Need help learning to sit down!
 

Here's the deal....I've only been riding dirt bikes about 6 years now (I started when I was 32 in 2000).

I also do some trials riding. The problem I'm having is that I am more comfortable standing up than I am sitting down. I am working my way up to the long course enduros, but after standing for 35 miles I'm beat. The guys passing me are always sitting down, riding out the berms, etc.

Whenever I sit, I feel like I am steering the bike with the bars and not leaning it, etc.

Thanks,

There are many pro riders that I see standing a lot. For example, Juha Salimen is a stand-up type of rider (he also has a trials background). I'm guessing your trials background makes standing more natural for you. I prefer standing in most situations, but get seated in corners and any relatively flat sections... anywhere to give my legs a rest to conserve energy and relax my muscles.

In the World Enduro video from 05, winner Stephan Merrimen (sp?), also a former trials rider, indicated that he had to learn to sit as well. His reason was to save energy (my primary concern), but he also mentioned htat he is able to save the bike more (I assume from washing out). Funny, by stnading up, I avoid those situations.

I think you can be faster in the turns (esp if it is flat) if you sit down. I jsut have a hard to going from left to right and back without "steering the bike."

I know practice will help, but still looking for some tips :)

I learned to ride standing but as I have modified my riding style over the last 10 years I am now constantly up and down, forward and backward, depending on the terrain. Tight slow techical stuff, stand forward. Fast sand, sit. Fast whoops, stand and move forward and back with the whoops. Rocks, stand centered. Slow sand, sit waaaay back, etc.

But then I fall down alot and my screen name is barkeater.:rolleyes:

Most people would wish they had your "problem".

Your legs are the best suspension devices ever invented! Use them.

Just sit on the long straight aways.

A friend was once given very wise advise from Marty Smith...if the throttle isn't WFO, you should be standing. I feel your pain, as I too am a standup rider. A good way to get comfortable sitting is to practise barrel turns in a small area. Forces you to sit in turns and gain traction for the drive from turn to turn.

I always stood, but after some knee problems and being out of shape its getting harder to stand. Keep standing, only sit on the straightaways and if needed in fast corners.
Good luck,
Steve C

This sounds like good way to practice...

Jeff..sounds like we need ot head down to your buddies grass field and set up some barrells:) We can take Noah. He' like riding with some other kids for a change.

I stand in the whoops, or in fast smooth stuff with round bumps, but sit a lot in the technical stuff, and in tight trees. Actually I sit but with not a lot of weight on the seat, so the transition to standing is eaiser. Its just more natural to me especially if I have to get a foot down fast, maybe because I'm not tall and I have a bad right knee as well. On the faster rock studded trails, if you loose the front end from a deflection(which happens regularly) a quick dab means the difference between a save and a painfull crash. Now, don't take this as advice because I'm not that fast. What I do find interesting is that the top riders also sit alot when the going gets ugly, just watch some of the national enduro championship videos and you'll see what I mean. Its far from textbook perfect style, anything goes. I guess it depends on if you have a trials background or not.

I ride through nasty rock gardens faster and have more control if I'm standing on the pegs. That doesn't mean I'm always standing though. A lot depends on how rough the terrain is and how tired I am, but if I sit too much I get horrendous monkey butt. I'm usually all over the bike trying to keep from taking a dirt nap. During an enduro I'll go from standing to sitting so much my thighs cramp up on the way home.

What he said.

I stand as much as I can. When I sit I tend to put my feet down and with size 13 that nearly always disasterous. But like above not much weight on the seat unless on long straight sections.
I get cramps a fair bit, even when realy fit, but have started to take Magnesium and it appears to help a lot. Did 150km of very techical woods riding last Sunday , mainly standing up all day, and only just a bit of cramp after loading the bike on the truck. One more pill and nothing thereafter. Still buggered though.
Only problem is that on the pill glass bottle it says it good for womens menusturation problems, so you GOT to hide it from your mates.

That sounds like a great idea... There were some large hay bales out in the field and I was doing barrel racing around them. Fun... Hay bales are gone - so we need to add stakes and ribbon.

For me, it is about conservation of energy, max traction, and optimal center of gravity for both bike and rider. Riding position and technique is varied depending on terrain, speed, etc. to attain this. And I think, given your degree in physics, you will relate well.

Given this....

Smooth 90 degree corner - butt in seat to lower overall center of gravity - standing up is more difficult to balance and increases probably of "high side" if something unexpected happens.

One position not mentioned thus far is "the attack dog" position. When on smooth ground and full accelleration - butt on seat and chin towards bar with elbows out a tad (a slight tuck). This minimizes energy expended - by leaning forward - you let gravity offset accelleration forces on your body - you don't have to hang onto the bar as hard as the bike is accelerating.

I do have trouble when deciding to sit and stick my foot out for better balance on a left hand turn with loose loamly soil, etc... I sometimes can't get my foot back on the shifter fast enough to grab the next gear when exiting the turn.

About 10 years ago, I had the pleasure of riding with Malcolm Smith for a few days. This was in "the trask" here in oregon - tight trail with a few old logging roads in between. He rides standing up in the tight stuff - his legs are really long and he rocks the bike back and forth throught the corners. You can watch "on any sunday" and see this same style. He moves the bike - he doesn't move that far... Smooth and fast. But doesn't look like he is going all that fast - because it looks so effortless.

jeff

"gods" have a way of making the impossible look easy...

Let me know what weekend works for you.

Not today or tomorrow, but next weekend is probably ok. Beyond that, I need to stay close to home. New babay expected around 8/16, and she could be early (probably not...my kid and all ;) )

Magellan,
You may want to try/practice steering with your feet/pegs. This may make things easier in the tighter sections. In addition, the location in which you sit on the seat will make a huge difference in bike control. Watch Rodney Smith as he is a great sit down rider. Grass tracks, watch the Europeans, they have it down to an art.
Dave

I stand alot when racing and trailriding, but like to sit in the corners. One thing that helped me was to ride some bermed corners and get used to turning with those little rut berms that bikes make. A tip with those is to lay the bike down so your tire's contact patch is perpendicular the surface of the rut and sit on the corner of the seat, keeping your upper body perpendicular to the ground. Weight the outside footpeg and keep your inside foot off the ground, just above skimming the surface. Do one corner over and over until you are sick of it. Then ride a loop or lap, you'll be surprised at the improvement.

I'm working on dragging the front brake into and through these types of corners to load the front tire and compress the forks, which steepens the steering angle of the bike. Another A/AA tip I got from the local guys.

I find this alot of fun to do for an exercise, and it really won't work to try to do this standing up, so it should get you more comfortable sitting in the corners.

Also check your bar setup and seat to make sure everything falls comfortably in place while you are riding standing up. I rode 3 days in the Black Hills in May and stood up almost all day chasing AA riders as they tried to kill me with the tough loops near Nemo SD. Thanks Jack Bondus for the invite, BTW! I didn't get tired from standing. Lifting my bike over 12" logs that were 18" off the ground, yes, but standing, no. Sit in most corners and weight that outside peg - go try it!

Need help learning to sit down!
 

Great thread. I practice standing and am getting better. I now will start to practice that cornering technique Hawkeye talks about. On the switchbacks, when I can get a foot down, I've been pivoting off it and sliding my rear tire around. Seems to work ok. But I have been noticing alot of those berm ruts. I will give the Hawkeye method a try on some of those. That's if and when my doctor will let me ride again.:(

I use this phrase a lot- IT DON'T ALWAYS HAVE TO LOOK PRETTY,YOU JUST HAVE TO GET THERE! sit,stand.shake your leg, or whatever seems to work,just get your butt to the other end!

Works for me!:p

Just sit. All joking aside, I have always been better standing up. To sit down makes me feel a bit out of control, becuase you are acctually raising the center of gravity on the bike. I would go to a flat area and just ride sitting down.

I'm also a stand-up style of rider. I have a short inseam, but my upper body is short as well. (5'6" with a 30 inch inseam) My body can only shift a small amount of weight while seated, but considerably more while standing.

There are lots of factors that go into if I stand or sit. I sit more when I'm on time in an enduro, riding with slower riders and when I'm tired. I'm even more comfortable doing wheelies while standings.

ive always been a sitdown rider, mow im trying to learn to stand up. when i started riding i was at 250lbs, and only rode single track trails. now im down to 200 or so, and want to ride more aggressively. curently i only stand upwhen im jumping, or hitting whoopties. when i stand up i have to stretch waay out to reach the bars,im 6'5 i need a riser, or some apehangers :) im going to try some of the excercises anyway, theres always going to be room for improvement, especially for slowly me!

Over here (UK) we're taught to stand whenever not flat out cornering as it's less tiring. I'm not sure I agree but put that down to my poor technique. Standing certainly makes it easier to balance over very rough terrain like rocks but when it's really rough I panic I wont be able to get a foot down fast enough. Again my inexperience.

I been riding dirt just over a year. Last September i completed my first enduro. 9mile lap 6 laps time carded. It was woods open field and soft sand, man it was hard i knew i was suposed to standup but i could only stand for 10 seconds i burnt my self out sitting down i was so not ready,

Since then i have been training harder Weights xtrainer stepper mountainbikin
but nothing compares to actually riding the bike.

Now i can stand all day up and down as much as needed, The reason fo r training was i know how to ride the bike and what i should be doin but my fitness was slowing me down . Im still not bike fit but with every ride i get fitter,

At the end of the day as long as were all having fun everybodys happy:D

standing.
 

I have ridden KTM's for years before i purchased a GG> You don't sit on the orange bikes unless you like monkey butt. They use a covered 2x6 for a seat!!!!!!!!!!! And i sure ain't spending good money on a softer seat,no no no.