how to navigate washboards?

[diymirage]

hey fellows

i finally had a chance to take my bike out onto a trail yesterday and i had a blast but those washboards were kicking my rear fender

i guess i just dont know how to navigate them

if i go slow and just follow the ups and downs i seem to get seasick
if i go fast i have to hold on for dear life so i wont get knocked off and i dont seem to have time to recover from the one im on before i make it to the next one

so...whats the trick?

[Julien D]

Sounds like you need to sort the rear suspension. Perhaps your rebound is too fast, if it feels like it's kicking up.

[frankenschwinn]

Moar throttle... If you are speaking about whoops then it's mostly about susp. Improperly suspension will make your bike feel downright dangerous in whoops. Never could get the kdx chassis to handle whoops well.

[diymirage]

suspension is (to the best of my knowledge) stock
im sure there is a lot to gained on the set up off the bike itself but it seems to me that with me being a novice i should be able to improve in the way i ride to gain just as much...at least

[rbates9]

I'm not sure I'm reading your post right, but it sounds like you are trying to say that being a beginner you should be able to compensate for a poorly set up bike. I would think just the opposite. A newer rider should take every step they can to get the most out of the bike they have so that you are riding the bike and not the bike riding you. Once you get better you will be more able to control a poorly set up bike with skill.

[diymirage]

nope, you got me all wrong bates, what im saying is that im a beginner and i should be able to improve my riding skills and that alone should be at least as big an improvement as trying to set the bike up better

the way i see it, it doesnt matter how good the bike is if i dont know how to use it

[SS109]

nope, you got me all wrong bates, what im saying is that im a beginner and i should be able to improve my riding skills and that alone should be at least as big an improvement as trying to set the bike up better

the way i see it, it doesnt matter how good the bike is if i dont know how to use it

I completely disagree. I once thought as you. Then I finally ponied up the cash to do my suspension and, whoa, what a difference! All the techniques that you read about start actually working more like they should. A proper suspension actually lets you concentrate more on choosing lines and watching for hazards. It really jumped up my learning curve and skill level. I'm telling you, without a doubt, it is hard to improve your skills on a bike that isn't setup properly for you.

[scheckaet]

i disagree, well to some extent at least. yeah your skill will improve the more you ride.
However, riding a really poorly setup bike will not build up your confidence, you will ride "scared", "stiff", probably trying to compensate for the poor handling, and you will make more mistake, eventually crash, get hurt or at least not enjoy the ride as much as you should.
The stock suspension is quite good fora beginner from a pretty wide range of rider weight (unless you weigh 100 lb...) and can be adjusted rather easily by adjusting the clickers on the rear and front and also adjusting the oil weight and height on the front.
The great thing about it is you don't have to spend much on it, just a bit of time.
Read the suspension how to, it'll help you a lot setting things up, and your skills will improve a LOT faster.
my .02 cent

[rbates9]

nope, you got me all wrong bates, what im saying is that im a beginner and i should be able to improve my riding skills and that alone should be at least as big an improvement as trying to set the bike up better

the way i see it, it doesnt matter how good the bike is if i dont know how to use it

I am not trying to start a fight but it sounds like you are confirming what I said originally.

If you are trying to compensate for a poorly set up bike with the idea that trying to learn on such a bike will make you a better rider then you will most likely have either a long hard learning curve or get tired of having your ass handed to you and give it up.

Being a novice is the best time to spend the extra effort to get you bike as close to perfect as you can. It will pay off ten fold in the end. A great rider can ride anything but even the pros spend the time to get the suspension tuned in.

I never really believed in the idea of the bike being the problem until I spent the time to set it up right and then it all came to light.

Start with the suspension section and go from there. it will take some trial and error but you will see the difference.

Again, no disrespect just advice. Take it as you will.

[scheckaet]

some suspension tunning/knowledge along with carb setting is part of your skill set imho.

[Julien D]

I'm going to agree with these guys. No reason to go to extremes at this point either, or spend a boatload of money.

Before getting any suspension work done, set your sag properly, and adjust the compression and rebound clickers. You'll want to work on each clicker independently. There are some good articles out there about suspension tuning, which will help you with the process.

[F1]

hey fellows

i finally had a chance to take my bike out onto a trail yesterday and i had a blast but those washboards were kicking my rear fender

i guess i just dont know how to navigate them

if i go slow and just follow the ups and downs i seem to get seasick
if i go fast i have to hold on for dear life so i wont get knocked off and i dont seem to have time to recover from the one im on before i make it to the next one

so...whats the trick?

There is a happy medium where you are moving fast but not too fast and not too slow. Make sure you are standing up with knees bent and your arms loose. Attack position. Let the bike rock back and forth under you without it transfering to your body. Your loose arms absorb the front coming up and your loose legs with knees flexed absorb the rear coming up. Its mostly speed and timing.

I wouldnt normally comment on technique because I am fully new to singletrack and trail riding at 41 yrs old. But I grew up riding nothing but whoops in south jersey - sandy whoops, whoops along rr tracks and big whoops on mx tracks.

I'll take any and all advice on handling Pennsylvania steep narrow muddy downhills riddled with baby heads covered in wet leaves! There aint no hills in South Jersey!!!