Ask Sharples - Scott Sharples Answers Your Questions

 yes and some go faster stripes will help aswell

 Which bear is best?

 flames may aid in the fast department

 flames make you look like a hot wheels car, a neck brace will make you go faster

 I heard blue rims is what gives you the most confidence

 Don't forget stickers

 yeh get some flame stickers and ur speed will triple..

 As an exact percentage (of time reduction or speed increase - either is fine), how much better will your riding be if you look* like Sam Hill?

*by which I mean just buy one of everything that he uses!

 mm, idk if that will help as much as flame stickers..

 you just have to take small steps for the drop (get slightly bigger each time) then do the same big one every time you go ride and it becomes normal...

for going fast, it too takes time, gradually build speed at a comfortable rate, per run.


sorry if thats all incorrect, just throwing my ideas out there

 If you can go with a buddy who is better and try to keep up with him. Try to keep up will improve your speed. You will also start learning the speed to go off drops by following him. Key word is buddy. someone who is going to be cool with teaching and waiting for you.

 I second doing things every time after you've first done them, it quickly becomes fairly normal. If you pick and choose when to do stuff then you'll always have the mind games.

 I would add that once you know you have the skill and it's mainly just a matter of balls, you should hit it asap to stop it becoming that drop/whatever that you don't do.

 That is a very interesting question. I would say (like most people) that overcoming the fear of drops and going fast comes with time. There's no rushing it, with practice comes perfection. My advice is dont worry about it, we ride because we like to ride, we ride to have fun. If you are not having fun, or if you are feeling uncomfortable than you should take a step back. Dont feel bad about not being able to do this or do that. Just have fun riding, and without even noticing you'll get better and better!

 Or you can just be suicidal and do every jump you want to without thinking about them...

 That actually works the not thinking about stuff. But dont do crazy stuff that will get you injured. Because the more you think about it the more you think you could crash and you will not do it. When going down a trail just hit stuff that you want to but never have because you think it is to big but stuff that you also think you handle and then it will become natural and in no time you will be doing huge stuff. Well that worked with me took me about 1 day from not doing any of the big stuff at my local track to doing it all.

 It took me all season to hit the 30 ft step down out where i ride, but one day my buddy was ridding infront of me chainless and went for it and i said fck it hes got the speed, and gaver. came pretty close to cassing it baddly but still rode out alright. now id say thats one of my fav jumps on the mountain, its fast and very forgiving!

 F*ck it, just huck it

 More endurance!!! How you do eet?

 ^ Actually that's a question I've been wondering. What do you think is the proper diet for someone racing DH, enduro DH? Is there a difference between longer mileage events vs. shorter ones and does it really have to be strict in terms of how many carbs/vitamins you take in per day or could it be more lenient?

 ye man, lyk when you ride more your gradually gonna hit bigger stuff....... but the real thing for hiting something big is just going for it, lyk pedal the shit out (pending on jump)....... or you can do what i did which was get a mate who peer pressure's you into doing bigger stuff..... like hes not normal he screams at you and torments you.....

 @Scott

If you want to train your body for Downhill or Enduro you should go into the gym. A downhill run is between 2 - 5 Minutes so you have to train you endurance for this short amount of time. Cardio training should help you with an very intense level.

But if you are very interested to get even stronger, getting more endurance and so on, look for some bodybuilding forum and read the locked posts - they mostly help.

 Guys I thought this was ask Sharples not ask the forum

 it is, So Where's Wally?

 giv'er, like give it to her, but giv'er

 Tied in with the original question, how do I stop my self from dabbing the brakes before big stuff? We all know it won't help - quicker = smoother/safer than casing... but every now and then I find my fingers going for a cheeky squeeze as I'm coming up to jumps. It's really annoying me!

 not unless you gas2flat spoony

 I'd rather hit it with speed and learn to squash better (for smaller gaps obviously)

 the universe would implode into a giant black hole

 Are you kidding?!?!? Kovarick would DEFINITELY kick Chuck Norris' ass

 tyson wud run in and kick everyones ass

 Push ups, pull ups, lift weights and wanking as mentioned above of course.

 Powerball for the left hand, and what DownhillDomination said for the right one! Hehehe

 Do a lot of powerball. It helped me a lot!

 Bouldering is brilliant, your forearms will get jacked

 Whats powerball?

 A gyroscopic exercise ball used for forearm strength

search it up on youtube

 bouldering is fun, and it does help quite a bit, just buy a set of 40 holds or something and build a wall. see how long you can move around for before you fall off

 Bouldering for fun, and if you have a curl bar, do overhand curls. (like, you know how you do normal bicep curls with a bar? well just flip your hands over, so that your palms face down. Same form as a regular curl. You'll notice the burn in the upper forearm, near the bend in your arm/ opposite of your elbow area)

 digging jumps and trails sir!

 Excessive masturbation. Though now my right arm is huge and my left arm is tiny....

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5gfrvj5j4c (at 0:13 and 0:23) hahaha

 You need a shakeweight. Masturbation with out the fun.

 Oh my god people, use a fleshlight hahaha its heavy enough to work out yer arms hahaha and it doesnt matter whether u use left or right...

hahahaha

 just ride your bike

 as said if youre a beginner just ride as much as you can, if you can find time in the evenings to hit the gym thats even better, youll pick it up quicker if youre fit and strong enough to throw the bike around. also a healthy body = a healthy mind, youll get less nerves (mainly that butterfly feeling) if youre fit.

drifting youve just got to lay it over and let it slide, dont brake because then youre just skidding haha but its just a matter of working out where your tyres lose grip and when to pull it back

 There is a helpful Video on how to ride with the correct body position and how to be more stable.

Also your bike may be to stiff and not set up right for your weight if not then look at the tech Tuesdays on suspension and that should help you become more stable

http://www.pinkbike.com/news/how-to-ride-better-zep-mountain-bike-camps-2010.html- Link for position Video

 Any good tips for roosting into and out of corners? as i struggle to get the back wheel drifting and poping out the other side?

 In rough sections the best thing to do i find is to Not brake and to "unweight" yourself from the bike, meaning try and float over your bike. if your coming up to a rooty section preload into your suspension and rebound back so your wheels basicly glid over the roots and allow your suspension to do all the work, as well keep Loose let your bike do what it wants but try to predict what its going to do so you know how to react if something does happen. The biggest things in cornering is that you want to keep your weight forwards and not brake, as well once you get comfortable cornering start pumping into the apex of corners to get the most out of them.

 here try this video http://www.pinkbike.com/video/170033/

  coupstair seriously, just no, in corners you want your outside crank to be down and your inside to be up. None of this switching foot thing.

 +1 Christo. If your having to think about doing it too, then you should probably just be riding more.

 I have never heard anybody say that you should swap your front foot before! Most people ride with their preferred foot forwards because that's how they're most comfortable and feel most stable on the bike.

I totally agree with whitetux, that dropping the outside crank makes me feel a lot better through tighter corners and generally whenever I'm pitching the bike over to one side - it distributes your weight better through the bike, adding pressure to the gripping edge of the tires and helps you not to ground the pedal if you're really leaning into it!

I think too many people say you should just lean back on a DH bike, it's not that simple. I agree with the unweighting of the bike so that it makes as little contact with rough sections as possible - e.g. skipping over the top of a rock garden, only hitting the top edges of the rocks and letting the wheels get down between the rocks. Keeping your arms and legs soft is the real trick during rough stuff let the bike move around underneath you but try to keep your weight nice and "still". The momentum of your body weight should keep the bike moving in the direction you want it to!

 Since I've stopped leaning back and started throwing my weight around I've improved ten fold...

 sebs if you want to roost youve literally just got to use your legs to push your back wheel down into the corner

 whitetux, your notion of pedal up, pedal down to go faster and under control is simply wrong. i've beeen riding longer than you've been alive mate ... anyways, check these photos out to see how fast guys get it done:

http://www.pinkbike.com/photo/2876951/
http://www.pinkbike.com/photo/2255528/

 Hahaha who the f*ck are you? Christo is one of the fastest Juniors in Scotland...

Also, that looks a lot like crank up crank down to me... especially the second link.

 And especially the first link... The guy in the Troy Lee look at his knees! Outside leg almost straight, inside leg really bent - so despite perspective he's doing exactly what we were saying.

And to correct your other sentence: You've been riding BADLY for than I've been alive.

Oh and a picture of the MOST SUCCESSFUL dh rider of all time to prove my point:

http://www.pinkbike.com/photo/5601763/

but let me guess you know better than him to!

 @coupstair the first link is a fake so does it really matter what position his feet are in? And it seems quite clear that the worlds fastest use pedal up pedal down so that probably means its the best way to go...

http://www.pinkbike.com/photo/5720819/
http://www.pinkbike.com/photo/5603725/

 I like this guy ^

 mee tooo

 @coupstair: It is beyond common knowledge that you put the outside pedal down and the inside pedal up when trying to rail a corner. There are instances where you may choose to keep your pedals level, but not many. To suggest that you run opposite foot forwards in certain turns is ridiculous and will not effect your cornering stability or speed.

 you dudes are funny. anyways, nice pics, however, they are not in the corners (maybe gee is still coming out of the pocket but ...), they are coming out of the corners which means they are starting to pedal as all of these guys do. likely this is when these photos were snapped.

whitetux, no doubt, if you have your inside pedal down you're looking for trouble but that's not what is being asked by i-ride. he's asking about small adjustments to help in stability and speed and as i have ridden fairly fast for over 25 years i have tried a few things to go faster and foot and pedal placement for the last 5 years has been the greatest advantage.

spoonyman, your example is a little arbitrary for this conversation as peaty goes fast because he pedals almost always and he certainly would be pedaling in that gentle corner, so i dunno about how your example relates to this ... and no i'm not a bad rider, i'm a pretty damn good rider actually, or so i've been told.

kids, having a way and an opinion may keep you on the path, however, you can try new things that may help as well. maybe just try suggestions and then blast me/them if you find otherwise. i can throw a ball with both arms, write with both hands, footy with both feet, and table top both sides and this is really only feels right and looks decent by switching stance as well (can't wait to get comments back on this one ...). peace.

 corner & rough section
http://cyclephotos.co.uk/2011/01/bestof/13-steve-peat-fort-william-2010.jpg
http://lp1.pinkbike.org/photo/2804/pbpic2804260.jpg
http://cdn.vitalmtb.com/photos/stories/2009/07/24/full_92487860_1248448734.jpg

the only thing i need most is GUT!

 i don't think coupstair's switching foot forward would work for me, but let a man do what works for him. Thanks for the feedback guys

 http://www.pinkbike.com/video/48980/

about 12 seconds in. I could find numerous other examples from Roam/Seasons etc if you still think you know better than Peaty! Not that we can tell properly without a video, but it doesn't look like he's pedalling in that photo - look at the way his body and knees are twisted - pedalling in that position would seriously f**k you legs up! And if he's coming round there at 30+ mph he's probably not pedalling as pedalling reduces stability and grip if you're nailing it round a flat corner!

I would also like to point out the scientific reasons behind dropping your outside foot:
- Lower centre of gravity = more stability
- More pressure on the biting edge of the tire = more grip, more grip = more stability

I'm sure Mr Sharples could clear this up for us

 i'm surprised he hasn't answered yet, this was only the second question

 clip a photo of your riding buddies to your handle bars. when you get worked up, just stare at the photo and imagine you're on a social ride. it also comes in handy if you're about to crash, look at the photo with tears in your eyes and say goodbye.

 That was a little too gay...

 well it could work. it works on old war films...

 lol dude^^

 Try to ride within your limits when you're racing, nobody wins by crashing. The first run should put down a solid run, get a time on the board, and then if you want to go crazy in your second run then you've already got an alright time to fall back on. By the time you get to single run races (in the UK anyway) you'll have a better idea of how far you can push without falling off.

 just let loose and have fun on the start line, works for me, give yourself some time between the uplift and your run and walk down the track a bit and scream at people

 SQUEEZE THEM MAN, SQUEEZE THEM!!!!!

 play mx vs atv

 you need to be in a loose as ken mindset mate

 try some different mindsets. because everyone is different and they react differently to their mindsets. I would try one time where you focus really hard on the track you are about to race and visualize ur run a few times in your head right before you race. then try one where you dont even think about the race and just stay relaxed and dont worry about it. then see which one works and adjust it to your liking. like I said everyone is different and what works for one person doesnt necessarily work for someone else

 the butterfly effect? what, going back in time, and killing a butterfly, which drastically alters the future?

 I think olstar means butterflies in your tummy!

 Isn't the butterfly effect a concept that some believe, in that the flap of a butterfly's wing will alter the weather in another country..?

 not quite green and literally ol youve just got to keep racing and learn, its different for everyone. some people like to listen to music, some people sit and chat at the top, some people (like me) walk down the track a few corners and just scream at people..

 Butterfly effect is to do with 'Chaos Theory', where a minute change in one variable may have drastic effects on total outcome.

 That just means you need more time on your bike. You have to actually go so fast that you slide out numerous times before you know the boundaries of your bike - and of course, yourself. After that you can start stretching those boundaries. Riding in your comfort zone will not make you a faster rider.

 It would also depend on the corner, ex. i would feel more confident railing a super steep wooden berm than i would a dusty flat corner

 you need more weight on your front wheel, to create more friction!

 ur problem seems like it may be a simple solution corners are key to riding and a good way to actually gain speed on a trail, rather than hauling ass into a corner then slapping and hating life go into the corner with comfortable speed pump through the corner and get on the gas on the way out just remember carry ur speed and never break in a corner only before to set ur speed up much like u would before a steep chute

 NS greg is right...
i used to have the same problem, but when i started leaning forward it made everything easier

 coming into a berm drop you outside foot and put pressure and lean, cuz you bike will be more flat to the ground and trust your tires to hold you if you dough it more likely you will slide. were i ride there is a lot of dust so having one foot off just hovering the ground helps to sometimes on a more flat berm

 Ya I'm talking about the dusty corners. I rode at northstar mainly. Very dusty there and so dry and loose most of the time so thats when I feel uncomfortable.

I think I'm doing everything right, I'm just a little scared to test it lol
i'll grow a pair when the season for DH is back. Until then, it's all dj

 try having a more knobby tire to grab and just kick a foot out just in case so.

 I have a rather dusty corner In my yard I was practicing on. I found starting off slow, rolling is a good way to get confident, make sure the technique is right, I tend to lean inwards and push the outside foot off the front and slightly to the outside of the pedal so its almost scraping the ground, it will come back on when you start straightening.

I just kept repeating this building speed each time which allowed me to be more confident, more than I had been after hitting it at higher speeds the first time but with less technique. The confidence will come from feeling secure. I've found going fast enough will even get front wheel roost

Not being afraid of the consequences of stacking helps. Stacking a berm doesn't hurt as much as other features. I slid off once but still rode out of it with speed due to my side knobs riding the outside wall of the berm.

 yea..i face that issue too when im going steep.

 I used to have that too, just force your fingers to grip your handlebar as hard as you can and stay away from your brakelever. Try that a few times untill your desire of braking decreases and you have the confidence to go fast!

 yes greg! we call it death grip!

 as greg said just concentrate on not braking, just leave some space in your head for everything else youve got to do

and dont death grip...

 Go down some hills with nothing technical on them and just pedal like crazy, get used to going really fast. This will come over to the trail.

When you hit your limit try holding it there and just keep practicing until you feel comfortable going as fast as possible.

 low, loose and lean

 and no brakes

 Trust your tires.Lean wit it.

 brake before the corner so you get maximum grip through it, but just keep pushing it really, most corners you wont give yourself more than a graze if you go off on them

dont just lean over though, unless the berm goes vertical that on its own wont be enough, youve got to push in with both your wheels as you go round and pull out as you exit

 Repetition.

 getting out and spending the maximum time on your bike possible

 cornering. If you can ride a corner faster you can then hit the following straight faster, simple

 Also, what is a good way to increase one's response time? Maybe a better way to ask that is: How does a person get the brain to push reactions from the think source to the muscle/nerves?

An example would be going through a stair stepping section with roots: the rider is descending rapidly, with a lot of physical action going on, the front wheel may miss one of the holes and drop further than expected. How can the rider prepare for a riding situation such as this?

I think Danny Hart is the epitome of this example: http://www.sicklines.com/tv/finally-2-trailer-dirttv/ see 1:26. How can one prepare for this kind of reaction?

 I'm interested in that too. I bet a lot of it has to do with suspension setup and not getting bucked off, maybe even some luck? I find sometimes I have to just lean back and hope my front wheel skips over top of the holes instead of sinking into them...

And that is an amazing video!

 i don't think its luck. you could compile a video 2-3 mins long just of clips of danny hart in moments like that. the key is to just be loose as a goose, this lets the bike flow through a much larger range of movement underneath you and so you are able to ride out of situations tenser people would be bailing in.

 bob thats a good question but the answer is simple, eat healthily and just keep riding
drink plenty of water and eat your greens to keep your brain healthy then just ride as much as you can, the more you use those neural connections the stronger they become

 Depends.

 I have an answer for it and its really cheap. Buy a powerball and you will se that after a week you will be much stronger.

 try some different grips and fork setups as well

 practice these things on flat trails and progress to more technical stuff

 practice different lines and techniques, it could be flowing nicely by coming in wide then dipping into the apex or just squaring off the corner with a quick drift or compress your suspension

 I believe that's just regular tissue. Other athletes do that to build a steady pace of breathing through there mouths instead of there noises. A steady breathing pattern helps in all aspects of intense sports.

 the tissue has been soaked in menthal(sp?) which clears your airways, its so basically they don't have a blocked nose at the start of their run

 I was told it was meant to make you fell like your breathing was difficult, and when it was time for your run you take it out and your breathing feels amazing

 whitetux and zako you both right, its covered in menthol to open up your nasal passage, and also whilst doing this blocks your nose, thus having twice the effect when removed. however it is also done largely for mental reasons and has only minor benefits in performance, if any due to physiological gain.

 i'm having the same problem, and i'm actually trying to solve it by practicing the more often turns on the side i feel less confortable, hoping it will improve the balance of my weak foot

 You need to get comfortable with the other side. Since, unlike most guys I whip to left and not the right it makes features harder that some of my mates have built, I remember how hard it was trying to learn to wallride opposite because it had been built to suit some of my other mates.

I think you need to be comfortable with the back wheel sliding the opposite way so you still feel in control. I would recommend trying to scrub flat the opposite way and get used to getting out the other side so you feel more confident and in control.

Also try getting the technique of cornering dialed for your opposite side then building up the speed after that.

Hope that lends and insight

 Yoga.

 XC in difficult tech terrain with high seat. You have to get it off the way of your thighs to lean the bike, so you have to move around on the bike. Not only will that teach you to move around but also it's going to help you understand the importance of seat in steering the bike, i.e. putting some weight on it to get the rear wheel grip when things get loose. When you get used to that on XC bike, you will be more eager to run higher seat on gravity bikes. Look at Hills or Minnars seat heights in relation to handlebars.

 well, I used to race xc for a few years and still do quite alot xc miles, i like to think that i can descend on my xc bike quite well. I think that it might be my setup on the dh bike that is the problem, or it might be a wrong position that I have (too rear end heavy or too low... )

 DH bikes make it very easy to be too far back. If you find yourself often "hanging" on the bars, so you feel it on your fingers not on palms, then something is wrong. It is very hard due to a high DH cockpit to be too far up front. The answer to most problems is neutral position which is the proper one. It is the one where you are very heavy on you feet and very light on hands. It should work like that, so you stand on pedals and when you very lightly let go off the bars you neither tip back nor forward. Do that on a paking lot first, them chwck yourself randomly on trail where situation allowd you to. Check yourself like that for good position: chin up, elbows out, heels down. Then chest low on the bars, ass high, balance check by letting off the bars a bit.

For reference visit www.leelikesbikes.com and www.betterride.net
Lee McCormack and Gene Hamilton are great teachers.

 I know im not Scott, but I also do DH and XC (more XC) and believe me, step ups (with wheight if you can) and jumping squats are just great, and well, push ups are basic for DH, if you don´t get enough add some bench press to your routine. Believe me!!! Try it and you ll see.

 so*

 I only wear knee pads, i ride with what i feel comfortable in. Neckbraces and pressure suits just make me sweat and make me feel like my movements restricted!

 I think they dont wear it because they want to get better results. What i mean is like if they dont wear it they feel more Free and confortable and so they can improve their performance

 The tyranny of fashion. If someone doesn't wear armour due to restrictive movements and heat then no one would wear pants either.
But really, what's a broken limb or neck when compared to looking good in the lift line? It's time our sport outlawed armour and helmets so that we can look more like dreamy surfers.

 dude you crack me up

 I hear you all! I ride without body armour to. I have helmet, neck brace and knee pads. I really want to have a good spine protection but I've tried almost everything out there and NOTHING fits without restraining my movement. + it looks really stupid, and when you feel like you're looking stupid your confidence level goes down and your confidence is a BIG part in racing downhill.

 think the restriction of movement a body suit gives is a little bit more than pants (trousers?) give

 less preload on the spring or softer spring and more compression dampening.

  you arent going to be able to run it stiff and still have all of the sag, think about it. If you put a stiffer coil in then you're not goingto have as much sag. You may be able to crank up the hight speed compression without affecting the sag too much though.

 I've tried running a lighter coil (then my current recommended) and then I just blow through all the travel and get about 20% sag. As is though I am getting mabey just over 10% sag. I love the way it feels with 10%, but in the high speed wash board stuff I just wash out. I'm sure there is a way to do it, I'm running a Fox 40 and am looking into adjusting the high speed shims if I can find a way. But figured I'd ask incase there is something obvious I am missing

 Run the softer coil but turn up the high speed compression knob

 I have tried it, but I may give it a go again next season... also might try dropping my coil weight and putting a heavier weight oil in the damper. I'm just picky about the setup.

 tilt your feet a bit forward while youre pedalling (only on faltter sections though or youll OTB) and pull the back pedal up just as you would riding clips

 practice sections at 100% and then coast others, so you know how to ride them fast, and also do runs at 80% like you mentioned just to get a feel of how tired you might be

 An R1 or GSXR 1000!

 Ducati Sport 1000S

 do you ride with gloves?

 if your brake levers are closer to the bar you will get less arm/hand pump

 Also make sure theyre not pointing down. your wrists shouldnt really be bent when your riding something steepish. More circulation = Less arm pump.

 Take401 yes i do wear gloves

I have code brakes so I have my levers adj in close to the bar which does help or delay the problem. I have messed around with lever and bar postion.

Good feedback thou guys

 not a lot you can do about it, your brakes are good enough so its not like youre pulling them more than you could be, just gotta take the pain really armpump is a common problem

 Sorry, question 2 is for flat land turns, not bermed or necessarily steep.

 use your foot to keep yourself upright

 Try using softer larger grips

 Your shoulders and elbows must be in the same height.

 relax, relax relax. If you are stiff and tense you and your bike will move as one tippy unit. relax your legs and arms and keep your eyes looking past your landing

 Why are you negpropping me? I had the same problem a couple of years ago, then I was made aware of having shoulders and elbows leveled. Then I focused on it and landed it perfect a couple of times. It is no way he will be able to relax in the air time when he doesn't even feel comfortable jumping it.

 dude, you said "your shoulders and elbows must be in the same height", not leveled. I was picturing the guy sending it off his next jump and lifting his elbows up until they were the same height as his shoulders, his front end would be so high he'd be more sketchy than ever. Elbows level with each other, and shoulder level with each other makes more sense, but is not going to hold true as soon as you get into hips or jumps on rough terrain.

 Haha, I see. No it won't be like that on all jumps, but it's a good thing to know, it certainly helped me out in the beginning. Later it will be feel more natural to take other kinds of jumps. But we all started somewhere?

 just ride confident, when choosing your line anyicipate where your weels may slide so be ready to counter balance. but if you ride slow and unsure when your tires slip, you will go flying aswell

 I do anticipate though and expect my wheels to slip, i ride them fast but for some reason have no confidence in riding them. Maybe its just nerves.

 like a corner, brake before it, stay relaxed and centred on the bike. Bent knees and elbows will help you react, look well past your wheel so you only see the three rocks that actually matter, not all the little ones that are just there to distract you.

 try and hit root's square on and hop over what you can

 Practice on a trampoline first. Don't rotate by "throwing your head back" like every other rider incorrectly does. Learn proper rotation technique in a gymnastics class or trampoline class.

Go onto youtube and look at trampolinists or aerial skiers, you will see they do not start the rotation until AFTER they leave the trampoline/lip (that's what all the arm waving that the aerialist do at the top of the ramp is for - they are practicing the moves that rotate their body). This means they will land exactly where they would have if they didn't do a trick at all. This is what you need to achieve - start the rotation AFTER you leave the lip and you will not land on the ramp.

Ask any wakeboard coach - an hour on the trampoline is worth four days in the water when it comes to learning tricks.

I won't tell you how to acheive rotation because if you are serious, you'll go to a class. The classes cost a lot less than medical bills after breaking your neck.

 Yes and no ull just need to practice hiting those things with speed Cuz on a dh course ur going a lot faster

 dig a run?

 go ride, just like me http://www.pinkbike.com/video/173883/

 no really just take a shovel and get that snow off your track

 stick it to mother nature boy

 my gym has diagrams on the machines that tell you exactly what muscles they work, just go for all the upper body stuff, chest press, shoulder press, ab curl

 ok thanks! i also do alot on the rowing machne as in 100m sprint intervels with around 5 seconds gap inbetween each one, i was guessing this should be good but what do you think? thanks

 physiotherapy?

 whats that? lol

 Look it up it would help a lot

 ah phisical therapy lol yea im all over it. every day a little better but im desperate to get back to the races with my new rig lol i broke my femur 4 days after buying a race bike and this weekend was the first round of winter series so it looks like im just watching this season =\

 I love you man.

 get the hardtail out and go and ride loose trails, you'll be having fun again in no time

 it's not enough if your competition is doing more...

 Take a run, get off your bike and look at the rock gardens or any other part your having trouble with...(BUT STILL MINDFUL TO OTHER RIDERS ON THE COURSE AND STAY AWARE)...and pick lines that work for you. Try to stay loose on your bike and absorb as many of the bumps as you can with your arms and legs

 practice makes perfect

 thats pretty much the answer to half of these questions

 Practice makes permanent.

Perfect practice makes perfect.

Practice something wrong all the time and you will learn to do it wrong. My golfswing is an example of this.

 lean back try not to hit anything!

 cheers guys

 just keep trying to brake later and less each time you hit it, do it gradually over weeks and months and it will just keep getting faster

know your limits though, dont push yourself too hard as youll just crash and knock your confidence

 "youll just crash and knock your confidence"

yeah, been doing a lot of this lately. thanks for the advice though

 nsgreg is totally wrong! you want to be balanced in the middle of your bike (you can find this position by bouncing on your bike, and when your front and rear suspension are both responding equally, you've found it)! If you are in this position you have the most balance and control. Therefore, you can go faster on a steeper and rougher section without losing control.

 in through your nose, and out through your mouth is a common thing which helps

 Thats True , but its really hard to do it when doing any kind of sport .

 try chewing a small piece of gum. always worked on bmx track and moto. kept breathing controlled and relaxed and chewing helps with cotton mouth.

 Man trust me on this one. Try something like a mint candy (big size preferably). I dont know if you get "VICKS throat tablets" in your country, but it helps me a lot. I just keep it in my mouth, and it keeps it cool. You can also try some really sweet oversized candies which has that glue kinda thing in between. But they key is.. dont eat them. Just put them in your mouth.

 Okay, i shall try inhaling through the nose and through the mouth, eat kandy and vicks(thats wierd by the way) and chew bubble gum and kick some ass racing!hahah thanks to all!

 YIKES. I really do not reccommend riding with anything in your mouth. Hydrate, and not just before your run but the night before. Once you are in your run you should be too focused on the track to notice a dry throat.

 Hahah yeah man, i think fullbug and vineet wants me to choke while riding!hahaha...

 wish u no harm kurtsucks! but most kids in the 6yr exp class can pull this off..hahaha

 drink some pure water just before your run. Nothing with sugar in it, though!

 No bong hits at the start gate.

 ^ ha f*ck that, i just chew gum right after..

 Squats, lunges, leg press, calf raise

 leg press and barbell

 deadlifts are hella good for building ur muscles for riding but u can also hurt urself doing them, look up instructions on how to do them correctly

 What's deadlifts? Can you explain?

 Nerves.

 is there anyway to help with that

 experience

 running, especially fartlek training improves stamina and coping longer with lactic acid.

 Running is also a great way to hurt your knees. Cycling really is the best cardio workout for cycling. That being said, swimming is also great.

 Honestly,you cant really help it if you crash a lot.Try taking a tad off the speed in your raceruns.

 ask yourself, do I want to win? Results require hard work.

 I can't believe you would consider staying inside on a raining day. Riding in the rain is the best, plus a hot shower is SO encouraging. I love riding in the rain.

A riding vid may help you get pumped enough to leave the house, try peaty's first section in seasons.

 Depending on what it is if its a rock or stump jump it if its a bump or jump pump it

 start with small gaps and work your way up if your going to go for a gap i would always want to over shoot it then under

 don't think about the consequences too much. Just decide on the speed you need and hit before you realise its gonna be bad if case

 tell yourself that as soon as you hit 10 you're gonna go for it no matter what, when you hit 10, pin it

 try rollers, turbo's or going to a spinning class

 by dirt jumping.

 angle you feet creating friction or whatever between your shoes and the pins on your pedal. Either that or duct tape

 clipless pedals!

 Maybe if you try first in a small jumps thinking in the position of your foot, in a small jumps it´s easy be focus, then you can try in big jumps, probably that action in your foot is because stress, don´t be nervous. Regards

 maybe try alternating which foot you position forward

 point your toes down. This will help your feet stick much as KennyKillsIt suggested. Don't do it too early or you will get bucked, wait until you are airborne. It will help tip your front end down as well to match the downslope of your landing.

 I mention alternating your feet since many riders favor one foot forward similar to snowboarding, and you say it is only your right foot and that it's a habit. If you are completely removing foot from pedal like you would in a berm, then changing foot position and/or pointing toes down are not even relevant yet. That would be a halfway attempt to bail and you're going to seriously injure your jewels doing that. When you leave the lip of the jump, fully commit because there's no turning back at that point. This could be more an issue with having confidence in the bike's suspension and your ability to land safely- which comes with time and practice. I had developed a habit of grabbing the front brake while in the air (which angered me to no end) and it went away eventually as my confidence increased.

 but there are too many questions for him to answer, so we may as well throw our 2 cents in.

 Edit****Posted in wrong bit, apologies

 if you're good, but chances are the alloy is pretty fatigued if it has cracked once, and will probably crack elsewhere pretty soon

 so it doesnt rotate?? what, like for a snow bike? only if the crank is made of aluminium.

edit: oh shit, thought you said crank!! haaha yes you can.

 about aluminum what is the difference between aluminum 6061 an 7005?

 6000 series and 7000 series are just different grades of alloy, like different compositions, and each need different heat treatment once welded

 Welding a crack is not the most ideal. As stated its been fatigued already and the crack is merely the area that chose to tear. However, if you add material, like a plate of aluminum over the crack and fully weld that in place without damaging the frame, you may very well have a good repair.

Also as stated heat treating should be considered. I would talk to a custom fabrication shop rather than a bicycle shop for this. They will understand the materials and determine whether or not a strong repair can be made, it does not have to do with bicycles at this point.

 the good thing for you is that 6000 series alloy is much easier to re weld that 7000 series if you find a good welder. they say you should never re weld 7000 alloys due to heat treatment processes, but 6000 can be if you really need it done.

 Yes you can weld your cracked aluminum frame, I did mine just this summer. Snapped it just in front of the rear hub. Your going to want to TIG weld it and to have some filler rod as well. When I did mine I got a away with out the filler because I had good fit up and lots of material to work with but if your fit up isn't good you will need it. ***THE MOST IMPORTANT THING WHEN WELDING ALUMINUM is that you prepare the aluminum properly, the aluminum oxide that forms on the metal has a higher melting point than the aluminum itself so what you end up with if you don't clean your metal very well is an aluminum oxide balloon filled with molten aluminum that just bursts and drops through once you get it hot enough to melt the aluminum oxide as well. Prepare the area by scrubbing it thoroughly with a clean wire brush, use a good solvent like acetone to remove any remaining dirt from brushing and proceed to weld right away. Aluminum oxide will reform fairly quickly and especially after the material has been heated, which means re-buffing and cleaning if you weld let it cool a bit and weld again. As well using a good heavy chunk of aluminum strapped out of the way to the area being welded as a heat sink is also highly recommended. It will help to avoid concentrating unwanted heat around the area being welded as to avoid issues with effecting the tempering process of the aluminum as mentioned above. Hope this helps!

 mate thats legit! good instructions.

 Yes this is somthing I continue to struggle with.

 put black tape over the bottom 1/4-1/3 of your goggles if it's really that hard to look in front of you and also make sure your peak is tiled up as high as it goes

 Haha, I like that, but no it's not that bad. I just know that it's something that can be improved and shave that little bit of time off my race runs.

 Ohh, tip for madocreg2. If you are running your brake levers really steep (pointed down) a lot try pointing them more forward. It involuntarily adjusts your position a bit and keep your eyes forward. Not gonna fix it all, but will help for sure.

 i got told by someone to put a bright colored sticker on ur handlebar n then if you can see it too much you need to look further ahead n that reminds you

 your eyes look where they need to look, on faster sections youll notice you look further ahead, theres nothing wrong with your technique

 Not true at all... there's even plenty elite racers who could benefit from looking further down the trail, simple fact. Besides, next time your looking at that rock in the rock garden you want to avoid, let me know, you shouldn't be looking there either... so your eyes don't always point where they should

 compression damping. look up the tech tuesdays on setting up suspension

 More high speed compression damping, or a higher viscosity oil in your damper.

 I am a small kid about 5 3 and 100lbs riding a small 951. What is a good way to beef up my riding techniques and have a faster run?

 yes! the thread disappears fast even if you don't skid on the I ride brakeless and the thread on the front went within 4 months but the knobs on the side are there so they still work i suppose

 pedal! Pedal! PEDAL! lol that all i have to say and no breaks lol

 http://www.dirtybutton.com/media/db2624-big-balls.jpg

 Or practice. You know, either or.

 Foam pit.

 walk down the track and find the right line

 I don't know what color did ur head turn thinking of that? And many the smurf turns green lol

 I do believe that someone already asked this.