Technique...help!

crom7

Hi,
Just getting back into mountain biking after a few years riding mainly on the road. Did some trails a couple of days ago and fell off several times. Should i consider lowering the seat post to lower my centre of gravity on tricky or fast downhill sections.
also, how should i position myself for small jumps over roots, streams etc that cross the path?

Thanks

Briggo

I'd recommend a MTB skills course.

Anonymous

crom7 wrote:

Hi,
Just getting back into mountain biking after a few years riding mainly on the road. Did some trails a couple of days ago and fell off several times. Should i consider lowering the seat post to lower my centre of gravity on tricky or fast downhill sections.
also, how should i position myself for small jumps over roots, streams etc that cross the path?

Thanks

saddle height on a mountain bike is always a compromise between efficiency, and control. Having it set at "the proper" height, with you leg straight when on the bottom pedal blah blah blah, means you'll be able to pedal well, but leaves you very little room to manouver over rough terrain, and leaves you open to being pushe over the bars by the saddle if the rear end of the bike hits a large enough bump.
Lowering the saddle allows you more room to manouver, but compromises pedalling efficiency. However, sitting down too low and pedalling all the time can cause knee problems in the long term.

So, what most mountain bikers do is raise the saddle for the climbs, and lower it for fast singletrack, or descents.

Generally, you need to be relaxed on the bike, knees and arms slightly bent, and standing up on the pedals to cover rough ground. Use your arms and legs to let the bike move underneath you as it goes over rocks and roots and so on. Keep your body fairly centered between front and back, and if you're going down something really steep, put your weight further back to prevent you oging over the bars.

Oh, and one last thing, your front brake does almost all of your slowing down. When you're braking hard with it, shift your weight back and down. The back brake won't do anything except lock up in almost all situations.

aaronmroach

You tube Dirty Little Secrets for a full on video tutorial of everything!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46NWSXnMrBU

Theres about 15 episodes or you can buy them on podcast for a squid

x-isle

Hi crom7, welcome back to the world of MTB.

The easiest way to lower your centre of gravity is to stand on the pedals and get into the "Attack" position. This ensures that your body weight is being applied to the bike at the lowest point possible, the bottom bracket.

My personal recommendation for seat height (as you do sometimes sit) is to put your saddle at the optimum height, which is leg almost straight when sat on the saddle, pedal at bottom of stroke and your heel on the pedal. This ensures that your thighs are going through their optimal efficiency, however, for trail riding, I'd then drop it an inch so that it doesn't get in the way - or of course, you could go for an adjustable seat post.

Hope this helps.

crom7

Thanks folks, some really good advice there. I'll give it a try tomorrow to see how things go.

Jack 123

You may also consider a adjustable seat post something like this. These are great because when you got to a rocky or down hill section you just let it down a little. Just a idea. Welcome back!!


http://www.outsideoutfitters.com/p-9280 ... googlebase

x-isle

+1 for that. I use a Gravity Dropper. For me it's quite critical, I like a larger frame and haven't the longest legs in the world........

bluechair84

Though only slightly relevant, I post on a blog with a beginners page giving riders advice. It links to some great advice else where on the web as well. Have a browse in my link, there's some things on body position and saddle height with pics if you're interested.

Mr OCD

yeehaamcgee wrote:

crom7 wrote:

Hi,
Just getting back into mountain biking after a few years riding mainly on the road. Did some trails a couple of days ago and fell off several times. Should i consider lowering the seat post to lower my centre of gravity on tricky or fast downhill sections.
also, how should i position myself for small jumps over roots, streams etc that cross the path?

Thanks

saddle height on a mountain bike is always a compromise between efficiency, and control. Having it set at "the proper" height, with you leg straight when on the bottom pedal blah blah blah, means you'll be able to pedal well, but leaves you very little room to manouver over rough terrain, and leaves you open to being pushe over the bars by the saddle if the rear end of the bike hits a large enough bump.
Lowering the saddle allows you more room to manouver, but compromises pedalling efficiency. However, sitting down too low and pedalling all the time can cause knee problems in the long term.

So, what most mountain bikers do is raise the saddle for the climbs, and lower it for fast singletrack, or descents.

Generally, you need to be relaxed on the bike, knees and arms slightly bent, and standing up on the pedals to cover rough ground. Use your arms and legs to let the bike move underneath you as it goes over rocks and roots and so on. Keep your body fairly centered between front and back, and if you're going down something really steep, put your weight further back to prevent you oging over the bars.

Oh, and one last thing, your front brake does almost all of your slowing down. When you're braking hard with it, shift your weight back and down. The back brake won't do anything except lock up in almost all situations.

Really useful that thanks ... 8)

I use the rear brake way too much!

Anonymous

Learn to love the front brake
Or one day you'll need to stop in a real hurry, and you won't be able to.
Once you get used to it, you can literally feel when the front wheel is at the limit of traction, and shifting your weight properly will completely prevent you going over the bars.
If you've got it bang on, you should even be able to lock the front wheel solid and just slide, rather than go over the bars.

Mr OCD

yeehaamcgee wrote:

Learn to love the front brake
Or one day you'll need to stop in a real hurry, and you won't be able to.
Once you get used to it, you can literally feel when the front wheel is at the limit of traction, and shifting your weight properly will completely prevent you going over the bars.
If you've got it bang on, you should even be able to lock the front wheel solid and just slide, rather than go over the bars.

I'm a motorcyclist so use the front brake for 95% of braking and 100% on track work but locking up the front on an MTB will take some getting used too as do that on a motorbike and its going to hurt

Anonymous

I know what I mean, but my point is that it won't make you flip over the bars if you shift your weight properly.
What seems to happen on pushbikes is that people don't brace themselves, then their weight is thrown forwards suddenly as their arms bend, making the bike do a stoppie, then flips.

midemeyer

In the first or 2nd issue of IMB (http://www.imbikemag.com/back_issues.php),
there's a great article about position technique.

Really worth checking out! And its free to read

I think the first issue is about riding position, like good seatpost height etc, and the second one about positions (like the 'attack' position)

It helped me out for sure, i hope it does for you

kinelljohn

crom7 wrote:

Hi,
... did some trails a couple of days ago and fell off several times...

:? About 6 times last Sunday. Welcome to the club.

I am also a motorbike rider for many years, and learning the MTB front brake is probably the most important thing - together with some quite active weight re-distribution which you don't really do much of with other bikes (discounting GP and Dirt etc). Even slowly turning around in the soft, with just a tad too much front bake and the front wheel tucks back under and off you get - if you stay sat on the seat.

The good news is you learn how to fall when you least expect it, it can only improve and it brings you here where you will get lots of advice

kinelljohn

This may be useful:

http://www.mtbtechniques.co.uk/

cycleactive

If you're looking for some pretty comprehensive articles on riding techniques then the archives of this website have a whole list, as we wrote a collection of features that were published in What Mountain Bike, and then published again by them late last year as a 30 page skills-pull-out.

Essentially the focus on getting weight back is only half the story - if you do that but that alone then you may just be putting yourself at the end of a long lever (your whole bike) when you are sent flying over the bars (higher and faster). The other half, and most important in many ways, is what you do with your feet.

First, i assume you know the basics of body position on an mtb - but mabe not if you're new to this. Stand up for descents, absorb rocks and roots through bent arms and legs, keep cranks level so hips are even and body is square to the trail if you're heading in a straight line.

Next, you need to flex at the ankles and dip your heels, pointing toes to the sky. This will ensure that whenever the bike slows down - either through braking or when it hits an obstacle - the force can be absorbed through the legs and bottom of the bike. If that doesn't happen all the force goes through the hands which makes the bike try to rotate, and throw you over the front.
If you want more tips, feel free to email me on chris@cycleactive.co.uk
We also run skills courses, not only for money but free ones too at all of the CRC Marathon events, which have a 25k route for beginners that you might also really enjoy.
Best of luck,
Chris@CycleActive