These are some brilliant tips on downhill Mountain Biking from ZEP MOUNTAIN BIKE CAMPS.
- So first off, your riding Position.
- You should be standing up on the bike with your peddles level. This enables a few things, you can use your arms and legs as extra suspension, comforting your ride and giving you more control.
You can move the bike underneath you, allowing for subtle corrections to be made easily. The other thing is that your peddles are level to maximize ground clearance and help keep your weight central.
- Have your weight in the right place, when you are sitting down all your weight is over your back wheel which isn’t always great for downhill riding, When you are standing up you should have your hips over your seat and your chin over your Stem(the bit that connects you handlebars to your bike), this gives you a good central balance point that you can move from.
- Cover your Brakes, this means having two or three fingers over the break levers to be ready to use them in an instant.
- Look up and ahead. You should always be looking way ahead of you, This gives you time pick a line though the terrain, also it allows you to react to any obstacles earlier. If you are constantly looking at your front tyre then by the time you see the tree you are about to hi, it is too late.
- You should be changing this stance as the terrain changes around you. The Video explains this best so be sure to watch it for more on this.
- The most common mistakes are to do with your stance so make sure you are doing everything in point 1 and you will be boomimg
