Mountain Biking: Navigating Obstacles

Mountain Biking:

NAVIGATING OBSTACLES

Richard Mallett

Mountain Biking: NAVIGATING OBSTACLES For a triathlete, mountain biking can be the training weapon that enables them to build up strength and power to succeed at a triathlete event. However, mountain biking has a learning curve that requires individuals to, among other things, understand how to navigate various obstacles common in natural terrain.

SAND Loose sand particles can make steering worse and slow down momentum. For riders, the recommendation is to move fast when approaching sandy areas, and if there are tyre marks ahead, ride over them. If there are no marks, move in a straight line while slightly shifting your weight back, which allows the bike to move like it’s floating over the surface.

Richard Mallett

ROCKS Navigating rocky patches requires riders to pick their lines beforehand and move with determination. This is a better alternative compared to making snap decisions that can potentially lead to falls.

GRAVEL Leaning forward to steady the bike through loose gravel shifts the weight to the front, which can cause the back wheel to spin. Similar to navigating sand, shift your weight to the back and pause if the back tyre still spins, then continue pedalling.

Reducing tyre pressure can also help provide more traction to the wheels.

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