How should a skills-challenged former cat-3 roadie get acquainted with MTB?

Delish said:
Just ride a bunch. Ride with people better than yourself. Ride alone and re-do the spots you can't clear.

Skills clinics are good but for $20 a month you can't get better technique instruction than https://www.ryanleech.com/ online skills coaching.
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In regards to online training, I’ve learned a lot about technique from YouTube channels as well...and it’s free. Skills with Phil is a fun one with lots of great advice...and just some awesome riding videos.
 
On a road bike, you can just put the hammer down and not worry much about technique. Even in crits, it's one skill set that's not so hard to learn. MTB is completely different. Sometimes, putting down more power is a bad thing. It's all about smoothness, even on climbs. You need to learn to weight the bike in corners and unweight over rocks. My downhill PRs (unfortunately not near KOMs!) usually feel really smooth, often to the extant I felt I was going way to slow in spots. Going uncomfortably fast will only get you hurt.

Lewis Morris is easy. Riding fast in Lewis Morris is not easy. Those corners are plenty challenging at speed. That's the great thing about mountain biking.
 
mattybfat said:
Preload your suspension before obstacles while getting into the cat pounce position then pouncey obstacle. Now here is the key rotate your wrist forward as this will unweighted the rear wheel. Lager logs will require a different approach by tapping front wheel on top of log. Pedal position on the approach is where practice will need to be repeated over and over. Good luck and keep riding. The more the better. And if you ain't crashing your not going fast enough unless its rock garden then the opposite applies.
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seems like I took your words to heart a bit too literally. Somehow failed to hop the easiest of curbs today and endo-ed over my handlebar. Other than my hand and my ego, nothing else is really bruised. And to think, i thought I was getting the hang of bunny hops, able to lift the front wheel high on several occasions. Good thing I didn't attempt to clear the log that was blocking Patriot's Path just past Sussex earlier today.

Note to self, better start wearing gloves again
 
I started practicing bunnies last fall as well. Had trouble getting my hips under and feet out in front. Got tired of the awkward dance and forced my feet forward. Momentum brought the bike too far back and slammed my head to the ground. It hurt, just laid there thinking I'm too old for this. Screwed up my neck and was out for a few weeks. I'll start working on it again but on the grass this time. Seems everyone learns it slightly differently, going to try another technique.
 
echappy said:
seems like I took your words to heart a bit too literally. Somehow failed to hop the easiest of curbs today and endo-ed over my handlebar. Other than my hand and my ego, nothing else is really bruised. And to think, i thought I was getting the hang of bunny hops, able to lift the front wheel high on several occasions. Good thing I didn't attempt to clear the log that was blocking Patriot's Path just past Sussex earlier today.

Note to self, better start wearing gloves again
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loading the rear suspension is an interesting move, and requires timing.
since i augered my face into the ground trying to bunny hop a swinging gate,
i'll leave it to the pros.
 
fidodie said:
loading the rear suspension is an interesting move, and requires timing.
since i augered my face into the ground trying to bunny hop a swinging gate,
i'll leave it to the pros.
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indeed. at least i can still type with scrapes on my hand; anything worse, i'd need to start burning sick leaves

qclabrat said:
I started practicing bunnies last fall as well. Had trouble getting my hips under and feet out in front. Got tired of the awkward dance and forced my feet forward. Momentum brought the bike too far back and slammed my head to the ground. It hurt, just laid there thinking I'm too old for this. Screwed up my neck and was out for a few weeks. I'll start working on it again but on the grass this time. Seems everyone learns it slightly differently, going to try another technique.
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Sorry to hear that you were hurt. Perhaps not a coincidence that what went through your mind was exactly what went through mine with my face down, body splayed on the sidewalk, wondering wtf just happened.

There's skills session in Tourne in two weeks time, and I'm hoping to learn some useful pointers there
 
looked up Tourne skills and got this, not skilled in interweb searches either..
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I think it is definitely worth it to learn to bunny hop. It's a useful maneuver even on XC trails. Definitely start out on grass or somewhere soft to minimize collateral damage if you take a spill. I felt much more confident as a rider when I progressed enough to get over 12" obstacles. You will rarely need to dismount if you can hop a foot high. The psychological benefits were huge for me as I find it demoralizing to have to get off the bike for what I interpret to be reasonable obstacles.

It will take practice. I found youtube to be helpful but don't watch too many videos. Understand the principal and then get out on your bike and try and make it happen. If you have a dropper use it to lower the saddle. If you don't have a dropper lower the saddle the old fashioned way. That is, if you value the family jewels and not being ejected over the bars.
 
could someone who has ridden Patriot's Path and Lewis Morris comment on the difficulty of these paths in relation to the section of Patriot's Path just to the west of Whitehead Road?

I foolishly tackled this section, but didn't realize it was full of rooted switchback climbs and large gravels. Actually had to unclip and walk quite a few times. Is the rest of Patriot's Path (say further west of Lewis Morris) as difficult? What about Lewis Morris itself?

Also, if i'm coming from Morristown and want to jump on Columbia Trial, is there a relatively easy (in terms of technical challenges) route from Mendham that I could take? If too much of it requires me to be on the road, then I guess it may just be better that I drive to the trail head instead.
 
echappy said:
What about Lewis Morris itself?
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I am not that familiar with PP, I usually drive to Lewis Morris. LM Park is a good beginner place to ride. It's a bit blown out, erosion and root exposure are the biggest issue, but still one of the tamer places to mtb. The birding is pretty good too. ;)
 
echappy said:
could someone who has ridden Patriot's Path and Lewis Morris comment on the difficulty of these paths in relation to the section of Patriot's Path just to the west of Whitehead Road?

I foolishly tackled this section, but didn't realize it was full of rooted switchback climbs and large gravels. Actually had to unclip and walk quite a few times. Is the rest of Patriot's Path (say further west of Lewis Morris) as difficult? What about Lewis Morris itself?

Also, if i'm coming from Morristown and want to jump on Columbia Trial, is there a relatively easy (in terms of technical challenges) route from Mendham that I could take? If too much of it requires me to be on the road, then I guess it may just be better that I drive to the trail head instead.
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i haven't tried the patriots path connector to CT - perhaps @JimN ? there are road segments, but somehow connects from behind chubb park in chester.
 
echappy said:
could someone who has ridden Patriot's Path and Lewis Morris comment on the difficulty of these paths in relation to the section of Patriot's Path just to the west of Whitehead Road?

Also, if i'm coming from Morristown and want to jump on Columbia Trial, is there a relatively easy (in terms of technical challenges) route from Mendham that I could take? If too much of it requires me to be on the road, then I guess it may just be better that I drive to the trail head instead.
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not sure if this is meant to be two questions. Going to LewMo from the Columbia trail is going to take a while. I tried to do the west end of Patriot's last year and much of it is not rideable or even blazed. Ended up on the road a few times and hiked a gravel bike quite a bit. As for the Patriot's section by Whitehead, it's pretty much flat, but again not much maintenance, so yes lots of exposed roots. Rode there a few times last winter on the fatbike, also saw quite a few xc skiers.
 
echappy said:
could someone who has ridden Patriot's Path and Lewis Morris comment on the difficulty of these paths in relation to the section of Patriot's Path just to the west of Whitehead Road?

I foolishly tackled this section, but didn't realize it was full of rooted switchback climbs and large gravels. Actually had to unclip and walk quite a few times. Is the rest of Patriot's Path (say further west of Lewis Morris) as difficult? What about Lewis Morris itself?
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I happen to have ridden the section west of Whitehead Road on a cross bike with 30c slicks last week and it was steeper and more rooted than I remembered. I would say that it is similar to many parts of LewMo proper.

As I recall, I rode this section with @UtahJoe a couple years ago on a LewMo race course pre-ride and he was yammering about how when he first started riding a MTB he had to walk parts of it as well. Now he's racing Pro category. Just keep at it.
 
That's the only climb on PP. Boat Loop Climb, as it used to be part of the Boat Loop.
Here's the climb segment.

You can ride from Morristown all the way out past Mendham on Patriots Path, and that's the only climb. I've done this many times on CX bike.
From Speedwell to Ironia Rd

There is a way to get from PP to CT that involves some road, but I haven't done it. Would probably use part of the Marty's Fat 50 route...
 
Maybe check out the Marty's Schooley's Mountain Challenge route too. That route connected us from Morristown over to the CT.
 
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