ESSENTIAL SKILLS
1 EYES UP
Probably the most crucial technique when riding is to keep your head up and eyes looking down the trail, not in front of your wheel. This gives you time to read the terrain and be prepared for any upcoming obstacles. Generally, where your eyes look, your bike will follow.
2 WINGS OUT
Having your elbows out to the side puts you in a strong position on the bike, ready to move it around the trail and control it through any bumps, jumps and berms you decide to take on.
3 PEDALS LEVEL
Try to stand up on the pedals and keep the crank arms in a horizontal position as much as possible. This will give you a stable platform to work from and room to move around the bike for balance. You’ll also be less likely to clip your pedals on rocks or other features.
4 HEELS DOWN
Dropping your heels and slightly bending your legs helps keep weight on your feet. This is important for grip and braking, and also means you’re using the strongest muscles to support your weight
5 ON LINE
Even when there aren’t savage rock gardens or awkward roots to negotiate, choosing the right line can bring a big advantage. Most people tend to ride in the centre of the track, which can become rough from excessive braking. If there’s space enough, you can ride on the edge of the trail to avoid the worst of these ‘braking bumps’. In corners, try to make a smooth, flowing arc. It’s usually best to ride a wide entry line, to make the turn less tight. Try to avoid hard braking and sharp direction changes, as these will kill your flow.
Cornering is one of the most important and rewarding aspects of mountain biking, whether you’re a speed-hungry racer, a thrill-seeking freerider or a beginner just starting out. There are many types of corners, including grassy offcamber turns, narrow rocky gullies, steep greasy ruts and root-infested gnar. But some of the most rewarding ones to nail perfectly are the ‘berms’ (banked turns) you’ll find at bike parks and trail centres, and, at the other end of the scale, the less supportive corners you’re likely to encounter on more natural trails. Here, pro MTBer Tom Isted shares his top tips for railing berms and flat turns.
BERMS
Set yourself up wide before the berm, giving a good angle of attack. Make sure your weight is central on the bike. Too far over the back, and your front wheel will become light and climb up the banking – you don’t want to run wide and go over the top. If your weight is too far forward, your bike will oversteer (although this is great for pulling cutties!).
As you enter the berm, try to keep your bike on a constant radius – ie. don’t let it wander up or down the face. This will help you maintain control and prevent you from losing speed. Make sure to look ahead, and not at your front wheel. This will help your body position – because the bike will tend to go where you’re looking – and will also ensure you know what’s coming up further down the trail.
Berms on jump lines can be used to generate speed, by pumping. Halfway round the turn, the bike will begin to travel down the face. Extend your arms and then legs to push it into the ground and fire it out of the exit.
FLAT TURNS
Riding a flat turn starts with your body position. Begin by setting up wide for the turn. Next, load up your outside pedal and your inside handlebar grip (by transferring bodyweight on to them). This will encourage your bike to turn into the corner. Now, drop your outside pedal down, to avoid hitting anything on the inside of the turn (because your inside pedal will be closer to the ground as you lean the bike over) and to weight the shoulder tread of your tyres, keeping them gripping. Once you’ve entered the turn, make sure to look ahead, as before.
If you’re looking to push the limits of your cornering, running flat (rather than clipless) pedals will make it easier to take a foot off if things go wrong.