Has anyone got any tips for loosening up on the bike.

I notice that I start to grip my bars too tight and I suspect I’m locking my arms and legs when things get fast and rocky.

Senokot

I sing ”Stay Loose” by Belle and Sebastian to myself when I’m setting off down something interesting-looking. No really, it works. (Other songs are available.)

(Good grief, how can that album be 11 years old? Urgh. Depressing.)

Ketamine.

I prefer this one Mintimperial…
[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ijHAAGTXqA[/video]

look well ahead – not at the wheel

mintimperial – Member

I sing “Stay Loose” by Belle and Sebastian to myself when I’m setting off down something interesting-looking. No really, it works. (Other songs are available.)

I’ve done the same with Cool from West Side Story 😆 Boy, boy, crazy boy, stay loose boy, breeze it, buzz it, easy does it, turn off the juice boy.

I find really exaggerated movements help- big mad baggy knees and elbows. I don’t really know why, but I rationalise it that if I go far wider and looser than I need to, then if I tighten up I’ll still be quite open and loose.

Joking aside, weed.

look well ahead – not at the wheel

yeh gotta avoid tunnel visioning the corner and ploughing through the bush rather than around it

Heard poppers can do the trick

3 pints of Hoegarden…

Sessioning and focus on the exit – just like a good night out 🙂

A spanner.

Wider bars, drop your heels, drink heavily. close your eyes

Sounds trite, but the way to stay loose is to stay loose. Head up, heels down, don’t grip too tight, don’t lock your arms and legs.

If you’ve got into the (bad) habit of it, you have to keep reminding yourself to do it – eventually it will become a good habit!

Camelbak full of JD & coke should do it.

I usually try to open my thumbs, that seems to automatically loosen my grip overall which in turns transfers weight towards my feet which relaxes the upper body a bit. I find that soft thick grips makes this easier as I don’t have to grasp as tightly to maintain a good grip. I used to be a deathgripper with quite a bit of hand pain when things got rough but no more.

http://www.bikejames.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/FPR-Manifesto-July-2014.pdf

I really do sing that Jimmy Smith hammond organ classic in my head while riding sometimes.

Also try to just let the bike do the moving under me – and look ahead to process the next bit, not think about what I’m riding right now.

I found that putting my thumbs on top of the grip (alongside the fingers) taught me to drop my wrists and push through the bars rather than hang on to them.
On really rough stuff and climbs thumbs go back under as I find I need the extra grip.

Pads. Makes me worry less about falling off. And then I don’t fall off 🙂

Also worth reading the Brian Lopez book (not whilst you’re riding, that would be silly) 😯

Think about actively moving your mass for every obstacle and turn/berm/lump etc on the trail. Exaggerate it at first, learn to “pump” the bike hard on downslopes and out of corners, really try to lean the bike over with your outside pedal down on turns. Learn to pop the front wheel in the air with a pump and a weight shift, and use that all the time to prevent the bike getting hung up or stopped on lumpy terrain etc.

The more you move, the less rigid you will be 😉