Mountain Bike Technique

Mountain Bike Technique - The Trade off
Mountain Bike Technique - The Trade off
The Trade off

Having just witnessed many disciplines at the 2023 World Cycling Championships I thought it fitting to delve into that classic British idiomatic phrase that is thrown around at such times and hopefully inspire some of you to take a moment to review your approach to your riding regime, the equipment you use and the cycling endeavours you choose. I hope...

Mountain Bike Technique - Crags and Slabs
Mountain Bike Technique - Crags and Slabs
Crags and Slabs

Bedrock, boulders, and slick slabs of stone are some of the key elements that make up the quintessential mountain bike experience. For those of you who are lucky enough to live in such areas, these staple trail elements are less demanding. But as many riders live miles away from the mountains, some of you may find yourself getting in above...

Mountain Bike Technique - Riding Ruts
Mountain Bike Technique - Riding Ruts
Riding Ruts

Love or hate them, ruts and deep-scoured sections of the trail are something that we are likely to encounter at some point in our mountain bike experience. If you ride fall-line wild trails on soft ground or lap race courses in the wet then that narrow groove cut in the dirt will be a familiar nemesis that can end a...

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Mountain Bike Technique - Equipment
Technique
Mountain Bike Technique - Skills
Technique
Mountain Bike Technique - Terrain
Technique

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Mountain Bike Technique - Winter Skills - Part 2
Mountain Bike Technique - Winter Skills - Part 2
Winter Skills - Part 2

Stop the press, break out the balloons and grab a slice of cake as we celebrate one year with IMB. What a year we’ve had, and what a year ahead. Creating features is a fascinating process when the guys at IMB approached me my brain went into overdrive with ideas for the technique section. I’ve been humbled over the years...

Mountain Bike Technique - Roll on Summer
Mountain Bike Technique - Roll on Summer
Roll on Summer

With the clocks having sprung forward and the mercury rising (albeit not steadily), longer drier days herald the start of another summer season on the trails. After two seasons of decline in both weather and trail conditions you may find that your own riding is also a bit weather beaten and in need of a little TLC. Firmer trails will...

Mountain Bike Technique - Looks Like a Session
Mountain Bike Technique - Looks Like a Session
Looks Like a Session

Practice makes permanent Skills on demand and the ability to make the bike dance down the trail are not so much about perfecting things, it's more a matter of embedding subconscious memory (connections in the brain) and muscle memory within ourselves, making a permanent connection so that we can make the correct shapes at the correct times. With the core...

Mountain Bike Technique - The Workman's Tools
Mountain Bike Technique - The Workman's Tools
The Workman's Tools

All too often what you are riding is seen as the biggest limiting factor to the trails you can tame and the speed you can carry. Magazines and videos are filled with highly skilled riders on super pimped steeds riding super technical terrain, descending at speeds only previously considered achievable with the aid of a zip wire. Technology clearly plays...

Mountain Bike Technique - Strava Be In The Pub
Mountain Bike Technique - Strava Be In The Pub
Strava Be In The Pub

When the cycling press describes something as the 'technical innovation of the year,' you might expect them to be referring to electronic shifting, belt drive, 11 speed, clutch derailleur or perhaps another life-changing adaptation to wheel size. In this case however, the focus of such high praise was something as simple as an App. Strava itself is not vastly different...

Mountain Bike Technique - Winter Skills - Part 1
Mountain Bike Technique - Winter Skills - Part 1
Winter Skills - Part 1

Fancy a line? The works Christmas do is on the horizon (or a distant fuzzy memory for some) and the New Year beckons. The winter solstice sees us heading back to the light in this part of the world but winters firm grip means we will have to endure mud, slop, snow, ice and varying combinations of all the above....