SKILLSDIG DEEP IN THE
CORNERS
Pushinghard into the corners to
gain traction is really important
in the dust. Keep your weight
centered over the bike and push
hard with your legs through your
pedals to gain traction through
your tyres. Keeping low on the bike
can also help. It’s a fine balance to
get it right but ultimately you want
to push as hard as you can without
sliding out and losing speed as you
go through the corner.3
LAST BUT NOT LEAST –
RESPECT THE TRAILS
Sure,asmountain bikers in
Australia, we need to live with
dry and dusty conditions, but we
also need to respect the trails and
be smart about what we do and
where we ride. As trail conditions
deteriorate, trails often get wider
and straighter as riders look for the
smoother and faster line. It’s also
likely that some of your local trails
might get shut down for repairs
more often due to the conditions.
Be smart about how you ride,
stick to the trail and respect your
local trail crew. There’s no point
doing any more damage in these
conditions and respecting the trails
and those who work on them will
ultimately be better for everyone.5
6
LOOK FOR THE HARD PACK IN
BERMS
As berms deteriorate in the dust, always
look for the hard pack which will more
often than not be way grippier than any
other part of the berm. Quite often you’ll
also find this on either side of the braking
bumps coming into the berm and above the
roughest line in the berm. I’ll often look for
the highest, smoothest line in and through
which will allow meto exit early and low in
order to set upear forthe next turn.4 BE LIGHT AND SMOOTH ON YOUR
BIKE OVER THE ROUGH STUFF
When it gets dusty, rocky and loose it’s
important to stay light over the rocky sections.
The loose conditions mean that the smaller
rocks will move around in the dust and holes
and sharp edges will develop where you least
expect them. Staying light will stop you getting
bogged down in the holes you don’t see and
save your wheels from flats and dings. It
will also help your bike find the path of least
resistance if need be.
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