Rear Shock PSI "surprise" - a pleasant one

I rarely check rear shock pressure. I did it finally after a year or so today. Added 10 PSI (210 is my number). Results? Unbelievable difference in doing "Manuals" (compressing suspension down and forward). The bike has so much pop that I even landed on a rear wheel and did a wheelie! Unintentionally!

Cassette "surprise" meaning replace chain relpace cassette

In 90% of my riding I use the second biggest ring on my rear cassette.
As the chain wore out I obliged, payed $35 and bought a replacement.
With a new chain installed I went for a ride and the "teeth" slipped under load, very very annoying.
I spent some time tweaking shifting tension, shifting is great!
Key idea: I tried to climb using a different ring on the rear cassette, no skipping!

After 30 min of troubleshooting it occurred to me that I may have worn just one ring, the one that I use all the time on Bridal Path.

I stopped blaming rear derailleur, derailleur hanger, cage alignment (the potential absence of thereof) who knows what else... It is possible to destroy one single ring in a multi-speed cassette, what a bummer!

Brake pads "surprise"

Periodically check brake pads. I was checking them as lazy people do, I looked at them without removing the wheel.
The trouble is that by simply looking at the pads from a rider's vantage point not removing the wheel is trouble inviting. Pads may wear out unevenly. Without removing the wheel it may look that there is enough of braking material on the pads but in reality the pads may be completely worn out in the areas where you don't see.

Here comes a surprise. The end of the spring that spreads out the pads may not have enough of the "step" left to stay put as with newish pads and will simply escape, slide in the rotor area and will start making clicking noises. If this happens on a trail, you are in trouble.
Dislodged spring "whisker" is indicated by the arrow on the picture (of course this picture is an imitation and I placed the spring in a crooked way intentionally, to illustrate my point. Observe only the part of the spring indicated by the arrow, in the actual brake it will rub the rotor and the brake is compromised).

Reducing the height of the drop by getting small and extending legs

I found this picture on pink bike . What does it illustrate?
If you watch the amazing DVD created by Simon from "Fluid Ride", you will notice:

• getting small before the drop and with the subsequent leg extension erasing the height of the drop by quite a bit
• subsequent leg extension from being very small allows you to dictate bike placement on landing and not just sitting on top of it as an ejection seat
• basic technique: correct timing, hips back creating pressure on the palms of the hands preventing front wheel dipping
• linear helmet travel on the diagonal as per "racer style" explanation by Simon