mountain biking question

Quoted message said:

I can't decide whether or not to be grateful that both of Saturday's
biking events have been pre-empted by a professional photographer
friend of mine inviting me to go with him (by car) down to one of the
Li minority villages (I think it's Li) in the center of the island and
take pictures of a religious festival which generally involves men
parading around with long sharp things impaled through their faces.

HUH? Sharp things through their faces? Big ouch.

Quoted message said:

Since I have a good excuse for why I can't join the 300 kilometer (one
day) trip to Sanya I don't have to make any lame excuses for why I
can't join.

But I'm missing the afternoon mountain biking competition. Which I
actually wanted to go to. At least to watch if not to participate.
(With a general dearth of women riders anyone female who signs up is
pretty durn well guaranteed to get one of the prizes.)

Shoulda joined, trophies look nicer than pictures of guy with pointy
things in their faces.

Quoted message said:

I've been going out to the mountain bike practice ground most
afternoons this week (everyone has) and have had a few opportunities to
borrow a mountain bike. Mountain biking on a mountain bike is so so
way much better than mountain biking on a road bike. And I've gotten
air under both tires on some of the jumpy bumpy bits which is so
totally COOL!

I can vouch for that but never tried to kill my road bike. It just plain
don't work on sand.

Quoted message said:

Almost immediately after getting off of the bike my bad leg is very
extremely pigeon toed (though it doesn't hurt) and keeps pigeon toeing
(to the point of making it hard to clip in) when I get back on my road
bike. I also picked up a bit of a limp this afternoon (though that was
rather quickly fixed by a trip to the massage place).

Did you crash hard?

Quoted message said:

Nothing actually hurts. Other than the first day when I chickened out
at my first ever anytime in anyway jump, pulled on the brakes real
quick, and went over the handlebars into a nice soft pile of sand, I
haven't wiped out at all.

I wiped out from blasting downhill into dry quicksand and went over the
bars. No hurt, just embarrassed in front of most of my grandkids.

Quoted message said:

Any ideas as to what the hell I could be doing?

Don't hit the front brakes on sand, that is almost a guaranteed wipe out.

Quoted message said:

-M

Hey, it is still fun.
Bill

Bill Baka said:

Quoted message said:

I can't decide whether or not to be grateful that both of Saturday's
biking events have been pre-empted by a professional photographer
friend of mine inviting me to go with him (by car) down to one of the
Li minority villages (I think it's Li) in the center of the island and
take pictures of a religious festival which generally involves men
parading around with long sharp things impaled through their faces.

HUH? Sharp things through their faces? Big ouch.

It's not my religion, or my face... but my general feeling is also big
ouch. However, the chance to go to a minority religious festival as a
guest of someone who is welcome in that particular village is something
I'm not going to pass up on.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Since I have a good excuse for why I can't join the 300 kilometer (one
day) trip to Sanya I don't have to make any lame excuses for why I
can't join.

But I'm missing the afternoon mountain biking competition. Which I
actually wanted to go to. At least to watch if not to participate.
(With a general dearth of women riders anyone female who signs up is
pretty durn well guaranteed to get one of the prizes.)

Shoulda joined, trophies look nicer than pictures of guy with pointy
things in their faces.

But guys with pointy things through their faces don't happen everyday
and another competition will come along. Besides the photographer
invited me first.

Since I've been practicing mountain biking for all of a week I'm
unlikely to get a trophy, a t-shirt and maybe one of the half price
tickets to the Guangzhou Shimano Bikers Festival but not a trophy.
There are women who are actually good who are competing. Just not very
many.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I've been going out to the mountain bike practice ground most
afternoons this week (everyone has) and have had a few opportunities to
borrow a mountain bike. Mountain biking on a mountain bike is so so
way much better than mountain biking on a road bike. And I've gotten
air under both tires on some of the jumpy bumpy bits which is so
totally COOL!

I can vouch for that but never tried to kill my road bike. It just plain
don't work on sand.

It's alright on the hard packed sand. I like the tracks up by the
volcano best.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Almost immediately after getting off of the bike my bad leg is very
extremely pigeon toed (though it doesn't hurt) and keeps pigeon toeing
(to the point of making it hard to clip in) when I get back on my road
bike. I also picked up a bit of a limp this afternoon (though that was
rather quickly fixed by a trip to the massage place).

Did you crash hard?

I didn't crash at all.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Nothing actually hurts. Other than the first day when I chickened out
at my first ever anytime in anyway jump, pulled on the brakes real
quick, and went over the handlebars into a nice soft pile of sand, I
haven't wiped out at all.

I wiped out from blasting downhill into dry quicksand and went over the
bars. No hurt, just embarrassed in front of most of my grandkids.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Any ideas as to what the hell I could be doing?

Don't hit the front brakes on sand, that is almost a guaranteed wipe out.

I figured that out already. And the general inadvisability of hitting
the brakes halfway through a climb (though that wasn't my mistake).

-M

Quoted message said:

I can't decide whether or not to be grateful that both of Saturday's
biking events have been pre-empted by a professional photographer
friend of mine inviting me to go with him (by car) down to one of the
Li minority villages (I think it's Li) in the center of the island and
take pictures of a religious festival which generally involves men
parading around with long sharp things impaled through their faces.

Since I have a good excuse for why I can't join the 300 kilometer (one
day) trip to Sanya I don't have to make any lame excuses for why I
can't join.

But I'm missing the afternoon mountain biking competition. Which I
actually wanted to go to. At least to watch if not to participate.
(With a general dearth of women riders anyone female who signs up is
pretty durn well guaranteed to get one of the prizes.)

I've been going out to the mountain bike practice ground most
afternoons this week (everyone has) and have had a few opportunities
to borrow a mountain bike. Mountain biking on a mountain bike is so
so way much better than mountain biking on a road bike. And I've
gotten air under both tires on some of the jumpy bumpy bits which is
so totally COOL!

Almost immediately after getting off of the bike my bad leg is very
extremely pigeon toed (though it doesn't hurt) and keeps pigeon toeing
(to the point of making it hard to clip in) when I get back on my road
bike. I also picked up a bit of a limp this afternoon (though that
was rather quickly fixed by a trip to the massage place).

Nothing actually hurts. Other than the first day when I chickened out
at my first ever anytime in anyway jump, pulled on the brakes real
quick, and went over the handlebars into a nice soft pile of sand, I
haven't wiped out at all.

Any ideas as to what the hell I could be doing?

Sure sounds like mountain biking to me!

Just today I met some friends for my first mtb ride in months (I used to
really BE a mountain biker, before going all roadie), and was thinking about
the differences between the two "disciplines" (doesn't sound right, but what
the heck).

My road bikes are light...and sleek...and skinny...and clean. I ride out my
door and can go as long or short as the mood strikes. I glide and ride,
returning home smoothly (albeit tired).

My mtbs are heavy...and ugly...and fat...and dirty. I (generally) have to
pack up stuff and drive to a place, and then stick to a trail. I huff and
puff, returning to the car filthy and beat up (albeit smiling...usually).

I really need to get dirty more often.

Bill S.

Sorni said:

Quoted message said:

I can't decide whether or not to be grateful that both of Saturday's
biking events have been pre-empted by a professional photographer
friend of mine inviting me to go with him (by car) down to one of the
Li minority villages (I think it's Li) in the center of the island and
take pictures of a religious festival which generally involves men
parading around with long sharp things impaled through their faces.

Since I have a good excuse for why I can't join the 300 kilometer (one
day) trip to Sanya I don't have to make any lame excuses for why I
can't join.

But I'm missing the afternoon mountain biking competition. Which I
actually wanted to go to. At least to watch if not to participate.
(With a general dearth of women riders anyone female who signs up is
pretty durn well guaranteed to get one of the prizes.)

I've been going out to the mountain bike practice ground most
afternoons this week (everyone has) and have had a few opportunities
to borrow a mountain bike. Mountain biking on a mountain bike is so
so way much better than mountain biking on a road bike. And I've
gotten air under both tires on some of the jumpy bumpy bits which is
so totally COOL!

Almost immediately after getting off of the bike my bad leg is very
extremely pigeon toed (though it doesn't hurt) and keeps pigeon toeing
(to the point of making it hard to clip in) when I get back on my road
bike. I also picked up a bit of a limp this afternoon (though that
was rather quickly fixed by a trip to the massage place).

Nothing actually hurts. Other than the first day when I chickened out
at my first ever anytime in anyway jump, pulled on the brakes real
quick, and went over the handlebars into a nice soft pile of sand, I
haven't wiped out at all.

Any ideas as to what the hell I could be doing?

Sure sounds like mountain biking to me!

Just today I met some friends for my first mtb ride in months (I used to
really BE a mountain biker, before going all roadie), and was thinking about
the differences between the two "disciplines" (doesn't sound right, but what
the heck).

My road bikes are light...and sleek...and skinny...and clean. I ride out my
door and can go as long or short as the mood strikes. I glide and ride,
returning home smoothly (albeit tired).

My mtbs are heavy...and ugly...and fat...and dirty. I (generally) have to
pack up stuff and drive to a place, and then stick to a trail. I huff and
puff, returning to the car filthy and beat up (albeit smiling...usually).

I really need to get dirty more often.

Bill S.

I told you it was fun.
Bill Baka

Quoted message said:

I've been going out to the mountain bike practice ground most
afternoons this week (everyone has) and have had a few opportunities to
borrow a mountain bike. Mountain biking on a mountain bike is so so
way much better than mountain biking on a road bike. And I've gotten
air under both tires on some of the jumpy bumpy bits which is so
totally COOL!

Almost immediately after getting off of the bike my bad leg is very
extremely pigeon toed (though it doesn't hurt) and keeps pigeon toeing
(to the point of making it hard to clip in) when I get back on my road
bike. I also picked up a bit of a limp this afternoon (though that was
rather quickly fixed by a trip to the massage place).

If I had to guess, I'd say you're borrowing a bike that doesn't fit you
correctly. I'm not sure what you mean when you say your bad leg "keeps
pigeon toeing", but it sounds like a serious red flag to me. Glad to
hear it doesn't bother you for long.

Even though I spend most of my time as a roadie, I love doing a bit of
mountain biking from time to time. Short, steep hills are great for
doing intervals, and the technical sections serve to remind me that my
bike-handling skills are still pretty lame. (I do get airborne
sometimes on my road bike, if you count bunny-hops.)

I suppose I should also point out that while religious people who poke
things through their faces may seem odd to us, I'm sure we seem rather
odd when we intentionally push ourselves to physical extremes riding up
long steep grades ...and we call it "fun". :-)

-JR

SlowRider said:

Quoted message said:

I've been going out to the mountain bike practice ground most
afternoons this week (everyone has) and have had a few opportunities to
borrow a mountain bike. Mountain biking on a mountain bike is so so
way much better than mountain biking on a road bike. And I've gotten
air under both tires on some of the jumpy bumpy bits which is so
totally COOL!

Almost immediately after getting off of the bike my bad leg is very
extremely pigeon toed (though it doesn't hurt) and keeps pigeon toeing
(to the point of making it hard to clip in) when I get back on my road
bike. I also picked up a bit of a limp this afternoon (though that was
rather quickly fixed by a trip to the massage place).

If I had to guess, I'd say you're borrowing a bike that doesn't fit you
correctly. I'm not sure what you mean when you say your bad leg "keeps
pigeon toeing", but it sounds like a serious red flag to me. Glad to
hear it doesn't bother you for long.

Even though I spend most of my time as a roadie, I love doing a bit of
mountain biking from time to time. Short, steep hills are great for
doing intervals, and the technical sections serve to remind me that my
bike-handling skills are still pretty lame. (I do get airborne
sometimes on my road bike, if you count bunny-hops.)

I suppose I should also point out that while religious people who poke
things through their faces may seem odd to us, I'm sure we seem rather
odd when we intentionally push ourselves to physical extremes riding up
long steep grades ...and we call it "fun". :-)

-JR

Yeah,
But we get fit not scarred.
Bill

SlowRider said:

Quoted message said:

I've been going out to the mountain bike practice ground most
afternoons this week (everyone has) and have had a few opportunities to
borrow a mountain bike. Mountain biking on a mountain bike is so so
way much better than mountain biking on a road bike. And I've gotten
air under both tires on some of the jumpy bumpy bits which is so
totally COOL!

Almost immediately after getting off of the bike my bad leg is very
extremely pigeon toed (though it doesn't hurt) and keeps pigeon toeing
(to the point of making it hard to clip in) when I get back on my road
bike. I also picked up a bit of a limp this afternoon (though that was
rather quickly fixed by a trip to the massage place).

If I had to guess, I'd say you're borrowing a bike that doesn't fit you
correctly. I'm not sure what you mean when you say your bad leg "keeps
pigeon toeing", but it sounds like a serious red flag to me. Glad to
hear it doesn't bother you for long.

The leg is half numb, it never particularly bothers me per se, and when
it does bother me I've got a masseur, and for extreme circumstances
prescription narcotics.

Pigeon toeing is when the toe of the foot turns inward, particularly
bad is when my right foot is trying to be perpendicular to my left.

I'm borrowing lots of different bikes. We adjust the saddle but the
rest is kind of hard to do short notice.

Quoted message said:

Even though I spend most of my time as a roadie, I love doing a bit of
mountain biking from time to time. Short, steep hills are great for
doing intervals, and the technical sections serve to remind me that my
bike-handling skills are still pretty lame. (I do get airborne
sometimes on my road bike, if you count bunny-hops.)

I figured out how to bunny hop a couple of days ago. So cool...

Quoted message said:

I suppose I should also point out that while religious people who poke
things through their faces may seem odd to us, I'm sure we seem rather
odd when we intentionally push ourselves to physical extremes riding up
long steep grades ...and we call it "fun". :-)

the technique of riding a mountain bike and a road bike are very
different...my guess is as a road biker you had your seat set too high
for the offroad conditions you were in...you did not mention if you
were on a hardtail or full suspension rig....on a hardtail you will
find yourself up off the seat more frequently, and you need to move
around on the bike, forward and rearward as well as up and down to get
your bike to traverse the terrain..also the crank arms on your bike may
have been too long for your size and the cleats were not set for you,
so your foot position was far from ideal....but congrats to you for
going offroad!!!you may wish to check out a cross cycle, more like a
road bike, for your offroad adventures. have fun out there

innamaze said:

the technique of riding a mountain bike and a road bike are very
different...my guess is as a road biker you had your seat set too high
for the offroad conditions you were in...you did not mention if you
were on a hardtail or full suspension rig....

That's cause I borrowed about 15 different bikes. The club borrowed a
construction site for a mountain bike competition and people were out
there every afternoon for about two weeks practicing.

I was on hardtail, good full suspension, bad full suspension, rigid
fork, squishy suspension fork, non squishy suspension fork, etc... I
even got to try out the bike shop manager's mountain bike.

on a hardtail you will

Quoted message said:

find yourself up off the seat more frequently, and you need to move
around on the bike, forward and rearward as well as up and down to get
your bike to traverse the terrain..also the crank arms on your bike may
have been too long for your size and the cleats were not set for you,
so your foot position was far from ideal....but congrats to you for
going offroad!!! you may wish to check out a cross cycle, more like a
road bike, for your offroad adventures. have fun out there

I frequently go offroad on my road bike. My friends are sadists who
believe in convenient shortcuts.

-M