A WORKABLE POSITION

FOOTPRINT

Let’s get this one out of the way. Bending your elbows is not about getting your weight forward. It’s used in combination with standing taller and bending from the hips in order to create a wider footprint on the trail. Modern bikes are longer and slacker. If you’re riding something that’s been built in the last four or five years then you’re basically hanging on to one of the most stable platforms that’s ever been available. In order to make the most of all these advances in geometry though, you’ll have to make a shape that fits the bike.

In order to get the most out of a modern set-up you need to make a shape that spreads you out over the length of the bike. Focus on bending your elbows and keeping your head centred over your stem. As you turn left or right on a trail your upper body should follow your bars, forks and front wheel. By staying low at the front you’ll automatically be spread over a wider area, meaning that as you drive your bodyweight back into the trail with your legs, you are making a larger footprint on the trail.

Look at the amount of ground Fi is able to cover with her body position. This will give her a stable platform that is bang in the centre of her bike and feel to her like she has loads of time and stability no matter what she’s riding