Help with riding techniques

Flygirl · Aug 11, 2006

I've been riding for about 4yrs now and the only advice I get is from men....mainly my husband. Although he means well it would be nice hear from another woman's point of view. I still can't get comfortable standing while riding. Everyone says that it's crucial and that it makes riding easier. Everytime I stand I tend to lean on the bars too much and that affects how I'm using the throttle (usually giving it too much when I don't want to). :bang: When I stand do I use my thighs and grip the seat or do I use my calves and knees to grip? It just seems to come natural to my husband and his friends, when they jump they are standing...I have to be sitting. Just a matter of preference or is it really easier to jump while standing? Thanks!

IndyMX · Aug 11, 2006

Flygirl said:
I've been riding for about 4yrs now and the only advice I get is from men....mainly my husband. Although he means well it would be nice hear from another woman's point of view. I still can't get comfortable standing while riding. Everyone says that it's crucial and that it makes riding easier. Everytime I stand I tend to lean on the bars too much and that affects how I'm using the throttle (usually giving it too much when I don't want to). :bang: When I stand do I use my thighs and grip the seat or do I use my calves and knees to grip? It just seems to come natural to my husband and his friends, when they jump they are standing...I have to be sitting. Just a matter of preference or is it really easier to jump while standing? Thanks!

You really should be standing while jumping, but for us guys it's almost manditory as we have parts that get hurt real bad if we don't. ;)

I grip with my knees..

How tall are you? Do you think having a taller bar would cause you to stand more upright and possibly make you not lean into them as much?

Flygirl · Aug 11, 2006

When I've tried to jump standing I tend to hit the throttle when I land, funny if you're watching it but not when you're doing it :-) I'm 5'6", haven't thought of the taller bar. I'm heading in to get a new sprocket today so maybe I'll ask them about the bars too. It makes sense since I can't stand all the way up because my arms won't reach...duh :-) Thanks!

IndyMX · Aug 11, 2006

please let us know how it works out...

FruDaddy · Aug 11, 2006

I know you asked for a feminine point of view, but here's my take, unfortunately, we all need to exercise the same fundamentals.
When you stand, you should be able to let go of the bars and stay in the same body position. Don't rest on your arms. When you ride, concentrate a little harder on this when you are on straights (and any time that you get a chance to pay attention), and it will get easier. And always stand with a little bend in the knees.
You should grip with your knees, adding a little grip tape to the shrouds/tank area might make this a little easier.
On big jumps with rough landings, you will find that the suspension doesn't always soak up all of the impact, standing will let your legs absorb some of that hit, you are less likely to hurt your back that way.
I used to have the same landing/throttle problem. Most likely when you land, especially under power, you are shifting your body to the back of the bike and pulling the throttle harder. Make sure you have a good grip with your legs when you land, clench your abs to hold your torso forward, and relax you hands a little.

Flygirl · Aug 11, 2006

I take all the advice I can get because you never know what's going to work best from another person's experience. It's true that on trails it is so hard to think of anything other than getting around a switchback, up a hill or through ruts. I do find myself over-analizing what I'm doing and it makes things worse :-) Thanks for all the suggestions!

NicoleB · Aug 16, 2006

Well here comes a girls view. # 1 DON'T GRIP YOUR SEAT WITH EITHER YOUR KNEES OR ANKLES. So many people grip and in my opinion it is not the best way to ride. Remember back in the 70's and 80's everyone that skied would ski with their knees together. Do you see them doing that now? No, because you don't have as good of balance as if they are apart and you can counterbalance. If you grip the seat and are going fast and then hit a big bump and the suspension throws the bike to the side then you are going to go with the bike and possibly crash. If you have your legs shoulder width apart and hit a bump then you can counterbalance and compensate and recover easier. I raced enduros for years and then rode the ISDE in France in 2001. After that I was offered the opportunity to ride trials with team Gas Gas. Trials is the BEST way to learn proper technique on a motorcycle. The best Enduro riders in Europe all started in trials. (David Knight, Merriman, etc. . .) With trials there is no tank to grip and you can't. You want to weight your pegs in turns so you have to put your outside leg out and apply pressure. Go to www.girlrider.net and see if you can find the article about the school I taught in Oregan. I hope this helps. Now I am back to riding enduros and heading to New Zealand in November. Trials has made me a much better enduro rider.

Flygirl · Aug 17, 2006

Thanks for the advice, I'll be practicing tonight and give it a try. We've been looking for a Trials bike but in our area they are hard to find. Are you teaching at all anymore? Unfortunately, the only other woman I have to ride with is a "one upper" so I avoid her at all costs and really don't have another woman to connect with when it comes to riding. Someone that I could learn more with and just have fun. Riding with the guys is fun but in reality they can do so much more than I can at this point and sometimes I'm just struggling to keep up :-) I would love to take one of your classes if you are going to teach another one in the future. Is it for all levels of riders? Thanks again!

IndyMX · Aug 18, 2006

NicoleB said:
Well here comes a girls view. # 1 DON'T GRIP YOUR SEAT WITH EITHER YOUR KNEES OR ANKLES. So many people grip and in my opinion it is not the best way to ride. Remember back in the 70's and 80's everyone that skied would ski with their knees together. Do you see them doing that now? No, because you don't have as good of balance as if they are apart and you can counterbalance. If you grip the seat and are going fast and then hit a big bump and the suspension throws the bike to the side then you are going to go with the bike and possibly crash. If you have your legs shoulder width apart and hit a bump then you can counterbalance and compensate and recover easier. I raced enduros for years and then rode the ISDE in France in 2001. After that I was offered the opportunity to ride trials with team Gas Gas. Trials is the BEST way to learn proper technique on a motorcycle. The best Enduro riders in Europe all started in trials. (David Knight, Merriman, etc. . .) With trials there is no tank to grip and you can't. You want to weight your pegs in turns so you have to put your outside leg out and apply pressure. Go to www.girlrider.net and see if you can find the article about the school I taught in Oregan. I hope this helps. Now I am back to riding enduros and heading to New Zealand in November. Trials has made me a much better enduro rider.

I believe the original question was about gripping while jumping. I agree you should not grip the bike tightly when riding, but when it comes to jumping, you better grip it.. If you don't grip it with your knees, you may end up crashing.

When I don't grip, I can get a bit wild on a jump, when I do grip, it seems like I have alot more control on the bike. Then as soon as I am back on the ground, I relax.

Marshall76 · Aug 18, 2006

Sitting or standing is a matter of preference for the particular jump itself. If it's out of a corner like in supercross you may want to remain seated when going into the jump to allow the centrifical force of your body to compress the rear shock and help spring you off the jump. If you're heading into a jump from a straight with good speed then I would stand and compress the shock just before your tire hits the jump and spring up with it. That will give you a great launch. And if you endo in the air.... Gas it.... And if you wheelie in the air just hit the rear brake. If you get sideways.... The slightest bit of pressure applied to the footped should bring you back. As far as grip... I tend to grip with my thighs and knees. Other than that... It's all trial and error and will probably come to you best without thinking. Just be confident and never doubt your abilities and they will shine through on their own.

Flygirl · Aug 19, 2006

I was asked the other day what I think of when I'm riding, it seems that I am constantly thinking of what's in front of me and what's around the next corner. My problem is that I think too much so I tend to not be relaxed and just go with the flow. I've decided to start singing while I'm riding :-) Right now I have that muppets song stuck in my head! Manamana...seems to help so far (heehee). There just seems to be so much more to anticipate riding a 2-stroke. The 4-stroke just putts through anything, I keep forgetting about feathering the clutch and powerband on my 2-stroke. Thanks to everyone for their advice and encouragement!

Marshall76 · Aug 19, 2006

Well always being ready for what lies ahead isn't a bad thing.... It is GOOD to think ahead... Position for different bumps and ruts etc... So many things could cross your path.... A simple twig is enough to jolt your bars if you weren't expecting it. As far as corners.... I, personally, am especially cautious of corners in the woods. On a track is no big deal with the exception of downed riders. But one day I came around the corner 4th gear pinned on a CR250 and there was a guy on a quad with his daughter on the tank riding with him.... Her head was right at my handlebar level. I only had a fraction of a second for my brain to even comprehend what was about to take place.... So I turned off into the woods. My left side didn't clear a tree. I don't remember much... I remember seeing the back of my bike and then the sky so I knew I was flipping. I turned my fatty into a flatty. Wrapped the pipe right around the motor. Ripped the radiator and shifter off.... I was in bed for 4 months ordering parts on ****...LOL!!! When I got a little better I remember scooting down the basement stairs on my bum and putting my bike back together HA HA HA. But yeah.... Ever since that day I am VERY cautious on corners. So it's NEVER a bad thing to think ahead.

sprocket218 · Aug 25, 2006

Advice

Everyone has there own style and techniques. I do a lot of sand riding so my techniques are a little different. I just bought the Gary Semics motocross practice manual and it has a lot of helpful techniques to practice. I am going riding this weekend to try some of them out. One of the big ones is gripping the bike with you legs, not a death grip but hold the bike with you knees for control. I will try it this weekend and let you know what happens. The book was about $20 but well worth it. I've been riding a long time but I think I will be able to improve with all these tips in the book. :cool:
Nancy

Flygirl · Aug 25, 2006

I'll be waiting for some feedback :-) Last weekend I went completely over doing a wheelie so I know what not to do now when it comes to wheelies! It was fun though..I tend to learn things the hard way, must be the German in me :-)
Thanks for the tip!

Help with riding techniques

Flygirl

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FruDaddy

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Marshall76

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