Earlier on in the year i read an excellent piece in dirt regarding flow, “optimum” speeds on a trail, using the terrain to extract all the speed you can.

Dirt then published a couple of videos building up on this.

http://mpora.com/videos/AAdgc49vfdla

http://mpora.com/videos/AAdg2fpwveo8

There’s a theme running through it that has really clicked in my riding recently, pumping, extracting all you can from the trail, correct interpretation of the trail to extract maximum speed for minimum effort really is the best way of riding fast (plus way more fun than mashing the pedals).

Also mentioned in the vids and article is that it is a common misconception that pedalling at every possible moment is fastest, it simply isn’t.

Basically im riding loads faster, smoother and having more fun since i stopped getting distracted from my BMX roots of pumping everywhere i can rather than pedalling.

Also the 29er v 26er fabien suggests that 29ers do definitely keep more speed, however, 26ers allow more generations of speed. I’ve experienced this riding pump tracks/DJs/skateparks on a 20 and 26, the 26s do definitely keep more speed, whilst the 20 definitely generates more speed.

Haven’t read the links but I can say that after the freehub on my 29er seized earlier today I took the chain off and did a couple of descents. It was so much fun, reading the trail, pumping for speed, picking lines, staying off the brakes. Caught much more air than usual just looking for features to pop off. Will be trying to ride more like this in the future for sure

I know that you can build up crazy speed by pumping at the new Afan bike park, popping out of berms and rollers, definitely quicker than pedalling through there.

Riding the SS exclusively now so looking for flow and speed and keeping off the brakes has now become more important. I’m still slow and technically crap, but taking away gears has helped my riding.

Riding the SS exclusively now so looking for flow and speed and keeping off the brakes has now become more important. I’m still slow and technically crap, but taking away gears has helped my riding.

Rigid forks?

If I’m stuck behind a slower rider then I’ll usually try not to pedal, and just use the trail to get a bit of extra speed. Kinda like the old chainless DH races that you hear about from time to time. It’s a great feeling to double up some roots/rocks/lumps and get a bit of extra speed without pedalling.

I’m not quite sure that’s exactly what Mr Jones was on about, though.

Sometimes I’ll be blasting down a downhill section and all of a sudden I realise I’m a) going really fast and b) totally relaxed. My grip on the bars has eased, but I’m in total control. Everything feels smooth, the bike feels just right and all I can focus on is my tyres skimming over the tops of rocks. I’m not quite sure how to attain this state of Zen DH, it just happens to me from time to time. I imagine as a racer, it would be very useful to be able to tap into this.

Flow was the biggest advancement in my mountain biking life. It took 4 hrs to be shown that I was riding like a bloke too much and trying to ride as fast as I could was actually slower. Cue some changes in behaviour and a bit of looking round. There is nothing more satisfying following somebody who is pedaling hard while your hub just clicks along. Some days I just try for the no pedal challenge on my local trails. We need a new strava measure for the number of crank turns per segment 🙂

Add in racing some Pearce DH rounds on my HT a few years back and it was an eye opener. Finished the last section of Penmachno in my fastest ever time, simply hopped over/through anything that was going to slow me down, no pedals no brakes.

<awaits ‘you are surfmat and I claim my £5’ comments.

eyerideit – Member

Rigid forks?

Sanderson Soloist with 120 Revs.

Sanderson Soloist with 120 Revs.

Nice, I gots a solotist as well but with RC31s makes it a little harder work but it’s really fun.

Was thinking about suss for the summer, what’s it like with 120s, not too high at the front?

Post up a pic, far too many Cotics on hear and not many Sandersons, we’ve got to correct this imbalance.

Also the 29er v 26er fabien suggests that 29ers do definitely keep more speed, however, 26ers allow more generations of speed. I’ve experienced this riding pump tracks/DJs/skateparks on a 20 and 26, the 26s do definitely keep more speed, whilst the 20 definitely generates more speed.

Makes sense when I think about how much pump I could generate on my 20 compared to 26.

Not sure it is just to do with wheel size, but also stiffness/lack of suspension and arm and leg range.

you can “flow” and generate “pump” on any wheel size, on any trail where favorable terrain presents itself. This generally means bumps, hollows, berms and elevation drop

I’ve spent years riding 20″ (bmx), 24″, 26″ and now 29″

I can pump my 29″ on the singletrack where the terrain presents itself, and accelerate without pedalling, using body strength to force the wheels to track the bumps

its all about the technique, it will come with practise 🙂

In addition to many years riding BMX which is all about flowing

I spent 2 years building and riding the old Pump Track at Esher, which definitely helped my understand and technique of “flow” on the bigger wheels

in this image, I am manualling my bike, whilst pumping the bike through the pump bumps