I used to tell beginner mountain bikers that they should attempt at least one new trick or obstacle each time they go out for a ride. For some people that means trying to ride a tricky rock garden without dabbing or for others it might mean learning to speed hop log crossings. The point is to improve mountain bike skills over time so that each time you ride you ride with more confidence.
At some point over the last couple years, though, I stopped following my own advice. I got comfortable with my MTB skill set and found myself riding the same trails and making the same decisions (walk this section, skip that air bridge, etc.). It wasn’t until just last week when I watched 24 Solo that I decided it was time to change.
If you haven’t seen 24 Solo, in one of the scenes at the end of the movie (and in the DVD extras as well) Chris Eatough and his race manager are out for a fun ride out in the woods. They both attempt (over and over again) to ride a downed tree spanning a creek bed from end to end without falling off. Eventually they get it but only after trying at least a half dozen times.
The following morning mudhunny and I met some friends for a beginner’s ride out at Lake Crabtree. When we got to the “advanced” skills area I noticed a sign that read “Caution: Know your limits.” I started thinking that perhaps I knew my limits a little too well and that perhaps it was time to test those limits a bit. There’s always a fine line between knowing your limits and not learning new tricks and I thought about this while I waited for our group to catch up.
Remembering the film from the night before I got up my courage and decided to try the crooked skinny with the teeter at the end, something I had never attempted before. My first time on the skinny I didn’t even make it to the first turn. I tried again and again, each time making one more turn than the previous attempt. At last I made it to the end and down the teeter and it felt pretty awesome.
It just goes to show that even an old mountain biker can learn new tricks, especially once you get over your own fear and laziness. What will you learn on your next ride?
