What do you consider yourself?

[martin]

Just curious what you think your biking ability is.

[drewdane]

Just curious what you think your biking ability is.
I seem to be stuck on an Intermediate plateau. :(

If I had time and opportunity to work on it, I bet I'd be approaching "advanced" pretty quickly.

[redneckp3ngu1n]

I consider myself intermediat but my friends say im expert. I know thats not the case because there are so many people who are miles ahead of me in skill. They think im advance because they dont ride bikes

[CRAIG2]

I didn't see mediocre as an option, so I'll have to say intermediate. Are we being graded on a a curve? :D

[dcraider]

Shouldn't there be a ride skill quiz to determine a rider's personal rating?

1. You approach a fallen building and you must pass it, do you...

a. Dismount, throw your bike over it, climb over it, continue riding
b. Attempt to ride over knowing darn well you're gonna faceplant
c. Bunny hop it
d. Call Rich at IMBA trail soluions to ditch witch through it
e. sit down, contemplate it's passage by figuring the temp, windage, climb angle, tire pressure only to turn around and ride off
f. Wait for someone else to post a step by step slide show on how to cross it, only to go out and try it and ending up performing answer b.

Seacrest Out

[saxman]

I consider myself intermediat but my friends say im expert. I know thats not the case because there are so many people who are miles ahead of me in skill. They think im advance because they dont ride bikes

I'm inclined to agree. Compared to the vast majority of the population that doesn't ride mountain bikes, some of the things I can do on a bicycle seem absolutely amazing, especially when viewed from a non-biker rider's perspective. However, from the perspective of my peer group, I'm intermediate, at best.

[phuncadelic]

I have been debating this for awhile.... I have only started mountain biking in October, but I can clear just about every obstacle at fountainhead. (granted that doesn't make me an expert, but I think it puts me past beginner.)
I have been debating on whether I should enter the beginner class or sport for the CM's.

I think I would be sandbagging if I entered beginner class.

Since I could go in the beginner class should I?

[Brizn]

I'd claim intermediate status by my own standards. My rating drops some when I see people doing sick stuff fast and w/ ease, though.

[joep]

I have been debating this for awhile.... I have only started mountain biking in October, but I can clear just about every obstacle at fountainhead. (granted that doesn't make me an expert, but I think it puts me past beginner.)
I have been debating on whether I should enter the beginner class or sport for the CM's.

I think I would be sandbagging if I entered beginner class.

Since I could go in the beginner class should I?

I think everyone has a right to race as a beginner in their first race. But if you find yourself lapping people and not breaking a sweat, then you gotta do the right thing: pull off the course and claim DNF. Then go home and self-flagellate for penance.

(warning, zealot rant coming...)

Or you could race in the singlespeed class, where sandbagging is never an issue because it's an open class.

[yueq]

I only have one green dot so I consider myself beginner.

[Dirt]

I only have one green dot so I consider myself beginner.

Hahahahahahahaha That's what you think!!!

[dcraider]

I only have one green dot so I consider myself beginner.

Easy fix. Model your forum behavior after Pete (Dirt), Craig (Self Explanatory), Tom (Snot-Rocket), or Gary (Gaz) without making fun of Squirrel Girl and your dots will grow like a Southern California wildfire in August.

Either that or you can send Craig or SG a monetary amount slightly higher than $19.99 per each green dot you request.

[dcraider]

Hahahahahahahaha That's what you think!!!

Or wait until Pete has been drinking and he'll pass green dots out like spiked egg nog at a junior high Holiday party

[Dirt]

Or wait until Pete has been drinking and he'll pass green dots out like spiked egg nog at a junior high Holiday party

You know what's funny? I didn't pass out any green dots. He had a bunch when I read the post.

I'm pleading the 5th on the drinking part though. I'm getting a good jump on the weekend. :D

PEte

[soreback]

still a beginner after 14 years. sometimes its reassuring to know some things dont change ;)

[yueq]

The Thursday Schaeffer ride was washed away by the T-storm,
My dental appointment is 11:00 am on the MORE picnic day :(
and I didn't save a bunch on my car insurance...

but some one passed a bunch green dots to me :) :) :)

[DMarchy1]

I feel like last month at Douthat, with Scud and Friends, I made a huge step forward in my endurance and output capabilities. My Technical skills are still lacking severly. I am sure these skills will improve when we finnish the advanced loop at Rosaryville. I would give myself an overall rating at the first step of intermediate.

As far as Racing Ratings goes, if you have finnished on the podium or very close to it for your last three races, and your times are equal to the middle of the pack of the next level, then maybe it is time you step up to the next level, they will push you to advance yourself again.

IMHO Dave Marchyshyn.

[halfinch]

i consider myself fat, slow, and old. skills wise, i fall with the best of them. you should see me endo.

the main advantages my riding style has is that 1) i provide a great draft for the skinny guys i ride with (when they are behind me) and 2) the additional mass provides more roll on the downhill sections, PE=KE.

as for what class you race in, enter beginner so you can get a feel of how it runs- it seems most folks were pedalling all out for the CM series. I raced SS with a friend, and watch/volunteered for the other races.
i'll be in racing this year when they open the SOFG class.

[Ecky-Pting]

I opted for "intermediate". I've had an entry-level ATB for about a year now and am coming to appreciate the finer points of the higher-end machinery. I've become proficient in a few basic techniques for clearing logs, traversing creek beds and maintaining traction going uphill, as well as a few rules of trail etiquette (thanks, MORE!) - and I would feel competent in instructing others in the same, so I think that puts me beyond "beginner".

I wouldn't consider myself "advanced" however, as there are certainly parts of trails that hang me up (exceedingly steep uphills), and I don't know if I will ever be able to "bunny hop". Is there any hope for someone pushing 40?

I'm nowhere near the level of confidence and fearlessness that I'm at when I'm on say, a pair of skis (something I've been doing for 30+ years), so I can definitely rule out "expert" and "extreme".

Oh, yea. Only one green dot?!

[MyOtherBrotherL]

I marked Advanced.

I've been facing the COLD HARD TRUTH lately. I understand that I know HOW to ride and I ride often, I just don’t do it well.

AND - I'm just not EVER EVER going to be fast. And I'm not EVER going to be technically proficient.


In Summation:
I'll finish the race - But not podium
I'll get over the log, but there's gonna be chain ring marks
There's no shame in running a hill
Fred Flintstone knew what he was doing
Dab is just BAD spelled backwards
I'll always brake into corners and lean the wrong way.
Fast Twitch, Slow twitch - At least they still twitch

L

[gaz]

After pondering it, I had to put down beginner, and I find that fact rather shameful.

I'd like to think I'm intermediate, but I just haven't ridden often enough to the point where I think I've developed enough skill to say that. My log hopping skills are still stuck in the "get the front wheel up, pedal, and hope that momentum takes me over it without the chainring getting too mashed!" and my fitness is in the pooper. My unpredictable work schedule as well as living in a fourth floor condo in the city (making getting the bike to the car, and the car to a trail, a huge production) contribute to this, but the primary culprit is me just being plain lazy.

So avoid at all costs copying my behaviour, yueq!!! ;) (I'll give ya dots though!)

Man, now I'm depressed! :o

[traylseeker]

Clearly a beginner. At the end of the summer an "advanced beginner."

[xrugger70]

Was at one time I would guess looking at the scale a little bit of an advanced intermediate. Though hip replacement, and 2 years of healing..[[call me crazy but I don't want to lose all of the work and wished to ensure that the hip was very solid before taking a dive on a bike]] I will see this weekend. I know that being a little aout of shape will be issue, as well as a tad bit of excess fat, though have lost 10 pounds of my surgery gain, and looking at losing the rest over the fall riding/winter riding season so spring I am working into a good groove. Will post again after my warmup and reintroduction to wakefield/accotink this weekend. Will probably see some folks out there.

[javier33]

I guess I would consider myself an advanced rider. I raced BMX in the ABA and NBL as a kid. I have only been MTB'ing for a little over 2 years, but I really notice that the BMX skills help.