Living it up on The Bus
Check out this video action from old friend, former pupil and Team Yeti ripper Joey Schusler.
The sweetest trails and riding spots
Feet and hips, feet and hips
I’m always impressed at how the same basic movement patterns seem to apply to all sports. Two of the most important dynamics for a mountain biker are 1) staying balanced on your feet and 2) driving powerfully from your hips.
Those skills are also important in the NFL. Today I had an All Pro linebacker on my pump track, and he killed it.
10-lap pump track radness intervals
Thank goodness for pump tracks, and double-extra thank goodness for the pump track in my yard. So far this winter, I’ve been trying to mix up base intervals on the trainer and radness intervals on the pump track. That’s when I’m not shoveling snow off the track.
Check out this action. It might give you some ideas for your own training.
Cold and snowy, but pumping it up
The pump track in my yard has seen a few hundred laps, and it’s bedding in nicely. Thanks to diligent snow shoveling, Farid and I enjoyed a nice sesh yesterday.
Rebuilding Lyons Bike Park
In September the Devil Dash 5K ran a bunch of people through Lyons Bike Park — and the jumps were muddy — and the jumps were ruined. This week we’ve been busy rebuilding the step-ups, tables and rollers. Everything is riding well and ready for tomorrow’s snow to help pack it in.
Photos at the Lee Likes Bikes Facebook page
 Adam Wasson did some great work over the past few days. Here he tests the rollers as only an expert BMX racer can. |
Testing my pump track
Phase 2 of my pump track is built and ready to pack. Today I did a little flow testing. These images are so-so, but they show how the track flows.
I am super stoked with the track. It’s fun to ride, and it accomplished its goals.
First laps on my pump track
James Hall and Ted Van Orman have done a great job on my backyard pump track, and today we rolled the first test laps.
Intro BMX class for kids?
Hi Lee,
I live in Santa Fe and we are thinking about having a clinic/intro for kids to BMX and pump track riding. What suggestions do you have for that we should cover?
Steve
Stumpjumper Comp 29 test: Valmont Bike Park
It’s becoming clear to me (apparently everyone else has known this for a while) that a mountain bike with 29-inch wheels rolls over rough terrain way easier than a bike with 26-inch wheels. So, OK, maybe a 29er is a good idea for passive trail riding. But the question is, can a 29er be ripped?
Striking pedals
Hi Lee,
Do you have any tips on how to ride trails that go though areas with rocks, roots, walls, or really deep ruts that can hit your pedal and effectively stop you in your tracks, due to loss of balance and needing to ride a fairly precise line?
My bike has a fairly low BB (12.5″ for 110mm travel) and I ride platform pedals, but continuously riding this particular part of the trail has helped, simply by finding areas to build speed so I wouldn’t have to pedal through these areas. Any area I have to pedal through tends to get me though. There’s one area where I must weave through big boulders right and left and also make it up steps and have a gear to make it up a steep climb. Shifting doesn’t seem possible. Normally it’s not pedal strikes that get me, but simply me avoiding pedal strikes and tipping over too much and losing balance. I assume that’s the problem. I tried the look ahead and plow through approach, but pedal strikes really do throw you off to be a problem that can’t be ignored.
I read the 2nd edition of your MTB skills book cover to cover, but can’t find a section that particular covers this type of riding. Any advice would be appreciated. I think my bike would appreciate it too. I think the side to side play at the BB has become worse from all the pedal strikes.
Dan
Learning how to ride gnarly uphill switchbacks
Lee,
We’ve just completed another track here in Toowoomba — and it has heaps of steep switchbacks on loose material. Now, your book had a fair chunk of detail on descending these types of things, and I’m achieving moderate success.
Climbing them — I leave much to be desired. Can you give a few additional recommendations on how to be more successful climbing steep, loose (dare I say hastily constructed, with no turning platform) switchbacks?
This (Toowoomba) is Jared Grave’s home town — and he has been out there the last couple of months using the tracks we’ve just revamped and the new ones we’ve constructed since the flood damage we had at the beginning of the year. I don’t actually know him, but quite a few guys in the club do.
Anyway, hope all is well with you, and thanks for your advice.
Kind regards,
Matt