Originally Posted by
davei1980
My progression has stalled out on some of the hardest "blue" trails in my nearby MTB park, I can't seem to conquer any of the black diamonds. The features that challenge me the most are steep step ups and maybe drops (stuff you can't or shouldn't roll). I ride everyday, or, at least, every weekday. I have no interest in gravity/dirt jump stuff or flow/berm, I am most interested in rocky, technical trails.
Any advice to get over the hump?
Flow and berm type trails are good step towards drops and things like that. I'm not talking a full bike park, but they let you practice popping off a lip and body positioning in a very controlled setting. They also get you more comfortable with the higher speed and momentum that are very helpful for rocky stuff.
And my lesson from this weekend, if you're having trouble getting something, stop and really look at the trail and consider the line. I was struggling with an uphill rock garden. Once I got off and put the bike down, and looked more closely, I realized I was taking the wrong line. I was picking a line that was initially cleaner but put you into a boulder near the upper part. Taking the initially more difficult path set up for a clean pass.