How to ride trails fast
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be as light and balanced as possible on the bike
How to ride trails fast is a question that crops up quite frequenly, so I'm going to try and give you my take on it and hopefuly make you a better, faster rider on the trails.


Pick your line

You should scan the trail a few seconds ahead of you, constantly surveying the terrain to make quick decisions. The faster you go, the further ahead you should look. At high speeds you need to be ready for sudden obstacles such as tree stumps, rocks, or the terrain may change and become rutty.

Assume the position

When you're descending, you want your feet to be level on either side of the bike. Shift your bum behind your seat and over your rear wheel. You want as much of your weight on your rear wheel as possible if the descent is steep. And you need to be as light and balanced as possible on the bike. Staying in the middle ring and going with the flow of the trail, plus weight shifts allows you to use every berm, descent and obstacle to generate more speed on the bike.

Get in gear

When you're climbing you need to get in the right gear before the foot of the climb. When the next climb arrives you should quickly shift into the middle or small ring. In most cases the small ring is the best choice because, if the terrain is loose stone and sand the bigger gears will cause your rear wheel to lose traction and you'll be pushing your bike up the hill.

Know your limits, and don't attempt something your not confident in doing.
12:05 | Posted in Category:

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