New bike - riding technique help please
Discussion
Hi folks
Having had a few months of riding a fairly basic bike I have up graded to a Scott Scale 50. Now I won't confess to be been the best rider in the world and to be honest the bike probably far out-performs the rider. However I've noticed a few things compared to my older, heavier bike.
Uphill riding espically steep bits I can't seem to keep the front wheel on the ground. I assume the technique is to lean low over the bars?
Rougher downhill bits - bike seems to jump and skip around more, making me slow it down more in the brakes. (I guess the answer is not to and let it ride - in which case I guess it's just confidence?)
It has clets - any tips to stop me falling off as I have done twice already or is this juts practice - one tiop I did pick up was to keep them as loose as possible.
Anyway any hints and tips gladly accepted - thanks!
Having had a few months of riding a fairly basic bike I have up graded to a Scott Scale 50. Now I won't confess to be been the best rider in the world and to be honest the bike probably far out-performs the rider. However I've noticed a few things compared to my older, heavier bike.
Uphill riding espically steep bits I can't seem to keep the front wheel on the ground. I assume the technique is to lean low over the bars?
Rougher downhill bits - bike seems to jump and skip around more, making me slow it down more in the brakes. (I guess the answer is not to and let it ride - in which case I guess it's just confidence?)
It has clets - any tips to stop me falling off as I have done twice already or is this juts practice - one tiop I did pick up was to keep them as loose as possible.
Anyway any hints and tips gladly accepted - thanks!
I'll be interested to see the replies on riding tips as I too have just bought a Mountain Bike when I'm a roady!!
WIth regard to the cleats all I can say is that you'll get used to them....start loose and as you gain confidence tighten them up....also worth standing bike against fence/wall and just sit there clipping in and out, in and out!!
You shoudl try road cleats now they are fun and I dearsay there isn't a rider out there who hasn't fallen over because they didn't releas them in time!!
WIth regard to the cleats all I can say is that you'll get used to them....start loose and as you gain confidence tighten them up....also worth standing bike against fence/wall and just sit there clipping in and out, in and out!!
You shoudl try road cleats now they are fun and I dearsay there isn't a rider out there who hasn't fallen over because they didn't releas them in time!!
Shamelessly OCR'd but a great book...
Mastering Mountain Bike Skills said:
Imagine yourself running along a trail. You cross ferny flats, climb rooted rises, drop into rutted ravines, and leap spongy stumps. You lean forward when you go up, lean backward when you go down, and lean sideways when you turn. As long as your weight stays between your feet, you stay balanced, and everything is fine.
Staying balanced on your bike is pretty much the same, except your feet are wheels. The better you get at keeping your center of gravity between your wheels, the more time you'll spend smiling on your bike, rather than cartwheeling beside it.
Side note: Side-to-side balance has everything to do with cornering forces. For more about cornering, check out chapter 5.
Flat Ground
On flat ground there's plenty of leeway for you to move forward or back. As long as you focus your weight on the pedals or saddle, you're unlikely to go flying off the front or back of your bike. That said, your bike will brake and corner best if you keep your weight centered. As we said earlier, put your weight on your pedals and keep your hands light on your bars.
Uphill
As your front wheel comes up, you have to move forward. It's all about keeping your weight centered, with enough on your rear wheel to transfer your pedaling power and enough on your front wheel to stay on track.
Sitting: Bend your arms and pull your torso forward. If that isn't enough, scoot forward on your saddle. On really steep climbs, you might be on the very tip of the saddle. Some saddle brands, such as WTB, slope the nose downward so you can perch at the end and not feel too violated. Long stems help position you for climbing.
Standing: Pull yourself forward until you're balanced on your pedals. If you're not far enough forward, your front end comes up and your wheel wanders from side to side. If you're too far forward, your rear wheel slides out. Or you spontaneously do a front flip. Whammo!
Downhill
The steeper it gets, the farther back you need to be. But don't overdo it: Volumes of magazine articles have convinced people to get behind their saddles whenever they descend. This is not only unnecessary, it also makes your bike handle poorty. Your front wheel gets too light, and it dances randomly instead of tracking precisely.
When you coast down a trail, you should be balanced over the middle of your bike. If the grade is 10 percent, you only need to lean back about 10 degrees. Any farther than that and your front wheel is too light for effective braking and cornering.
On steep descents, lean back with your arms almost straight. Bent arms let your front wheel flop all over the place; straight arms act as a steering damper. If you're not far enough back: The rear wheel wants to lift off the ground, and you feel like you're being pitched forward, which you are. The rear brake skids easily. If you're too far back: With all your weight on the rear end, your front tire will slide and skip in corners. Also, your rear tire will buzz your bum. Which isn't all bad, really.
To get a feel for balancing on your pedals, coast down a slight grade and stand on your bike with some weight on your hands. Move your body backward until your hands hover lightly on the bars. If you lean so far back that you have to pull with your hands, you went too far. This light-handed place makes a good base of operations. For cornering, you want more handlebar pressure; for rough terrain, you want less handlebar pressure.
As descents get steeper, your window of balance narrows and, paradoxically, it gets harder to move your weight far enough back. Long stems pull you toward the front of your bike. High saddles get in the way. Your rear tire buzzes your butt. These iffy situations make it more important than ever to:
Layoff the brakes. Here's a paradox for ya: The steeper the trail, the less you should use your brakes. Too much lever pitches your weight even farther forward. Besides, traction sucks on a cliff.
Get as low as you can.
This gives more traction to the rear wheel and stabilizes your balance.
When terrain gets extremely steep, there comes a point when balancing on the pedals isn't far back enough. For most bikes this happens when the pitch reaches about 60 degrees. What to do? Get even farther back-and lay off that front brake.
On the brakes
When you slow down, momentum carries your weight forward. The harder you brake, the farther you must lean back. If you're not back far enough, your rear wheel skids (this could be a case of too much rear brake) or comes off the ground (this is definitely because you're too far forward). If you have dual suspension, your rear end will jack up and your front end will dive. This steepens your head angle and makes your bike very sketchy, just when you need it to be the least sketchy. If you're too far back, your unweighted front wheel skips around like a stone on water. If it locks and suddenly catches trac¬tion, you'll skip like a stone on water.
When you brake moderately, you can resist the forward push with your arms. The harder you brake, the more important it is that you resist with your legs. When you brake really hard on steep terrain, try to move back, drop your heels, and drive
your weight into the pedals. You know you're perfectly balanced when you neither push nor pull on the bars.
Accelerating
No doubt you have a hard time controlling your power. You're forever roosting your friends and tearing up cobbles. Not only that, but your front wheel tends to come up while you accelerate.
Wheelying down a bikercross start ramp won't kill you, but you have to control that power out on the trail. Lean forward while you're on the gas.
Using Your Entire Cockpit
Enjoying a trail-railing turns, hopping logs, and pumping humps-is all about shifting your weight fore and aft, side to side, and up and down. To do this effectively, you must move around. Your cockpit has to give you space to work, and you must be loose and energetic enough to use the space.
Staying balanced on your bike is pretty much the same, except your feet are wheels. The better you get at keeping your center of gravity between your wheels, the more time you'll spend smiling on your bike, rather than cartwheeling beside it.
Side note: Side-to-side balance has everything to do with cornering forces. For more about cornering, check out chapter 5.
Flat Ground
On flat ground there's plenty of leeway for you to move forward or back. As long as you focus your weight on the pedals or saddle, you're unlikely to go flying off the front or back of your bike. That said, your bike will brake and corner best if you keep your weight centered. As we said earlier, put your weight on your pedals and keep your hands light on your bars.
Uphill
As your front wheel comes up, you have to move forward. It's all about keeping your weight centered, with enough on your rear wheel to transfer your pedaling power and enough on your front wheel to stay on track.
Sitting: Bend your arms and pull your torso forward. If that isn't enough, scoot forward on your saddle. On really steep climbs, you might be on the very tip of the saddle. Some saddle brands, such as WTB, slope the nose downward so you can perch at the end and not feel too violated. Long stems help position you for climbing.
Standing: Pull yourself forward until you're balanced on your pedals. If you're not far enough forward, your front end comes up and your wheel wanders from side to side. If you're too far forward, your rear wheel slides out. Or you spontaneously do a front flip. Whammo!
Downhill
The steeper it gets, the farther back you need to be. But don't overdo it: Volumes of magazine articles have convinced people to get behind their saddles whenever they descend. This is not only unnecessary, it also makes your bike handle poorty. Your front wheel gets too light, and it dances randomly instead of tracking precisely.
When you coast down a trail, you should be balanced over the middle of your bike. If the grade is 10 percent, you only need to lean back about 10 degrees. Any farther than that and your front wheel is too light for effective braking and cornering.
On steep descents, lean back with your arms almost straight. Bent arms let your front wheel flop all over the place; straight arms act as a steering damper. If you're not far enough back: The rear wheel wants to lift off the ground, and you feel like you're being pitched forward, which you are. The rear brake skids easily. If you're too far back: With all your weight on the rear end, your front tire will slide and skip in corners. Also, your rear tire will buzz your bum. Which isn't all bad, really.
To get a feel for balancing on your pedals, coast down a slight grade and stand on your bike with some weight on your hands. Move your body backward until your hands hover lightly on the bars. If you lean so far back that you have to pull with your hands, you went too far. This light-handed place makes a good base of operations. For cornering, you want more handlebar pressure; for rough terrain, you want less handlebar pressure.
As descents get steeper, your window of balance narrows and, paradoxically, it gets harder to move your weight far enough back. Long stems pull you toward the front of your bike. High saddles get in the way. Your rear tire buzzes your butt. These iffy situations make it more important than ever to:
Layoff the brakes. Here's a paradox for ya: The steeper the trail, the less you should use your brakes. Too much lever pitches your weight even farther forward. Besides, traction sucks on a cliff.
Get as low as you can.
This gives more traction to the rear wheel and stabilizes your balance.
When terrain gets extremely steep, there comes a point when balancing on the pedals isn't far back enough. For most bikes this happens when the pitch reaches about 60 degrees. What to do? Get even farther back-and lay off that front brake.
On the brakes
When you slow down, momentum carries your weight forward. The harder you brake, the farther you must lean back. If you're not back far enough, your rear wheel skids (this could be a case of too much rear brake) or comes off the ground (this is definitely because you're too far forward). If you have dual suspension, your rear end will jack up and your front end will dive. This steepens your head angle and makes your bike very sketchy, just when you need it to be the least sketchy. If you're too far back, your unweighted front wheel skips around like a stone on water. If it locks and suddenly catches trac¬tion, you'll skip like a stone on water.
When you brake moderately, you can resist the forward push with your arms. The harder you brake, the more important it is that you resist with your legs. When you brake really hard on steep terrain, try to move back, drop your heels, and drive
your weight into the pedals. You know you're perfectly balanced when you neither push nor pull on the bars.
Accelerating
No doubt you have a hard time controlling your power. You're forever roosting your friends and tearing up cobbles. Not only that, but your front wheel tends to come up while you accelerate.
Wheelying down a bikercross start ramp won't kill you, but you have to control that power out on the trail. Lean forward while you're on the gas.
Using Your Entire Cockpit
Enjoying a trail-railing turns, hopping logs, and pumping humps-is all about shifting your weight fore and aft, side to side, and up and down. To do this effectively, you must move around. Your cockpit has to give you space to work, and you must be loose and energetic enough to use the space.
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