Technical???

Mike Halliday said:

OK I know this is a basic question, but y'all seem real nice, soo :

When I see trails discsussed often they meniton "Technical sectios" or
"Technical challenges" ....

What does taht refer to? It sounded likpe obsticles to get over, but I
am sure there is a preceise explanation with a term like "technical"
;-)

OK. Imagine a real strong roadie on his first mountain bike ride with
his (slightly less fit) mountain biking buddy who's been telling him he
should try riding off road for the past two years. They start out
riding on smooth not-too-steep trails, and the roadie is cleaning his
bud's clock.
"Ha ha, this [censored]'s easy! Why so slow yada yada..." as he disappears up
the trail. The mountain biker remains silent.
Soon our skilled mountain biker catches up to his friend standing by the
trail with nice fresh scuffs on his calf and elbow.
"Dude, the next section is impossible to ride, I've tried it three time
and look..." showing his friend fresh blood.
"Hmm" replies our mountain biker, and promptly rides up the impossible
section, followed by three 40 something riders they had seen down in the
parking lot (and one of em didn't even have a rear derailleur???).
With deflated ego, our roadie watches his friend ride gracefully away
over rocks and roots. He has learned what mountain bikers refer to as a
"technical section" means.
Our mountain biker continues to ride up the trail. He smiles.

Longer story shorter: A section of trail (up, down, or flat), that
requires bike handling skills rather than just strength, to negotiate.

Shawn

Great thanks all for the great explanations !

Wanna learn the right lingo for this sport as I work onf the skills so
I can ask for help clearly ;-)
..

Mike

"Shawn" <sdotcurry@bresnananotherdotnet> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Mike Halliday said:

OK I know this is a basic question, but y'all seem real nice, soo :

When I see trails discsussed often they meniton "Technical sectios" or
"Technical challenges" ....

What does taht refer to? It sounded likpe obsticles to get over, but I
am sure there is a preceise explanation with a term like "technical"
;-)

OK. Imagine a real strong roadie on his first mountain bike ride with his
(slightly less fit) mountain biking buddy who's been telling him he should
try riding off road for the past two years. They start out riding on
smooth not-too-steep trails, and the roadie is cleaning his bud's clock.
"Ha ha, this [censored]'s easy! Why so slow yada yada..." as he disappears up
the trail. The mountain biker remains silent.
Soon our skilled mountain biker catches up to his friend standing by the
trail with nice fresh scuffs on his calf and elbow.
"Dude, the next section is impossible to ride, I've tried it three time
and look..." showing his friend fresh blood.
"Hmm" replies our mountain biker, and promptly rides up the impossible
section, followed by three 40 something riders they had seen down in the
parking lot (and one of em didn't even have a rear derailleur???).
With deflated ego, our roadie watches his friend ride gracefully away over
rocks and roots. He has learned what mountain bikers refer to as a
"technical section" means.
Our mountain biker continues to ride up the trail. He smiles.

Longer story shorter: A section of trail (up, down, or flat), that
requires bike handling skills rather than just strength, to negotiate.

Shawn

so, is there a story behind that?

CDB (it just sounded too real)

Paladin said:

"Shawn" <sdotcurry@bresnananotherdotnet> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Mike Halliday said:

OK I know this is a basic question, but y'all seem real nice, soo :

When I see trails discsussed often they meniton "Technical sectios" or
"Technical challenges" ....

What does taht refer to? It sounded likpe obsticles to get over, but I
am sure there is a preceise explanation with a term like "technical"
;-)

OK. Imagine a real strong roadie on his first mountain bike ride with his
(slightly less fit) mountain biking buddy who's been telling him he should
try riding off road for the past two years. They start out riding on
smooth not-too-steep trails, and the roadie is cleaning his bud's clock.
"Ha ha, this [censored]'s easy! Why so slow yada yada..." as he disappears up
the trail. The mountain biker remains silent.
Soon our skilled mountain biker catches up to his friend standing by the
trail with nice fresh scuffs on his calf and elbow.
"Dude, the next section is impossible to ride, I've tried it three time
and look..." showing his friend fresh blood.
"Hmm" replies our mountain biker, and promptly rides up the impossible
section, followed by three 40 something riders they had seen down in the
parking lot (and one of em didn't even have a rear derailleur???).
With deflated ego, our roadie watches his friend ride gracefully away over
rocks and roots. He has learned what mountain bikers refer to as a
"technical section" means.
Our mountain biker continues to ride up the trail. He smiles.

Longer story shorter: A section of trail (up, down, or flat), that
requires bike handling skills rather than just strength, to negotiate.

Shawn

so, is there a story behind that?

CDB (it just sounded too real)

Not really, but it does remind me of a few rides I've had now that I
think of it. My roadie friend that I'd occasionally go mountain biking
with wasn't that arrogant, but he was (still is) that fast.

Shawn

Shawn said:

Paladin said:

"Shawn" <sdotcurry@bresnananotherdotnet> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Mike Halliday wrote:

> OK I know this is a basic question, but y'all seem real nice, soo :
>
> When I see trails discsussed often they meniton "Technical sectios" or
> "Technical challenges" ....
>
> What does taht refer to? It sounded likpe obsticles to get over, but I
> am sure there is a preceise explanation with a term like "technical"
> ;-)

OK. Imagine a real strong roadie on his first mountain bike ride
with his (slightly less fit) mountain biking buddy who's been telling
him he should try riding off road for the past two years. They start
out riding on smooth not-too-steep trails, and the roadie is cleaning
his bud's clock.
"Ha ha, this [censored]'s easy! Why so slow yada yada..." as he disappears
up the trail. The mountain biker remains silent.
Soon our skilled mountain biker catches up to his friend standing by
the trail with nice fresh scuffs on his calf and elbow.
"Dude, the next section is impossible to ride, I've tried it three
time and look..." showing his friend fresh blood.
"Hmm" replies our mountain biker, and promptly rides up the
impossible section, followed by three 40 something riders they had
seen down in the parking lot (and one of em didn't even have a rear
derailleur???).
With deflated ego, our roadie watches his friend ride gracefully away
over rocks and roots. He has learned what mountain bikers refer to
as a "technical section" means.
Our mountain biker continues to ride up the trail. He smiles.

Longer story shorter: A section of trail (up, down, or flat), that
requires bike handling skills rather than just strength, to negotiate.

Shawn

so, is there a story behind that?

CDB (it just sounded too real)

Not really, but it does remind me of a few rides I've had now that I
think of it. My roadie friend that I'd occasionally go mountain biking
with wasn't that arrogant, but he was (still is) that fast.

Shawn

Happened to me.... kinda. But I got my clock cleaned by a teenage chick
wearing flip flops, Levis', smoking a stogie (or was that it a doobie?)
and riding a beach cruiser. No lie.

Ok, so I'm not much of a technical (or otherwise) climber ;-P Besides,
going DH is so much more natural :-D
--
Slack

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

so, is there a story behind that?

CDB (it just sounded too real)

Not really, but it does remind me of a few rides I've had now that I
think of it. My roadie friend that I'd occasionally go mountain biking
with wasn't that arrogant, but he was (still is) that fast.

Shawn

Happened to me.... kinda. But I got my clock cleaned by a teenage chick
wearing flip flops, Levis', smoking a stogie (or was that it a doobie?)
and riding a beach cruiser. No lie.

Ok, so I'm not much of a technical (or otherwise) climber ;-P Besides,
going DH is so much more natural :-D
--
Slack

Similar experience when we took a guy named Cliff out. Serious roadie, good
long distance runner, occasional mountainbiker. We took him along this
smooth ridge, and he was booking along just fine, then the riders started
disappearing. He made it down the first couple little drops. The next drop
was nearly vertical, about 6 feet, the second was nearly 8 feet, and when he
came up to the lip of the first one, he stood there straddling his bike:
"WTF! There's no way in *(&^% I'm going over that!" That was pretty funny.
In fact, it was part of great ride: http://tinyurl.com/8mfn6

CDB

<Paladin

In fact, it was part of great ride: http://tinyurl.com/8mfn6

CDB>

That was great fun to read that again.

Jimbo(san) said:

<Paladin

In fact, it was part of great ride: http://tinyurl.com/8mfn6

CDB>

That was great fun to read that again.

My brother, who does very well at XTerra triathlons is a little like
that. He's probably even got the skills (ex-BMXer, longtime MTBer), but
is more likely to do it 'cross style than try to ride anything that
looks hard and/or punishing. He reasoning is that it's often as fast or
faster to run the section (which is really only true if you don't make
it), and that he's afraid of getting hurt and blowing the season.
I guess I understand where he's coming from, but I usually want to try
it unless I think it might kill me. Even then I might give it a go if
I'm having an "invincible" day.

Matt

"Jimbo (san)" <[email hidden]> wrote in
message news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

<Paladin

In fact, it was part of great ride: http://tinyurl.com/8mfn6

CDB>

That was great fun to read that again.

--
Jimbo(san)

In fact, Jimbo, I took you and Carla through most of that ride, but the big
drops were closed off before your visit. I think I pointed them out to you.
Near the start where we saw the big owl. Too dangerous or some such
poppycock. I say, let the process of natural selection cull the herds!!

CDB 😉

"MattB" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Jimbo(san) said:

<Paladin

In fact, it was part of great ride: http://tinyurl.com/8mfn6

CDB>

That was great fun to read that again.

My brother, who does very well at XTerra triathlons is a little like that.
He's probably even got the skills (ex-BMXer, longtime MTBer), but is more
likely to do it 'cross style than try to ride anything that looks hard
and/or punishing. He reasoning is that it's often as fast or faster to run
the section (which is really only true if you don't make it), and that
he's afraid of getting hurt and blowing the season.
I guess I understand where he's coming from, but I usually want to try it
unless I think it might kill me. Even then I might give it a go if I'm
having an "invincible" day.

Matt

Speaking of that, here's a sequence on a *very* tough and unforgiving rock
section close to town. This new amigo I'm riding with will try anything,
and the surprising thing is, he's cleaning most of what he throws himself
at. The pictures don't do it justice, but let's just say it's being ridden
only by experts and/or trial riders. I'll only attempt it with a spotter or
two.

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?s=5372e0e8a1e3c14f357a8e9d1c7d4126&t=124339

CDB

Paladin said:

Speaking of that, here's a sequence on a *very* tough and unforgiving
rock section close to town. This new amigo I'm riding with will try
anything, and the surprising thing is, he's cleaning most of what he
throws himself at. The pictures don't do it justice, but let's just
say it's being ridden only by experts and/or trial riders. I'll only
attempt it with a spotter or two.

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?s=5372e0e8a1e3c14f357a8e9d1c7d4126&t=124339

I'd be all over that.

Bleeding profusely.

Paladin said:

"MattB" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Jimbo(san) said:

<Paladin

In fact, it was part of great ride: http://tinyurl.com/8mfn6

CDB>

That was great fun to read that again.

My brother, who does very well at XTerra triathlons is a little like that.
He's probably even got the skills (ex-BMXer, longtime MTBer), but is more
likely to do it 'cross style than try to ride anything that looks hard
and/or punishing. He reasoning is that it's often as fast or faster to run
the section (which is really only true if you don't make it), and that
he's afraid of getting hurt and blowing the season.
I guess I understand where he's coming from, but I usually want to try it
unless I think it might kill me. Even then I might give it a go if I'm
having an "invincible" day.

Matt

Speaking of that, here's a sequence on a *very* tough and unforgiving rock
section close to town. This new amigo I'm riding with will try anything,
and the surprising thing is, he's cleaning most of what he throws himself
at. The pictures don't do it justice, but let's just say it's being ridden
only by experts and/or trial riders. I'll only attempt it with a spotter or
two.

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?s=5372e0e8a1e3c14f357a8e9d1c7d4126&t=124339

CDB

Cool. Form the photo I'd like to think I'd try it, but I know how they
can be deceiving. The final transition back to relative flat looks like
the kicker. At least there isn't far to fall from that point.

This is one of my favorite drops around here:
<http://mattb.net/images/galleries/2004-00%20Summer%20misc/matt-horseshoe.JPG>

but the transition isn't bad, and it's mostly smooth with only a couple
of cracks to navigate.

Matt

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Matt

Speaking of that, here's a sequence on a *very* tough and unforgiving
rock section close to town. This new amigo I'm riding with will try
anything, and the surprising thing is, he's cleaning most of what he
throws himself at. The pictures don't do it justice, but let's just say
it's being ridden only by experts and/or trial riders. I'll only attempt
it with a spotter or two.

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?s=5372e0e8a1e3c14f357a8e9d1c7d4126&t=124339

CDB

Cool. Form the photo I'd like to think I'd try it, but I know how they can
be deceiving. The final transition back to relative flat looks like the
kicker. At least there isn't far to fall from that point.

This is one of my favorite drops around here:
<http://mattb.net/images/galleries/2004-00%20Summer%20misc/matt-horseshoe.JPG>

but the transition isn't bad, and it's mostly smooth with only a couple of
cracks to navigate.

Matt

It's not that it's so technically difficult, it's just that if you blow any
one of about 5 required moves, you're body-slammed into solid rock. It's
about 10 feet almost straight down from transition to exit. The first
picture of the rider shows Craig after about 2 tough moves already. And
there's not much room to maneuver, so the combination of looking very scary,
being fairly tough, and not having any room for error, it can psyche you
out.

But that's what keeps the sport exciting, right?

This was the same guy that spotted me through this mess, so that now, I just
get my butt way back, get enough speed, hang on and let the bike do the
work:

http://myweb.cableone.net/justen/hpim0202.jpg
http://myweb.cableone.net/justen/hpim0204.jpg

CDB

"justen" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

MattB said:

but the transition isn't bad, and it's mostly smooth with only a couple
of cracks to navigate.

I've tried it twice. And have the scars to prove it. The hard part is
a frickin' 90 degree turn, with 3 inches of space. I'd love to see
somebody ride it. I'm not sure if my failures are because I am going
too slow, or too fast.

Can't say without watching but I'd say 75% of the time on sections like that
the problem is from going to slow.

Greg

G.T. said:

"justen" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

MattB said:

but the transition isn't bad, and it's mostly smooth with only a couple
of cracks to navigate.

I've tried it twice. And have the scars to prove it. The hard part is
a frickin' 90 degree turn, with 3 inches of space. I'd love to see
somebody ride it. I'm not sure if my failures are because I am going
too slow, or too fast.

Can't say without watching but I'd say 75% of the time on sections like that
the problem is from going to slow.

Greg

Yep. That's usually what gets me. Except when I go to fast...

Matt

MattB said:

G.T. said:

"justen" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

MattB wrote:

> but the transition isn't bad, and it's mostly smooth with only a couple
> of cracks to navigate.

I've tried it twice. And have the scars to prove it. The hard part is
a frickin' 90 degree turn, with 3 inches of space. I'd love to see
somebody ride it. I'm not sure if my failures are because I am going
too slow, or too fast.

Can't say without watching but I'd say 75% of the time on sections
like that
the problem is from going to slow.

Greg

Yep. That's usually what gets me. Except when I go to fast...

Matt

too

MattB said:

but the transition isn't bad, and it's mostly smooth with only a couple
of cracks to navigate.

I've tried it twice. And have the scars to prove it. The hard part is
a frickin' 90 degree turn, with 3 inches of space. I'd love to see
somebody ride it. I'm not sure if my failures are because I am going
too slow, or too fast. Usually, I crash because I go too slow. On this
section, I really don't know. Cbro, how does your friend take it?

Justen

"justen" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

MattB said:

but the transition isn't bad, and it's mostly smooth with only a couple
of cracks to navigate.

I've tried it twice. And have the scars to prove it. The hard part is a
frickin' 90 degree turn, with 3 inches of space. I'd love to see somebody
ride it. I'm not sure if my failures are because I am going too slow, or
too fast. Usually, I crash because I go too slow. On this section, I
really don't know. Cbro, how does your friend take it?

Justen

He's got a decent pace up when he enters it, but not fast by any means.
Kind of a fast walking pace. And 5" double boinger. That right turn is the
killer. I've gotten to it and bailed, because I didn't want to screw it and
crash into the rocks 10' below. 2 nights ago, he just comes over, turns
right kinda slow, and began bouncing down the high line that is tight to the
hill. (He had taken the middle line successfully before.) He went over that
2 or 3 foot drop at the end and scraped his right ankle up abit.

I'm wondering if a tail whip would be the way to make that first turn?

CDB
Not Without A Spotter For Me....

Paladin said:

"justen" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

MattB said:

but the transition isn't bad, and it's mostly smooth with only a couple
of cracks to navigate.

I've tried it twice. And have the scars to prove it. The hard part is a
frickin' 90 degree turn, with 3 inches of space. I'd love to see somebody
ride it. I'm not sure if my failures are because I am going too slow, or
too fast. Usually, I crash because I go too slow. On this section, I
really don't know. Cbro, how does your friend take it?

Justen

He's got a decent pace up when he enters it, but not fast by any means.
Kind of a fast walking pace. And 5" double boinger. That right turn is the
killer. I've gotten to it and bailed, because I didn't want to screw it and
crash into the rocks 10' below. 2 nights ago, he just comes over, turns
right kinda slow, and began bouncing down the high line that is tight to the
hill. (He had taken the middle line successfully before.) He went over that
2 or 3 foot drop at the end and scraped his right ankle up abit.

I'm wondering if a tail whip would be the way to make that first turn?

CDB
Not Without A Spotter For Me....

I've seen that move and the exposure after the entry could be a little
unnerving to many. On my one visit to that trail, I looked at it a
while before deciding not to give it a whirl on the rigid SS. I think
a walking pace and maybe a few trackstands with smooth pedal-outs over
the larger bumps would be sufficient on a rigid bike. On a FS or
hardtail, the walking pace would work well all of the way through it.

JD