Going down steep sections safely

You could lower your saddle, dropper posts are for that very reason, so you can pedal more efficiently on flatter ground with a high saddle and it doesn't get in the way when you need to hang off the back as you can drop it down.

But the purpose of lowering the saddle is as above, its not so you can remain seated going down hill, where you want your body weight more over the back wheel, so your legs are stabilising the bike through the pedals and you shift your body weight around accordingly, so that needs leg strength and core stregnth.

If you remain seated, you become more unstable as your hips and body are basically stuck in one position and you cant move the bulk of your body around, so youve basically got 3 options

1.Keep your saddle at a higher height for better pedaling efficiency, knowing you have to be very carefull going downhill

2.Drop it down so you can go down hill, and put up with a low efficiency pedalling position in flatter terrain

3.Get a dropper post

For 2.or 3.it sounds like you need to build some leg/core strength also.

Don't think about getting your hips back necessarily, just try to keep you hips directly above the cranks. Where this position is depends on the gradient of the terrain, but with some practice you will not have to even think about it.

It sounds like you are actually moving your weight back to far, you only need to be hanging right off the back when its very steep, your weight (C of G as RMSC) points out should still be above the pedals, so if you found yourself hanging onto the bars to stop yourself falling back, you had gone to far back already. Its just like standing up when walking down a steep hill, your C of G is still over your feet (or you would fall over).

Having been a roadie most of my life, but had a 90's rigid MTB that I still use, going down steep hills is scary.

The new 650B has just had a dropper post fitted.

Agreed, if you must brake drag the back brake lightly but at least if it locks you can stay rubbery side down.

That's assuming you're riding trail centres. Natural stuff is often less forgiving.

Seriously?

Most of what I thought were natural trails I ride I thought were created by sheep, I suppose as you say it could by the trail fairies who make it for us and the sheep just borrow them.

Some of the downhill sections I ride in India look like water washaways from Monsoon, they can be quite steep in places and fairly rocky (slippery vulcanic rock as this is the Deccan Plateau) and with a lot of loose gravel between - dragging the back brake works well, I wouldn't go down without braking on the 100mm travel XC HT's I can hire (having 'euro' brake orientation can make that inadvertently exiting as well), the trail fairies need to visit more often as it's not really rideable without braking, perhaps RMSC has a contact number for them?

Still doesn't mean the sheep or fairies planned a nice safe bermy exit though. I ride down a few that go straight from steep scary into a strategically placed tree, stream, fence etc. Going down flat out would result in certain death, or at the very least, embarrasing YT footage and pain.

RockmonkeySC wrote:

Some bits are sheep tracks but they get modified, the line changes as it gets ridden and it all gets linked up by trail fairies.

Not some of the parts I ride don't, you should try some variation.....