Many Fatboys are accomplished and experienced road cyclists who safely navigate the roads of Adelaide on a weekly basis. How do we take that experience and apply it to the different terrain and conditions out on the trails of the Adelaide Hills?
Previous articles below have covered what bike to ride and trail etiquette. This article uses the 80/20 principle to explain how we can learn some new ways of riding and the thinking behind those skills. We can get to 80% of safe riding with 20% of the skills (at a guess) as the last 20% is going to involve advanced skills which most of us don’t need (such as jumps) on the cruising mtb rides which the Fatboys do. There are great one day courses available if you want to take this further than 101.
Riding positions – Cruising, ready, descending and climbing.
Cruising – generally this is much like being on the road bike with the dropper seat raised, hands on the grips and a relaxed upper body. Occasionally unseen rocks and roots may be on the track when we least expect it – at the end of a descent or a climb- we need to maintain a good grip on the handlebars and keep 1 or 2 fingers over the brakes in case of the unexpected risk sending your front wheel at an angle.
Ready – this is the ready for anything position, advisable as soon as the track starts getting a bit gnarly, bumpy or loose. The basic position involves dropping the seat post, raising your bum a bit off the seat, bending forward at the waist and holding the bars firmly with your shoulders and elbows bent and loose. Your weight is taken by your legs bent at the knees and distributed evenly between the pedals which are at the 3 and 9 o’clock position. How to: assume the ‘ready’ position when mountain biking
In this position your legs act as rear suspension, your arms are ready to let the bike rise and fall from your body as you go over bumps and drops. Your body stays roughly in the same plane as your bike pivots to accommodate the changing terrain. The degree to which you lean forward and the bend in your elbows and knees will vary with the anticipated difficulty (bumps and drops) in the trail.
Descending
Lower your seat post and adjust your ready position according to the slope. The steeper it gets the lower and further back your position becomes to maintain optimal positioning. This is especially relevant for the larger Fatboys to bring down your centre of gravity. There is frequent advice to put your weight back – this may be wise but you can also consider where your centre of gravity is in relation to the cranks -which act as the pivot point for your bike. Keeping your weight vertically over the cranks as the bike pivots downwards by straightening your arms may help in how you see this positioning.
How to: descend when mountain biking
Ascending
Lift your dropper seat post to its upper limits and sit forward on the bike. Aiming to find the best position gives good traction and avoids wheel spin – whilst keeping some weight over the front wheel to prevent lifting. If the trail is undulating, find a middle zone for the dropper or readjust with each undulation.
Next article is MTB 101 – Braking for beginners.
FATBOYSCC 