Cross training - trials-based enduro techniques & training

[GMP]

Yeah Jake right on all counts. I'm 5'9" and I can see it being a disadvantage many times, in moves like the pivot turns that need a foot down. Why I tend to really like smaller frame bikes like the Beta and old frame GG. Weight of the Flexxbars is not noticeable at least to me, but the angle that they want to be in to be effective (in line with forks) is not the best for this riding.

Betajuice you should be pretty good with stock suspension with the clickers wound out a bit, mine is valved and sprung stiffer than stock. A TT would be perfect on all but that hill! Nice job on the hill video BTW, the camera makes all hills look flatter and that did not look flat!

[Balkan boy]

i'm in the lucky position of house sitting a mate's private property for a month while he's away so heaps of time for riding. i've just got a second set of wheel with trials tires and the TUbliss system to run 0 to 4psi so i'm keen to mess around with suspension... i'm going to note the current settings then just back off all the damping to zero and see if the bike will act more like a trials bike when i need to bounce it around. will report back.

Can you estimate how much time you've been riding in the past year, or since you started doing the Cross Training rides?
Engine hours and actual hours it takes to do a day's ride.

[betajuice]

... Nice job on the hill video BTW, the camera makes all hills look flatter and that did not look flat!

lol we are definitely better than a year ago but after watching chris birch fly up all our 'impossible' climbs repeatedly without breaking a sweat we feel like rank beginners again of course. but always good to have the bar raised!

Can you estimate how much time you've been riding in the past year, or since you started doing the Cross Training rides?
Engine hours and actual hours it takes to do a day's ride.

me? an awful lot. in my 50s now and getting those early warning signs i won't be dirt riding forever so deliberately cut the work hours and focusing on the riding... probably averaging two rides a week, sometimes three. mostly slow and technical of course, so usually only 20 to 30km over a morning - most of the other guys have family or work commitments so day rides are rare.

engine hours are often only two to three hours running max as often we are spotting for each other, or checking each other's technique. or simply too buggered and taking a break... way more exhausting than our old rides.

all the other guys only average a ride a week or fortnight if they are lucky. if they were riding as much as me they'd all be overtaking me fast as they are mostly young whipper snappers from 23 to early 30s.


a few random pics of the guys.... sam, 34, doing a bit of beta wrangling. bought mine after a few tempting rides on his!





the other old fart. andrew at 54 makes me feel young. he's only just started riding again after a 25 year break.





ruben is only 16 so doesn't have a licence to ride in the state forests but helps out with footage taken in his backyard for the training vids. he's australia's national junior endurocross and trials champion.





melissa, 24, is more of a speed freak as she's into enduro races but occasionally joins us.





aaron, 33 is another speed freak but been really keen to learn the slow stuff the past year.

[betajuice]

fun ride last weekend, had some unseasonal rain so more of a chance to get some slippery riding in. i used to hate slippery descents but after the trials riding it's kind of fun slipping down with the wheels half locked up and keeping the feet on the pegs.

https://youtu.be/eg-0EhwuD_Q

[katoom400]

I'm wondering why you guys don't use trials tires on the rear? seems like they would be perfect for what you are doing?

[betajuice]

I'm wondering why you guys don't use trials tires on the rear? seems like they would be perfect for what you are doing?

i was sort of halfway there with the goldentyre GT216X that jarvis and a lot of the top extreme enduro riders use in slippery conditions. but currently just wearing out the tires on the new RR300 and will put the motoz hybrid trials tire on the rear that everyone is raving about.

another ride vid below... trying to put birchy's tips on hill climbs and sit down corners into practice, with varying degrees of success. his tips on body positioning work wonders for hill climbs but only up to a point... we've got two long steep climbs none of us have made it up yet as the bikes either wheelie or grind to a halt. will keep working at it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7jFx09kg6Q

[GMP]

While Tubliss is great and all I have been running for years now, the MotoZ Mountain Hybrid is not up to the hype IMO. Very big, heavy tire and seems to bounce a lot. Also not sticky at all like a TT or the Golden Tire. Very stiff sidewalls, if you liked 2PSI in what you were running in that video, even 0 PSI might have you looking for less. It wasn't horrible, just did not do anything better than a good knobby or my half worn Pirelli MT43 Tubliss. I think you guys are better off with the specialty tires like the Golden or a true TT depending on the weather/terrain. JMO.

[betajuice]

thanks for letting me know gmp, always good to know both sides of the story. i'd still be keen to give it a shot and if i'm not all that impressed i can always leave it on the second rear wheel i've got now.

[Johnno]

Barry, how are you finding the OEM Michelins? I have heard different reports, the front is okay the back is crap.

If the Zombies were on the horizon and someone said you can fit any tyre in the world, it's be Michelin S12's.

I am keen to try Golden tyres though, a chap here in town sells them

[GMP]

If the zombies were coming over the mountain by me I'd be eaten for sure with S12s! Give me a fresh MT16 and a Sega 12!