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eBike Things I've learned quickly as a noob eMTBer

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Andy Mink

Andy Mink

Everyone loves spring skiing but not in January
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This is why I teach the stutter step to noobs... Helps if you can see the blighter...
I can do the ratchet but, like you said, seeing the suckered helps!
 

AmyPJ

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I have a friend who never levels her pedals. :geek:

I was chatting at the race yesterday with friends whose daughter races now, who raced a lot up until a couple years ago. The mom was lamenting that bottom brackets have gotten so low that it's kind of ridiculous and it really slows her down on rocky climbs because she has to pause and ratchet so often.

I can definitely tell when I need some air in my shock. I don't lock it out on climbs because our climbs are so rocky. Our local trails have been beaten to death by too much traffic.
 

cantunamunch

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After a while I rode away. About a half hour later a friend's eyes get really big and he says, "What the HELL is that THING on your arm?" At the ER they were pretty concerned about ... whatever that bad thing is that can happen with hematomas.

"infection" :P

Hourly pus drainage. Stench enough for 5 Norman rind-washed cheeses. And, since there's no circulation, if you break the skin you get to see all the nice porous white underskin fat :D
 

AmyPJ

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Yeah, the hematoma can become infected, although within an hour or two of the injury seems fast!
Gross.
 

sparty

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I have a friend who never levels her pedals. :geek:

I was chatting at the race yesterday with friends whose daughter races now, who raced a lot up until a couple years ago. The mom was lamenting that bottom brackets have gotten so low that it's kind of ridiculous and it really slows her down on rocky climbs because she has to pause and ratchet so often.

I can definitely tell when I need some air in my shock. I don't lock it out on climbs because our climbs are so rocky. Our local trails have been beaten to death by too much traffic.

I'd second the notion on low bottom brackets. That's been the only downside I've noticed to a modern bike versus what I can remember from the last time I was riding a mountain bike with any regularity. Most of the improvements make up for it, though.

Also, re: looking where you want to go—it's one thing to know, it's another to do.
 

Tony S

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, re: looking where you want to go—it's one thing to know, it's another to do
One of the skills you get better and more automatic at with time is actually a psychological or behavioral one. It's about making a very crisp decision, at a moment some ways ahead of whatever the obstacle is, that you're going to do it or not do it. If you're not going to do it you stop the bike, get off, and walk. If you are going to do it, you set up your line and let go of the brakes ahead of the spot (if on a downhill), or set up your line and pedal like your life depended on it (if on a climb). Level areas, it's obviously a blend of the two ... and sometimes more challenging for that reason. Indecision is a major fail factor.
 

cantunamunch

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One of the skills you get better and more automatic at with time is actually a psychological or behavioral one. It's about making a very crisp decision, at a moment some ways ahead of whatever the obstacle is, that you're going to do it or not do it. If you're not going to do it you stop the bike, get off, and walk. If you are going to do it, you get set up and let go of the brakes ahead of the spot (if on a downhill), or get set up and pedal like your life depended on it (if on a climb). Level areas, it's obviously a blend of the two ... and sometimes more challenging for that reason. Indecision is a major fail factor.

Pretty much anyone who's ever done a vs. sport (martial art/fencing/boxing/wrestling, whatever) or one on one matches (like tennis) has some level of this skill, to the point that it is hard to remember that other people don't do it.

So, thanks.
 

LiquidFeet

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One of the skills you get better and more automatic at with time is actually a psychological or behavioral one. It's about making a very crisp decision, at a moment some ways ahead of whatever the obstacle is, that you're going to do it or not do it. If you're not going to do it you stop the bike, get off, and walk. If you are going to do it, you set up your line and let go of the brakes ahead of the spot (if on a downhill), or set up your line and pedal like your life depended on it (if on a climb). Level areas, it's obviously a blend of the two ... and sometimes more challenging for that reason. Indecision is a major fail factor.
... aka "decisive line choice." Like when skiing trees. Or bumps. Or running downhill on obstacle-filled singletracks.
 

Tricia

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@Andy Mink did you learn how contagious this can be?
 
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Andy Mink

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@Andy Mink did you learn how contagious this can be?
Yes.

Today's lesson:
One does not NEED both feet on the pedals whilst landing but it certainly doesn't hurt. Urethra, meet seat.:geek:

I went over a smallish jump which has a flat top but not carrying quite enough speed. Back tire hits flat top first and bounces me just a bit forward, then the front hits the down slope, the feet come off and I, luckily, sat down very firmly on the very back of the seat with my feet bouncing along the ground. No crash, so that's a win.
 

AmyPJ

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Yes.

Today's lesson:
One does not NEED both feet on the pedals whilst landing but it certainly doesn't hurt. Urethra, meet seat.:geek:

I went over a smallish jump which has a flat top but not carrying quite enough speed. Back tire hits flat top first and bounces me just a bit forward, then the front hits the down slope, the feet come off and I, luckily, sat down very firmly on the very back of the seat with my feet bouncing along the ground. No crash, so that's a win.
This is where riding flats scares me. Learning to jump with flats is an art for sure. I'm learning to really "pull the bike up" under me, although I still won't jump a lot of stuff that others will.
 

Tony S

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This is where riding flats scares me. Learning to jump with flats is an art for sure. I'm learning to really "pull the bike up" under me, although I still won't jump a lot of stuff that others will.
Oh yeah. I don't even want to think about the ugly truths I would learn about myself if I switched.
 

Tricia

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This is where riding flats scares me. Learning to jump with flats is an art for sure. I'm learning to really "pull the bike up" under me, although I still won't jump a lot of stuff that others will.
I will never have that issue unless I catch some surprise air. I'm just not likely to jump or take the big drops like Andy. Not my comfort zone.
 

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