“HIGH POSITION TO ABSORB”

We typically see riders with a high neutral riding position doing a pretty good job of absorbing features. With all that height they can suck up the trail and take the sting out of a lot of obstacles. This is a self-defence mechanism because all of the threat is coming from ahead or underneath them. A better way of looking at the trail is to try and spot the places where you can generate control by staying low and driving your body weight back into smoother areas.

INCORRECT While there isn’t really anything wrong with this position at all, as the trail drops away Andy will have no room available to generate a push. This means that he will pass over a perfectly good area to create stability and remain passive. Fine if there’s nothing to stress about, but this will become more of an issue as the trails get harder.

✓CORRECT Having a lower body position will mean as the trail drops away you can push back against it by straightening your legs. This will help create heavier parts on the trail where you can really trust the grip. It will also generate more momentum and mean you don’t have to pedal as much.