RED TRAIL SKILLS PROGRESSION
ROCK STEPS
If you feel like your body weight is being thrown forwards while tackling a slab, you’re doing something wrong – and you should look to correct it before moving on to bigger features. It may be that you’re not letting the bike pitch forwards on the transition or that you have too much weight on your hands when the bike changes angle.
Steep rock slabs and roll-ins are common on many red trails. They’re generally found on slower, more technical trails rather than fast, flowing ones, and most of the time there’ll be an option to duck round them – a lot of riders fear going over the handlebar, especially on big drops. Controlling your speed and adjusting your body position correctly will keep you safe and make the transition from flat to steep smooth and balanced, meaning you’ll be able to maintain control. Momentum can help if you become unbalanced, but we recommend starting at a slow pace so you can feel your balance on the bike before progressing to bigger rock slabs.
LOW ON APPROACH 1 STAY Look for a straight, clean line and control your entry speed so you’re approaching the slab with enough pace to remain in balance. Stand up on the pedals and get a little bit lower on the bike by lowering your chest toward the bar.
USE THE ROCKS Use sloping rocks or ledges to help you get your front wheel up more easily or to hop higher. Hone your technique by hopping a single rock.
ROCK FEATURES Rocky features on manmade trails are placed so as to challenge a rider’s technical ability and give routes a more natural feel. In this case we’re looking at negotiating a rocky outcrop on a flat trail just before a corner, which means you want to carry as much speed as you can. This means choosing a line that avoids your wheels directly hitting any speed-sapping square edges – or hopping them if you can. To keep your flow you’ll need to choose the technique that best matches your speed. There’s no point hopping if you can only clear a couple of the rocks.
62 MOUNTAIN BIKING SKILLS
APPROACH Approach in your neutral position, arms and legs flexed and looking forwards. You’ll have looked at the feature already so you know what to expect. If you’re travelling fast enough to clear it, you can try hopping it. If not, you’re better off rolling it.