MTB - Best Single Piece of Advice you ever recieved?

[jonesey]

I'd love to hear some of these, whether it be about Techniques, Equipment, Routes etc etc

Edited by jonesey on Thursday 21st May 11:35

[neil_bolton]

If you're not crashing, you're not trying hard enough.

[ewenm]

Relax.

[theboymoon]

remember. to. breath.

[Moose.]

Outside pedal down round corners.

i.e. if you're going round a left hander, make sure your right foot pedal is down to help push the bike into the corner (and avoid catching the inside pedal on the ground or a rock/root etc)

Seems obvious now but when I was just starting MTBing I didn't do this making for sketchy cornering

[langy]

Speed is your friend

[hondafanatic]

Learn to do your own maintenance.

[jonesey]

All good so far, keep 'em coming!!!

[Mr_C]

It's all about balance.

And brakes.

[Beyond Rational]

Don't look at the ground directly in front of the bike, look ahead at where you want to go.

I recently remembered this after getting boulder fixation.

[theboymoon]

Beyond Rational said:

Don't look at the ground directly in front of the bike, look ahead at where you want to go.

I recently remembered this after getting boulder fixation.

very true, its the same on snow.

Look at the gaps, not the trees!

[AbarthChris]

1. Don't headbutt boardwalks with your face...

2. Morphine is your friend

[Parrot of Doom]

When rolling over a dropoff (downhill) instead of pulling the front wheel up, throw your arms forward.

[Chris71]

AbarthChris said:

1. Don't headbutt boardwalks with your face...

I did that last week! Actually got a far bigger adrenaline rush from crashing than I did from riding the preceding section. Don't recommend it though.

On a serious note, probably the best tip I've had - and it works very well in a car too - is to keep your head up and look where you want to go. Your brain is remarkably good at sorting out the rest once you've picked your line. Conversely, you don't want to start staring at that big pointy rock ...or indeed the base of the boardwalk!

[jonesey]

Parrot of Doom said:

When rolling over a dropoff (downhill) instead of pulling the front wheel up, throw your arms forward.

Simple but effective?

[Marcellus]

let go of the f***ing brakes and let the wheels roll, it's what they were designed for!!

[ratbane]

Don't worry about your disk brakes squeeling. Just don't use them.

The "don't look at obstacles" one is the most useful one I've heard over the years. It works.

[Matt H]

The bike can do it - you have just got to hang on!

[Henry Hawthorne]

Steep descent, get you arse behind the saddle or else you'll go over the bars.

[coupeboy]

You won't go where you're not looking!