Ride Rules to Navigate Risk vs. Consequence
Risk - The likelihood of something going wrong
Consequence - The severity if something does go wrong
“I like to do high consequence, low risk activities” - Alex Honnold
Far from any paved road, and no cell service, I discuss the idea of riding within your limits.
Photo: Nikki Rohan
My mental approach to risk has changed over the years, and I expect it to keep changing as I grow older (and hopefully wiser). I love Alex Honnold’s definition of risk vs consequence and it allows me to understand how I have ridden jumps and drops in my 40s that I never would have attempted in my 20s. As my skill improved the risk of riding these features has decreased while the consequences have either remained the same or even increased. I am all about helping folks boost confidence and feel more brave, but I try to do it in a manner that is safe, such that you feel like you are slightly stepping outside your comfort zone, rather than diving straight into the deep end while barely knowing how to swim!
I’d like to share with you a few ride rules and guiding principles I have implemented for myself and the athletes I coach. Like most rules, there are always exceptions, but I’ve found it’s incredibly helpful to have a foundation of rules and guidelines to provide structure around the various scenarious we encounter with bikes. You don’t need to apply all the rules all the time. But when you are confronted with a “do I” or “don’t I” situation, it’s helpful to have a foundation of rules to fall back on. My hope is you will establish your own set of ride rules to ensure maximal fun while keeping your ride safe!
Guiding Principles:
Before you ride:
Weigh the risk vs the consequence as well as the risk vs reward. This will help inform decisions such as
Do you ride alone
How much stuff do you take
Do you hit that jump or drop
How fast are you going downhill
Ask yourself: Does your mental and physical preparedness match the trail you are riding? This is not set in stone, and could change day to day or week to week. It’s important to check in with yourself, and your ride buddy before AND during your ride. A few years ago I was coaching a group of kids and one of the boys kept crashing on trails he would normally ride without issue. He was goofy and laughing and completely unfocused whereas he is normally a stoic and focused rider. I realized he had attended tennis camp in the morning and wasn’t accustomed to ball sports. His brain was fried. I told him jumps and drops (high consequence) features were off limits for the rest of that day.
#1) 3 Rules for High Consequence Riding:
This includes steep, techy terrain, jumps or drops that are outside my comfort zone, or riding in the backcountry (out of cell signal or far from help)
Watou Pfriem plays the corner safe when he knows he’s far from help.
Photo by Nikki Rohan
Never ride tired or hungry
There are certainly many exceptions to this. I love few things more than 5+ hr adventure rides where fatigue and hunger are inevitable, but when it comes to riding features such as steep sketchy shoots, jumps, or drops, I always do a mind body check and make sure I’m mentally and physically ready.
Never ride alone
I ride alone constantly. But I don’t hit big jumps, drops, or high consequence features solo. I also don’t go off on 8 hr solo missions but rather keep my solo riding fairly local and withing a 3-4 hr window.
Make sure someone else knows the plan
I use the Strava Beacon feature which easily allows my wife to track my rides (as long as I have cell service). I always tell at least one person (usually my wife) my ride plan and roughly when I expect to be back. You could also use the “share my location” setting on an iPhone and there are some remarkable stories from rescues happening due to Apple Watch’s fall detection feature. Many GPS devices are able to share your location data at scheduled intervals such as every 2 min or every 10 min. These are worth looking into if you love solo trips out of cell service!
#2) Rules for tech features such as jumps, drops, or steep chunky shoots:
Rowan McKenna practices her focus as she rides down the roots.
Photo by Colin Meagher
Green Light. Yellow Light. Red Light: As a mountain bike coach, I utilize the green light, yellow light, red light analogy to help riders tune in with their readiness for a feature.
Green Light: My body knows what to do and my mind is ready! You have watched someone ride the feature, you can visualize what your body and bike will do, and your mind is ready!
Yellow Light: I feel a little uncertain about the feature or trail - I want to watch and visualize a little longer. You are not 100% ready, but still debating. Give yourself the space to stay in this yellow zone. Try to remove any feelings of pressure or what you “should do” and tune into what your body and mind are saying. If you can close your eyes, visualize yourself riding the feature and know you have the skills and you want to ride it - go for it! Otherwise, save it for another day:)
Red Light: - I am going to walk or just watch for today. The feature isn’t going anywhere and I can come back. There is no shame in walking away from a feature. Countless times I have walked away from a jump or drop then spent several hours, days, or weeks thinking about it. Visualizing, preparing, maybe riding similar or smaller features to get ready. When you go back, you’ll know you are ready!
#3) Up hills are for chit-chat, downhill is for focus:
I often have my most meaningful conversations when riding (or walking) up hill!
Photo: Nikki Rohan
I always tell the kids (and adults) I coach they’re not allowed to talk on the downhills. They can chit chat as much as they want when climbing, but descending is for focus. It’s so easy to get distracted and deep in conversation when you are ripping downhill, and a slight misplacement of your front tire can mean disaster. Keep the conversation to the uphill!
I hope you’ve found this helpful and would love to hear what ride rules or guidelines you have or develop for yourself!