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Conference noted::bicycle

Title: Bicycling
Notice:Bicycling for Fun
Moderator:JAMIN::WASSER
Created:Mon Apr 14 1986
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:3214
Total number of notes:31946

691.0. "ATB riding tips and techniques..." by MILCAT::SMITH (Michael J. Smith, MLO 21-4) Fri May 27 1988 15:30

How about some tips, techniques and the like for riding the good old ATB?

For one thing, I'd like to know about going up hills...

I never seem to be able to find the right gear. Either its too high a gear and
I ain't got the oomph or its too low and the rear wheel spins or the bike pops
out from under me. Are there any nice rules of thumb or is it experience,
experience, experience and more experience? 

When do you use the lowest gear?  Should you go up a hill with as much speed
as possible or as slow as you can?

What about standing and sitting?  When you are standing there are a lot of
forces at work. You are pulling up on the handle bars and pushing down
on the pedals.  This makes fine maneuvering difficult. When you are sitting
you can't control your weight over the rear wheel and you can't get much
leg power to overcome gravity (among other things).

Does anybody know of any good books or videos on riding ATB's?

-----------------------------

Some hill basics....

For descent:

	Keep your weight back and make sure you can use your brakes!
	More than one finger on the brake levers.
	Watch out for rocks, steer around them!

For ascent:

	Keep your weight forward. Find a point that gives you the most
	traction.  Too far forward and the wheel spins, too far back
	and the bike will pop out from under you.


Some other things I have learned...

Don't bother with riding on railroad ties.

A little stick will eat a derailuer, and derailuers that have been eaten 
will eat chains and bend frames.  In other words, stay on the beaten path.  
Avoid the woods where nothing clears the trail of the small dead dry 
harmless branches that fall off of trees all the time.

Carry tools.  Carry liquids or make sure you are always riding near a 
store that has soda (especially SoHo or that other natural kind, can't
remember the brand, but French Cherry flavor especially).

Learn to let the bike "worry" about the ground and you just supply the
power and direction.  When moving quickly along on relatively level terrain,
let the bike bounce and jump under you while you are standing and pumping
and steering.  Keep a good grip on things with both your feet and hands 
but don't stangle the handle bars and do stay light on your feet.

Wear bright colors in the woods.  Motorcyclists will be able to see you
and thus avoid you.  Your can hear them but they can't hear you or each
other.  So far, bikers in the woods have been much much more reasonable 
than the drivers on the road.
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
691.1Up and down..MALLET::BROOMFIELDI'd rather be mountain-bikingFri Jun 03 1988 12:2230
    Try these for size:-
    
    Uphill
    
    Stay seated for as long as possible as this will give you better
    traction (ie your weight is over the rear wheel) however the trick
    is to get down somewhat like a jockey to try to hold the front down
    an weight the back at the same time (yes it is as difficult as it
    sounds). Also always bend your elbows and tuck them in - this makes
    for better breathing and more efficient climbing (but don't ask
    me why). As for standing use it as a last resort because you tend
    to lose traction - I like to attack the hill in what I assume to
    be the right gear (experience and personal preference define the
    'right gear') and sit until I lose RPM then stal for about 8-12
    strokes, change down and sit again. I repeat this proceedure until
    I run out of gears, crash or die.
    
    Down hill
    
    Get your weight back as far as poss. (some people lower the seat
    to allow them to hang off the back) grip the seat between your thighs
    and hold the bars as lightly as possible. The main thing is to RELAX
    if you can't relax you are going too fast.......
    I like to have two fingers on the brakes and I strongly recomend
    toe clips on rough downhills.
    
    Any other ideas ????
    
    
    Paul
691.2MENTOR::REGEndorphins are MY recreational drugsFri Jun 03 1988 13:4313
    re .1	On steep climbs, especially where traction is poor,
    it is also VERY IMPORTANT to maintain as smooth a power circle as
    possible, i.e. try to avoid power strokes as these will often break
    traction or loft the front wheel.
    
    	In deep water....
    
    
    
    
    
    				SWIM
    
691.3Down, middle and up tips...MILCAT::SMITHMichael J. Smith, MLO 21-4Fri Jun 03 1988 16:1713
When going downhill, shift into as high a gear as possible.
This puts tension on the chain from the derailleur position
and springs so that the chain is less likely to flop around
because of all the bouncing around on the descent. The chain
can fall off the chain wheels or get hung up on the rear brakes

Get a Vetta Gel saddle, ~$24.00 at Nashbar.  It sure made a
difference to my tender old butt.  I can ride longer, harder
and faster now.  

When you bail out on a steep hill go back down and try again
and again and again until you make it or juat can't stand it 
any more.  You really start learning after the 3rd or 4th attempt.
691.4Big front/big rear !?!MALLET::BROOMFIELDI'd rather be mountain-bikingFri Jun 03 1988 16:318
    Re .-1
    
    Try the chain on the large chain wheel and the largest cog on the
    freewheel - this puts the chain at its taughtest (?) and
    eliminates chain slap - dont try pedaling to much like this though
    it will destroy your drivetrain eventually......
                                                        
    Paul
691.5watch the bumpy rides sittingMTBLUE::PFISTER_ROBBike hard, or sell itFri Jun 03 1988 17:088
    One thing to watch out for screaming down a bumpy hill is bouncing
    on your seat. If you try to stay seated, and really cant, or are
    just barely above the seat, you'll bounce up and down on your seat.
    
    This isn't a good thing to do..I've broken 2 seat's and a seatpost
    doing this.  (Those 3 rides weren't as much fun after that)
    
    Robb
691.6NO CURB ENDOSSQUEKE::CROSSWed Jul 06 1988 15:124
    This is just a reminder to people going down hill. If it's steep
    enough that it requires you to slide back on the saddle, be careful
    about your braking heavy rear braking and light or pumping of the
    front this keeps you from doing curb endos.
691.7COOKIE::MUNNSdaveThu Feb 01 1996 20:006
    Gravitational pull theorem #1:
    
    When your bike falls down, relax - don't fight it, and let yourself
    fall away from your bucking machine.  At least that worked when I went 
    down on a patch of ice that had me grounded before I knew what was 
    happening.  The clipless pedals released automatically too.
691.8WMOIS::GIROUARD_CFri Feb 02 1996 10:325
    -1 i think you nailed it when you said "your on the ground before 
    you know it". the opportunity to present a fight hardly ever presents
    itself.
    
    i hate that! :-)