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get a mesh washer bag and throw your gloves, chamois, helmet liners right in there. The bag protects the Velcro from itself and other things from it, and just seems to keep things contained nicely. Then I can throw my shorts and socks and calf sleeves etc in the same load and use special synthetic-fabric detergent. Don’t use fabric softener.
Hate to agree but year, 510 Stealths were a game changer for me, along with studded VP-001 pedals. The Stealths have a smooth rubber bottom towards the ball and to the toe, so the studs just sink right in. And the shank is stiff enough that my feet never feel fatigued.
Never thought about needing a bell since I don’t hesitate to use my voice. I keep it friendly sounding because my voice can carry and sound a bit aggressive (so I’m told by my girlfriend), so I’ll say something stupid like “ahhh can’t stop!….just kidding!” and then pass, or “on your butt, mind if I pass”
I’ve been wearing earbuds the past couple rides that I was out there solo, and I realize it then becomes up to me to watch my back for passers, since I’m not the fastest guy out there. I’m just surprised that others with earbuds seem so carefree about not being able to hear anything.
I agree with the above advice. I feel that my bike is quite twitchy since it has a bogus suntour front suspension. The best tactics that I can relay:
1. When taking banked turns or even simple weaving through trails, transfer weight to the outside pedal.
2. try to focus your weight on your pedals, don’t sit, don’t over-weight yourself into your bars, stay light and let the bike undulate over the terrain while transferring as little as possible into your core. use your limbs as shock absorbers.
3. remember that it usually doesn’t matter where your body ends up leaning around the bike as long as your bike holds the path you intend. Look at your target path, line up your tires, throw your body around the bike as needed to hold that line.
4. head up and plan ahead, it’s easier to prepare for terrain when you’ve known it’s coming for a longer time.
5. Find your limits. It’s healthy to crash a few times under controlled conditions just to find out where your limits are on descents, hard braking, speedy turns.
6. Finesse will happen naturally. For example, don’t practice rear skidding drift style turns, that stuff will start to happen as needed. Keep to the basics and before you know it, YOUR basics will suddenly be quite a bit more slick than where you started.
I’m no pro, but from one intermediate to another… hope this helps.
Baggies. Is it even possible to go fast enough through technical trails where there’s any wind resistance?
I’ve worn tight synthetic tops on hot days, what I can’t stand is the feeling of the mud splashing up on those thin synthetic layers, crusting, and then mixing with sweat and osmosing through the layer and creating a shitty layer of muddy itchy sweat. My Fox shorts with butt pad shorts underneath are super comfy, give an extra layer to stop the mud from wicking through, and also feel better during the occasional crash.
Been enjoying Perfect Bars on the ride to the trailhead. I’ll keep some energy gummies in the saddlebag, sometimes with caffeine to perk me up and curb hunger. I’ve also learned that if I down a chia based drink, where the chia are already swollen and soft with moisture, your body slowly digests all the nutrients and moisture out of the chia seeds, extending the period you can go without needing water. Because of this I’ve been able to avoid bringing the hydro-pack backpack for rides less than 2 hrs.
I also use foods like avocados, nut mixes without peanuts, and the occasional protein bar.
Late to the reply here but I happen to have this setup. I put on Bontrager 2.4 tires on my Marlin a couple years ago. The problem that you run into is clearance of the front derailleur or shift cable hitting the tire. I slid the derailleur down as low as it could go in order to create as much room as possible. It wasn’t until I started to wear down the rear tread a bit that it would stop rubbing, and the tire pressure had to be down a bit as well. It wasn’t too annoying, and ultimately it was worth it for such a fat knobby tire compared to the skinny speed tire that came on the bike.
