Thread: Bicycles!
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Old April 2nd, 2019, 07:37 PM   #2293
choneofakind
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dcj13 View Post
With motorcycles, it's ATGATT.

With bicycles, it's styrofoam hat, spandex shorts, and skimpy shirt.

Why is that?
I've asked this too. Ironically, bicycles are collectively more dangerous to my health than the motorcycle ever was. I tend to take about one tumble per year that sets me off the bike with some bruises for a bit. You'd think I'd learn.

Quote:
Originally Posted by sharky nrk View Post
I kinda did a little reading on what to wear early on and got some pretty mixed bag answers. I tend to do more XC/Trail work vs Trail/Enduro/Down and most people that do XC said, ahh you don't need elbow/knee pads.

Well as I have gotten more and more comfortable, I have gotten faster and faster. I have been attacking more of the black diamond stuff and getting used to more difficult terrain. This off happened on an easier section of trail but this time I needed elbow and knee pads as the speed I was carrying and the aggressive attitude I had to the trail was much higher.

Do you need pads? Depends on how you are going to ride. I rode this section of trail 20 times before and did not need the pads then. But I also didn't make the mistake. Should the mistake I made have happened - no it was avoidable. But as we tend to do from time to time we get excited and adrenaline rushes as we push our comfort zone and mistakes become more likely.

This time I needed some more protection and didn't have it.
Personally, I rode more XC/trail in OH, then I moved to western NC, and that's been turning solidly into trail/enduro. Realistically I should be bringing pads with me and putting them on quick at the top of the bigger descents, but the XC weenie in me still doesn't want to stop and wait. Stoppage time doesn't lend itself well to average speed.

As far as your issue... I've found that it's a lot like the motorcycle. Attitude and skill go a long way to determining your ride outcome before you've even started. If you're going out to be aggressive and rip a little, you're likely going to be a little more risky and that's not great for injury. But, if you're looking for a calm ride and happen to be a very skilled rider on a familiar trail, you're typically faster without trying. It's interesting to see as you build skill; your rides will be much more controlled and calm and will feel slow a few seasons in compared to what they were when you were new, but your segment times will also be much faster. It's funny how that works.

As for "black diamond", I'm not familiar with the trails you're riding, but that's very regional and subjective. The black diamond stuff in OH is all super techy slow man made stuff, but the black diamond stuff here is naturally chunky, steep, loose, and exposed. I've had to really change my riding attitude from "I want to go fast!" to "I'm going to focus on precision riding and clean this stretch of chunk". The end result is I'm getting better and better at successfully clearing big sections of trail that I never would have tried before. Give it a shot, it's pretty satisfying. There's definitely still fast days though.
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