Super D on a rigid SS
This weekend we went to Sundance, and I practiced the Super D course yesterday on my AS-X. But dang, that thing weighs a ton to pedal up the climbs, and Sundance has a pretty long Super D course. So this morning, when we went up to race, I figured, what the heck, I'll probably save more time going faster on the climbs than I will gong a little faster on the techy stuff and raced my rigid SS. And it was fun! I need to work on those loose gravelly sections without suspension, and I was pedaled out on the road section on the top, but I still did pretty well. I think next time I'm throwing the bigger chainring back on there for the race. But I'm going to race it again next time too. I'm not sure the guys I beat want a repeat of getting beat by a girl on a pink rigid bike again though. ;)
Anyway, the SS has actually been great for working on my riding skills in general though. The SS part has drastically improved my climbing, as I attack things in a bigger gear and end up with more momentum to make it up over obstacles. I have a better pedal stroke, and have learned to take more speed through corners and stay off the brakes more. And probably most importantly, it forces me to stay LOOSE on the bike and flow. I can't just hang on for the ride without getting punished for it, so it's been great for teaching me good habits. Plus it's fun getting back to basics! :D