I seem to have struck a chord by not having my finger on the front brake, but there's a good reason! Since these trails are relatively flat flow trails, you really don't need to brake much and more importantly there are a lot of wet roots you can't really see in the video. If you've ever pulled the front brake on some wet wood you'll know why I didn't bother using it this day. Don't worry, I don't usually ride like this, check my other videos ;).
I dont get it..But you keep doing it where the dirt is perfect without any roots..always one finger on both levers.when your mate you're fallowing is crashing, you wont have the time to brake that fast with a rear brake.when you have no trust in your front brakes, lower your tire pressure or find a tire that can handle it. Think its just unnecessarily dangerous.
Andi Epunkt that’s not true it’s called death grip and it only takes a millisecond to hit the brakes. Mentally though it makes you a lot more committed, great for drops or jumps or any situation where full commitment and no front braking is required
You don't need fingers on the brakes your finger will find its way there when you need to stop it's an automatic muscle memory thing but is having brakes covered by your fingers all the time is your thing it doesn't matter ride however your comfortable and how you feel safe.
@@AndZzo101 They are pretty flat flow/jump tracks, if you stab the rear brake you will dump speed quickly... also there's good sightlines, skilled riders unlikely to crash etc... really confused why people think this is so dangerous lol.
@@harryingd2674 i’m asian and i honestly wish mate i’m riding down hill bike parks with my 300 quid hardtail and I nosedive every jump appreciate the stereotype that i wish was true though 😔
@@edwin7150 aww don’t worry man my dad says we have to share his bike. Like how does that even work I can’t drive so I can’t ride alone and my mom would never
@vancan I know why I like your videos so much , the honesty and self assessment of your riding is great and pretty much describes the place im in as well , we need to catch these faster dudes and speed in and out of corners is the key , look forward to us both cracking the code
Its interesting how things get in your head and sych yourself out when your alone, but when with friends who are faster and better you instantly have more adrenaline pumping to give you confidence and balls you to take on things you couldnt do before. Way to go bro, your doing great for 2 yrs of riding. Keep it up!
Dude these trails look so sick! Nice progression throughout the video! Sometimes all it takes is a lap for you to remember you actually can ride a bike! Keep it up!
Such a cool area! I went and checked it out this past weekend and it is defiantly a place to check out if you're in the area. The local riders are all super nice. The climbing trail might be steep, but since it is short it is an easy mountain to do laps on.
Well done buddy! Your lines got better and better and your jumps/landings got smoother and smoother as the video went along. You're like me, you take a bit of time to get warmed up but when you do you're a solid rider my friend! You gained a sub from me!!
I just found Dale's YT maybe a month or so ago. I can't say enough about his vids. Super clean and simple videos. Absolutely love them! Also, it's a great day when you post a new vid! Keep up the good work!
If you want to work on carrying speed through corners a flat corner drill is extremely helpful. Just find a dirt road with a slight gradient and set up some cones.
Just cause someone is going faster than you doesn’t mean that you aren’t. Stay positive my dude. Progression takes time, remember to focus on what you are doing and try not to dwell on how “fast” others are going cause you can match that it just might take time!! Love the vids bru, keep it up!!
I was thinking the same thing. There's always someone faster. You were shredding it, riding super sick trails!! I'm jealous. I wouldn't even really want to go any faster than that, but that's just me😉.
Sick video man, i met you there on that day when you were filming, i checked out these trails and the jumps are HUGE, way bigger than they look on camera
I went from circa 2004 26" to 29" in 2016 and noticed that the 29er understeered significantly as compared to the 26er. I think that it is more due to longer wheelbase combined with slacker headtube angle. It took me a while to get used to the difference. There are still some very tight switchbacks where I think that the old 26er would rock; on the other hand, with its steep headtube angle it was a bit of an endo machine as compared to my 29er. I've yet to try 27.5.
I have just come off from my second ride on my 29er MegaTower and I 100% agree, first few rides down it felt really alien, like you are not connected to the bike. My last couple of rides down I was feeling a lot more confident and much quicker than on my 650b.
its also really hard to tell which direction the jumps are leading to. my first time going down, i would have been confused as hell too as they seem to come up quickly and its hard to tell whats a jump, a barrier, or regular trail.
Just subbed your channel! My third MTB channel (Dale Stone and Dangerous Dave are the others). While I like Dale and Dave’s less words is more approach to their channels, yours is a great counterpoint and really informative. Nicely done! I gotta say, as a 50 year old guy about 5 months into this mountain bike thing, I was shocked to hear you say that, at the time of this posting, you’d only been riding for 2.5 years! Is that true? No other bike or motorbike background? My heart would be in my throat doing the stuff in this video. I only just started hitting jumps recently - mostly the couple of small ones on Garbage on Burke where I’d hit the jump; stop; walk the bike back up the trail and do it again. It’s pretty ugly still, but I’ll keep trying. If I could be half as good as you’ve become in another 2 years time, I’ll be happy.
The way you were hitting those jumps I knew there had to be a bit more to the story! Anyway, thanks, and keep up the great work. Now that I’m subscribed I’ll be checking in more regularly.
Huge differences between first day on the trail and the 4th or 5th time on the trail. Dont give yourself such a hard time relax! Speed comes when you're not thinking, the days when you feel like not riding and the days you need to blow off steam. ;)
Dude, I broke my 2018 Reign, bought a new Transition Scout 2020 frame but while it gets here a friend lent me a Nukeproof Scout. My first time on 29er. Since I come from bmx, hardtailing is sooo good. But oh man I'm jumping like a madman, sending it too hard for my own health. Had the exact same thoughts as you, i don't know if its the lesser weight, non squishy rear end, extra speed of the big tires but holy 🐮.
@@lyrkk470 Im 5'7 too and Im riding my first season on a 29er. I'd say it basically jumps the same it just feels a bit heavier to throw it around. So if you're into doing big tricks I wouldn't consider a 29er. And you have to pay attention to the back wheel. Because we are so "short" the back wheel is right under the seat on downhills. Overall I think there are more pros than cons for the 29er especially when you ride XC Stuff.
Dude you need to bring that speed to some trails in Australia... They are dry and vicious here on the Gold Coast.. But your speed fears will drift out the windows after a few runs on these tracks
Bro I wish I had trails like this by me. I live right by bootleg (where the dvo diamond and mob n mojave races are held) and it is fun for a bit but growing up riding these trails honestly gets a little boring. You learn not to trust the loose corners due to it being so dry and rocky. Now whenever I ride somewhere with some good loam I am never able to feel comfortable on cornering so I always lose my speed and am never able to connect jumps. It is sooo frustrating. Any ideas on how I can work on my cornering?
That jump on thornstar where your tire slid out is a death trap. Exact same thing happened to me my first time down it... on your way into it I was worried haha
I think the same thing happens to everyone who hits that jump for the first time, i brought my friend mountain biking for the first time (he rode dirt jumpers before so he's not completely new to the sport) and he almost fell when his front tire slipped on that log.
Hey up are 29 bikes weird to ride if only ride 27.5 all life was thinking of a stump jumper 29 for local trails with jumps drops so on what you really think now you rode 29 bike cheers Phil
they are also flickabe, the super long, extreme bikes are too, I know one so I sure know it.😄 you just have to get used to it, need to find the balance points. my bike also has slack head angle at about 61 deg according to my phone, super stable steering, with 33mm stem its direct steering. the way the bike is it's super stable and is planted, but if you want to make it hop you can, just have to get used to the balance points, timing. so I see this as an advantage, my bike is Nicolai/Geometron G1 size large.
I'm not big on jumps, but kinda think that those jumps seems to be no problem. But making RUclips videos myself I know how much smaller things looks like on video... Probably would have struggled going for those jumps IRL 😂
What date was this filmed. I live a 5 min drive from thorn hill. Took my daughter down OSB for her first run down a trail. How long does it usually take to post a vid after filming?
@@VanCan just started doing this and it's the best setup by far. More stable than a chest cam but you still have the bars for context and the lower position for a sense of speed... only problem is I need music in all my videos to drown out the sniffling and panting!
You seem to be concerned about going faster. It appears you are going pretty fast (unless that is the GoPro effect) so the question I always ask myself is "am I having fun?" the answer is always yes so speed is not that important to me. Are you having fun?
Explain to me how a regular tame trail can make you nervous after I've seen you clean Dirt Merchant in a video? With the drops and jumps that are on Dirt Merchant, I pretty much consider that to be college. If you clean that, you've graduated to a bad ass advance MTB'er (that's a technical term). So I really would love to hear your thought on riding something like that and other tamer trails making you nervous. That Dirt Merchant video is one of my favs BTW.
The bike park is a very controlled environment, I know exactly how they build jumps, how they'll feel, and there's lots of room. With stuff outside the bike park, there's a sketchyness factor. I'm a pretty nervous rider, it takes me a while to warm up, and I frequently err on the side of caution. Some people can just send it, but I take my time even when it's in my comfort zone.
VanCan I understand. It makes some sense, but I’m willing to venture that most people could never warm up to Dirt Merchant, no matter how controlled it is. That big drop on Merchant looks huge on video, it must look enormous in person! Love the honest feedback here and on your videos. Thanks man!
I seem to have struck a chord by not having my finger on the front brake, but there's a good reason! Since these trails are relatively flat flow trails, you really don't need to brake much and more importantly there are a lot of wet roots you can't really see in the video. If you've ever pulled the front brake on some wet wood you'll know why I didn't bother using it this day. Don't worry, I don't usually ride like this, check my other videos ;).
I found the exact same thing on this hill, front brake is pretty unnecessary. Just lean into the corners.
I dont get it..But you keep doing it where the dirt is perfect without any roots..always one finger on both levers.when your mate you're fallowing is crashing, you wont have the time to brake that fast with a rear brake.when you have no trust in your front brakes, lower your tire pressure or find a tire that can handle it. Think its just unnecessarily dangerous.
Andi Epunkt that’s not true it’s called death grip and it only takes a millisecond to hit the brakes. Mentally though it makes you a lot more committed, great for drops or jumps or any situation where full commitment and no front braking is required
You don't need fingers on the brakes your finger will find its way there when you need to stop it's an automatic muscle memory thing but is having brakes covered by your fingers all the time is your thing it doesn't matter ride however your comfortable and how you feel safe.
@@AndZzo101 They are pretty flat flow/jump tracks, if you stab the rear brake you will dump speed quickly... also there's good sightlines, skilled riders unlikely to crash etc... really confused why people think this is so dangerous lol.
"no matter how good anyone is, there will always be a 12 year old that can shred better than them"- someone
lmao
Except of the 12 year old
Or an asian
@@harryingd2674 i’m asian and i honestly wish mate i’m riding down hill bike parks with my 300 quid hardtail and I nosedive every jump appreciate the stereotype that i wish was true though 😔
@@edwin7150 aww don’t worry man my dad says we have to share his bike. Like how does that even work I can’t drive so I can’t ride alone and my mom would never
I really like your channel. I like how you are talking about how you feel on the trail and it's probably how most of us feel.
This was a super fun day, figured you'd enjoy what Thornhill had to offer! Other than that blind right hander of course. ;)
That one almost got me too the first time i rode trail dweller
Love your channel, love VanCan, so stoked to see you both in the same vid
This is my favorite type of riding. Hit awesome jumps, climb back up, hit awesome jumps again, repeat until exhausted. Great video!
@vancan I know why I like your videos so much , the honesty and self assessment of your riding is great and pretty much describes the place im in as well , we need to catch these faster dudes and speed in and out of corners is the key , look forward to us both cracking the code
I watched this while training on my Cycle Ops 2. Broke my collarbone 4 weeks ago so it was fun imagining I was riding with guys.
Its interesting how things get in your head and sych yourself out when your alone, but when with friends who are faster and better you instantly have more adrenaline pumping to give you
confidence and balls you to take on things you couldnt do before. Way to go bro, your doing great for 2 yrs of riding. Keep it up!
Thanks for making this video Nic! Enjoyed watchin ur progression throughout the day
Thanks Will!
Dude these trails look so sick! Nice progression throughout the video! Sometimes all it takes is a lap for you to remember you actually can ride a bike! Keep it up!
Such a cool area! I went and checked it out this past weekend and it is defiantly a place to check out if you're in the area. The local riders are all super nice. The climbing trail might be steep, but since it is short it is an easy mountain to do laps on.
Great progression. Way to send those jumps! speed is your friend when jumping. I need to practice more.
Your vids are fascinating and I love my 29er. I'm too old for much tech, but I still learn from you. Thank you.
Well done buddy! Your lines got better and better and your jumps/landings got smoother and smoother as the video went along. You're like me, you take a bit of time to get warmed up but when you do you're a solid rider my friend! You gained a sub from me!!
That fog is spooky yet beautiful. Super fun looking trail and the dirt looked fantastic except for an occasional puddle.
Looks like a really awesome trail to learn and improve jumping skills.
Really dig your videos! I like the mellow style and commentary. Smooth editing and solid riding. Keep it up!
Thanks!
I just found Dale's YT maybe a month or so ago. I can't say enough about his vids. Super clean and simple videos. Absolutely love them! Also, it's a great day when you post a new vid! Keep up the good work!
He has a specialized not a yt
@@andrisvelmeris he talks about his older vids where he had a YT Capra + Tues..
@@AndZzo101 No I wasn't talking about bikes at all. I said Dale's YT (RUclips channel). lol
@@andrisvelmeris I men't Dale's YT (RUclips channel).. lol
If you want to work on carrying speed through corners a flat corner drill is extremely helpful. Just find a dirt road with a slight gradient and set up some cones.
Just cause someone is going faster than you doesn’t mean that you aren’t. Stay positive my dude. Progression takes time, remember to focus on what you are doing and try not to dwell on how “fast” others are going cause you can match that it just might take time!! Love the vids bru, keep it up!!
I was thinking the same thing. There's always someone faster. You were shredding it, riding super sick trails!! I'm jealous. I wouldn't even really want to go any faster than that, but that's just me😉.
Sick video man, i met you there on that day when you were filming, i checked out these trails and the jumps are HUGE, way bigger than they look on camera
Where are the trails at?
Man they just don’t have anything like this on the east coast, looks like such a blast
I went from circa 2004 26" to 29" in 2016 and noticed that the 29er understeered significantly as compared to the 26er. I think that it is more due to longer wheelbase combined with slacker headtube angle. It took me a while to get used to the difference. There are still some very tight switchbacks where I think that the old 26er would rock; on the other hand, with its steep headtube angle it was a bit of an endo machine as compared to my 29er. I've yet to try 27.5.
27.5 feels like the perfect blend of both worlds honestly, its just a shame they seem to be slowly phasing out in favor of 29s
Awesome riding guy’s, I would love to give those trails a blast sometime. Your enduro sounds sweet!
I’m thinking of buying an Enduro, I’d like to see a follow up review after you got tour warranty replacement. Looks like you’re loving it!
I have just come off from my second ride on my 29er MegaTower and I 100% agree, first few rides down it felt really alien, like you are not connected to the bike. My last couple of rides down I was feeling a lot more confident and much quicker than on my 650b.
Great riding brother! I enjoy seeing you try to progress your riding!
Riding with fast mates is the best thing you could do to improve your riding
@Steffen grüße gehen raus haha ;)
Those tracks look soo fun! Thx 4 sharing 🤙
VanCan: this time everything goes as planed
8:09 going into the stump 😂
That Hydra sound its just nuts!! Amazing!
Killer video! I’ve been riding about the same length of time you have but I need to work on my jumping big time! Still freaks me out sometimes!
I just broke my rib from watching. Wish l could come do that trail
So many front brake police in the comments. Somebody hire them while they still know everything. 😂
Keep sending it bro!
You only write this because you are a front braker yourself
Nice to see you're warming up to the Enduro :)
Wow, this view!
What's your gopro setting and set up? Because I love this plan...
Very smooth and satisfying 😍
Hero 8 on the chin of my full face
@@VanCan OH okaayy! Isn't a chest....
But for the hypersmooth, you use normal, high or boost?
0:46 blue hardtail in the air WTF?
You know... just a hardtail frame *lodged into a tree by the headtube*
its also really hard to tell which direction the jumps are leading to. my first time going down, i would have been confused as hell too as they seem to come up quickly and its hard to tell whats a jump, a barrier, or regular trail.
Just subbed your channel! My third MTB channel (Dale Stone and Dangerous Dave are the others). While I like Dale and Dave’s less words is more approach to their channels, yours is a great counterpoint and really informative. Nicely done!
I gotta say, as a 50 year old guy about 5 months into this mountain bike thing, I was shocked to hear you say that, at the time of this posting, you’d only been riding for 2.5 years! Is that true? No other bike or motorbike background? My heart would be in my throat doing the stuff in this video. I only just started hitting jumps recently - mostly the couple of small ones on Garbage on Burke where I’d hit the jump; stop; walk the bike back up the trail and do it again. It’s pretty ugly still, but I’ll keep trying. If I could be half as good as you’ve become in another 2 years time, I’ll be happy.
Thanks!
I’ve only been mountain biking for a few years but I’ve ridden bmx for about 15.
The way you were hitting those jumps I knew there had to be a bit more to the story! Anyway, thanks, and keep up the great work. Now that I’m subscribed I’ll be checking in more regularly.
😎He who brakes and rides away will live to "jump" another day 🥳
Huge differences between first day on the trail and the 4th or 5th time on the trail. Dont give yourself such a hard time relax! Speed comes when you're not thinking, the days when you feel like not riding and the days you need to blow off steam. ;)
This vid was so good. Keep it up!
your so lucky to have trails like that you can go ride anytime you want. so jealous!!!!!
A bit of proactive serendipity - I moved here so I could ride more!
I love your videos! In my opinion awesome riding and style.
Nice work up there guys. Hey how is that enduro treating you???? You feel you improve riding ?????
It feels great, but I don’t think it’s improving my riding. Only practice will do that
That last jump was beautiful...🍀
The scenery at 7:20 is insane. WHOA
This video was sick. I'm personally not a fan of 29ers, but thanks for proving me wrong too.
Nice looking trails there
Satisfying to watch this flow
Dude, I broke my 2018 Reign, bought a new Transition Scout 2020 frame but while it gets here a friend lent me a Nukeproof Scout. My first time on 29er. Since I come from bmx, hardtailing is sooo good. But oh man I'm jumping like a madman, sending it too hard for my own health.
Had the exact same thoughts as you, i don't know if its the lesser weight, non squishy rear end, extra speed of the big tires but holy 🐮.
im 5'7 and im looking to get a new enduro bike to do park and agressive xc trails(all thats close to me) is a 29er any different to jump?
@@lyrkk470 Im 5'7 too and Im riding my first season on a 29er. I'd say it basically jumps the same it just feels a bit heavier to throw it around. So if you're into doing big tricks I wouldn't consider a 29er. And you have to pay attention to the back wheel. Because we are so "short" the back wheel is right under the seat on downhills.
Overall I think there are more pros than cons for the 29er especially when you ride XC Stuff.
Dope video this trail looks fun
Love flow rider and rip'n'dip 🤘
Dude you need to bring that speed to some trails in Australia... They are dry and vicious here on the Gold Coast.. But your speed fears will drift out the windows after a few runs on these tracks
What bie oyu riding and what Santa Cruz bikes riding the rest of the crue ?
Bro I wish I had trails like this by me. I live right by bootleg (where the dvo diamond and mob n mojave races are held) and it is fun for a bit but growing up riding these trails honestly gets a little boring. You learn not to trust the loose corners due to it being so dry and rocky. Now whenever I ride somewhere with some good loam I am never able to feel comfortable on cornering so I always lose my speed and am never able to connect jumps. It is sooo frustrating. Any ideas on how I can work on my cornering?
Man!!! what a trails!!! so crazy
looks really fast to me. i like your videos very much and your style of commentating is great man. greetings from germany
What's your camera setup??? Also, i love this raw beautiful asmr riding brings me joy.
Go pro on the chin bar of my full face. For settings, look up The Loam Rangers go pro videos.
Glad to see someone who isn't a professional.
Grew up on thornhill riding the area. Perfect cause I could ride up without parents driving anywhere 🤙🤙🤙
Love your channel 🤘🤘🤘
Thanks!
After months of watching MTB vids - I would consider you to be one of the better RUclipsr riders. Lol. Mad props. Great vid and ride. Looks fun.
Nice video! So what do you prefer? 29 or 27,5?
That jump on thornstar where your tire slid out is a death trap. Exact same thing happened to me my first time down it... on your way into it I was worried haha
I think the same thing happens to everyone who hits that jump for the first time, i brought my friend mountain biking for the first time (he rode dirt jumpers before so he's not completely new to the sport) and he almost fell when his front tire slipped on that log.
Are theses trails your shredd’n in Washington or Vancouver CA ? ...Just curious? Great riding brotha!...
Canada!
Can u do a jump technique video. I’m crashing every 4th or 5th. Dead sailors etc.
That looks like a sweet trail
Trail(s) added you the list.
Thanks!
Hey up are 29 bikes weird to ride if only ride 27.5 all life was thinking of a stump jumper 29 for local trails with jumps drops so on what you really think now you rode 29 bike cheers Phil
keep up with the awesome vids.
-i miss the red tues....
Great job!
Great video!
they are also flickabe, the super long, extreme bikes are too, I know one so I sure know it.😄 you just have to get used to it, need to find the balance points. my bike also has slack head angle at about 61 deg according to my phone, super stable steering, with 33mm stem its direct steering.
the way the bike is it's super stable and is planted, but if you want to make it hop you can, just have to get used to the balance points, timing.
so I see this as an advantage, my bike is Nicolai/Geometron G1 size large.
Oh did you get a new rear hub? It sounds quite awesome actually, dt or not. Cheers
Yup! I got some i9s laced to NOBLs!
Pretty cool jump trail, always good to session thing
You guys now a MTB with 44 (or at least 42) theeths in the front? 🙂🤔
I love speed...
I'm not big on jumps, but kinda think that those jumps seems to be no problem. But making RUclips videos myself I know how much smaller things looks like on video... Probably would have struggled going for those jumps IRL 😂
I like the bc pov style intro
I just want to know which is better 27.5 or 29 to the trail
Where are the trails in this vid??
You look really good over the jumps!
Thanks!
helps if you can see landing on jumps
love the intros
What date was this filmed. I live a 5 min drive from thorn hill. Took my daughter down OSB for her first run down a trail. How long does it usually take to post a vid after filming?
This was about 2 weeks ago
All those yellow Norco Sights. 🤤
That looked fun omg! Have you ever counted how long you are in the air on a full ride?
What bikes you on...
What is ur go pro set up? How is it mounted? Great video, keep it up
Hero 8 mounted on the chin of my full face.
VanCan how do stick on. Is there a special mount
not really, I use a sticky mount and zip ties, other people just ziptie whatever mount fits on the chin.
@@VanCan just started doing this and it's the best setup by far. More stable than a chest cam but you still have the bars for context and the lower position for a sense of speed... only problem is I need music in all my videos to drown out the sniffling and panting!
man dude those look sick and they probably look Evan bigger in person
You seem to be concerned about going faster. It appears you are going pretty fast (unless that is the GoPro effect) so the question I always ask myself is "am I having fun?" the answer is always yes so speed is not that important to me. Are you having fun?
All those pointed stumps ready to impale someone if they come off a jump wrong looks proper shady. I'd be sawing those off 😅
You feel like it's easier to go nose-heavy jumping and dropping the Enduro with those long chain stays?
A bit. But I’ve raised my bars a bit and that seems to have solved the issue
Looks fun
Explain to me how a regular tame trail can make you nervous after I've seen you clean Dirt Merchant in a video? With the drops and jumps that are on Dirt Merchant, I pretty much consider that to be college. If you clean that, you've graduated to a bad ass advance MTB'er (that's a technical term). So I really would love to hear your thought on riding something like that and other tamer trails making you nervous. That Dirt Merchant video is one of my favs BTW.
The bike park is a very controlled environment, I know exactly how they build jumps, how they'll feel, and there's lots of room. With stuff outside the bike park, there's a sketchyness factor. I'm a pretty nervous rider, it takes me a while to warm up, and I frequently err on the side of caution. Some people can just send it, but I take my time even when it's in my comfort zone.
VanCan I understand. It makes some sense, but I’m willing to venture that most people could never warm up to Dirt Merchant, no matter how controlled it is. That big drop on Merchant looks huge on video, it must look enormous in person! Love the honest feedback here and on your videos. Thanks man!
They are so much bigger in person damn
Wow 2.5 years? Impressive
Thanks!
As an XCer id rather ride up Thornstar but to each their own
Dude. It’s 2020. 29ers can do anything 😏
Scares me that you do not have your left finger on the front brake lever. Sick video BTW, those trails look super fun.
Mike Frisk *right finger. 😛