CORRECT A SLIDE BRAKING OFF CAMBER TIPPING POINT
HELPING DAB If your front wheel does step out, you can rescue it by stomping your inside foot into the ground.
DOWN AND OUT
COMPOSURE 3 REGAIN As long as your forward momentum is more powerful than your sideways slide, and you keep the front end on track the rear wheel will pull back in line.
UP 4 STRAIGHTEN As you straighten up, move your weight back slightly to put some weight on the rear wheel. This will make it grip and stop sliding.
RIDE OFFCAMBER
Head out somewhere slippy with some kneepads, and find the limits. You need to slide out and have a tumble to work out how far you can push it.
BRAKING Avoid rear braking – the lack of weight on the back wheel will make it skip sideways. Just use subtle front-wheel braking.
The tricky thing about riding off-camber terrain is that the hillside wants you to head down the same way it does, but you want to cross its gradient. Stay focussed on where you want to go and commit your weight to the front wheel for grip. It’s all about body position. Make slow, exaggerated movements, and if the rear wheel slides, it’ll usually come back into line again as long as the front end maintains grip. If you feel the front lose traction, you can save it with an inside leg dab.
B O DY WEIGHT Keep most of your weight over the front wheel – it’s the wheel that controls your direction so you need to make sure it has traction.
INSIDE L EG DA B
FO OT POSITION
If you feel the front end is going to slide out, you can trail your inside leg out ready to catch yourself.
Have your outside foot down with plenty of weight on it – this forces the shoulder of the tyre into the ground for more grip.
MOUNTAIN BIKING SKILLS 19
