By James Durand
I often wonder about biking and how much our brains interfere.
My buddy Paul did a ghost video a few years back and simulated a bike riding on its own. He basically launched his old bike at full speed into jumps and let them fall where they may, or rolled them down steep trails and they would make it all the way down.
It was surprising how well it jumped and handled with no rider. Many of my friends commented that the bike in the video jumped better than they do themselves.
My kids both started hockey this year and were years behind many of the other players on their teams. They learned and improved moderately, but the biggest changes for them were after pushing them to stop thinking and go have fun. It seemed like when they shut their brains off and let instinct take over, they relaxed and had noticeable improvements.
Last week I headed south an hour or so to ride with two friends. We did a few warm up laps and then jumped into the more technical trails. Lots of rock chutes, winding and twisted roots, and steep terrain.
Being that we hadn’t ridden here in four years, I was a bit cautious. I still rode everything but I stopped a few times to have a look first. Every time I stopped, my buddy, Ken, just rode past me and hit the section blind. He made it all look easy.
I’d look at it, assess the best line and then roll through. It all went perfectly, but the more I thought about it the more challenging it became to drop in.
Ken didn’t seem to be thinking at all, and if something was a bit scary, he was already on his way out by the time his brain realized it. Pretty good approach.
Maybe it’s a confidence thing, I don’t know, but in my own experiences, watching my kids, or chasing my buddies on bikes, I swear, the more we think about it, the worse we do.
So, switch it off and let your instincts take over … and don’t worry, fear is pretty instinctual so you’ll still be safe in the end … hopefully.
I’m James Durand and I’m Goin’ Ridin’…