[Silveira_92]

"cavermatthew" wrote

I think Enduro is off and on road, and trail is strictly off road.

Think you’re confusing Enduro motorcyle events with enduro mountain biking. As pointed out above…Enduro mountain biking is a new format of race. Typically will have 4-5 stages in a day which involve being timed on the downs which are where the real "racing" occurs, but have finite but non-competing amount of time to get to the start of the next timed down hill section. Also riders typically have to be self supportive during the event.

Don’t ask me what enduro motorcycling is, I don’t ride bikes with motors.

[Silveira_92]

This is the best definition/description/summary I have ever seen. Thanks!

[Silveira_92]

A few symptoms and their cause…with possible fixes
1) rear wheel sliding out: Too little weight on the back wheel.
First sit down.
Second slide back on your seat
Third sit up just a tiny tiny bit (climbs often require a constant adjustment of this shifting up mad down to march terrain.
Fourth use bar ends or grip further out on the bar. I personally don’t use bar ends but you can get the same effect by twisting the grips like a motorcycle.

2) front wheel,lifting up. Or front wheel feels squirrelly and wants to weave side to side: too little weight on front.
First lean down with your chest closer to the stem.
Second make sure you have proper bar grip. Your hands should be wrapped lose lye around bar not tightly gripping unless doing the twist as noted above.
Thirds ensure proper arm position. Elbows in and pointed back not out
Fourth don’t make,it worse. Never pull up on the bar. Pull back as noted above.

3) can’t clear that one section at the middle of the climb :
First practice. Go back there and be rested don’t do it from the bottom but rather from right in front of it. This allows you to learn the technique while fresh. Or try it earlier in your ride.
Second it’s about power. What you need is a short anaerobic burst in the middle of you aerobic activity. Runners call it farthlek. Practice making a short all out sprint in the middle of a hard push then recovering not by going slow but while still going at the same as your hard push pace. At first it feels impossible, but once you get this skill in your legs you’ll be shocked at the climbs you can ride that you couldn’t before.

4) you’re always the last to the top: improve efficiency.
First practice all the skills at the top of this.
Second often the best way to beat your buds to the top is to be the only one still riding. Learn to clean your local clims.
Third good climbing is all about efficiency. You don’t have to be in the best shape if you are using less energy. Spin that easier gear at 70-90 rpm. Sit down. Eliminate extra movements.
Fourth focus your vision up. Look for the top of the climb not three feet in font of you. Or use the bungee trick above.
Fifth often the fittest rider does reach the top first so improve your fitness. Run. Especially up hills which uses more similar muscles to riding. Mix some long workouts and some interval training. And add a little bit to the end of your ride. Rather than just grabbing a bear and calling it a day go do a few one minute intervals on the road at the end of your ride. Being able to do these hard sprints when already tired will really improve your climbing.

5) you are readin all this but can’t do it: need to ride more
Go ride dammit!

[Silveira_92]

As everyone points out it’s all about being loose in the legs and arms so the bike can bounce around under you. Similar to riding a rough downhill.

One other pointer is to accept that speed control is limited on stairs since your tries have such little contact. I manage this by coming in super slow, braking slightly on the down to limit acceleration and most important accepting that you’ll be going relatively quick at the bottom.

As with anything you’re learning start small (say with 5 stairs) and build up as your confidence does. A good reason for an urban MTB ride. My current favorite is on one of my local rides that pops out of the woods and drops down perhaps 25 wooden uneven and often wet steps directly onto a railroad track that you have to get over.

It seems really scary until you get through it once or twice then it seems kinda easy.

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