Innehållsförteckning för Mountain Biking Skills 2019 från Mountain Biking UK

’ERY DAY I’M SHUTTLIN’ Follow these tips to help you make the most of your day in the bike park QUICK ONCE-OVER Even if you don’t tweak your set-up, check your bike, making sure that all the bolts are torqued correctly, the brake pads have life left in them and the suspension pressures are right. EASE IN Don’t drop in blind on the hardest trail in the park – it’s only going to end in tears. Build things up slowly and look before you leap on jumps. Qualifiers at the start of trails are a good way to gauge how hard things are going to be. Build up the pace, but be conscious of when you’re getting tired and stop before you crash. FUEL RIGHT It’s amazing how many riders…

PUMP IT…

When you hit a corner well, you know it – the bike just grips, you exit with speed and the whole process feels effortless. But what if you find that you’re losing all your speed in turns, sliding out or, even worse, crashing? The key to learning to corner confidently and smoothly is to avoid some common mistakes and build consistency. Here are four things that a lot of riders get wrong – and how to fix them. ADVANCED TIPS We’re huge believers in experimentation during skills practice and training. Here are three things you can play with to help you with your cornering 1.RIDE HEIGHT Practise hitting the same turn repeatedly while adjusting how low you get your chest relative to the handlebar. Try really low (by bending your…

You’ll often need to lift your front wheel up when riding off-road – particularly when climbing – because once roots and small rocks get in your way, you can quickly lose much of your momentum. Once you’ve learned the basics, you’ll be able to apply the skill to more technical trails. Being able to lift the front wheel ultimately means you can spend more of your time riding, and less of it pushing.…

Jumping a bike isn’t just great fun, it’s practical too. Bump jumping uses similar skills to bunnyhopping, and can be used to get the bike airborne and pop over obstacles on the trail. Once you’ve got the technique nailed, you’ll be able to find take-offs and landings on every trail you ride, increasing your speed as you go. When you use a combination of pumping, manualling and bump jumping, it’s possible to take sections of trail at high speed with relative ease, when other riders might be pedalling and grabbing handfuls of brake.…

ROLL IT JUMP IT USE THE ROCKS Use sloping rocks or ledges to help you get your front wheel up more easily or to hop higher. Hone your technique by hopping a single rock.…

STAGE 1 APPROACH STAGE 2 THE DROP STAGE 3 ABSORB…

TROUBLESHOOTING Basic jumping on a simple tabletop is a straightforward technique, but it’s easy to get wrong. Most errors are due to the rider’s body position and balance before take-off. If there’s a problem, it’ll be exposed when the wheels leave the ground. Work on your position if you’re finding it impossible to jump. YOU CAN’T GET AIR A weak body position means you’ll always collapse and soak up the lip. Find a strong position on your bike. Heavy feet, light hands! BACK WHEEL GETS KICKED UP Shying away from the lip and leaning back will cause your back wheel to get kicked up. Bend your arms and allow the bar to come towards you up the lip, don’t get pushed backwards. DEAD SAILOR If you end up shooting off…

TOP TIPS FROM KAOS RELAX As you approach the jump, you want to be confident and comfortable on your bike. Stand in a natural position – centred on your bike, with weight distributed evenly between hands and legs. This is the first step to a confident take-off, so you don’t loop out or go over the bars. SPEED You always need the right speed for the jump, so if you’re taking it on for the first time, a couple of test runs are a good idea. When you’re finally confident enough with your speed, you can go for it. WHIP IT! It’s the best feeling in the world! Practising and learning to whip takes time – a lot of time. But even a little bit of ‘shape’ in the air…

GET THE DROP ON DROPS Try these tips to improve your technique FOCUS Concentrate on what you have to do. If you have any negative thoughts in your head or any doubts, then find a way to overcome them and focus on what you need to do before attempting a drop. GET LOW The lower you can get off the edge, the faster you’ll be able to hit the drop, so you won’t have to dab the brakes in fear of flying too far. Leaning the bike over just before the edge can give you extra room to get lower, especially on bigger-wheeled bikes.…

STEEP SKILLS PUTTING IT TOGETHER Approaching the chute, make sure you have a solid posture on the bike, with elbows bent, weight through your heels, legs straight but supple and hips bent. As you roll into it, keep your legs as they are and allow the bike to pivot forward by bending more at your hips. Modulate your braking so you use less front brake than rear. With all these actions combined, you should have great grip and stability. REACTING TO TRAIL FEATURES You need to be able to squash (allow the bike to come up to you) and pump (push the bike into the terrain) over undulations while riding the chute. Try to keep your legs extended, because this will give you the space to squash and pump when…

STAY LOOSE TO STYLE IT As you leave the lip, your bike will try to push up underneath you (it’s lighter so it wants to go higher). If you relax and allow it to come up with a little bit of lateral (side to side) guidance, it should look pretty stylish. Yanking the bike up off the lip to add some style will ruin your pop and look pretty awkward. Loosen up!…

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 perfectly on the balance point. You can use the manual to link tricks and lines, whether out on the trail, down at the skate park or riding street. Learning to manual requires some trial and error as you try to find the balance point, but once it clicks you’ll be able to go as far as your speed carries you. Then you can try styling it up, by turning the bar or even taking a hand off if you want to be really cool! 1 GET IN POSITION Travel at a fast walking speed while standing up on the bike,…

TIPS You’ll probably go over the bars a few times while learning this trick. If you do start to go over the bars you need to stay relaxed, keep hold of the front brake and remember that the foot you’re dragging the tyre with can very easily touch the ground. As you go over the bars, put your free foot down on the ground. Learning how to crash this trick safely will make it a lot easier to learn.…

DRILLS TO BUILD SKILLS Open your hands in your attack position – you shouldn’t be pulling or pushing with your hands, just balanced on your feet.…

CORNER TYPES How Greg Williamson builds on these basics to tackle every turn BERMS Greg does all his braking before entering the turn. He spots the sweet spot for applying pressure early and, coming in relaxed and balanced on the bike, ‘punches’ it with the perfect amount of pressure needed, depending on how tight the corner is. He rides with his feet level in most berms, and shifts his vision to the exit of the turn very early. FLAT TURNS The trail surface (grip and obstacles) dictates how Greg handles a flat turn. He leans more in tight bends and uses more finesse in open corners. As always, he brakes early and, as soon as he sees the corner, he’s looking for the best place to put his tyres, to…

ADVANCED TIPS DRIFT A consistent loose surface can be perfect for getting your drift on. Lean the bike right over to the point where the tyres break traction, go light and let them slide. Stay off the brakes, look up and stay loose. PRESSURE CONTROL If you want to increase the amount of grip you’ve got in a loose corner, compressing your bike into the ground by pushing through the pedals and making it heavier will provide extra traction. BALANCE Keeping your core mass in balance over the bottom bracket makes it easier to correct a slip or control a drift. Try not to hang back off your handlebar because this will put your weight too far back.…

Riding down steep slopes is fun but can be really intimidating if you haven’t tried it before. With the right line in and out though, it’s possible to tackle any slope. And no matter how steep they are they don’t actually get any harder – just a little scarier! The skill involved in riding sharp banks can be applied in other trail situations too. In this example we’ve used a steep and short roll-in that’s fairly common. As always, start small before rolling off something you wouldn’t walk away from if you were to get it wrong… STAGE 1 OVER THE EDGE SPEED & LINE BRAKING ON A HIGH SLOPE If you’re riding a longer, steeper or higher slope, you may want to control your speed on the way down.…

STAGE 1 APPROACH STAGE 2 THE DROP STAGE 3 LANDING…

ADVANCED AIRTIME FLAT PEDAL SKILLS Start on flat pedals and a hardtail if possible. Skills days at jump parks will develop good timing and control, and are fun. Try building little kickers and see how far you can go, getting faster and going further each time, learning how to pop and absorb the flat landing. The key is to start small and build up. GO SLOW See how slow you can go and still clear a jump. BMX tracks are a good place to practise this, as the jumps are mellow and safe. Try starting closer to the jump or come in from a turn – it’s a fun challenge. You’ll be surprised with what is possible, and learn how to boost, rather than only using speed to clear jumps.…

The step-down jump is very similar to jumping off a drop, and jumping into a bombhole. It’s one of the first forms of jumping that you’ll learn after mastering the bunnyhop, and helps you develop the skill to progress to other kinds of jumping. You’ll find step-downs out and about on most trails – and they’re not big and scary as the name might suggest. Most are small drops, with a bank that follows, making for a nice landing area. In time, as you hone your skill, you’ll be able to move on to bigger manmade options, which although intimidating, are fundamentally the same thing.…

AIRTIME TIPS 1.START SMALL It sounds obvious, but don’t start eyeing up massive senders before getting comfortable on smaller jumps. If you bite off more than you can chew, it’s likely to result in a big crash that’ll not only potentially injure you but seriously dent your confidence. 2.BIKE SET-UP Pump up the tyres so they roll faster. Firm up the suspension by adding some air and/or low-speed compression damping (or a couple of turns of preload, on a coil fork/shock) to help you pump the take-off. On steep take-offs, slow the rebound down so you don’t get bucked. 3.HEAD GAME The mental aspect of going big has to be nurtured too. Make a point of trying something that scares you a bit on every ride and hit lots of…

THE SCANDI FLICK 1 INITIATE THE FLICK As you approach the corner, aim for the inside quite early. Then grab a bit of rear brake and steer up towards the outside of the turn. This will cause the back end of the bike to fall lower than the front. 2 MID-TURN From now on don’t brake. The Scandi flick will have slowed you down for the corner and set you up perfectly to carry good speed through it. 3 AIM FOR THE EXIT Look for your exit point, lean in and rail the corner. The faster you go, the easier it’ll be. You can rely on centrifugal force to pull you straight. 4 FEEL GOOD! It feels awesome when you get it right. People tend to think a Scandi flick…

These days we’ve all become more aware of our health and fitness (or lack of it) and are constantly being encouraged to get out and exercise more and watch what we eat. A lot of the advice can seem overwhelming at times or overly regimental. Which, frankly, we think can be a bit boring. So we’re here to tell you the good news – mountain biking is the fun way to help keep yourself in shape. Yep, it’s not just there for the thrills and spills of the trails, or a great way of getting you to work and back, your mountain bike is keeping you fit while you’re having fun! As you make your way through this section we strip away the dull routines and tell you the quick…

When it comes to full-body workouts and burning calories, most fitness fanatics will head for the rowing machine or, if they’re really serious, mention the phrase ‘cross fit’ – the sport of doing fitness. But we’re not really into that here. The good news is that you’ve already made the right choice of kit with your trusty mountain bike. Let’s not forget you’re in possession of a self-powered tool that’s capable of strengthening muscles, shedding fat, improving balance, crushing calories and, most importantly, creating clown-sized grins in the process! Your mountain bike has more programmes and fitness profiles than any memory card could ever store, and you have the added bonus that you can use it pretty much anywhere you choose. There are plenty of studies out there that prove…

FRAME SIZE Getting the correct frame size is crucial, and the considerations are the same regardless of gender, of course. Key figures to look at include the reach (the longer your torso, the longer you’ll want this), seat tube length (the shorter your legs, the shorter you’ll want this) and standover height (make sure you have ample clearance).…

HELPFUL HINTS…

TURNING TIPS More pointers for flawless flat corner technique BRAKE FIRST Get any braking done before the turn. Braking negatively affects a bike’s handling and grip, by making it stand more upright and potentially skid out. With flat corners, it’s better to go slow in and fast out, and build up slowly until you’re hitting them quicker and quicker. PICK YOUR LINE Spot a smooth line to follow – bumps will make it harder for your tyres to maintain contact with the ground – and try to set up wide to help straighten out the corner. TRUST YOUR TYRES Leaning the bike over on its side means you’ll be engaging the side knobs on your tyres. Trust them – they’re surprisingly grippy. STAY SMOOTH Avoid quick movements up/down or left/right,…

BIKE SET-UP Some small tweaks to your set-up can really help when it comes to tackling uphill hairpins. SADDLE ANGLE Having your saddle level will stop you sliding off the rear when riding uphill. It’ll also allow you to shift your weight forward more easily when you need to and help keep you balanced in the centre of the bike. SADDLE HEIGHT When you’re learning to ride switchbacks, dropping your saddle a centimetre or two (if you have a dropper post) just as you reach the turn will allow you to move around the bike a fraction more, helping you to keep your balance. When you’ve mastered the skill, try to ride at your normal seat height to maximise your power and efficiency. SHOCK SET-UP If your rear shock has…

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. PROGRESSION If you feel like your body weight is being thrown forwards while tackling a slab, you’re doing…

TIPS FOR SUCCESS STEPPING UP YOUR GAME Don’t expect to jump like Evel Knievel right away – you’ll want to up your game in steps. Pick a single jump that you’re used to hitting and place a rock or small branch on the ground after it. Practise jumping over it and clearing it, slowly extending the distance you need to clear. Before long you’ll be jumping further than you imagined. TRANSFERRING THE SKILLS You’ll want to take this newfound skill to the trails to help you ride faster, smoother lines. Normally, there’ll be sections of trail that you can double, clearing a hole, some roots, rocks or other gnarliness. Once you’ve mastered and identified where and what the best things are to gap, you’ll notice you’ll be riding much smoother…

ANGLE OF ATTACK…

WANDERING FRONT WHEEL The most common mistake riders make when taking on a steep turn is leaning back. Fall into this trap and you’re going to end up with straight arms – meaning you’ll be much less able to turn – and your front wheel will rapidly lose its line. It might go against every impulse of your body, but you need to get yourself low and commit yourself instead of shying away from the fall line.…

The key difference between basic jumping and squashing a jump is how much air you get after take-off. With basic jumping you come up high over the jump, whereas with squashing you stay closer to the top of the jump. Watch a 4X or downhill racer hitting a jump at speed, and you’ll see that they stop the bike getting too much air by using their body to absorb the upward motion. This saves time and helps to maintain speed. The main difference in the two techniques is in the take-off. On a jump where you want to get air, you compress into the take-off, and stand tall as you come off the lip. To squash a jump and avoid getting too much air, you need to do the opposite.…

WHERE TO APPLY Now you have it dialled, you can apply this trick to all of your riding. The basic motion always stays the same, you just go faster and hop higher or lower depending on the obstacle, which is something you’ll naturally learn to judge. This trick is the base for endless lines and possibilities, which can easily take your riding to the next level! 1. UP A WALL/LEDGE Being able to hop up a wall/ledge while riding street can be so handy – it can unlock new lines and possibilities that you wouldn’t have been able to access before. The more lines and features you can hit, the more fun you’ll have! 2. OUT OF A FLAT BANK Before learning to bunnyhop, a flat bank would’ve been an…

TIPS The obstacle needs to be at least 60cm high for this technique to work. Any lower and you’re best off bunnyhopping up it. Only do this hop-up with a bashguard or chain device on your bike to stop your chain or chainring getting smashed. Put your seat down to the lowest position to give you the most space to move the bike around. For the tap, put a little more air in your front tyre so that you’re less likely to pinch flat.…

Loving being out on the bike this summer but still not quite happy with your overall shape and fitness? Well, never fear because we’re going to show you how to get rid of those flabby, out of shape, older spec parts you’ve been cursing during every ride and welcome in your 100 per cent guaranteed* sleeker, fitter, more attractive self. Fitness magazines are full of bold claims of how to get a new and improved you, so we’ve taken their lead to show you why mountain biking is the perfect way to help you get into shape without really thinking about it. Sounds good, huh? Yep, while everyone else is slaving away indoors, doing monotonous gym workouts and trying to dodge punishing circuits with a personal trainer, we’ll show you…

OVERCOMING PERSONAL CHALLENGES IN MOUNTAIN BIKING – LIKE DOING THAT DROP YOU’VE BEEN AVOIDING – WILL BUILD YOUR CONFIDENCE, WHICH IS TRANSFERABLE TO OTHER AREAS OF LIFE AND WORK We tend to think about mountain biking as mainly a physical pursuit. You work your body hard to get up, down or around your favourite route. But riding bikes truly is a trump card when it comes to the mental benefits. When you head out on your bike you’re producing feelgood endorphins and adrenaline by the bucketload, which help trigger a positive response in the body. More than that though, mountain biking offers an excuse to escape the stresses of modern life and really lose yourself in something different, stimulating and totally absorbing. Your ever-growing to-do list and the rest of…

THE FOOD GROUPS What do they do and which do I need? CARBOHYDRATES The body’s main fuel source for moderate to hard efforts, they’re often given a bad rap by fad diet ‘experts’ but it’s only processed, sugary carbohydrates that spike blood sugar. The likes of wholemeal pasta and rice will fuel you well for a long day of riding. Why do you need it? Carbohydrates are stored in the form of glycogen in the muscles and liver. You need an adequate supply for exercise and to replenish your muscles afterwards. Insulin released as a product of processing carbohydrates helps prevent muscle breakdown after a hard ride and replenishes glycogen. Get it here On ride Jam sandwich, banana, flapjack, jelly beans After ride White rice, white pasta, potato, cornflakes At…