Mountain Biking - Has your riding style changed?

I was going through some of the old threads that have been revived and it got me thinking about how much my riding style has changed over the past year.

Just last year I was an all or nothing XC rider who wore a heart rate monitor on every ride and thought that you had to earn your downhill by climbing. I was doing 5 to 6 hours rides with 6k+ feet of climbing. Well, this past year I had a revelation, I love downhilling. I bought a Giant AC1 and started making trips to Northstar in Tahoe, in fact, I enjoyed it so much that I bought a full-on downhill bike just recently. Don't get me wrong, I still love doing long XC rides but I will be making many trips to Tahoe in order to get lift assisted runs.

My question to you is, has your style of riding changed over the past few years?

Yes completely. Last year I wasn't riding. In fact all of my riding was strictly commuting with a - b mentality. All street I might add. I move out here buy a burly bike and start into aggro xc / light freeriding. I fell in love. What a steep and long learning curve to become both good and blasy enough.

Yes. Became more experienced and confident in city riding. These forums helped that, btw.
:)

I would have been completely happy without any riding style changes...but...my bikes won't hear of it.

My MTB has become a crazed point and shoot fanatic, if we are riding to slow it does everything within it's capability to dump me, seem it can't be satisfied unless the tires are being pushed to the traction limits in the corners and heaven forbid if I should try to roll over a log instead of charging hard and bunny hopping it.

The roadie, well that's another story for a different forum...but I'm sure the two off them are in cahoots and they're working on my commuter's attitude, I can just sense it :eek:

I really don't see and end to this trend until I'm wearing plaster.

Help!!

Fitness, experience and confidence have made me faster (XC). My skills are much improved, so I'm more aggressive through technical terrain. I blow through stuff now that gave me problems last year. An added bonus: I crash less often. However, when I crash, it hurts more.

My riding style hasn't changed really. I enjoy all types, XC,urban,dirt jumping,"freeriding", and downhill. However, I've only done downhill a few times, and my wallet is a little think for DH or anything that roaches parts quickly. So I stick to XC ;)

I have always ridden the same way, aggressive xc, dh & fr.
Only differance now is I have 3 different bikes, each specialized for specific riding.

Slainte:beer:

My style has completely changed over the last 2 weeks. I used to be a biker that just biked around the park a dozen or more times to get a work out. Now im a fully turned XC rider. Nothing gets my blood flowing like going downhill and catching some air. Now im trying to save money to get a new bike.

Originally posted by killerasp
My style has completely changed over the last 2 weeks. I used to be a biker that just biked around the park a dozen or more times to get a work out. Now im a fully turned XC rider. Nothing gets my blood flowing like going downhill and catching some air. Now im trying to save money to get a new bike.

YEAH! Another liesurely biker converted. :D

My skills have gotten better over the years. I used to suck on hill climbs, but I have been going out and tackling hills to get better at climbing. I'm still not as strong as I want to be, but my friends aren't waiting as long anymore. My cycling is primarily XC, technical trails are my forte, it's the climbing that was my weakness. If I were to race, I would be a better 24-hour type racer than a regular XC racer. Reason being, I can ride at a steady pace for long periods; that is of course, until my left ankle goes numb - I have CMT.

I also changed my diet and riding more effeciently. I only ride two days a week now and I have never been this strong before. I used to ride too much and with not enough rest, now I rest more and I see an improvement in my strength.