American Riders Don't..........

[mich lin]

One comment that was heard spoken about our best riders was they don't. They don't know when to go fast and when to go slow, they are always riding the wrong speed.

That was overheard by one American spectator in Deluth, the father of an up and coming US riding star. Learning the correct rhythm is perhaps the hardest thing to pick up, unless your riding with riders who have it already.

When you don't ride with the best, chances are you never will learn it.

By the way, I was not in Deluth!

[toofasttim]

One comment that was heard spoken about our best riders was they don't.  They don't know when to go fast and when to go slow, they are always riding the wrong speed. 

That was overheard by one American spectator in Deluth, the father of an up and coming US riding star.  Learning the correct rhythm is perhaps the hardest thing to pick up, unless your riding with riders who have it already.

When you don't ride with the best, chances are you never will learn it. 

By the way, I was not in Deluth!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Were you barred along with Ringo Lane?

[city trials]

Of all the people to add a comment to this speed thread, it was "too fast" tim.

How apt.

Edited December 4, 2005 by City Trials

[alan bechard]

Lane, were you looking for Deluth in Mapquest?

SEQUATCHIE in May...... (Old Indian Chief)

Just a little trivia to throw out there,,,,

VEGETARIAN (Indian word for "Bad Hunter")

I thought when Bernie hit the World scene the European's said he did everything wrong too.... Sometimes going with what has always been, or what conventional wisdom say's is right, does not always work.

See you in May. This will be interesting.

[copemech]

I can see one of those "belly bashing" contests coming!

This should be good!

[mich lin]

Alan, good stuff, I rode on the same team with Bernie and on the same sections for years. So I know exactly how he came to be successful.

He came along like any other rider way back in the pack and didn't show much promise but then recieved some great mentoring from Steve's Bultaco's Boyd Bernard. Bernie's bike prep was junk until Boyd helped him out with his bike prep problem. That's when he began to move up the leaderboard a little.

After that the Bultaco factory took an interest in him and began to mentor him. Bultaco always believed it was good for the sport to have an American in the World Championship, that's also why they supported Jim Pomeroy for MX GPs. So they began to bring Bernie to Europe for seasoning.

His unique style grew from where he practiced, Big Tujunga Wash which has huge bolders with sand and gravel in between. In that area it's easier to ride over the rocks than between, so he became adept at riding onto them insted of turning around them. This style became known as the Schriberline, it was either a clean or a crash, so it had mixed results in national competition.

We trained together there a bunch, in fact I've taken other riders there like Florida's Brock Saddlemyer. Ask him about it!

The gravel and sand force you to build a ryhthm you will not have training on normal sections. In fact I call this area the "Schrieberzone." You take someone there who thinks they are good and put them in the simplist sections and they fall all over themselves.

At this years US world round I suggest you watch and lisen to the speed and rhythm of the best world championship riders compared to the US riders. They move and flow at a very precise rhythm which in missing from todays top Americans.

[ringo]

I rode on the same team with Bernie and on the same sections for years. So I know exactly how he came to be successful.....

His unique style grew from where he practiced, Big Tujunga Wash which has huge bolders with sand and gravel in between....

We trained together there a bunch...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hey Beave,

Did you enter any of the world rounds back then? From the info above, I would be led to believe that you and Bernie were matched pretty closely. Infact, I seem to recall some posts in years past wherein you said that you BEAT Bearnie.

I know, you didn't enter the world round because you had to be in Hollywood that weekend for a dinner with John Wayne or else you would've had the win that year.

[mich lin]

It was NOT John Wayne it was Steve McQueen! Get the facts strait.

My last good ride against Bernie was in 1979 at the first round of the ATA championship. I spanked both Bernie and Marland that Sunday, they both jetted off to Spain for the Spanish world round the following week.

Bernie won that year in Spain and Marland finished 3rd, that's two Americans on the world podium at the same time. Both these men were great riders and we all pushed each other a great deal for years!

I went back to work at the airplane factory Monday and started making myself useful to society, insted of being a motorcycle bum. Hey, now I even pay taxes! Bernie went onto be world champion and marry a rich French girl. Marland races mountain bikes and builds houses in Montana.

I think Marland was really a better rider than Bernie, he just didn't like living in Europe. No McDonalds or surfing!

Our coverage of the event from inside the tapes will be fantastic for sure. We will scoop all the other journalists. Have you got your entry back yet? I'm still waiting on my FIM licence.