If I were you I would practice my sidehilling technics more. A turn out on a steep grade is a climb turned into a sidehill while still under power with your weight uphill, then turn down hill and balance your weight. You have to be ready for the turn before you loose your momentum. So if you are headed straight up the hill and almost stopped it is almost impossible to do a 180 degree turn. Hope this helps. Keep practicing, one day it will just come to you.
steep turns?
- Thread starter Radarlovindj
- Start date
Bingo and Bingo!
You have to still carve a turn ot matter what !!
You have to still carve a turn ot matter what !!
M
MTdream
Well-known member
hmmm willing to bet that you have more weight than you think on your right side (throttle side of the bars) while holding the handle bars... assuming you dont have lefty...it is very natural to balance yourself with the downhill side bar, kind of like pushing off of it...takes some time to teach yourself to not do it...
have seen lots of people do this, it is hard to remember in the pull to not put weight on that hand, and since it is higher (higher MOI) then it has a great amount of impact on rolling that sled...
just a thing to think about...
have seen lots of people do this, it is hard to remember in the pull to not put weight on that hand, and since it is higher (higher MOI) then it has a great amount of impact on rolling that sled...
just a thing to think about...
like he said. When I'm starting to loose momemtum I move my feet all the way back on the boards and make the sled tail stand and then when I'm ready to turn I place both feet on the left board as far back as I can, if I'm turning to the right, and then pull the front of the sled with you as you move to the left and with practice you can tail spin it in its track. Just don't let go of that throttle until the horse is pointed back down hill or you roll it. Yea Ha
you don't need a lefty or a mountain strap nor do you need to keep both feet on one running board
I don't know what your doing by reading text on the net, but if I had to venture a guess its that your throttle impaired....get on the gas!!
when your sled is out of the trench and is about to set back down on its skiis pointing downhill get off the gas then.
I don't know what your doing by reading text on the net, but if I had to venture a guess its that your throttle impaired....get on the gas!!
when your sled is out of the trench and is about to set back down on its skiis pointing downhill get off the gas then.
What he said^^^^. sounds like you are cutting the throttle going across the hill. The track needs to stay spinning in order to cut into the sidehill, if you just drop the throttle when you get turned sideways across the hill, the track speed will slow and the track will try and "lay down" onto the hill. At this point you are never going to save it, once the sled is onto the negative angle on the downhill side, its like laying it on its side on flat ground and trying to pull it upright by standing on the running board.
Its a balance, you have to stay in it long enough so that when you are trying to turn out of it you are not turning out at 30 mph and not staying in it too long where the sled stops, flips backwards or you don't have enough momentum to turn out. Start on a small, wide open hill in the powder and head up it, slow down if you can actually make it over the hill, then gun the throttle and turn out, keeping the power on until you are about 3/4 of the way pointing straight down. You only need to keep the power on until you are clear of the sideways part of the turn, otherwise you end up travelling across the face of the slope and you will find that you have travelled a great distance across the slope (almost sidehilling) which can get you into serious trouble if you didn't plan to come down the hill in that area. After each run on the small hill, stop at the bottom (just momentarily - can leave the sled running) and look at your line. Think about things like how sharp the top of your turn is, when you turned out how close you were to not making it, etc. If you see your down line trails way off to the right or left, you stayed in the throttle too long in the turn. If you rolled it, you didnt' stay in it long enough or you didn't have enough momentum. Then do it again, using the other mark as reference, if you got stuck or rolled, then turn out 50 ft sooner (or 100 ft sooner depending on the hill etc.) and see how it feels. Another key is to learn to shift weight fast, think and react fast, move fast and turn out fast. Ability to realise when you aren't going to make it and make a quick decision to turn out will really help. The momentary delay in that decision can mean rolling it down or riding it down.
Always read a hill before you ride it, plan a route down so that if you have to turn out quickly, you don't turn to the left/right where that big rock or cliff is. Often snow conditions change based on hill parameters. Last year I was riding up a big open slope in about 2 ft of powder with a very good base, went to squeeze through a 30 ft wide rock opening about 30 ft long (no big deal) but the snow had not settled between the rocks like the rest of the area and the base just went away on me, it was almost 65 degrees steep but it was such a short run I thought I would make it no probs, had enough speed when I entered it. Anyway, trenched right down and sled wheelied right over backwards on me in the first 15 ft
. Right over backwards and it drove itself to the bottom. The conditions can change that fast.^^ that is a well thought out way of saying "gas it puzzy".
Yeah, sounds to me like you are getting out of the throttle too early. Don't let off all the way 'till the skiis are down and you're pointed most of the way downhill.
I know I'm not in the majority here but when I need to turn out in a hurry I put most of my weight on the downhill running board and torque on the bars. Pretty much turns the sled in place and then you're headed back down the hill. Only rolled it this way once. The only time I stay on the uphill side of the sled is when I want to keep sidehilling.
i dont know if its the same thing, but i think i do the same when its one of those times where your almost stuck or dont have alot of momentum. i keep one foot on each bored and lean hard and fast into the turn and pull like a biotch on the bars and spin the front of the sled around. once the sled is comin around nicely then lean the weight to the uphill side. oh and keep the throttle on the bars the hole time until pointing down hill. you can spin the sled around pretty quick and pretty much in its tracks doin this. it works best on pretty steep hills. does that make sense, it kinda comes natural when riding but its kinda difficult to explain somethings.. oh and like mentioned practice is gonna be the biggest help, well, that and lotso throttle.
No that sounds pretty similar, Vern. And your explanation is quite a bit better. You can do it with lots or little momentum, you just have to be prepared for a major whiplash if you do it with any speed. Lost my sled that way a time or two. lol!
inertia and preparations are key to turning out of a steep climb. if you slow down too much and don't have track speed it will most likely end up rolling on ya - all the way to the bottom.
i know it's not always do-able, but when i make the first climb for the day i try to take it at more of an angle and not so straight up the hill. makes me remember what i have to do to turn out. for me (and i'm sure mostly others as well) it is easier to turn out to the right, it feels easier to pull the throttle side up while still on the gas and push down on the left hand than to have to push on the throttle side and pull the left side up.
i know i am ready to turnout when i can feel the sled losing speed but i still have solid track speed. it feels like the skis are lifted to the sky and like it's going to trench, but if you have your weight positioned properly and are pushing/pulling correctly then it should just kind of pivot around.
the most important thing you can do to improve your skills, though, is to practice. spend time at it. it's not going to improve overnight. i would approach a smaller hill, let off the gas a little bit and let gravity do it's thing, and then use the throttle to try and power out of it, all while exaggerating your weight distribution and leverage on the bars.
like i said previously, practice it. practice does not make perfect. perfect practice makes perfect.
i know it's not always do-able, but when i make the first climb for the day i try to take it at more of an angle and not so straight up the hill. makes me remember what i have to do to turn out. for me (and i'm sure mostly others as well) it is easier to turn out to the right, it feels easier to pull the throttle side up while still on the gas and push down on the left hand than to have to push on the throttle side and pull the left side up.
i know i am ready to turnout when i can feel the sled losing speed but i still have solid track speed. it feels like the skis are lifted to the sky and like it's going to trench, but if you have your weight positioned properly and are pushing/pulling correctly then it should just kind of pivot around.
the most important thing you can do to improve your skills, though, is to practice. spend time at it. it's not going to improve overnight. i would approach a smaller hill, let off the gas a little bit and let gravity do it's thing, and then use the throttle to try and power out of it, all while exaggerating your weight distribution and leverage on the bars.
like i said previously, practice it. practice does not make perfect. perfect practice makes perfect.
A
Ancient Sledder
Member
I find it a lot easier to control the sled if I turn out to the left when I know I'm not going to make the climb. I don't have a left hand throttle on mine. When I do turn out I have both of my feet almost together on the uphill running board. Both feet are right up at the footwell of the sled. This seems to give me better control of the sled than having one foot forward and the other way back on the running board. I really crank the uphill ski into the air when I turn. This way I have less chance of doing a highside. Works for me.
grab a fistfull of throttle, stand on the highside boards as far back as you can, lean over the sled to your off foot side to get it all in motion and pull them bars into your chest while you try to drive the track to china with your legs......never get out of it till it is pointed where you want it to go.
do it right it is legendary, do it wrong.......you are a drill bit.
do it right it is legendary, do it wrong.......you are a drill bit.
yeah usually by the time i'm ready to turn out i don't have enough mo to have inertia hold me on the side of the hill, get your turn started, roll the baby on the uphill ski and ride it until you've got the nose pointed downhill. you have to learn how to judge when you are ready to make the apex of the turn, if your not set right you will roll over. if your up on the uphill ski if your not set to make the apex and if you have the room you can sidehill it some to get yourself set. i know it may sound odd but when you roll it up your gonna want to counter steer, turn your skis into the hill, this will stabilize the sled and the mo of the turn you started before you rolled it up will carry you through. probably wouldn't be the greatest idea on hardpack, but in the pow...
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