Innholdsfortegnelse for Mountain Biking Skills 2021 i Mountain Biking UK

In choosing this special edition you’ve taken the next pedal stroke (or perhaps uplift) on your journey to becoming a better mountain biker. Inside you’ll find everything you need to know to make the most of anything a trail is likely to throw at you. Crammed with step-by-step advice from top coaches and pro riders, this issue arms you with the best and most up to date MTB riding knowledge available. We’ve divided much of the mag into blue, red and black sections to help give the most relevant advice for the grade of trail you’re currently riding and to help take you to the next level. See you out on the trails! WARNING Many of the riding techniques featured in this publication are suitable for advanced cyclists only. Individuals…

TYRE PRESSURES Women are generally lighter than men and can get away with running softer tyre pressures for extra grip and (especially on a hardtail) comfort. How low you can go will depend on your weight, riding style, wheel size, tyre width and casing, whether your wheels are set up tubeless or with inner tubes, and the terrain you’re riding. As a rough guide, start at around 25psi and adjust downwards until you reach a pressure you’re happy with, where your tyres are able to conform around small trail obstacles but don’t squirm in corners and you’re not getting lots of pinch punctures SADDLE Saddle soreness may just be the most talked-about topic in women’s cycling, so fitting a decent female-specific seat is the first thing you should do if…

DON’T FIGHT THE FLOW Use features to generate and maintain speed. These can often include corners and rollers that are ideal to pump. A jump line is usually built in such a way that you shouldn’t need to pedal or, on occasion, even brake. TOUCHDOWN Use the landings to generate speed. Often the neglected element of a jump, pumping the downslope can help you to sustain your speed towards the next jump or feature. LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP Do a sighting run. Get to know the trail features and lines before attacking them with speed. There may be split kicker options, gaps and other unavoidable features that you need to be prepared for. PLANNING MAKES PERFECT Look ahead! Plan your next move by constantly scanning your eyes down the trail.…

SHOCK ABSORBERS To use your arms and legs properly you need to have them in a bent position where they can flex or extend quickly. BASE OF SUPPORT Direct your weight through your feet to create your base of support. From here you can apply pressure, or pop, hop or twist your hips for swift changes in direction. RELAX Once you’re feeling balanced, loosen up to let the bike move around underneath you. CHIN UP Stable vision aids balance, so keep your chin up and look ahead to the upcoming trail.…

BRAKING Hit the brakes early so that the bike isn’t sliding when it’s on the high line. We’d advise over-braking instead of hitting the line with full speed. Your aim should be to accelerate through the line, not slow down once you’re on it. One of the most common mistakes on a high line is coming into it too quickly. You’re then forced to brake, which causes you to stall. EXIT The number one rule is to look at the exit. As soon as you’ve completed the turn to set you up for the high line, stay focused on exactly where you want to end up, and your bike will follow. You’ve already seen the line, so you don’t need to look down at it. Any reactions you make should…

APPROACH Always adjust your speed before entering the turn, so that you can roll through it rather than having to pedal or brake. CUT WIDE To make full use of the berm, cut wide to enter the turn as the berm starts. Keep your head up and look ahead round the turn. ATTACK STANCE Maintain a typical trail riding position – elbows out, heels dropped and preferred foot forwards. Keep your bodyweight driven through your feet and stay central over the bike. LOOK AHEAD As you’re turning you should be looking at least two or three bike lengths in front of you, to give yourself enough time to react to any hazards. COMPLETE THE TURN Aim to use the full length of the berm, which will push you out into…

PICK A GEAR Select a gear that allows you to pedal around the whole turn so that you don’t have to shift mid corner, losing precious speed and balance. EYES UP Set up as wide as you can with your front wheel. As you approach the corner, lift your head and eyes and look around the turn to spot your exit line. STAY SMOOTH As you get to the crux of the corner, commit to the move and attack the pedals if power is needed. You can lightly drag the rear brake to aid slow-speed control. DOWN AND OUT Be ready to shift your weight forward by moving to the front of the saddle and dropping your elbows. This will keep the front wheel down as you exit. BIKE SET-UP…

1 STAY LOOSE Let the bike move around beneath you. Unlike normal riding, where you try to ride with a solid position on the bike, in ruts you need to constantly move and balance with the bike. If the bike moves left, then you move to the right to keep it upright. 2 PEDALS LEVEL It’s important to ride with your feet fairly level. This gives you space to dip from side to side more easily and stops your feet hitting the edges of the ruts. 3 EASY ANCHORS No sudden braking. Hard braking will cause the bike to get dragged into the edge of the rut and you’ll lose balance. Use a bit more rear than front brake and feather them as you go to keep control and balance.…

1 VISION Choose a straight line and aim your front wheel so it’s perpendicular to the biggest roots (ie. hits them head on). Try to avoid large diagonal roots, which will direct your tyres off the trail. 2 MOMENTUM Once you’re happy with your basic technique, try hitting root sections a touch faster. Slowing down may help your confidence but it’s a bad idea because it means your tyres will be in contact with the slippery roots for longer. 3 HEAD UP Have confidence in your line choice and speed, then get your chin up and look over the roots at the trail ahead to help your balance. 4 PRESSURE CONTROL Ride root sections more smoothly by unweighting your wheels individually as they hit large roots. Do this by popping…

LEAN When cornering, lean your bike in the direction you want to go. To do this, straighten your inside arm while keeping your body upright. This way, you’ll remain in balance above the bike but the inside edge of your tyres will be forced into the ground for extra grip. Dropping your outside foot will lower your centre of gravity even more and increase your stability in the turn. RELAX Loose corners can be unpredictable. Keep your arms and body relaxed and loose so you can iron out any changes in grip and absorb little slips. Keep your head up and focus beyond the exit of the corner to help your balance. PRE-EMPT Scan the ground as you approach the corner. Look for areas with the best grip, and adjust…

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. 1 STAY LOW ON APPROACH Look for a straight, clean line and control your entry speed so you’re…

1.APPROACH Chilled, relaxed, calm or cool – use the adjective of your choice to help you roll into the take-off with all you need for a successful flight. Just like baking a cake, having all the ingredients weighed out before you start makes success much more likely. Approach with enough speed to clear the jump, but not so much that the time needed to press into the lip is too short. As with all MTB skills, keep your vision forward, fingers over the brakes, and aim to choose the smoothest, straightest line to your take-off point. 2.POSTURE Stand relaxed and supple on your bike. Successful jumping is all about using your limbs as natural springs, allowing them to store and release energy, and doing so across multiple joints is much…

THINK SPEED Set your speed early so you have time to set yourself up for the drop. Roll in at a medium pace to start with. Once you’re comfortable, you can try hitting it slower or faster. APPROACH Stand on the pedals, in a neutral position. Stay loose and relaxed, because you’re going to need to be dynamic. As you get closer to the edge, look for the landing but keep your head up. DROP & PUSH As you approach the edge, drop your body and push your bike forward with your arms. You’ll need to time this so that the rear wheel is unweighted as you go over the edge. DON’T LEAN BACK Don’t confuse getting low with leaning back. Think about pushing the bike forward and dropping your…

DON’T WAVER You must be 100 per cent confident in your own ability to ride the section and not hesitate. It helps a little if you know the trail, allowing you to push that bit harder. STAY CENTRED Stand up on the pedals. Bend your legs slightly but keep them firm and drop your heels. Try to keep your weight distribution pretty even between the front and back wheels. If you lean too far back at high speed, your front wheel will get really light and you’ll lose the feeling for what’s happening between the wheel and ground. LOOK UP THE TRAIL Keep your head up and look ahead. You can’t go fast if you’re looking down at your front wheel. The faster you go, the further up the trail…

BUM BACK Drop your heels and keep your bottom as far back over the rear wheel as possible. Rocks can move around or knock you off your line, so you need to be braced and ready for things to change. EYES UP Look for the exit of the rock garden as you enter it and remain focused on where you want to go as you ride through the section. Keep your head up and arms dropped down behind the handlebar. You need to be braced into the bike, rather than over it or above it, to stop any unexpected impacts from pitching you forwards and over the bars. CONTROL YOUR SPEED Jabbing your brakes on will disrupt the balance of the bike. By feathering them you can still control your…

STAY LOOSE It’s the key to riding confidently in many situations, but it’s never truer than here. If you’re calm and relaxed, then the bike is free to move around beneath you. If you stiffen up, then whenever the bike is deflected, the force will be transmitted straight through to you, knocking you off-balance. DROP A FOOT When the ground is loose and uneven, trying to keep traction and corner with your feet up is unpredictable at best. Sometimes the best way is to grab a handful of back brake, drop a foot and slide your wheels through the scree. It’s always fun and is sometimes the fastest and safest way too! HEAD UP EYES UP We’re all guilty of this to some degree – looking at the front wheel and…

THE SQUASH 1 Before you try to get sideways, start by working on squashing jumps smoothly. Approach the take-off in the attack position and with your weight central on the bike. As soon as your front wheel reaches the lip and starts to lift off, instead of using the transition to pop upwards, push the bike forwards, by extending and straightening your arms, to keep the front wheel down. Locking your elbows out will prevent the front end from dropping too low and going into a nose-dive. 2 When your back wheel reaches the lip, you need to absorb the upward momentum with your legs and then, in mid-air, extend them down to push the bike back towards the floor. The whole movement should feel like you’re going forwards rather…

SCOPE IT OUT Size things up. Don’t even consider going for the jump unless you’re 99 per cent confident you’ll land it. The more jumps you do, the better your gauge of speed will be. Look for cues on how fast to go – a set-up jump before the main jump can really help with this. Watch other people hit it and look at how their bikes and bodies react. Don’t be afraid to ask other riders for advice, and always do a few test run-ins before hitting it for real. FLYING HIGH You’ll soon realise if things are going pearshaped. If so, think about bailing and throwing the bike to one side – you don’t want to crash down in a tangled mess. Hopefully things are going well and…

BAD HABITS Technical sections may instigate bad habits where you unclip early ‘just in case’. The added confidence of flat pedals allows you to stay feet up, knowing you can quickly dab if things start to go south. NO CHEATING We often see people using clipless pedals to pull their bike up. With flats you have to learn to use proper technique for jumping, bunnyhopping, and so on, which will stand you in good stead.…

BODY POSITION Putting weight over the rear wheel will give grip and drive. If you lean too far forward, the wheel will just spin and lose traction. Think about sitting on the saddle and looking way ahead while selecting a suitable gear and mode for the steepness of the climb. SIT OR STAND? You may have to rethink the way you approach climbs. On a normal trail bike you sometimes need to stand up in order to power up a hill, but an e-bike will often benefit from you staying seated, to keep weight over the rear wheel. Patience is key here. Trust that the motor will assist. You may feel as though steep climbs are ascended very slowly, but at least it’s done surely. PRACTISE! There’s huge satisfaction in…

LIFT_OFF Firstly, you’ll need to learn to lift the front wheel. In a flat car park or skate park or on a flat section of trail, coast along at a fast walking speed. Any slower and you’ll have no momentum to pop, which’ll result in a nose dive. You’re aiming for the front wheel to be about 1ft to 1.5ft off the ground. It’s important to get your wheel this high – any lower and it’ll be hard to generate the pop to get off the ground. THROW YOUR WEIGHT BACK Get your body weight back towards the rear wheel (bum over the axle) and, at the same time, push both feet down on the pedals and pull on the handlebar – gently to start with and then harder once…

GET IN GEAR Choose a medium gear – somewhere around fifth on an 11-speed cassette with a 32-tooth chainring. You don’t want a gear that’s too easy because your feet will spin too quickly, while a gear that’s too hard means you won’t have enough power in your pedal strokes. LIFT THE WHEEL As your front wheel lifts off the ground, aim to hit the corner of the obstacle you want to get up with your front tyre. Your good foot should be at the front now. When you hit the ledge, thrust your hips forward and push your arms forward to lift the back wheel up, and land on top of the obstacle with both wheels. ROLL IN Approach at walking speed with your front foot forward. About 3m…

SADDLE HEIGHT If you are descending or practising skills, drop your saddle down as it will allow you to move your bodyweight around the bike. A dropper post makes this a lot easier of course. TYRES For all-year use go for an aggressive front tyre and a fast rolling rear with good braking traction. As a rule of thumb, start at a base setting of 26psi (less if tubeless). If you’re getting pinch punctures add 2psi at a time. Check your psi every time you ride. BRAKE POSITION In a standing position, put your hands on your grips and extend your index fingers out. Now adjust the angle, lever reach and clamp in or out, so you can cover your brakes comfortably and confidently with maximum leverage. PEDALS & SHOES…

SUSPENSION You want your bike to handle hard landings and bigger holes, but simply adding more air to your fork and/or shock means sacrificing traction. Volume spacers can help here. They make your suspension ramp up more towards the end of its travel, to resist bottoming out. If you’re going to ride a jumpy spot, check that your rebound isn’t so fast that you’ll get bucked on the take-offs. TYRES Changing tyres isn’t an essential, but fitting a chunkier set can give you more traction and reduce the risk of flats. Look for thicker or dual-ply casings. Adding a few psi of pressure can be a good idea for rocky trails and to stop your tyres squirming in high-speed berms. If you’re feeling flush, a second set of heavier-duty wheels…

CHECK YOUR FOOTING If there’s one ‘how to’ tip that everyone in the mountain biking world has heard, it’s to drop your outside foot in corners. While this can be correct for the right corner, the biggest beginner mistake we notice is riders dropping their outside foot before they’ve even reached the corner. If you think of the basic process of entering a corner, it’s about getting on your line, braking, then cornering. If you drop your outside foot while trying to brake, you’ll have very little stability when you need it most. DON’T FOCUS ON YOUR FRONT WHEEL As a new(ish) rider, it’s common to stare at your front wheel, because you’re not trusting what it’s going to do. You’re worried it might slide out, which is an understandable…

1 CADENC We all have our preferred cadence (pedalling speed). Some like to spin, whereas others favour harder, slower strokes. Often riders are in too hard a gear – either up a climb or off from the start of a race. If you push too hard, you’ll accelerate less efficiently and be slower overall when compared to using an easier gear. 2 POSITION This is your stance over the cranks. Many riders have their saddle too far back, so when they’re climbing their legs are in front of them. For seated pedalling, try to keep your weight over the pedals so you’re driving straight down onto them. This is the same when standing up too. After your first couple of pedal strokes, shift your weight forward to get maximum drive.…

GET CENTRED Approach flat corners in a centred position on the bike – with your weight over the bottom bracket – as this is where you’ll have the most balance, and the best manoeuvrability. SPOT THE EXIT Fix your vision looking around the corner, towards the exit of the turn, by keeping your head up. You ride where you look. LEAN THE BIKE Drop your inside hand towards the centre of the turn to lean your bike over, and let your hand unweight as it moves further away from your body. This will increase the pressure on your outside hand, and help you maintain front tyre grip. Keep the outside elbow high to maintain a strong position. STAY UPRIGHT Lower your outside pedal and heel, to shift your weight over…

STARING AT THE FRONT WHEEL Looking at your front wheel can mean you make small, pointless adjustments to the steering. This unbalances the bike. Mid-corner adjustments should be made using feedback through the bike, when you feel something happening, not based on what you see in front of your wheel. When you get to the main leaning point of the corner, look for a specific point further down the trail where you need to be heading – a tree or something off to the side. This will help stop you staring at the front wheel. TURNING THE BAR NOT LEANING THE BIKE A lot of riders don’t lean the bike properly in corners. A bike turns from leaning, not from turning the handlebar. Practise giving the bike freedom of movement…

APPROACH Start at a speed you’re comfortable with. Approach in your attack position, glance at the upslope then look over it. As the bike goes up the transition, let it pivot – bend your arms and keep your bodyweight central and over the BB. SQUASH As you feel your weight increase into the upslope, push with your feet then quickly unweight, allowing the bike to come up below you. Simultaneously push the bars forward so the seat rises in front of your hips. STAY DOWN If you’ve timed it right the bike will be unweighted over the top of the jump, so you’ll carry on moving forward rather than up, and the bike will push up underneath you. Stay low and relaxed ready for the landing. LAND LOW Aim to…

BRAKE PADS It’s a wise idea to invest in some metallic (sintered) pads for wet weather. They have a much longer life and offer better friction when the trails are saturated than the organic (resin) pads that come with most brakes. MUD GUARD A front ‘fender’ is one of the most useful products you can get for winter. Available in various sizes, they’re great at keeping wheel spray out of your eyes. GREASE This is your bike’s best defence against water ingress. Headsets, bearings, bottom brackets and seatposts all deserve a coating during the winter to help keep grit from clogging things up. TYRE Mud tyres have taller knobs to dig in better and wider spacing so the tread clears quicker, making them great on softer terrain. For hardpack trail…

MANUAL While not a useful technique for going fast, manualling out of turns does look pretty cool. Follow the first two steps, but instead of pedalling to keep the front wheel up, shift your weight back and try to find the balance point. It’ll take some practice, but once you’ve nailed it, you’ll look like a boss! EYES UP When powering out of a turn, it’s easy to oversteer by pulling the handlebar round too far. The key to preventing this is to keep your eyes up and look straight down the trail at where you want to go. MANUALING OUT Pulling a manual as you exit a berm looks cool and feels pretty damn great 1. HIT THE APEX Enter the berm as you would any other corner –…

PROTECT YOUR EYES At high speeds, the air flowing past your face can cause you to squint, making it harder to see upcoming obstacles. Glasses or goggles will prevent this, as well as protecting your eyes from bugs, dust and trail debris. STAY SMOOTH Don’t pinball from rock to rock or corner to corner – you’ll end up breaking yourself or your bike. Enter tight corners or tricky sections at a manageable pace, then let off the brakes and exit fast. Look for smooth and straight lines that you know you can ride safely. LOOK UP This seems like an obvious tip, but it’s often the hardest skill to conquer when the trail gets rough. Looking up helps your balance, allows you to spot lines and tricky sections, and gives…

1.APPROACH Make sure you approach the corner at a slow enough speed to be in control. Look ahead to spot the best line of approach – try to find somewhere to place your front wheel where there are not wet or loose rocks, so that the tyre doesn’t slide when you brake. 2.INITIATION Ride to the apex of the turn, to give your back wheel enough space to swing around. Bend your legs and arms to compress your fork and shock. The rebound will help you create the forward movement needed to unweight your rear wheel when you pull on the front brake. 3.THE MIDDLE Twist your hips in the direction of the turn. Watch out for rocks or banking that could catch your back wheel. Make as many hops…

APPROACH Jumping is all about gauging your speed, timing and getting set before the lip. Get your feet level, in a neutral position, and look up where you want to go. The compression at the base of the jump will give you an explosive linear movement to pop (jump) from. TAKE-OFF As you go up the face of the jump your weight will transfer from your arms to your feet, which will give you the force to preload with your legs, and make your front wheel light as you hit the top of the lip. Your heels should be slightly down through the take-off till you’re airborne. AIR TIME In the air, think about readjusting your balance and spotting the landing. Because the angle of your bike is changing (like…

1 JUMPING TOO EARLY As with anything in life, timing is everything! Many riders try to take off too early, and this can cause issues, especially if you’re new to jumping. Firstly, you won’t actually jump that far, but it can also be unsafe and may even throw you over the bars if the back wheel gets bucked. You should be aiming to jump when YOU get close to the top of the lip, not when you think your front wheel is there. 2 PULLING UP ‘Pulling up’ is a term often used in relation to jumping, but you shouldn’t rely on tugging on the handlebar to get airborne. This requires you to have equal strength through both arms, and if one is stronger than the other, you can end…

PRESSURE RELEASE Release the pressure under your feet before the rear wheel leaves the edge so your bodyweight is already dropping. LOOK AHEAD Approach in the stand strong position, slightly lower than normal. Keep your head up, spot your landing then look ahead. DROP & EXTEND Drop your hips back and down quickly as your front wheel reaches the edge, extending your arms to allow yourself to get back and really low. WEIGHT SHIFT Relax in the air and aim to get your weight back over your bottom bracket by extending your legs and arms ready for touchdown. STAND STRONG LAND STRONG Aim to land both wheels together, absorb, stand strong and be ready for the next feature. DROP TIPS Make the distance your bodyweight drops as small as possible…

EYES No matter how out of shape things get underneath you, stay focused on your exit point. Tackling roots is all about your line from A to B. BRAKES Cover the brakes, but avoid using them until clear of the roots – they can be the difference between sticking your line and your tyres slipping. LINE CHOICE Instead of making direction changes on roots, look for areas where you can achieve decent grip and straight-line between them. ANGLE OF ATTACK It doesn’t take a genius to work out that if this root were wet, the tyre would slide off it. If you can’t hit roots square on, try to un-weight your bike as you hit them – or use the first root as a kicker and jump the rest!…

1.APPROACH As you approach the drop, make sure you’re in a ready (aka ‘attack’) position on the bike – head up, chest open, wrists and heels dropped. That gives you a good, strong platform to perform the technique from. Spot your landing so you have something to aim for. 2.THE LIP As the front wheel nears the edge of the drop, you need to shift your weight rearwards so the wheel doesn’t plummet off the lip. Push the bike forwards by extending your arms and legs. Move your bum low and back over the rear wheel to make sure the bike accelerates more than you do. This weight shift is the key technique to stop the front wheel dropping, and it’s similar to initiating a small manual. This is sometimes…

LINE If the corner has some support or a banking, then aim to hit that to help you turn. If the corner is flat then take a wide line in order to make the turning radius shallower. BRAKING Kill your speed before the turn so you can be off the brakes when you lean. If the turn is really steep, brake until you’re halfway in the turn before letting the front brake off first to keep grip, then let the rear off. By doing this you’ll still be able to lean. HIT THEM HARDER If you want to ride steep turns faster then you’ll need to lean the bike more and make sure you’re in a good body position so you can hold your shape through the turn when forces…

TOUCHDOWN As you come in to land, bend your legs and arms to soften the impact. Allow your hips to move down and back – you don’t want to be leaning forward when you’re trying to slow down after landing, or you’ll have no grip or stability. Once your wheels are on the ground, drop your heels, especially if it’s a rough landing. NOSE IN As you start to come down, shift your weight forwards to dip the nose of the bike into the landing. Keep your eyes focused on the landing until you’re confident of where you’re going. SPOT THE LANDING Once you’ve spotted the landing, allow your eyes to come up and look forward for the exit. Get your body ready for the landing, by flexing your arms…

E-bikes give a completely different perspective to a mountain bike ride. Providing the opportunity to explore further, tackle more technically challenging climbs, conserve energy or just keep up with other riders who are faster or more skilled, they’re a great tool to help you enjoy your rides and broaden your horizons. Maximising the benefits of the motor and using the weight that comes with this to your advantage requires a slightly modified approach, though. Good bike set-up will help, of course, plus there are specific technical skills to focus on to help you keep traction and improve control – so read on to find out how to rail the trails on your e-bike! PEDAL POSITION Don’t automatically drop the outside pedal. This can put the bike off-balance if done too…

BIKE SET-UP It’s crucial to have a sharp rear brake that you can feather with one finger. This will stop you flipping onto your back! Making sure the saddle is down and out of the way will also make the bike easier to control. HAVING TROUBLE If you’re finding the manual hard to master, try sitting on the saddle with both feet on the ground and your front wheel in the air. Rock forwards and backwards, and feel for the balance point. This should give you an idea of how it should feel when you do it for real. MANUAL A manual is the same as a wheelie, just without pedalling. Riding on just the rear wheel, you use transfers of bodyweight and the rear brake to hold the bike…

1.INITIATE THE MANUAL To pop the bike onto its back wheel, focus on shifting your hips back and driving your weight through the pedals to get the front wheel aloft, rather than yanking up on the bar. Although it’s essential to pull back, it’s much more about body position than brute force. With a bit of practice, you’ll soon get a feel for the movements and how much effort is needed. It’s a good idea to get the basics dialled on the flat before you try to take this technique to the pump track. 2.BODY POSITION Once you’re up on the back wheel, keep your arms locked straight but maintain a bend in your knees, so you can absorb the undulations of the track. As the wheel rolls up the…

TWIST YOUR HIPS Next is the easy bit. When you’re in the air, try to move your hips a little to push the bike in the direction you want to whip it. You can also turn the bar for extra effect – just make sure it’s pointing in the right direction when you land! TURN AS YOU TAKE OFF Step two is to turn off the lip of the jump. At first, don’t take this too literally – the ‘turn’ should be little more than a gesture. But it’ll help you to start the whip. This is another little cheat we have for you. PREPARE FOR LANDING As you come in to land, move your hips back in the direction of the landing. Make sure to do this in one…

1 KNOW BEFORE YOU GO Most bike parks have uplift services, so make sure you book on to avoid disappointment, and that you know the park’s opening times. If there’s an online disclaimer form, it’s best to fill this in before you arrive which will save time when checking-in. Read the rules of the venue – you can find these on the park’s website. Make sure to check for any weather warnings, because in bad conditions the uplift may stop running or some trails may be closed. 2 BIKE AND KIT CHECK Make sure you have your bike in great working order. Brakes, bolts, tyres and suspension should be able to withstand a day (or a weekend) of thrashing without a second thought.” Remember to pack all your kit too.…

Here are the four things to focus on… LEGS Keep your legs straight and in line with the pull of gravity, but stay supple. This will give you a better feel for the terrain and allow space for the bike to move when riding over obstacles. FEET Put your weight through your heels. This is a common one that many riders know but not many actually do. It’ll help you feel the terrain and encourage you to have even weight distribution through both feet. HIPS Bend at the hips so that your chest comes forward, allowing you to gain control of the front of the bike. The amount you should bend depends on your riding style, but if you often lose control/traction of the front wheel, try bending more. ELBOWS…

1 MODULATION Modulating your braking means adjusting the force with which you pull the levers. Contrary to popular belief, brakes aren’t an on/off toggle – they produce gradual and progressive stopping power the harder you pull them. Minor adjustments make quite a difference to whether or not the wheel locks up. Practise riding down a steep hill and pulling the brake levers as hard as you can without skidding to help you learn the bite point. 2 BALANCE By balance, we mean the amount you’re pulling one brake compared to the other. It’s common to see riders being too heavy-handed with the back brake, which makes the rear wheel slide and the bike get out of shape. If that sounds familiar, try using a little less rear brake and/or a…

PEDALS LEVEL Try to stand up on the pedals and keep the crank arms in a horizontal position as much as possible. That’ll give you the best platform for stability and allow you room to move around the bike for balance to control it through any bumps, jumps and berms. EYES UP It’s been said a thousand times before, but it’s probably the most crucial technique when riding. Keep your head up and eyes looking down the trail – not in front of your wheel. That gives you time to read the terrain and be prepared for any upcoming obstacles WINGS OUT Having your elbows out to the side puts you in a strong position on the bike, ready to move it around the trail. Plus, it means you’ll be…

1 APPROACH Stand in your neutral position. For bigger whoops stand slightly taller than normal to create more room between you and the bike to absorb the bump. You’ve already seen the first whoop and you know what to expect, so look towards the next feature. 2 ABSORB As the bike hits the upslope allow your legs and arms to bend so the bike comes up underneath you. To time this you have to feel it rather than use a visual reference. As you feel the bike go, load into the upslope – that’s when you absorb. The bump will push the bike up underneath you so there’s no need to try to pick it up. 3 EXTEND When your bike is over the top of the whoop, push it…

Pump bumps are small rollers that can be a single lump or a series of undulations. What makes them different from jumps is that they’re generally on sections of trail that are quite slow, so it’s better to pump them to gain speed rather than try to jump them. Pumping is a way of generating speed from the trail without pedalling. It’s a simple concept – apply pressure to a downslope and you’ll gain forwards momentum. At steady speeds you can pump small bumps with both wheels on the ground, but at faster speeds it can be better to let the front wheel come off the ground (a move known as a ‘manual’) and pump with the rear wheel only. APPROACH You should be in your neutral position, with your…

1 NECK/HEAD WARMERS Cold wind can nip at your ears and blow down your collar, so it’s a good idea to protect these parts with Buff-style neck tubes, which can also be folded up to form a headband. When the mercury really plummets, an under-helmet skullcap can be a lifesaver. 2 THERMAL OUTERWEAR This is the kit that’s going to keep the wind and the chill out. When it’s not wet, softshell materials offer more breathability and comfort than full-on waterproofs. We like riding in trousers when it’s cold, and a jacket with wind protection is a must. Fox’s Fire range has some good options. 3 BASELAYERS You can add or remove clothing to suit the conditions, but your baselayer stays put, so it’s essential to ensure you have a…

SET-UP Cornering is all about ‘VPD’ – vision, position and direction. Your vision allows you to set your position on the trail, which decides your direction. From entry to exit, rolling into any type of turn at any speed requires you to keep your head up and eyes to the front. This allows you to choose the right cornering technique to apply at the right time. BRAKING No matter the type of turn or the entry speed required, getting all of your braking done before you hit the sweet spot, or apex, is a must. This keeps your bike balanced and allows you to get maximum grip from your suspension and tyres. FOCUS My number one tip for consistent railing of turns is to not focus on what you’re doing…

BODY POSITION Keep your chin up and look far ahead. Drop your heels to help keep your weight over the bottom bracket and make it easier to maintain balance if your front or rear wheel momentarily loses grip and the bike starts to drift. BRAKING Never use the front or the rear brake on its own. Apply both brakes gradually together, then use slightly more rear brake to avoid your front tyre drifting if it’s really loose. LEAN THE BIKE Lean the bike underneath you to corner, using your hips to turn it. Don’t lean with the bike as you would in a berm because you’ll push the tyres away from your centre of gravity and lose grip. TRACTION If the descent is wide, look for the best traction to…

LEAN Drop your inside knee slightly and direct your hips, torso and head in the direction you want to go. Assist the lean by putting pressure on the handlebar, particularly the inside grip. Don’t hang off the back of the bike – find a balanced position between both wheels. EXIT SPEED The final turn is what matters in a sequence of corners. You want to be in the right place and gear to power out of it. If safe to do so, go back and practise the section until you get what you want out of it. Try new lines and experiment. LINE CHOICE The main line may not be the best, so look around and be creative. In tight turns, look for a way to open up the angle.…

THE DIRECT LINE This is as straight as possible, regardless of the obstacles. Momentum is your friend, to help carry you over holes and rocks. Adopt a centred position on the bike, with your heels down and elbows up – you’re going to need your arms and legs to act as extra suspension to smooth out the trail. Spot your exit and aim for it. Keep relaxed so you can maintain balance. THE SMOOTH LINE This is the path of least resistance, which avoids the biggest holes and rocks. Body position is key here, so that you can adjust your direction as you go. Lean too far back and you won’t be able to steer accurately. Balance too far forward and you’ll get caught by a bump. So find a…

LANDING PAD Now that you’ve hit the ground, wheels first, you should be looking up and ahead and focusing on the next section of trail, and the jump should be just a distant memory! BRACE, BRACE Assuming you’ve spotted your landing earlier, before taking off, you should know where you want to touch down. As you come in for landing, you’ll naturally extend your arms and brace your legs to absorb the impact as you approach the end of your flight. FLIGHT TIME Relax in the air and level your bike out. This is the moment to enjoy as the clatter from you bike stops. PULL UP The type of take-off will determine how hard you need to hoick on the bars for maximum lift. If it’s a ramped take-off,…

1.TAKE-OFF Step-downs have less of a lip than jumps, so the timing can be harder. With an upward-curving transition you can feel the bike pushing into you, but you don’t feel this pressure as much on step-downs. Follow the same technique as you would for a jump, compressing into the face and extending your legs as you take off, just don’t expect to feel the same ‘kick’. Don’t look down at the lip as you’re taking off, though. Rely on your peripheral vision for this, so you can spot where you’re jumping to as early as possible. This will help you judge how much air you’re going to need and keep you on the right flight path. 2.MID-AIR If you’re new to step-downs, then don’t go trying to style it…

1 SPIN Select an easy gear that allows you to spin your pedals at a relatively high cadence. Aim for around 60rpm (one pedal revolution per second) rather than cranking a hard gear. 2 STAY HYDRATED You’re going to be working hard, which means you’ll also be sweating a lot – so it’s essential that you stay hydrated. Keep sipping on water or an isotonic sports drink and aim to drink at least 500ml per hour to replace lost fluids. 3 PACE YOURSELF Ride at your own pace and don’t try to keep up with faster riders. Pushing yourself into the red zone, even for a short while, will deplete your energy much quicker. 4 STAY SEATED Where possible, stay seated and get into a good pedalling rhythm that you…

1 TIMING The two key elements to riding a drop-off are driving your feet forward through the pedals and shifting your weight back, in order to make the bar go light and so lift the front wheel. These must be done as one simultaneous movement as you reach the lip of the drop. Too early and you’re likely to drop the front wheel before the back wheel has cleared the lip. If you just try to pull up on the bar without changing your body position, you’ll struggle to lift the front wheel. 2 FIRST STEPS Playing in the street might sound a bit juvenile, but a kerb or small step is definitely the best place to learn drops. The definite edge gives you a clear cue for when to…

BEND AT THE HIPS This is the main change you should make to your position on the bike as you drop into a steep section. When the front wheel rolls over the edge of the chute, bend further forward from your hips. It may feel counterintuitive, but it’ll lower your chest, which will help you keep some bend in your arms. This will mean you’ll have better control of the front wheel. Adjust the amount you lean forward to suit the steepness of the slope UPRIGHT LEGS To stay stable on the bike, you need to keep your weight going through the bottom bracket. For this to happen, you have to keep your legs perpendicular to flat ground. (Picture an imaginary line heading straight up from the BB and try…

APPROACH Set your approach speed so you know that when you pop you’ll comfortably clear the gap. As you get close to the lip, lower your body weight, supporting it through your feet, and focus on balance – just like you would if you were going to jump as high as you could. POP As you go up the lip, push through your feet and drive your hips up vertically. As the front wheel leaves the lip you still need to apply pressure so you can use the full height of the lip. To do this you need to pull up on the bar to keep the front wheel up. LEVEL UP Keep your head up and look for the landing. Allow your knees to bend and relax your arms…

SET A MODE ‘Boost’ will be too snatchy, ‘Trail’ is great for short run-ups, but ‘Eco’ may be best in some situations. USE THE SUSPENSION With well-set-up suspension you can get a good pump from the jump’s transition, so use this to your advantage and shift your body weight up and forward as you approach the lip. Don’t sit back, because this can potentially cause the bike to buck you as the suspension rebounds. SUSPENSION With the added weight and inertia of an e-bike, suspension is challenged more, so a poor setup becomes a bigger hindrance. INITIAL SET-UP Set the sag on the fork and shock (15-25% at the front and 20-30% at the rear is a good starting point) and keep a note of your air pressures. Also, make…

LET TERRAIN DICTATE MODE E-bikes have an assistance speed limit of 15.5mph (25kmh), above which power cuts off. Exceed this and you’ll suddenly feel like you’re trying to self-propel a very heavy bike. Flat fireroads or gradual climbs can easily be ridden in Eco for great economy and smooth power. Steep banks may be best tackled in Boost, but you’ll be hindered on tight switchbacks, where the strong power can jerk the bike forward and encourage the front wheel to run wide. GEARING IS KEY The motor will assist you most when your cadence is high, so adjust your pedalling and gearing to achieve 80 to 90 crank revolutions per minute. This will likely feel significantly quicker than what you’re used to pushing uphill on a conventional bike, but when…

PUT POWER DOWN While extending your arms, push hard on one pedal from the top of the stroke (select a high gear first so you don’t spin out). This crank from 12 to 6 o’clock combined with the explosive extension of your arms will create lift. COMPRESS FORK With the saddle at full height, lower your chest by bending your elbows, then quickly push down with your hands to compress the front and lift your chest. HANG BACK Stay seated and feather the rear brake to avoid looping out. Pedal harder and lean back more to keep the front wheel up.…

WEIGHT THE FRONT When you start feeling more confident, it really pays to weight the front wheel as you approach the corner. This will make the back end lighter, which will help you to swing it round the turn quickly. Then you need to be ready to reload the rear wheel in the apex to generate speed out of the corner and into the next section of trail. BE RELAXED It’s important to stay loose and relaxed so that the bike can move around underneath you. Have faith in your riding skills and don’t fight the bike! EYES ON THE PRIZE Always make sure you’re looking up and around the corner. Where your head looks, your shoulders follow, then your hips and the bike. You can see here that the…

GREG MINNAAR FLAT CORNERS “Go back to basics and work on nailing the simple movements. The key trick for finding grip in corners is to push down on your inside arm and weight the outside pedal. Lean the bike over between your legs rather than your body, trying to keep your weight vertically over the bottom bracket. Practise carving around the car park until you get the feel for this technique, then ride some easier trails where you can really focus on holding a good line through the corners to carry speed. That way, you’ll build a good technique that you can use when things get gnarlier. If you try to ride too fast and hard without dialling-in the basics, you’ll revert back to poor technique.” BRENDAN FAIRCLOUGH HITTING BIGGER…