Get Off and Walk

By Jay Bartlett

The climb unwinds upward in front of me as I labor away at the spinning cranks. It’s been a long climb, and when an eighteen-inch ledge presents itself right smack dab in the trail, it’s a big ask to expend even more energy on a punchy move that’ll propel me over said ledge. Effort on top of effort could be mountain biking’s slogan. Sure, I could pull out into the desert off line and ride around it, but that wouldn’t be in the spirit of the trail. So I get off my bike and push for a bit.

After thirty-plus years of riding mountain bikes, you would think I’d have it down enough that there really aren’t any techy problems that I can’t just ride right through. I only wish that were the truth! Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, and personally, I was in a car accident when I was sixteen that left me with a left leg that’s a little short and a little turned in, which affects my balance. Mostly, it doesn’t bother my riding, but there are times when a skinny or off-camber feature pops up that gives me pause, and I just say, “Not today,” and push my bike instead.

A wiser person than me once said, “If you ain’t hikin’, you ain’t bikin’.” This holds very true here in southern Utah. With all the rocks and ledges the geology holds, even the best riders are going to miss a move here or there. And if you are a beginner, be prepared to hop off and push fairly regularly. There’s no shame in it. Sometimes you’re just spent and don’t have the “umph” to make a move, or sometimes you hit a rock wrong and pinball off every other rock in the trail until you abruptly stop in frustrated disappointment. No one ever said mountain biking would be easy; they just said it would be fun...Okay, so struggling through obstacles isn’t necessarily fun, but one of the challenges of riding is to get off and walk as little as possible. With fitness and practice, your time spent walking will decrease.

Now, momentum is perhaps your greatest ally when mountain biking. A body in motion tends to stay in motion, and a wheel that’s rolling wants to go over that rock in front of you as long as it has momentum. However, once you run out of momentum, your only real choice is to walk. Getting on and off your bike and starting to pedal again (often in the wrong gear, since you stopped abruptly) is a pretty big use of energy that everyone only has in limited supply. Staying moving, even if the moves are tough, is usually preferred to walking, but that’s an ideal. Climb off and survey the trail ahead. Are you worried about the next problem up the trail? You might want to walk over that one as well before re-mounting. I’m not saying to walk the whole trail; I’m just saying choose your battles.

If you’re feeling up to it, you can “session” problems. There is a lot to be learned by hitting a section of trail several times until you sort out the moves. Your skills and confidence will carry over to other troublesome features you’ll encounter.

So, if you can’t make it over something, get off and walk. Please, don’t ride around the obstacle. The trail builders had a vision for the trail, and it’s up to you to figure the puzzle out. It can be hard, but puzzles are fun, right? Truthfully, even on trails that I’ve ridden thousands of times, there are parts that I’ve never been able to clean...No shame, right?

Besides, in our beautiful area, there are often stunning vistas just a little way off trail. And you guessed it: don’t ride off trail; just get off and walk!

About the Author

Mountain bike veteran, amateur filmmaker, and lover of long rides, Jay Bartlett has been riding trails in Southern Utah for over thirty years. Jay has over a decade of experience as a bike mechanic at St. George’s oldest bike shop, Bicycles Unlimited.

Jay Bartlett