lightpollut1on

I need help with one section of one of my favorite trails. I've rode this trail many times and have only made it through this section once. Twice I wiped out. Every other time I've swallowed my pride, hopped off the bike and walked it down. Basically its a steep downhill rife with little valleys and bumps from rain washing down followed by a super sharp turn to the right. My friend says I just need confidence since we have similar bikes and experience and he makes it through fine, but I thought I'd ask for some advice on how to approach it anyways. If it helps the section is preceded by a shallow downhill and I ride a K2 T-9 Trailhead.

junkyard

My advice would be to do what you did the one time you made it.

lightpollut1on

dude I don't remember what I did! It was hella days ago.

rbrsddn

Put on some downhill armor and rail it.

junkyard

Way I see it, you have a few options:
1) Slow down at the top of it, look ahead and decide what line you want to ride, then go for it. The negative is that you allow your mind time to talk you out of it.
2) Don't slow down, hit it with momentum and trust that you can react fast enough to choose the best line.
3) Watch the line your buddy takes and do what he does.

lightpollut1on

lol what?

Terrapin Ben

keep your outside foot at six o'clock and lean into your turn. as was said before, just rail it broseph!

born2bahick

I assuming you're of the feminine gender? I ride with gals that just seem to have more natural ability for mountain bikeing. I don't know if it's a better sense of balance, more finess or exactly what it is, but they just seem to pick up the technical skills quicker. Don't overthink it, trust your abilities.
If you are a guy, Dude why are you riding a T-9?

never

Get your buddy to ride it a bit slower and follow his line.

BlueTrain

how many days are hella?

lightpollut1on

around 200?

lightpollut1on

lol I'm not a guy :]

junkyard

Maybe that's the issue.

bearacuda

"followed by a super sharp turn to the right."

Try again?

troie

Take a picture of it so we can see exactly what the "turn" is.

Here are the top 3 braking tips Ive learned over the years:

1. Outside foot down
2. Brake before the turn and come into it wide
3. Lean with your body more than the bike

Where the head goes, the body will follow.

mtnbiker66

Relax, the less tense you are the smoother you'll ride.

Terrapin Ben

i digress. just rail it dudette!

mcoine

My wife falls all the time on loose, downhill switchbacks.. I put on a better set of tires and she has actually improved quite a bit. Really you just have to keep moving and go with the flow.

DirtPedalerB

I tend to try to lean the bike and my body at the same degree, but I ride a pretty round profile tire. sometimes I think the big side blocks on some rubber upset the cornering. probably mostly a mental ting though.

rbrsddn

Rail it= Throw caution to the wind and let 'er rip! :-)

Donegal

Don't let it beat you in your head. Get your weight on the pedals, butt out of the saddle and weight back. Use the brakes, rear more than front to control speed and remember that if you go down and you are not flying, it's not the end of the world. You might tip over but won't flip or fly out into space. Prepare for that turn in advance, pick you line, put your inside foot down and worst case you tip over. Your foot is already there.

I actually love tough downhill sections, gravity is working with you. It's the tough uphills that get me, tire slip, clipped in, wrong gear, etc. You feel powerless. Going down is easier as long as you keep your weight on your pedals and butt back, slide the rear tire if you need to.

imcrushingyerhd

Get some Metallica or something like that playing in your ears then go for it.

Bike Lover

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apex_(racing)

Late apexing will give more overall speed through the corner. I know this isn't what you're specifically talking about but the mechanics for most corners are the same. Set up on the trail opposite of the corner wait a bit longer than you think is necessary. Turn in and ride it out.

Of course, there could be many reasons why this needs to be modified, but it is the basics. For example, I have a corner that I try to apex but it is so off camber (sloping away from the corner) that if one doesn't swing out wide, the bike slips out.

Hope this helps somewhat.

EivlEvo

You'll build more skill and confidence in technical MTB by taking it slow.

Stand up before you drop in. Pinch the seat dick with ur thighs and lean back over the rear tire (ur hammies will prolly lean on the seat wings).

Get on that rear brake keep it rolling just enough so you don't toss. And just use the braking to pick up speed if you need it.

Any technical downhill can be properly handled with proper balance and control.

Once you get good at really slow riding and braking control, you'll learn to drag ur rear wheel so you can go faster instead of pulsing the brake. Then you'll learn how to steer the bike with ur feet/weight while that rear wheel is sliding along.

bearacuda

No, the mechanics are not the same at all.

The mechanics of a fast flat corner are different than a technical, flat, medium speed corner and are different from a flat smooth super sharp corner which is different from a technical steep super sharp corner.