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Well, are you? And if so, what's improved and how have you done it?
For me, learning to ride flats properly was fun in 2011. By the end of 2012 I want to be able to do a no-hands wheelie from Lands End to John O'Groats
yep yep yep,
2011 my best year by far,
after some pretty nasty crashes and 1 ball rider form which i could not unclip i decided it was time to try flats, why oh why did i wait so long,
totally transformed my relationship with my bike, i love it, my riding has improved so much due to this and also due to one of our riding buddies, Richard, who's enthusiasm, speed and downright gutsy riding has pushed me right out of my comfort zone (in which i have been for 6yrs) and shown me the way to get more from my bike and myself,
roll on next year..COME ON...............
i always get better technically, i might even get back into shape next year 🙂
Which i could say the same probably my worst year in nearly 20 years of mountain biking! It almost seems like a switch has been switched to make me go all stupied completely lacking in confidence on the downs total lack of metaforickle balls etc so yeah roll on 2012 perhaps i will find em again in a bush some where where i left them or if seen please send back to.....
Bats.
Definitely improved. I started doing some running and weights midweek which improved my fitness.
I think so yes. Main thing is I am enjoying riding more. And with a new place to play for next year my riding will only get better (i hope)
Yeah defiantly better after doing the nigel page course 🙂 Alps next year and maybe a jedi skills check.
Technically I'm still shite but physically I am miles ahead of where I was this time last year.
grahamt1980 high5!
Yes I think so.
More confident certainly, braking less, cornering better, happier on steep stuff, riding smoother, tiny bit fitter.
Still only an average "weekend warrior" of course, but I've enjoyed it.
How? Riding more, getting better bikes (for me) and doing a session with Jedi followed immediately by three weeks in the Alps.
Not better but definitely faster and fitter thanks to having almost abandoned mountain biking and gone over to road riding.
My fitness has improved by 20%, my technical riding ability has improved by an even greater amount. Looking for the same improvement levels next year as well.
Ridden a few things I had not ridden before. Fitness is worse though.
Yeah I had an awesome year of riding which will be very hard to top. Improved so much as over the summer I was riding all day every day in the best place in the world 🙂 My knuckles and wrists are still a bit sore from it though!
I'm much improved... and it's just riding loads that has done it. Unfortunately, I'm still not very good!
definitely!! this time last year i thought an apollo was a half decent bike and got nervous if i went down any more than a 30 degree slope. Now I'm getting to grips with short dh trails, bunnyhopping root gatherings and aiming for more and more air, although this time last year my skin was all one colour rather than the blueish/purple patches that seem to keep apearing nowadays. oh and i somehow figured spd after numerous less-than-graceful swan dives!! 😳
Technically no better, but I'm faster and fitter.
Which reminds me, it's Sufferfest time!
Got some Jedi improvements drummed into my head,
Did some time in the Alps,
Sorted my suspension,
Did several races,
Knocked 3 mins off my Bikefest lap times,
Spent time practicing Doubles and Tabletops,
Still crash and still too fat though - so thats what I need to work on.
Technically DH, yes
Technically uphill - nope, probably worse and it's something I am going to work on for 2012
Fitness wise it seems get more and more unfit each year, but I think in reality I just stay at a similar level. I'd love to say 2012 will be the year of getting fit....but in reality work is only going to be even more intrusive and demanding so this is a dream saved for the day I find myself out of a job!
Shitty year of inuries, lacking speed as a result, but I'm much more confident on drops and jumps.
Yes, for 2 reasons:
1-Being diagnosed with a gluten intolerance has made a major improvement to my fitness now I'm off the gluten
2-Changing the stem length on my Cotic from 90mm to 60mm has made a huge difference to the handling and control.
Got quite a bit faster on descents, planning to get fit in 2012.
Getting the right bike for me - after much searching. It has made a great difference in my ability to flow. That means that I've also ridden more and I'm of course fitter for it.
Wider bars did help.
Flat pedals did help.
Fuel EX did help.
Happy new year!
Only started riding properly this year, so yes. Look back at some of the first outings on Surrey Hills with a smile. First Yog Pots and BKB were so timid!!!!
Best early lesson - spd's are adjustable! No wonder I had a nightmare first time out. Next best lesson, leave the well known trails to the WWs, there is so much better stuff hidden away!! Other mind opener - you can adjust your seat post!!!!
Really quandary now though. Do I buy a decent bike and if so what kind???????
Definately a better road rider - fitter, faster, and developing some semblance of technique.
Mountainbiking - fitter, but still not a 'technical' rider. TBH, I'm now happy to accept that I prefer low tech, scenic xc riding, and have stopped beating myself up about not being a rad / gnarl rider.
Still need to summon up the confidence to be able to face riding with other people I don't know / groups / clubs though 🙁
Sue - you are not alone with your final point!!
Surprised myself quite a bit with how well I was able to ride in North Wales this summer (on SueW's tiny Titus! 😀 ). Dunno if I've 'improved', but I don't get many opportunities to ride the more gnarly technical stuffs, but felt a lot more confident riding stuff there than I have previously. Even on my hardtail, I felt more relaxed and comfortable on stuff. Felt I could push myself a bit more than i have in the past, and not feel quite so nervous.
I'd like to improve my downhilling though, always felt weak in that aspect. I have a (healthy) fear of getting smash-up an mash-up an bash-up an ting, so tend to be a bit too stiff, don't relax enough and brake too much.
Started to really feel the limitations of me bikes though, which I jolly well have not before. Become better at setting up me forks, seat position stuff like that.
yep i'm better, still crap tho 😉
my improvments are just from riding more, just need to ride even more in 2012!!!
No just ride more on the edge and take more chances.
Feel like I'm a better rider, or it might just be finding the perfect bike (a Whyte 905) which complements how I ride, I'm not sure. Either way I've not ridden it half as much as I should, crappy weather and niggling injuries have dented the motivation big style.
Hillwalking has taken off though! 8)
much better, i got some new forks and new tyres that cost more than fifty quid each so must be good.
Yea, mainly from riding in more places.
Its easy to fall into a trap of believing you're a riding god just riding at swinley/tunnle hill, and you could get exclent at riding singletrack.
But I'm much better for riding all over the country this year on a greater variety of trails.
Biggest progression has been riding new bikes though, the Pitch re-defined what I thought was rideable at speed, and the 29er's been good fun to.
Not felt as fit this year though, never really got the consistency of riding to really get fit.
I have improved a bit over the year, not as fit as I'd like but very happy with my riding in 2011 and looking forward to 2012
Nope.
less free time meant less riding and thus poorer health at the end of 2011
the resolutions for 2012 are clear, its just a case of adjusting everything else to accomodate...
nah, still crap. Not really bothered though, so long as I have a laugh and a bit of a buzz. I'm more into the sense of freedom and escape and getting out and about than being "good" at it.
Despite going on a skills course in April, probably not. Lack of riding hindered any chance to develop skills (coupled with a lack of ability) and also saw my fitness decline a little more too. 2012 will see a reversal in my fortunes, but that may be the drink talking!
i'm better and fitter!
and.....i did it by:
a. riding more
b. laying off the booze
c. having a baby daughter which motivated me not to be a fat lazy b*stard!
Technically I have improved a bit with more confidence to tackle the steep stuff. My cornering still needs improving, It's been 18 months since I had a Jedi course and I think I need a refresher.
Fitness was lower, partially due to less road riding but mainly due to health issues.