How to ride Rut on a down hill?

Brad123

Hi all have beam MTB for about a year and loving it. The rut that are about twice the size of my bikes tyre and the same depth that catch me out.
How do you ride them on a down hill?
Is their a knack how to keep the speed up with out coming off?
The bike goes one way and I go the other way. :shock:

welshkev

the best advice i can give is stay in the middle of the rut and hold on....i hate riding rutty singletrack myself.

i had a bad experience when i had just bought a new bike and i failed to tighten the headset up properly...i turned the bars and that's all that turned face first into a ditch wasn't fun

Brad123

Just had a look in the search. Should had done that first.
Looks like if it my day to come off, hope I not going to fast.

Thanks welshkev will try stay in the middle. Got a big fright on Sunday some how ended up running next to the bike. Don't know it happen, was to fast.

lochussie

Ruts are fine if they go where you want to and don't end up 30cm deep. Look ahead and get out before this. Just lift out the front wheel and the rear should follow (possibly with some exciting sideways action). On steep corners, pick a good line with the front and let the rear look after itself. Also you can use come ruts as a mini berm.

peter413

Ruts are all about commitment, if you don't fully commit you can expect to pop out of it and have a scary moment or crash.

There isn't really a quick fix to riding ruts I've found, it's just one of these things that you just have to go and ride more of. Just slow it down to start with and concentrate on trying to ride the rut properly and then start building up the speed. Try and find a trail with some nice ruts in it and just ride it over and over. I know one at Innerleithen that I will go and ride if I want to practice them, it helps that it's a good fun trail as well and you really do have to commit to it, once you start some points you aren't stopping unless you hit a tree or something.

Northwind

The question is, is the rut going in the direction you're going, or not?

rockmonkeysc

Don't look right in front of your wheels, you will be smoother if you are looking further ahead. Keep the speed up.