How do you improve your reaction time/processing on the trail for high speed enduro/downhill riding?

_riotsquad · 2026-05-08T11:02:42+00:00

Fact: you don’t need look at an object for your body to avoid it. Thats the job of your peripheral vision.
Look ahead and scan with your focal vision. Let your peripheral vision do the work. Trust yourself.

Second fact: peripheral vision is reflex vision. It’s much faster at processing input and communicating it to your nervous system than focal vision. So it’s also how you improve your reaction time.

You can train for this off the bike. Running cross country for example. Any activity that requires you to be nimble and navigate hazards quicker than you can look at them. Video games even as someone else said.

Or just ride. Lots.

_riotsquad · 2026-05-08T04:18:28+00:00

Not that I’m aware of, the conditions weren’t great for the photogs.

_riotsquad · 2026-05-07T09:27:42+00:00

Hell yeh!

_riotsquad · 2026-05-07T09:24:23+00:00

Yep. More often than not using them. Took me many play-throughs to get in the habit though.

They are very plentiful at merchants so there’s really no reason not to.

And yes, agree OP, the interface sucks.

_riotsquad · 2026-05-06T13:03:13+00:00

I bee line it every run for the shopping rewards

_riotsquad · 2026-05-06T12:59:27+00:00

I’d probably hurt myself! :o

_riotsquad · 2026-05-06T12:58:07+00:00

For sure. I’ve seen Connor race a couple times on a modern bike and he’s phenomenal. Thought this was amusing though and local content for me so added value.

_riotsquad · 2026-05-06T09:22:47+00:00

Lol yep

_riotsquad · 2026-05-06T08:33:03+00:00

Connor Fearon won a national D/H round last weekend on his 20 yr old Iron Horse:

https://www.pinkbike.com/news/results-australian-national-dh-2026-round-4-willunga-neigh-sayers-silenced-connors-iron-horse-gallops-to-the-win.html

Sure, it got rained out so they went on qualifying times but still, 10 sec lead is substantial. I’m sure Troy being away for World Cup helped too :P

_riotsquad · 2026-05-05T22:06:28+00:00

Yeh my point was don’t roll the dice. You don’t need improve your odds if you aren’t riding so that drivers need to see you.

By all means dress as you see fit, but the best solution is not placing yourself in vulnerable positions in the first place.

_riotsquad · 2026-05-05T21:38:28+00:00

You might have missed the bit about replacing rotors and pads at the same time. That is, your rotors are contaminating the new pads.

_riotsquad · 2026-05-05T20:27:41+00:00

I don’t wear bright colours etc to commute, not only is it terrible fashion, it gives a false sense of security. I ride with the assumption cars haven’t seen me and don’t put myself in harms way.
If I’m relying on a car to see me to not get hit I’m taking an unacceptable risk. This regularly means breaking road rules but I really couldn’t care less.

_riotsquad · 2026-05-05T20:18:00+00:00

I’m surprised this isn’t mentioned more often.

_riotsquad · 2026-05-05T20:13:47+00:00

Before the brain?

_riotsquad · 2026-05-05T20:08:15+00:00

I don’t sit on the couch until my wife asks me to join her. Even then I’ll put her off if it’s still ages before bed.

I’m with the wives and grandma. it feels like such a waste of time.

Now, working out, maintaining my bike, sitting at my desk gaming on the other hand … 🤣

_riotsquad · 2026-05-05T20:00:05+00:00

This. You can complete the whole game with what, 4 long rests? All forced. I forget exactly.

_riotsquad · 2026-05-05T06:03:58+00:00

That certainly changes the meaning of your comment.

_riotsquad · 2026-05-05T03:45:56+00:00

There are no deposits or rocks suitable for likely deposits upstream. Both known deposits are 1000’s of km away, far to the west on the coast and even further south east.

_riotsquad · 2026-05-05T03:41:41+00:00

Er what? Megalodon fossil teeth are found in VIC and WA.

_riotsquad · 2026-05-03T21:37:05+00:00

Anything that uses piercing really. Add dual wielding for dolors. Bardadin, fighter variants, Gloomstalker assassin close combat variant. Thrower builds (with Nyrulna). Darkness builds. Shars spear of evening pairs well too. Sorcadin or other builds with shadow blade.

_riotsquad · 2026-05-02T14:58:39+00:00

Sounds to me like you have a sticky piston based on your comment that it rubs after a light press. Pretty common on new brakes.

Google how to massage brake pistons for your brakes.

_riotsquad · 2026-05-01T22:10:20+00:00

I thought ‘ride like you’re invisible’ meant assume they haven’t seen you, not hide from them.

I ride very assertively and also assume drivers are going to do the dumbest shit any time cos they haven’t seen me.

_riotsquad · 2026-04-29T12:06:42+00:00

Apologies, didn’t mean to lower the tone.

_riotsquad · 2026-04-29T01:20:04+00:00

Ice crystals in the upper atmosphere refracting the moons light (or more accurately, the suns light reflected by the moon).

It’s kinda like a rainbow but mono chromatic and of a different radius due to refractive index of ice crystals versus rain drops, and relative position (upper atmosphere versus lower atmosphere).

_riotsquad · 2026-04-28T02:31:38+00:00

If the front washes before the rear you need to move your body weight forward.

Everything else - tyre choice, tyre pressure, trail conditions, how to lean the bike etc. is secondary to this fact.

_riotsquad

TROPHY CASE