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.
In my quest to find out how a 29er would perform for me, I’ve rocked a 2011 Specialized Stumpjumper Comp 29 on neighborhood gnar, pump track, dual slalom, dirt jumps and big-mountain violence. So far so good. Yesterday I finally got to ride the beast on a standard XC trail.
This is what the bike is designed for. Game on.
Hey all, check out the latest addition to the library of braaap:
 |
By Lee McCormack, with the National Interscholastic Cycling Association
Safely and methodically teach your athletes (and yourself) how to ride all terrain with greater safety and confidence.
Teaching Mountain Bike Skills publishes the methods Lee has developed while teaching thousands of riders and hundreds of coaches how to ride better — and teach others how to ride better. This book is part of the curriculum Lee has created for NICA coaches. While most coaches refuse to publish their methods, Lee knows this is a great way to spread the love and get more people stoked on our awesome sport.
The essential core skills of mountain biking are explained in never-before-seen depth. All concepts are clearly explained and shown, and useful drills and troubleshooting cues are detailed. Practicing the kung fu in this book is like taking a clinic with Lee, at fraction of the price.
Coaches and their athletes will improve their skills — and they will learn a path to mastery that lets them improve for their rest of their riding lives.
OK, so I’ve ridden the Stumpy Comp 29 on neighborhood gnar, pump track, dual slalom and dirt jumps, and it’s been pretty impressive. What about big-mountain action?
James Hall and Ted Van Orman have done a great job on my backyard pump track, and today we rolled the first test laps.
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
Hey Lee,
Been following your site for long time. Finally have a question for you. I recently moved from Boulder to Ann Arbor, Michigan. Not much here to ride my trail bike on, but I love to rail my Marin Cortina CX bike on the local singletrack. I was living in Boulder this past summer and cracked the Cortina at the headtube. I think riding Betasso and Marshal Mesa often was a bit too much.
Marin replaced it, but I am thinking about getting something else more appropriate for my style. I mostly ride trail (typical ride currently is 5-10 miles road with 15+ miles tight, fast singletrack). I also go on the occasional road ride, and I use the bike to commute a few miles every day. I entered my first CX race this past weekend and had a blast.
I remember seeing a few of your posts awhile back about riding trail on CX. It is fun! Naturally, one factor I’m considering is frame material. Been thinking about steel (see http://www.cotic.co.uk/product/x#). However, I have never owned a steel bike. My understanding is that steel would be heavier, but more damp, stiff, and durable. Better for trail riding on a CX, no?
Any other suggestions? Do CX bikes with better trail geometry exist? What would that be? Fork material? I’m thinking 1×9 set-up; bigger tires (currently running 32s), wider bars, maybe disc brakes, but I like the simplicity of cantis and we don’t have much for hills here anyway.
I appreciate any advice. Thanks!
Joe
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?
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
I’m on a mission this week to wring out a 29er on my local rides — work, babies and weather permitting — and see how it suits my style.
Expect a full write-up when I return this test bike. Today’s quick report:
OK, OK. After last weekend’s Texas high school MTB coaching adventures on a Specialized Camber 29, I see why so many people are moving from 26- to 29-inch wheels.
