WET ROOTS DESCEND AT SPEED
DESCEND AT SPEED When you want to get to the bottom of the hill as fast as possible – whether you’re racing the ’Ard Rock or trying to beat your mates – just riding as hard as you can won’t cut it. To consistently post good times, you need to ride safe (to avoid crashes) and maintain your flow. Here’s how to go super-fast, safely.
LOOK UP This seems like an obvious tip, but it’s often the hardest skill to conquer when the trail gets rough. Looking up helps your balance, allows you to spot lines and tricky sections, and gives you more time to react.
PUMP A N D P E DA L To gain and maintain speed on rough or fast sections of trail, it’s safer to pump than try to pedal. Make yourself heavy on downslopes, by pushing your body weight through the bike and into the ground, to gain extra speed. When the trail levels out or becomes smooth, get in a good gear and crank hard if you want to post a good time.
P R OT EC T YO U R E Y E S At high speeds, the air flowing past your face can cause you to squint, making it harder to see upcoming obstacles. Glasses or goggles will prevent this, as well as protecting your eyes from bugs, dust and trail debris.
KEEP HEELS LOW
H AV E F U N STAY S M O OT H Don’t pinball from rock to rock or corner to corner – you’ll end up breaking yourself or your bike. Enter tight corners or tricky sections at a manageable pace, then let off the brakes and exit fast. Look for smooth and straight lines that you know you can ride safely.
Drop your heels and focus on carrying your body weight with your legs. This puts your centre of mass around the bottom bracket, where it’s low, safe and stable. When you brake, your weight will shift forward, so drop your heels even more so you don’t end up leaning on the bar.
Be confident and enjoy yourself. Letting your nerves get the better of you is almost guaranteed to make your ride worse, as will overthinking. Relax your grip on the bar and focus on having fun.
MOUNTAIN BIKING SKILLS 53
