read something interesting, the credit goes to someone else for taking the pain to write, i'm doing a copy paste job for the same. do read it, surely it will make our rides simpler and pleasurable.
1 LOOKING AHEAD: Learning to look ahead is the most important trail riding skill you can develop. It is a skill you should continually hone, and by that we mean working on it 24-7. When driving on a freeway (either as the driver or passenger), practice looking far enough ahead so you see brake lights go on way in advance and anticipate slowing down without having to slam the brakes. It’s the same thing on the trail. Look ahead for trouble and the best line before you arrive there.
Instead of sighting down the front wheel at the ground right in front of it, look 30 or more feet ahead. Keep surveying up ahead and pick the fastest line while avoiding bad ruts and mud holes. Watch other riders ahead of you and read the severity of the terrain by noting how they react.
2 CLIPPING IN
Clipping into a pedal needs to become second nature, and you need to be able to clip in without looking down. Beginners should read “Clip In With Confidence” (MBA, October 2007), and more experienced riders can work on “feeling” their way to the pedal rather than looking for it.
3 RIDING 80
Use an 80-revolutions-per-minute pedal cadence. Wear a watch, ride easy terrain, and count how many times the right knee comes up. The knee should come up at least 20 times over a 15-second period. Multiplying 4 by 20 equals 80, which is the most efficient cadence you can use to turn the cranks over. Keep track of it and you will eventually memorize the feel. Now ride with a 60 cadence (knee comes up once a second) and a 100 rpm pedaling cadence (knee comes up 25 times in 15 seconds). Once you memorize the feel for the varying cadences, use the gears to keep the legs moving at 80 rpm. That pace is the perfect compromise between muscle force and aerobic power. If you do it right, it’s possible to pedal an 80 rpm cadence almost indefinitely.
4 USING THE FRONT BRAKE
Always use the front brake. When decreasing speed, body weight shifts forward, and this improves the grip of the front tire and “lightens” the rear tire. Because of this, most of the stopping power is in the front.
If using the front brake doesn’t feel comfortable, ride easy terrain at a slower speed and only use the front brake when slowing. You’ll find that the more upright the bike and the straighter the bar, the harder the front brake can be applied.
When beginning a turn, it is necessary to back off lever pressure. After enough experience, you will learn the feel for how hard to brake the front wheel and go right up to the point of it skidding out to the side. That is when you will have the ability to brake down
anything.
5 BREATHING
When you breathe, you have more power. Get into a rhythm to make breathing a seamless part of your cycling. Key breathing to the consistent rocking of the body, spinning feet, or the clinking of a necklace on your chest (a trick Ryder Hesjedal used while racing mountain bikes).
Focus on a stronger exhale, because it automatically forces a deeper inhale. The opposite of a good breathing rhythm is holding your breath when the going gets tough. Make a conscious effort to exhale when hitting a sudden climb, jump, or series of bad bumps.
6 STAYING LOOSE
When you stay loose, you keep your center of gravity lower and your weight better positioned to respond to the trail. Don’t tighten up. Allow the bike to move around and do its job. Staying loose uses less energy, and you will feel better after a long ride.
7 POWER SHIFTING
Ideally, you can use all cog combinations with the chain railed on the middle ring. Reserve the five smallest cogs for when your chain is in the largest chainring and use only the five largest cogs when you are in the granny gear.
When starting a climb, you should be using skill number one and looking ahead to see what you are getting into. Decide right then and there if it’s a granny climb. Switch early, before foot pressure becomes too great to make a clean granny shift.
8 BUNNY HOPPING
In two linked motions, compress into the bike by bending the knees and elbows and then rebound by pushing off the ground and lifting up on the bar. Your bike will spring off the ground! Using clipless pedals, it’s possible to use the feet to gain height and control flight. Practice until you can approach a curb at a moderate speed and easily hop over it.
When you can bunny hop, you become a better bike handler. It becomes easier to shift back on the bike and lift the front wheel without thought. You ride lighter on the pedals and float over holes and rocks. Your body will feel more like a spring and will help the suspension absorb hard impacts.
9 CLIMBING EFFICIENTLY
It’s best to stay seated on most climbs. When standing, it’s easier to lose traction and harder to steer and direct the bike. Use out-of-the-saddle spurts only to get back on top of a gear or to claw over sudden obstacles.
Steep climbs require that you shift your weight onto the saddle’s nose to keep the front down while still driving the rear tire into the ground. Fall into a breathing and pedaling rhythm. When shifting up while seated and building pedaling tempo, slide back on the saddle to maximize leg torque.
If you are confused about the correct saddle height, read the Garage Files (MBA, March 2008) explaining how to determine your saddle height.
10 KEEPING THE ELBOWS OUT
Try bench pressing while bringing your elbows close together. You’ll find out quickly in this position that you lose force and control. Same goes for holding the handlebar of your bike. Keep those elbows up! Not only does this position give superior strength and control, it also keeps your chest open and makes it easier to fill your lungs with air.
Wide elbows keep the body comfortably bent over for better aerodynamics. Plus, the head stays in line with the fork, weighting the front tire so it can be stuck harder into turns.
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