How do you ride loose, large rocks going down hill?

[motovita]

4 minutes ago, RideWithWill said:

thank you all for the replies. I went back ended up doing even more technical trails, even some black diamonds and follow your guys advice! definitely helped going a bit faster and leaning back. I still have a tendency to hold my handle bars super tight could be because I am somewhat scared ha ha. im hoping over time I will be able to do most of these trails confidently. some areas I had to walk down my bike...but it was my first time in a black diamond

I am guessing over time as I get more confident I will stop clamping onto my handle bars? seems to be the biggest issue for me now. 

 

 

 Try thinking of your feet as your primary point of contact with the bike, use your feet as your main points of input to your bike. Not only are your legs much stronger than your arms but your hands have other things to do.

[motrock93b]

 

 

 Try thinking of your feet as your primary point of contact with the bike, use your feet as your main points of input to your bike. Not only are your legs much stronger than your arms but your hands have other things to do.

 

Yes. Plus, this places a rider’s weight on the lowest possible pivot point on the bike; it’s footpegs. This improves handling while greatly reducing the chances of an endo. If you ride with a loose grip on the bars, your body will find it’s optimal balance point over the bike. When you walk down a steep hill you intuitively position your body over your feet without conscious thought. Cavemen didn’t ride dirt bikes, so we must often resist normal human instincts when riding our bikes. When a human thinks it’s going to fall it’s normal to attempt avoiding facial damage by stiffening one’s arms and placing them outward. This same action (stiffening/bracing the arms while gripping tightly to the bars) really increases the chances for an endo. It places a lot of your upper body weight and momentum through the bars which are high and can be nearly over the front tire’s contact patch. It’s a recipe for an endo, as well as making the front wheel knifey/squirley and greatly adding loads to the front suspension. There are times an advanced rider may choose to deliberately load the front wheel in this manner (momentarily adding traction), but it’s not generally the optimal position to ride down steep hills.

 

So. In general, I find much greater control available by riding down steep hills with a loose grip and as little weight on the bars as possible. I try to run my weight and deceleration forces through my pegs. Your rear brake pedal will need to be higher than many riders typically position theirs. If your brake pedal is set up for use by your foot remaining on the foot peg (not a great technique unless you’re a flat tracker IMO), it will be too low for effective use going down steep hills while standing.

 

Also. When hitting obstacles, whether going uphill, downhill or any other time it’s often best to momentarily release braking forces (whether provided by brakes or engine compression) to better allow the suspension to work for you. So, release briefly at the point of impact, then get back on them as much as necessary after the impact. This really gives much better control.

 

Sorry for the lengthy reply. There’s so much more to all this.

 

Be safe!

 

[braindead0]

No need to apologize for lengthy reply, you went into a lot of details about why which is a very good addition to this thread... thanks!

[RWW enduro]

ya definitely helped a lot! and definitely true!

[RichieGoatGruff]

Target fixation will kill you.... Look where you WANT to go, not where you don't.

[dittohead]

Get off the seat, get your weight back, stay loose, look ahead at where you want to go, use a bit of speed to keep your momentum. Also ALWAYS have a finger or 2 on the clutch and brake. That really should go without saying though. Downhills are not hard if you follow these steps. I find steep downhills are one of the funnest aspects of trail riding. The steeper the better!

[AssRipper]

another thing.. i keep it in 2nd or 3rd depending on the hill, so i can give some power when needed to get around ruts or bigger rocks or lift the front wheel. im a big fan of bombing hills like a MTB

[bikedude987]

Lots of good in here, so I'll just back up some of what's said:

Faster you go, the less they move (but the more poorly set suspension will deflect)

stand, pinch with legs, loose on the bars

Can't always be, but if it's just a small patch, gas it!

Bike setup plays a huge role in Chit like this: suspension valved for it (clickers don't do squat in fast shaft speeds like this terrain) and a steering stabilizer will do wonders.

Keep your feet on the pegs until you're ready to commit to dog paddling.  If you're going slower it's ok to dab here and there, especially if you're picking your like around something.

[Hans Schmid]

Just hit them balls out, the rush will be exhilarating! 

[RWW enduro]

11 minutes ago, Hans Schmid said:

Just hit them balls out, the rush will be exhilarating! 

haha i actually ended up doing that. was going about 15-17mph down hill just holding the clutch. it def was easier but was fckn scary. 15mph prob aint fast for advanced riders like some on here but fast for me lol!

[braindead0]

1 minute ago, RideWithWill said:

haha i actually ended up doing that. was going about 15-17mph down hill just holding the clutch. it def was easier but was fckn scary. 15mph prob aint fast for advanced riders like some on here but fast for me lol!

Everyone has their own comfort level and aversion to risk.  I tend to ride down rocky hills pretty slowly.  This slowness allows time to get a good look and make an educated guess about how each rock is likely to affect the bike.. and if I'm wrong.... usually time to dab a foot or drop to the seat and put both feet down.. or stop.  I'm old and most of the time in the middle of nowhere with no cell coverage, my PLB is the only lifeline and I'd rather never have to use it. 

I'll leave the 'pin it to win it' to the youngsters ?

[TheAristocrats]

Downhills are a lot of mental outlook too.  I get scared on bad ones.  But as time goes on what I consider a bad one is more and more sketchy versus when I first started riding off road.  

With rocks, whether going up or down, I find you should go a little faster than you might think.  It helps to smooth it out overall. 

You can't fight em.  If I get thrown a bit off line then well, that's where my new line is and I make the best of it.

Speaking of lines, a lot of trails have a high side and a low side.  You'll notice in most cases a lot of rocks and loose debris settles on the low side because of gravity and erosion.  So I always check the high side of the trail to see if it's smoother going.

Downhill you can use rocks to your advantage to scrub speed.  For example, if a trail has an edge with rocks and the main part is slick clay, I'm probably going to be over on the rocks.

Another good thing you can practice is try to go down a slope as slow as you can without skidding or locking the breaks.  Pick a moderate one that has a safe open run out area at the bottom and spend some time practicing that.  

Most people's big fear is that they will build up speed uncontrollably and smash into a tree.  If you practice being able to go as slow as you want downhill under control you'll feel more confident overall and less like the bike will get away from you. 

If all else fails, you can walk the bike down in gear and use the clutch and front brake to ease it down to the bottom or a less steep part.  Done that more than once when my nerves got the better of me. 

IMPORTANT TIP:  I run my brake pedal high so that when it is level with the footpeg it is full on.  If you look at the photos above of people in steep downhill body position you will see your feet lean back.  If your brake pedal is low you might have a hell of a time getting on it.  A steep downhill is a bad time to find out you cant reach it good.  Bring the wrenches and feel it out on your practice hill and adjust.

Same goes with your lever position.  If you are leaned back real far with your arms outstretched you want to make sure you can reach everything good.

Edited February 26, 2019 by TheAristocrats