The help me get better thread

[speedkills]

I've been away from mountain bikes for 15 years. The 5 years before that it was my life, I rode 3+ times per week and got so into downhill I moved to Whistle, BC for over a year and got to enjoy two full DH seasons there and a lot of great Northshore Freeriding.

In my time off I stayed busy on two wheels with dirt bikes and trials bikes (yeah yeah, they in no way relate to mountain biking according to someone here, but including it for background).

I still feel like I ride a bike just fine, but like any other sport it is always progressing so I'd love to hear people's resources for training/practicing to get back up to speed.

I have a vague feeling already that newer bikes need to be ridden with more weight up front. Any good articles on changes I should be making to go from an old school rider to new school, regarding geometry, posture, weighting, etc.?

Having never taken so much time off of being physical, and now in my 40s, tips would be appreciated for how to get back into shape. I figure I have access to power data, heart rate data, how often should I be riding in which zones, which what rest in between? Not going to be entering any races, just want to get more fit so I can enjoy my time on my bike even more.

Anything I could be doing to get balance back? I mess around practicing wheelies and track stands, plus super slow riding sometimes, but I could probably benefit from a little more planning and focus here.

Any drills people have done that they have found really impacted their bike handling or riding?

I'm not sure how much will come of this, but always worth trying to figure out what I don't know that I don't know after such a long time away.

 

[R120]

Do you have a pump track local to you - IMO riding a pump track is one of the best ways to improve your bike skills, you can use any BMX/Mtb on them but a dirt jump bike is probably the best.

 

[R120]

And skills training/courses are well worth it IMO, I turned 4o last year and my Mrs got me a skills course as a present, I have been riding MTB for pretty much 30 years, and picked up as many bad as good habits. I go the instructor to break back down my riding to the basics of cornering, body position etc, and build it back up, and it was one of the best thing I have done, and will definitely do again.

Main thing for me, and I think the single biggest thing you can do to improve your riding that you can do yourself, is to look ahead and not down, focusing on the next feature rather than the one you are on, from corners, to drops, to jumps, manuals, wheelies etc looking ahead and focusing on what is coming rather that what is under you is one skill that opens lots of others - getting this on lock down really helps, not only in reading a trail, but riding with your head up also tends to get the rest of your body into a pretty good position, especially if you are riding hunched over.

 

[R120]

I rode my levo SL on the local pump track and skate park. Awesome fun. I’d hate it on a full frame e bike but the SL feels about the same as other full suspension MTBs. Even ply in the half pipe but by the time I’m really going my ass is smoked.

Nice, I quite often take mine throgh the local skatepark which I ride buy on one of my rides.

 

[speedkills]

I don't, but that's a great idea. I have never ridden one and always wanted to. I do have a little skatepark near me, concrete bowls and such, but wasn't sure if such a large bike would be a good fit in there. I do see the local kids on the bmx bikes there quite a bit.

 

[speedkills]

I need to look up pump track design, I wonder how hard it would be to build one in my hard. Downside might be my property is quite sloped.

 

[speedkills]

I just realized Lee McCormack of leelikesbikes.com lives half an hour from me. I'll hit him up one of these days about pump track design and if it's workable on my property. Wouldn't hurt to get some skills lessons from him either.

 

[R120]

Randomly I have a client who has just bought a big old place in the Surrey hills with a load of land and wants to build a pump track plus put a skatepark in, so currently putting out feelers to a couple of trail building companies. Done a few private skateparks before but never a private MTB park, so super stoked.

 

[Zimmerframe]

I turned 4o last year and my Mrs got me a skills course as a present

He's going on another one for his birthday this year and will hopefully know how to Iron, vacuum, wash things maybe even do some sewing.

 

[Zimmerframe]

Ooops .. anyway, back on topic - this might help you :

How to Choose Sewing Thread: 6 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow Fun

Knowing which thread to choose for your sewing project is a key part of a successful outcome. Thread that is too small or weak can result in a project that falls apart; thread too wide or coarse can split or tear the fabric. Here is some...

www.wikihow.com