Noob Mistake. Help! Air = Accident

[m@ver1ck]

Hello,

First post.

Just got into mountain biking recently. 41. Been riding about a year, 1-2 times a month on local trails/mountain biking park. I’ve been riding the Trek Superfly – a 29er.

Took a 27.5 (650B) – the Santa Cruz 5010 – out for the first time last weekend, and did a Blue trail – which I had done previously with my 29er a few times the week before.

Long story short – I guess I was going a little faster than I thought I was – and caught some air (involuntarily). I guess I was thrown about 1/2 and inch off my bike – my hands sort of came off, and I was lifted off my pedals and my seat too. Luckily, I landed with my hands on the handlebars, and also landed on my seat – the full suspension took the impact. One foot landed on the pedal – and the other leg – got whacked pretty bad with the other pedal. Shin swelled up big time. Welcome to the big times. 🙂

So – a few questions –

a) What do I do to not catch air? Just go slower?

b) Or if I do catch some air, what might I have been doing wrong, or should do differently? I suspect I don’t grip my handlebars, but just keep my palms planted on them, with fingers on brakes – is that it?

c) The SantaCruz 5010 seems to have killed the fun of riding though – while with the 29er I was hanging on for dear life and felt like I was flying above the terrain, the 5010 seems to have made it easier? Dunno – just not as much fun as I thought it would be. What adjustments to riding style are necessary when going from hard tail to full suspension? Any gotchas? anything I should do differently on the full suspension so I don’t get thrown off? Was it the bikes fault? Or just mine?

Thanks for help and comments.

[jgmtb]

Hi Maverick,

a) yes, you can and should go slower. Or it could be a matter of suspension (maybe you are running the fork and shock too hard, rebound too fast). There are techniques like squashing (or more advanced: scrubbing) to limit your air, but they are both way too advanced for you. So yes, I would say going slower is the first step.

b) If you end up in the air by accident, then you are already off to a pretty bad start. If you want to “send” something (catch some air off an obstacle) on purpose, it is good to have your weight properly shifted and suspension properly loaded. So finding yourself in the air all of a sudden, it is likely you are going to be off-balance already. If this does happen, I doubt you would be able to recall any advice in the split second before you hit the ground. Just try to hang on and land rubber-down 🙂

c) I have been riding a long time, but also just switched from a regularly riding 29er hardtail to a 27.5 fs. Keep in mind the bikes will ride in different ways, i needed some time to get used to it as well. Generally, it is the common perception that the smaller-wheeled full suspension bike is more fun. A 29er will roll over things in a straight line better, but the 5010 will be somewhat easier to maneuver and be more “flick-able”. More experienced riders like to get their bikes in the air, and be able to move them around. Check out Danny Macaskill riding is 5010 (for example, wee day out) and tell me that doesn’t look like loads of fun. Still, if you think your 29er is more fun, then by all means stick to what you like!

Try taking a skills course, and build up your experience and bike-handling. YouTube videos from places like GMBN also offer good tips. For example, you may not be able to bunny hop after watching the video, but it will give you a lot of good insights on how your weight should be shifted when you want to get over an obstacle.

Happy riding!

-Jake

 

[mongwolf]

Just to start with, it sounds like you might have been seated on the bike while going fast when you should have been standing in the attack position.  If you are not familiar with the attack position, then look at some videos online.  It puts you in an excellent position to handle most of what a trail will throw at you while riding fast — even unexpected things. And if you do not know what the attack position is, then you may not know several other basic techniques that will make riding a lot more fun and safe (no criticism whatsoever intended by that statement).  So again, a great place to start is watching videos online.  Most of what you will see is good advice, but not all.

[kenwrightjr]

Another thing that I think would help is bumping up that riding “1-2 times a month” to like “4-6 times a month”. Practice makes perfect. And that couldn’t be more truer mountain biking. I look back where I was a year ago and if I had only ridden based on that math 12-24 times all year long then getting air would be most likely be the least of my worries. lol. Now I try to get in 12 rides a month if not more. And I assure you that the things I have learned along the way have been learned in trial and error with grit and determination. Just a suggestion.

[rmap01 ✓ supporter]

Whereas it’s certainly possible you’re suspension may not be set properly, I agree with mongwolf that your issue is almost certainly due to remaining seated on the bike when you rode over uneven terrain.  Not knowing any of the specifics your issue could be as simple as your weight being slightly more forward on the 5010 than it is on the Superfly so riding the same trail at a similar speed can cause a small, though unexpected, loss of balance while riding over even minor undulations if you  remain seated without shifting your body weight at all.  The faster the speed the greater and the bigger the bump the more you are likely to be knocked off the saddle and potentially the bike.  If you’re in the attack position with your weight balanced toward the back of the bike you absorb those undulations without issue.  Once you get ccomfortable doing so, you will come to crave those opportunities to catch some air.  The 5010 is a great bike that can be a lot of fun.  Embrace the air!

[m@ver1ck]

Thanks for all the tips, guys! I’ll probably stick to the green lines through the winter months, and get some lessons in the spring. Can’t afford to injure myself – I’m 41 – and things take longer to heal. 🙂
I also have my 6 yr old in tow – we started mountain biking together about a year or two ago. The first several months, I would just run behind him – had to push him up the slopes – and run behind him full throttle downhills.

All this at Duthie Hill park in WA state.

[ericshell]

I judge my speed and danger zone by my gut (and toes). When I go down a trail at speed if I am going to fast for my ability I know it right away. My toes and gut tingles. Sounds weird but I know when to back off. I have ignored those warning signs a couple of times. Got lucky a few times with only a OMG I can believe I did that..and Ouch what an idiot. A couple of things have helped me. I put a dropper post and that has increased my speed on tricky downhills. (Pushed the tingle back a little) But also know that wrecking is learning. Push that envelope and relish the tingle!!

Old Dude still riding!

[jwimmer]

I have had a crash that was fairly similar to yours. Make sure your seat is dropped down (if you don’t have a dropper post, do it before descending). In my experience, having your seat raised can essentially “buck” you off when the back tire goes over the lip of the jump. If your seat is down and you are in attack position, jumping will feel more natural.

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