Indirect Skills that May Help You Ride Better

[Miles_Prower]

lol!! you alright?! ok peace, see you at the bottom..

[CC Cowboy]

I grew up skiing Killington. I was invited to go this coming weekend with a few friends from Rhode Island but decided the Supercross might be more fun.

Skiing is like riding a motorcyle (if you do it right).

[allanoue]

Originally Posted by CC Cowboy

I grew up skiing Killington. I was invited to go this coming weekend with a few friends from Rhode Island but decided the Supercross might be more fun.

Skiing is like riding a motorcyle (if you do it right).

Devil's Fiddle is open

[Misti]

Originally Posted by hybridkid

While I believe that there is no true substitute for actual road time and advanced training, I do believe there are things that we enjoy (or perhaps take for granted) that help us to ride. One of those things is regular play in sports. What am I alluding to?

Basketball or (Soccer)- I grew up playing basketball. Running the point requires a great deal of court vision to be effective in taking everything and adjusting or reacting. Passing, reading the defense, and dribbling all relates. This includes understanding the awareness of what's behind you. The more you play, the better you become at picking your spots on when to be aggressive or conservative. The game slows down the more you play and it just comes to you. Very similar to riding if you think about it. In addition, you'll never need to have someone tell you "Behind you" because you'll account for it automatically.

Football - Playing quarterback or safety usually requires you to see the field and make quick decision making. You learn not to be indecisive. You learn to recognize progression. It happens in 3 second intervals at a time. If you are really good, you pick up on the "signals" before they even happen and anticipate. You know exactly where you want the ball to be or where you want to be before it happens.

Golf - The way you grip a club is similar to how you grip the handlebars -- Firm but not tight. You learn how being too tight affects the muscles in your arms which cause errant swings. You learn to be loose and athletic in your stance much like you are when you are on a bike. You learn that even though it is unnatural to swing a club, the ability to focus on one thing at a time through focus and follow through, and keeping your eye throughout the swing, after awhile it becomes muscle memory and easier (with much less gaffes). You learn to let the club do the work (much like you let the bike do the work).

Shooting Guns - Shadowing the trigger cuts down on reaction time much like shadowing the levers on your motorcycle. Eye level, depth perception, etc. all relate to riding and seeing what's lurking ahead.

Relaxation - Staying loose naturally, not reacting negatively to stress even when the situation may be grim seems to effective for me.

Even the hand/eye coordination from video gaming may be helping to quickly process information and hopefully cause a favorable reaction.

My theory is that while riding is a different sport, different skills influence riding basics. For example, nothing can prepare you for a deer blitzing across your path or the car crossing three lanes without looking. But if you can learn how to anticipate the same way you learn how to anticipate a break in a pattern on the football field or a cut in the lane. I think it all relates indirectly. Anybody have any additional thoughts?

Excellent write up and I completely agree. When I was 16 years old taking my new driver's lesson's my instructor said (after watching me drive for a grand total of 3 minutes) "you must be a skier." I asked him how he knew and he said that skiers automatically shoulder check without having to be taught. He is right. As a skier you get used to shoulder checking when you cross the hill and you need to be aware of what is going on around you, it definitely transfers to riding and driving.

Originally Posted by Numbersix

Karate (or other MA) is a good one for crossover skills:
- Improved balance and kinesthetics help handling generally and especially low-speed handling;
- Sparring is good for mental flexibility, reaction time, and perception; and
- Ukemi (falling practice) definitely pays off if it all goes wrong.

Martial arts are amazing for riding for the reasons you listed above. I'm a black belt in Karate and kickboxing and find that my training provides me with a great foundation on the bike. I can be stable but relaxed, sill but ready, soft but strong. Sparing is amazing for reaction time and I won't begin to mention how many times I've utilized Ukemi to help me "crash well."

I actually wrote an article called "how well do you bounce" and in it I credited martial arts for helping me be able to fall in such a manner that I didn't get hurt often. I've had many crashes but thankfully have rarely been hurt. I think I have a good awareness of where my body is in relation to the ground when I'm flying, hahahah.

Great thread!

Misti

[alex.s]

try this for target-fixing practice:

[cbinker]

Growing up, I used to ride bicycle every where I went up to the age 16. And what do the Pros do for training, Ride bicycle.

[Dirty Mike]

Originally Posted by IdRatherDrum

I hope to be getting a bike in the future and I am a drummer so I hope that it will come in handy as well!

I'm a drummer too and It does help, being able to have all 4 limbs work independent actions in conjunction is HUGE when it comes to riding. I find it no problem to brake with right hand and foot while down shifting relatively seamlessly with the left side.

[Bentley813]

Mountain biking and video games. Thousands of hours of both as a kid and teen.

[csmith12]

Originally Posted by Misti

Martial arts are amazing for riding for the reasons you listed above. I'm a black belt in Karate and kickboxing and find that my training provides me with a great foundation on the bike. I can be stable but relaxed, sill but ready, soft but strong. Sparing is amazing for reaction time and I won't begin to mention how many times I've utilized Ukemi to help me "crash well."

I actually wrote an article called "how well do you bounce" and in it I credited martial arts for helping me be able to fall in such a manner that I didn't get hurt often. I've had many crashes but thankfully have rarely been hurt. I think I have a good awareness of where my body is in relation to the ground when I'm flying, hahahah.

Great thread!

Misti

Interesting perspective. I haven't sat and thought about how much of my martial arts has made it into my riding. I can definitely see how it could be helping riders stay relaxed and "cool under fire".

[csmith12]

After a shooting session today I realized another that I though fitting for this thread.

Ever shot a bow? That same time frame, mindset and calmness between when you draw back the bow and release the arrow is how I feel during corner setup and the dive into the turn. Elegant, smooth, relaxed and razor sharp.

[EternalNewb]

Oooh, I've been thinking of getting my own bow. I've been using my brother's on occasion, but he thinks I should get a lighter pull one for myself. His has a 50lbs draw weight, and he thinks I should go for a 35-40 at most for a first bow. I think he really wants me to get a 30 though.

[Misti]

Originally Posted by csmith12

After a shooting session today I realized another that I though fitting for this thread.

Ever shot a bow? That same time frame, mindset and calmness between when you draw back the bow and release the arrow is how I feel during corner setup and the dive into the turn. Elegant, smooth, relaxed and razor sharp.

COOL It is pretty neat how you can draw parallels between certain sorts and riding and how some sports really help improve your riding skills.

What about the flip side? Are there things that you do that might have a negative effect on your riding? Are there sports or other types of riding styles that might cause you to develop bad habits with your riding?

Misti

[allanoue]

beer pong

[Miles_Prower]

ahaha you just beat me to it! pong.

flip cup.. maybe keg stands may be detrimental.. lol