Technique! Technique!!

Old Postcard of Rigi Peak

A couple of days ago was my first real mountain bike ride of the year. I road up a road to the top of the nearby Rigi Mountain and then back down the backside of it along a single trail that starts at the Rigi Staffel. A very fine route, but it made me realized I need some work on technique.

In search of a way to improve my technique I started reading 'Trials' riding; these are the guys that hop up on boulders and other such things with their mountain bikes.

Above: Pro Mountain Biker Asa Salas demonstrates a trackstand

Here's what I've decided to do:

• take my Shimano clipless pedals off my bike for the next little while and replace them with platform pedals with loose toe straps. I am just not confident enough to get out of my clipless pedals at very slow speed on technical sections.
  
• set up my old mountain bike so that I can use it for trials practice


• practice the basic skills as described on this website http://www.trials-online.com/ . The basics are all about mastering balance.


• start with mastering the trackstand. A good description of how to learn it is provided at: http://www.teamestrogen.com/articles/asa_trackstand.asp
  

I feel like a bit of a whimp taking the clipless pedals off the mountain bike, but after a little research I decided that's where I am at in my skill level. I want to practice balance.

Mtn Village Illgau: second times a charm

Left: Lake of Luzern
Center: Rigi Mountain
Right: Lake of Lauerzer

Wednesday May 7th. This ride was 60km - about 2.5 hrs, from Walchwil to the village of Illgau and back. It is the second time doing it this year. The first time was real tough on me; my legs were so wasted I was barely moving near the top of the ride. This time I made it home with some juice still left in the legs.

The ride took me through the village of Schwyz, into the Muotathal (Muota Valley) , up a side road for several kms of steady 8 % climbing to the cliff top village of Illgau, and then exited the backside of the village to snake up a set of steeper little roads to the main Ibergeregg road ( webcam ). From there you can continue up to the pass, but I swung back down to the village of Schwyz and then home to Walchwil. There were three or four other cyclists on the Illgau road, but I was the only one on a roadbike.

Next time I do the ride I think I'll be going up and over the Ibergeregg pass.


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