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#1
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steep hill descent
Is there a trick to descending steeper hills? I've got this hill project that I am working on and can't seem to complete. It's not huge but it is really steep at the top and there is a bump at the top that I have to get over and then drop right in, it's sandy with some small round rocks. I started out going down and would eject over the front, so I tried to compensate and today I wound up on my butt most of the time. I have made it about halfway down but it wasn't very pretty! I suspect it's just a matter of riding the slides and maintaining really great balance. But any tricks that anyone might have would be extremely helpful. I have a KH 24 Freeride with a brake if that matters. -- briguymaine Life is like a box of chocolates? I hate chocolate. 'My blog is at www.munitard.com' (http://www.munitard.com) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ briguymaine's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/9257 View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/41831 |
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#2
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steep hill descent
I had a look at you site and the hill looks fairly easy but it's hard to judge from photographs. I would just go slowly and then when I got to a certain point (maybe 3/4 the way down) speed up and roll out. If you leave it for a week or two you may find that you can do it easily. -- unigamer - http://www.nbog.co.uk 'Unigamer's Site' (http://nbog.co.uk) 'Unigamer's Album' (http://nbog.co.uk/album/index.php) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ unigamer's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/6673 View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/41831 |
#3
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steep hill descent
briguymaine wrote: *Is there a trick to descending steeper hills? I've got this hill project that I am working on and can't seem to complete. It's not huge but it is really steep at the top and there is a bump at the top that I have to get over and then drop right in, it's sandy with some small round rocks. I started out going down and would eject over the front, so I tried to compensate and today I wound up on my butt most of the time. I have made it about halfway down but it wasn't very pretty! I suspect it's just a matter of riding the slides and maintaining really great balance. But any tricks that anyone might have would be extremely helpful. I have a KH 24 Freeride with a brake if that matters. * Try blasting it; instead of spending a lot of energy controlling your speed, try to ride it quickly. If you keep the uni under you and keep the pedals turning, you'll tend to get to the bottom of any hill. It's mostly a question of getting over your nervousness. -- tholub - Kinetic Sculptor ------------------------------------------------------------------------ tholub's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/804 View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/41831 |
#4
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steep hill descent
if its not too long then u could go slow if ur not up for speeding down it all u hav to do is lean back and instead of pushing the pedals like riding u just prevent them from spining quickly (its all in the quads) or u can go quickly -- Schmidty563 - fearless unicyclist dude, unicycling is awesome ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Schmidty563's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/9867 View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/41831 |
#5
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steep hill descent
unigamer wrote: *I had a look at you site and the hill looks fairly easy but it's hard to judge from photographs. I would just go slowly and then when I got to a certain point (maybe 3/4 the way down) speed up and roll out. If you leave it for a week or two you may find that you can do it easily. * Those pictures are a bit decieving, even to me! I look at them and think, it's not that big darn it, why am I having this much trouble! The top 5 feet or so is the trouble spot, it's nearly vertical and made up of loose sandy gravel, my wheel slips and away I go. Thanks for the replies, I'll try a bit of all of your suggestions! -- briguymaine Life is like a box of chocolates? I hate chocolate. 'My blog is at www.munitard.com' (http://www.munitard.com) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ briguymaine's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/9257 View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/41831 |
#6
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steep hill descent
zig zag down it -- zoharj - Level 4 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ zoharj's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/9821 View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/41831 |
#7
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steep hill descent
Looks safe. Tips: Stare at the pictures. Get to the top and imagine the pics in your mind. See yourself riding down the "easy" slope. Then, like tholub said, pedal quickly. The key is to see the success in your mind first. -- ChangingLINKS.com - member Wishing you Happiness, Joy and Laughter, Drew Brown 'Changing LINKS' (http://www.ChangingLINKS.com) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ChangingLINKS.com's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/5468 View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/41831 |
#8
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steep hill descent
I wouldn't worry about going fast because there's plenty of flat ground to run out onto (or roll if you fall). I'd bomb down that first 5 feet of loose stuff, then use your brake to gradually slow down. or try the inverse, go slow and slide through the sandy stuff, and if you're still on your uni, then bomb down the rest of it or use your brake or a combination of the two good luck i just got a brake for my Freeride and i'm lovin it. i got it because I couldn't do some hills that were really steep (like that or steeper) and also a 1.5 mile singletrack descent rendered my quads useless for the next few days -- ColDawG - I go both ways: Your friendly, neighborhood Muniman ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ColDawG's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/9503 View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/41831 |
#9
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steep hill descent
Ditto on the 'The key is to see the success in your mind first.' Thats important. Also, pull on the handle, as if your pulling yourself down on the pedals. Forget about the hill and speeds and techniques, and just concentrate on staying on the pedals. -- forrestunifreak - The buck stops here. warning: the above statement is usually not intended to offend anyone. it has been known to the state of california to cause warts, toe jam, ring-around-the-collar, compulsive twitching, and in some severe cases, diaper rash. it may contain logic, poltical incorrectyness, pshycological nudity, and traces of peanuts. Team YAMS member..... ------------------------------------------------------------------------ forrestunifreak's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/6828 View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/41831 |
#10
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steep hill descent
The trick to doing steep dirt (as you described) is to limit your speed without back-pressuring the pedals so hard you punch out of traction. Keep a slow, even spin going, as opposed to a stop-and-start jerky motion, which can quickly skid you out, especially on steep shale or loose dirt. Most of the hard trails in my hometown (in the Sasnta Monica mountains) are on shale/dirt, and it took me months before i could ride most of the single tracks without skidding out, often right onto my ass, a dozen or more times a trip. The looseness makes it hard, not the steepness. Steep, loose terrain is much, much easier is a brake. It is amazing how slowly and smothly you can descend on super steep stuff with a true rim and a Magura. Sometimes I have the brake nearly locked and sort of bleed down the trail. One single track in particular is easily twice as hard and three times as strenuous without a brake. I think one of the sketchiest kinds of terrain is steep shale-loose dirt that also has steps or drops. You can sometimes bomb this kind of terrain but I´ve taken some aweful falls trying this. The slightest bounce on the steep loose stuff and you´re off. One time I couldn´t run out a UPD (too steep and too fast), summersalted down and got all tore up. There´s a pretty notorious single track, called Suicide, in the San Fernando Valley that Teacherdad put us onto, with one section of insanely steep shale strewn over twisty, rocky ledges. If it were hard pack it would certainly go. I don´t know if anyone could maintain enough traction to ride it over shale. It was the only part Eyal and I could not ride--we did not even try. This would be a really good subject for a comprehensive video tutorial. JL -- vivalargo - Santa Barbara Unicycle Club ------------------------------------------------------------------------ vivalargo's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/5625 View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/41831 |
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