time, and eating shit when I went off a jump skewed left and didn't realize that the course took a sharp turn to the right. Good times.



Walk it off. Walk it off.
 
Ao-

Ao-

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yeah, I'm more looking at the cross country style stuff, I'll eventually get into straight-up downhill, but for now it's going to be more "adventure biking". Gotta get a mukluk and some winter gear.
 
opiate82

opiate82

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Eomer_sl said:
That's true for mid-level riders. I find though that the high level and semi-pro guys at Whistler just wear a helmet and gloves, very little body armor. Not sure about the logic behind it.[/video]
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Either cocky and/or riding stuff that is actually technically 'beneath' them so they feel they don't need the armor. I know when I get on some XC stuff I ditch the full-face and the elbow/knee pads vs my normal hill. Seems silly to think that Whistler may be beneath a rider but who knows what they consider "hard."

Eomer_sl said:
As far as being "humbled" and relegated to green runs goes, the other thing I've found with downhilling is that the course ratings are extremely subjective. Far more so than with ski hills, although there's some variation there as well. A black at Whistler is like a double black at Silver Star, and a black at Silver Star is a blue at Whistler. So depending on where you were, maybe you didn't pussy out as much as you thought
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That is actually true. I was riding at Sunpeaks and the rating system didn't seem to make a whole lot of sense. We eventually found a black diamond that was easier and more fun than most of the blue stuff we had been riding. I think some of it might have just been they are just starting up their mountain biking operation up there and the trails might not have been 100% fleshed/built out yet. Where we really struggled the ground was very soft and full of loose debris. The black run we ended up riding a lot was clear of the loose stuff and more packed down (probably because it was more popular and thus got more love from the builders). I thought a more downhill-oriented bike could have handled it better and/or I just wasn't use to riding stuff like that (trails around here end up nice and packed due to all the rain and generally don't have a lot of loose debris) but could just be poor trail building I suppose.
 
Famm

Famm

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Ao-_sl said:
yeah, I'm more looking at the cross country style stuff, I'll eventually get into straight-up downhill, but for now it's going to be more "adventure biking". Gotta get a mukluk and some winter gear.
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A skills clinic can be nice but its not absolutely necessary to advance. You can session whatever obstacles on your own or with friends and any tips and tricks to learn are also available on websites and youtube. Only reason to do it really is if you are a person who wants hands-on/in-person instruction and/or for the social aspect and meeting other local riders. Cross country is at least 75% cardio IMO, the rest you can learn as you go and is largely just repetition for muscle memory.
 
opiate82

opiate82

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Ao-_sl said:
yeah, I'm more looking at the cross country style stuff, I'll eventually get into straight-up downhill, but for now it's going to be more "adventure biking". Gotta get a mukluk and some winter gear.
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I agree with what Famm said. One thing that really helped me raise my skills was making sure I was trying something new every time a rode a trail until I could do everything on said trail. So if there was a skinny log ride I would make myself a promise to try it the next time I hit that trail. Didn't make it up that tough, rooty, accent section, turn around try it again.

Also, trail knowledge can really help you improve your skills. I am the adventurous sort so I love riding new trails, but if I am working on a specific skill I pick my favorite trail that includes that feature and ride it over and over again. That way you can work on whatever skill you are trying to improve without having to worry about what is coming around the corner.

I think the single most important skill you need to learn for mountain biking is getting used to getting behind your saddle (for descents anyways). There are times where I am almost sitting on my back tire which can feel a little odd, but once you get used to doing that you'll be amazed at what you can ride down.
 
Brad2770

Brad2770

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I have been riding pretty hard the last few months. Crashed this past Sunday and snapped my fibia, tore some ligaments and dislocated my ankle. When the swelling goes down, I will need surgery.
 
Kuriin

Kuriin

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You SNAPPED your fibula? Holy shit. Nothing happened to your tibia? Man, I am so sorry to hear that. You've got about 6-8 months worth of physical therapy in your distant future. Did the docs/nurses tell you to put cold compress wraps?


edit: Going to assume you meant to say you snapped your tibia instead of fibula.
 
McCheese

McCheese

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What kind of crash was it? Sounds pretty bad if those are the reaults.
 
Brad2770

Brad2770

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I snapped the smaller of the 2 bones in my leg. It snapped near the ankle bone. Sorry, dont know much about anatomy. It is currently wrapped in a half cast until swelling goes down for surgery. I keep an ice pack at the back of my knee while I have it elevated, but boredom gets the best of me and I get up for an hour or so and play games on the computer.

As for how the accident happened, I am kind of ashamed to admit what happened. Truly a freak accident. I have 2 bikes; A mountain bike and a hybrid road bike. I ride at some dirt trails near my house almost everyday until the accident. Just wear helmet for safety. I do all the jumps and whatnot on the trail. I do not go too fast, but I do put myself in danger. Well, last Saturday night it rained here in Dallas. Sunday afternoon, after most had dried up, I got out on the cement trails near my house. I was riding my hybrid and went to go around a puddle of water. The front tire started to slide. I laid my bike down doing about 20mph. My toe gripped the cement and snapped my ankle sideways. When i was laying on my back, my right knee was facing up, but my foot was flopped to the right. I could move my toes, but the foot just dangled. No control over it. It looked pretty bad. This is my first major injury ever. I have to say, the pain was bad, but no where near what I thought pain like this might have been.

As for recovery, I have been told I have a good year ahead of me before I am back to close to where I am now. makes me pretty sad. I used to feel like I was indestructible. I am a tough guy and to be put down like this has depressed me quite a bit.
 
Kuriin

Kuriin

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You should really elevate your leg above the heart. No, I'm not kidding. You should be doing that. lol. Go watch several shows or some shit.
 
Julian The Apostate

Julian The Apostate

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Rig a laptop up that you can fuck around on while keeping your leg elevated or something. I'm sure that's not helping your swelling go down.

I broke my ankle in a mosh pit a few years ago. Hope your surgery and recovery go well. Gonna be a shitty year but you'll get through it. About a year after I broke my ankle and ever since then I have had absolutely no issues with it. Fucker is probably stronger than my other ankle because of all the metal in there.
 
Ao-

Ao-

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Brad2770_sl said:
I snapped the smaller of the 2 bones in my leg. It snapped near the ankle bone. Sorry, dont know much about anatomy. It is currently wrapped in a half cast until swelling goes down for surgery. I keep an ice pack at the back of my knee while I have it elevated, but boredom gets the best of me and I get up for an hour or so and play games on the computer.

As for how the accident happened, I am kind of ashamed to admit what happened. Truly a freak accident. I have 2 bikes; A mountain bike and a hybrid road bike. I ride at some dirt trails near my house almost everyday until the accident. Just wear helmet for safety. I do all the jumps and whatnot on the trail. I do not go too fast, but I do put myself in danger. Well, last Saturday night it rained here in Dallas. Sunday afternoon, after most had dried up, I got out on the cement trails near my house. I was riding my hybrid and went to go around a puddle of water. The front tire started to slide. I laid my bike down doing about 20mph. My toe gripped the cement and snapped my ankle sideways. When i was laying on my back, my right knee was facing up, but my foot was flopped to the right. I could move my toes, but the foot just dangled. No control over it. It looked pretty bad. This is my first major injury ever. I have to say, the pain was bad, but no where near what I thought pain like this might have been.

As for recovery, I have been told I have a good year ahead of me before I am back to close to where I am now. makes me pretty sad. I used to feel like I was indestructible. I am a tough guy and to be put down like this has depressed me quite a bit.
Click to expand...
I almost puked reading this. Nice.
 
Jysin

Jysin

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Brad2770_sl said:
I snapped the smaller of the 2 bones in my leg. It snapped near the ankle bone. Sorry, dont know much about anatomy. It is currently wrapped in a half cast until swelling goes down for surgery. I keep an ice pack at the back of my knee while I have it elevated, but boredom gets the best of me and I get up for an hour or so and play games on the computer.

As for how the accident happened, I am kind of ashamed to admit what happened. Truly a freak accident. I have 2 bikes; A mountain bike and a hybrid road bike. I ride at some dirt trails near my house almost everyday until the accident. Just wear helmet for safety. I do all the jumps and whatnot on the trail. I do not go too fast, but I do put myself in danger. Well, last Saturday night it rained here in Dallas. Sunday afternoon, after most had dried up, I got out on the cement trails near my house. I was riding my hybrid and went to go around a puddle of water. The front tire started to slide. I laid my bike down doing about 20mph. My toe gripped the cement and snapped my ankle sideways. When i was laying on my back, my right knee was facing up, but my foot was flopped to the right. I could move my toes, but the foot just dangled. No control over it. It looked pretty bad. This is my first major injury ever. I have to say, the pain was bad, but no where near what I thought pain like this might have been.

As for recovery, I have been told I have a good year ahead of me before I am back to close to where I am now. makes me pretty sad. I used to feel like I was indestructible. I am a tough guy and to be put down like this has depressed me quite a bit.
Click to expand...
I'm sure we just put stuff like this off as one-off freak accidents. Last year, my best friend's brother was riding a bike home from a pub (had a couple drinks sure) in light rain. He wasnt really going all to quickly but yet the front tire slipped on a turn and he went off the road into a fence. Couldnt get himself up and had to call himself an ambulance. The guy ended up being damn near paralized from the waist down for months. Diagnosis was a crushed vertebrae pinched his spine. He still isnt 100% to this day. It just goes to show how we are fragile sacks of meat!

Wear your protective gear folks!
 
Brad2770

Brad2770

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Had I been wearing shoes or gear with ankle support, think this would have been prevented or reduced? If so, what kind of gear do they have for good ankle support?

My surgery is this Weds., the 9th.
 
opiate82

opiate82

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I haven't really ever heard of using/needing ankle protection for bike riding, even mountain biking. I mean sureIFyou had been wearing some sort of ankle protection it could have helped, but as Jysin said, sounds more like a freak accident to me. I mean what are you going to do, dress up like an NFL player every time you get on the bike just in case?
 
Fifey

Fifey

Trakanon Raider
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Jysin_sl said:
I'm sure we just put stuff like this off as one-off freak accidents. Last year, my best friend's brother was riding a bike home from a pub (had a couple drinks sure) in light rain. He wasnt really going all to quickly but yet the front tire slipped on a turn and he went off the road into a fence. Couldnt get himself up and had to call himself an ambulance. The guy ended up being damn near paralized from the waist down for months. Diagnosis was a crushed vertebrae pinched his spine. He still isnt 100% to this day. It just goes to show how we are fragile sacks of meat!

Wear your protective gear folks!
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How would protective gear help someone from not pinching a vertebrae? You bike with a back brace on?

Nevermind the fact that he was biking after drinking, I'm sure that had nothing to do with it.
 
McCheese

McCheese

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Can't avoid freak accidents. You never know when you'll hit a stray rock or slip in a puddle or something.

I guess if you really want to play it safe you can stay home and play video games all day. Let the bads go out and risk their lives cycling.
 
Jysin

Jysin

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Yea, you missed my point. I wasnt saying either was preventable per-se... just that accidents do happen! So when you have the chance, always wear a helmet and gloves, etc. Shit happens when you least expect it.
 
opiate82

opiate82

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I am amazed at how many people roll around town w/o helmets (pretty big bike-riding/hipster population). For me, it isn't my own riding that I worry about, it is all the other idiot drivers on the road that you have no control over.

... and parents that don't make their kids wear helmets, I don't even...
 
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