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Starting Fresh..
24th April 2007 - writing: Jim, photos: Roo
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Up until now I've had a pretty steady progression through mountain biking, starting off on a rigid Raleigh... Back then it seemed like it was the ultimate bike and nigh on unbreakable, but once I'd reached the limits of that bike, it made sense to move onto another, and after reading a few reviews I had myself a full suspension XC bike, that bike taught me a lot but endless hard riding took its toll on the bike.. then I got a thing for riding downhill, so a big travel full susser landed on my doorstep... now after 4 years of riding suspension bikes I have got pretty lazy. No longer do I look for lines as much - why bother when the suspension can choose a line for you? On a downhill course you have to choose lines, but sometimes it's the little things that make the biggest difference whether to go left or right at the stump, to jump or not to jump?
foto: Roo @ flowtography
Recently I've gone back to basics; I offered to teach a friend the basics of mountain biking, so I went back to riding their rigid frame, while they rode my bike. And I can't believe how much I've forgotten. The first ride had me aching all over - my back hurt, my knees ached and I couldn't work out what was wrong with me, after all I've ridden this trail before much faster and didn't feel a thing.. I'd forgotten the basics of a bike, the art of line choice, pumping the trail, looking ahead. These things are fundamental to becoming a better rider but a few years of riding a bike with a bit of forgiveness built in (funny what designers can do these days) and it soon brought me back down to earth with a thump, without solid foundations a house will fall down, and that's pretty similar to skills on a bike, a board, whatever your choice is.
We all will learn things once but without revisiting those we always find easier ways of doing things, if you look in the car park of say Coed-Y-Brenin, many of the bikes will be long travel 'all mountain' bikes, capable of going uphill but with plenty of squish to forgive mistakes on the downhill. In the right hands these are very quick bikes, with the potential to give full on downhill rigs a run for their money, but many (including me) are pretty lazy, and will let the travel do the work. Maybe at the start this isn't our intention, but over time the bike will start doing its own thing.
foto: Roo @ flowtography
So break out the old banger from the shed, dust off your hardtail, its nearly summer and the tracks are bone dry, there's no better time to revisit your roots and try your regular track on a bike a bit less comfy, it'll be a harsh reality check to start with, but give it time and you'll be a better rider for it, don't dismiss it, going back to basics makes a huge difference and it's a lot of fun once you've cracked it..
Thanks to Roo Fowler for providing the photos, see his gallery for more.
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