m ay 2 019 mbr 25
Pull on the bars
This is one that you normally hear where a rider has a little more speed for a drop, or
they want to avoid their front wheel falling into a drainage ditch or puddle. While the
idea of pulling on the bars will actually work for a very limited amount of time, a much
better way of unweighting their front wheel will be to encourage them to quickly rock
their weight back and push their bike up from underneath by driving forwards with
their legs and feet. More of a manual and less of a frantic lifting of the front wheel.
With a little practice they’ll be able to keep that front wheel up in the air longer and
ultimately learn one of the more useful skills there is in mountain biking.
let go of the brakes
This might be sound advice if
you’re an accomplished rider and
you’re already letting the bike flow
over obstacles by staying low and
allowing for a good range of motion,
but if you’re new to the sport and
haven’t learned that yet, then pulling
your brakes on will be the primary
system of control. Telling someone to
let go of their brakes will ultimately
lead them into going way too fast
for their ability and jamming them
on with no idea of the impact it willhave when they’re absolutely flying.
A much better way of explaining
braking is to get them to understand
that it’s OK to brake in safe places.
Ideally on the way into a corner
while still on a straight, or before a
rougher part of the trail. If they learn
to control their speed before it gets
wild then they’re much more likely to
be confident as they roll through the
tougher bit. Staying off the brakes in
the right places is correct, but make
sure they’ve slowed down first.