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 - Skills
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Mountain Bike Technique - Getting Fully Sussed
Mountain Bike Technique - Getting Fully Sussed
Getting Fully Sussed

Each issue we refer to it. It’s one of the single most expensive elements to our bikes. It is fundamental to the way your bike works & feels. It can be pivotal (quite literally) to our performance and a major factor in our overall riding experience. For the vast majority of us, it is probably the least understood element of...

Mountain Bike Technique - Dare - Double Dare - The Psychological Challenge
Mountain Bike Technique - Dare - Double Dare - The Psychological Challenge
Dare - Double Dare - The Psychological Challenge

In part 2 of our session instalment, we take a glimpse into rider psychology and our mental approach to practising sections of trail. Working on our mental game is a fast track way to improve what happens on the bike. Neglect the mental training, and all that hard work on the bike is as good as worthless. I have mentioned...

Mountain Bike Technique - The Golden Thread
Mountain Bike Technique - The Golden Thread
The Golden Thread

Much has been written about ‘line choice’ as an important aspect of taming the trail that lies ahead. This issue we put our usual spin on the subject with the ultimate goal of making you a better, faster rider. Line choice is indeed an important skill to develop, but from experience we know that when you are out on the...

Mountain Bike Technique - Night Riding
Mountain Bike Technique - Night Riding
Night Riding

With the days in the Northern hemisphere shortening faster than the odds of a turkey seeing in the New Year, this issues technique feature looks at Night riding. Some of the article will look at which skills are required to get more out of riding at night, but equally, if not more important, is taking a look at how riding...

Mountain Bike Technique - Contact Points
Mountain Bike Technique - Contact Points
Contact Points

In this edition, we are getting all touchy-feely (in an appropriate manner) as we look at contact patches. No matter what we do on the bike from simply rolling along the road to ram-raiding a boulder field we have just a small amount of surface area in contact with the bike and the terrain. We are of course talking about...

Mountain Bike Technique - Carving Corners
Mountain Bike Technique - Carving Corners
Carving Corners

Having looked at the fundamentals of cornering in an earlier issue it is time to add some meat to the bones and offer up some additional advice that will take you from 'getting by' to cooking on gas. There are 5 key ingredients in our recipe for success. Those ingredients don't change from corner to corner although the ratio in...