riding technique

RIDINGTechniques

In a new series, Jake and Carl Venter from Technical Enduro Skills look at a wide range of fundamental riding techniques, which riders of all abilities can apply for a safer and more enjoyable time when trail riding.

1: GET UP – STAND UP FOR YOUR RIDE

In this article we will address good general riding position – both sitting and standing. For the most part when riding unsealed roads you want to be in the standing position. You will only really need to sit down for tight corners or for the occasional break while riding along to give your legs and back a rest.

We advocate that riders stand as much as possible while riding for two main reasons. Firstly, when standing on the pegs, your centre of gravity is lower (compared to sitting on the seat) and thus makes the bike more stable and easier to control. You should be steering your bike by weighting the foot pegs rather than relying on the handlebars.

Secondly, you can absorb harsh bumps that blow through the suspension travel with your legs, avoiding potential jarred backs and an uncomfortable ride. It is also much easier to shift your body weight forward/rearward and from side to side to better adjust to rough/cambered terrain, adding grip and safety.

The body position shown above, dubbed the

‘ attack position ’ by many, is the technically correct way to stand on your bike when riding: your feet on the foot pegs, knees bent, bum back, straight back, chin over the handlebars. You should be riding with the ball of your foot on the foot peg. This has many benefits –it moves the centre of mass and centre of gravity back, and also allows you to utilise ankle flexion for added suspension.

Additionally, that part of your foot typically has more nerve endings than the rest of your foot, allowing you to get more feedback from the bike. And for more advanced riders, you can start thinking about deliberately dropping the heels when leaning back for added rear wheel traction.

You should be holding on to the bike with your knees. We have a rough general rule of thumb when standing, which is, when going faster than 10mph hold on to the bike with your knees, when going slower than 10mph give the bike space with your knees. Holding on to your bike with your knees is very important for faster riding as it will reduce arm fatigue due to your using larger muscle groups in your legs to stabilise your body weight. In addition to this, when you are ‘ connected to the bike ’ by holding on with your knees, the suspension will work better as you and the bike are more likely to move as ‘ one mass ’ instead of the bike moving around underneath you independently and almost having a delayed effect on your body.

Having a straight back and keeping your bum back is important as this is the basis for keeping your whole physical structure together and making sure your body is strong and ready for any bumps and possible obstacles on the trail. We do acknowledge that when you are riding for long periods of time it is almost impossible to stay in the ‘ attack position ’ all day, so you can stand more upright and relaxed but just remember, you are doing this at the expense of tyre grip and suspension performance, and this could lead to premature arm/hand fatigue.

For the most part, try to keep your body weight central on the bike to maintain even grip between the front and rear wheel. Your chin must also be roughly over the handlebars as this will keep your body weight far enough forward to maintain good front wheel traction for steering, and keeping bent arms will lead to better agility on the bike.

When approaching a corner, we want to load the front tyre with your body weight to add grip for steering, so we move to a forward seated position (above). You should very deliberately think ‘legs forward’ when sitting down. You should sit far enough forward so that your arms remain bent. Sitting with straight arms almost always means you are

2

2: PLEASE TAKE A SEAT

sitting too far back, and your front wheel grip/steering will suffer.

You will find your bike may be pushing wide on corners, or it may feel as though the bike isn ’t going quite where you would like it to, if your body position is too far back on the seat. Remember small changes have a big impact on motorcycle performance and so sitting just two inches further back than optimum will be noticeable to most riders. We usually find that this seated position really improves riders ’ confidence and trust in the front wheel.

Remember, all these techniques take time to master. Some of them, which we will be discussing in future articles, might feel awkward at first but it’ s worth persevering as it will feel more natural the more you practice, and your confidence will grow by being in control of your machine. That feeling of being a passenger will be a thing of the past! ■

TEAM VENTER

We hope this helps. You can contact us on our Facebook page Technical Enduro Skills Training to join one of our training sessions or to ask for advice.

Carl has competed in many international hard enduro events including Redbull Romaniacs (2013/2014), Roof of Africa (2015), IMPI Enduro (2016), Bulgarian Six Day Enduro (2018, 2019) and Sea 2 Sky Turkey 2020. He achieved 10th place in Pro class in Bulgaria and a Gold finish at Sea 2 Sky in Turkey.

Jake has competed in Bulgarian Six Day Enduro (2018, 2019) and Sea 2 Sky Turkey 2020. He became the youngest finisher ever in the Expert class in Bulgaria and again the youngest ever finisher in Pro class the year after – achieving 11th place. Jake also achieved a Gold finish at Sea 2 Sky in 2020.

carlventer@enduroskills.com https://www.facebook.com/technicalenduroskillstraining https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGplMioNKHMmjmfp0OQd9Yg/videos