Sunday, February 16, 2014

Before you "Step Up"

With the seasonal changes, so should the routines. It's that time of year, again. While some always have their CV's ready to roll, we all face difficult and different weather conditions. Cooler temps, damp trails, fallen leaves and twigs, just to name the obvious. I always mention a Pre-ride Check. It's just a safe thing to do. In my opinion, when traction and grip may be an issue, my thought is to lower the tire pressure. More so up front than in the rear. This is not recommended by any means but in my experience (and possibly the personal opinion of the experienced carvers) lowering the tire pressure does give you better grip. The question is how much to drop. Two factors come in play - ease and comfort.
There's are some other factors to consider as well. Your Conditioning (strength) - With less Tire Pressure, there's more traction or grip. But it will also produce more friction and make each carve a little harder to turn, The terrain (debris - leaves, water, pebbles, twigs, branches, ...) We know all about obstacles but with bad weather, conditions can change quickly. Your knowledge of different techniques and balance will be tested. The results, hopefully,will be rewarded with smiles and miles. The alteration from Company specs, again, is not recommended! Please use your best judgements when you decide on stepping up.
The other suggestion is to have a better grip on your handles. In a better setting, try throwing around your CV with your handlebars. Test your ability to correct from a bad carve. I know the goal is to carve as many care-free miles as we can per ride. Sometimes, you can learn more about your CV and your abilities in a small tight space. During the Trikke Academy's National Riding Skkool, a class was taught and demonstrated by "G" (Gildo Beleski)! I believe it was called Practical tricks or something like that. With his instructions, he had us carving and maneuvering within a parking spot. It was awesome! Those of us who were less skilled, discovered a lot about the CV's handling and how our abilities were able to keep it in control.

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