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Just got back from a fantastic 4 hour ride which took insome great riding around Peaslake but managed to loose the front on the switch back berms at the top of BKB. I didn't do anything different from normal but the front just tucked under on the second turn and left me on my arse. Anyone got any berm riding technique tips that I should know about.
Let the berm steer you, don't steer the berm.
The berms on Bazza are very good berms indeed...
As above, the berms there are pretty good and they'll steer you if you let them. Just look at the exit and let the bike go
Just got back from a fantastic 4 hour ride which took insome great riding around Peaslake but managed to loose the front on the switch back berms at the top of BKB. I didn't do anything different from normal but the front just tucked under on the second turn and left me on my arse. Anyone got any berm riding technique tips that I should know about.
Post a video up 😉 or ask Alpin?
High, middle or low in the berm? Did your wheel wash out on loose soil at the berm edging?
I've some chest-cam footage of a mate crashing on a big Whistler berm. You can see that he rides the berm a bit too high, his wheel digs into loose uncompacted soil at the top of the berm causing his wheel to tuck straight back under him in a split second.
it's quite dusty at the moment... easy for the front to wash out unless you're weighting the front
outside foot down usually does the trick
Look onto the middle of next week and outside foot down.
perhaps try leaning out more towards the outside of the corner. Your knees should be bent right over, and your legs leaning into the turn; but your upper body, from the waist up, should be right upright, horizontal. Your knees should be leaning in, but your shoulders should be horizontal. Like in skiing; or motocross. Watch any ski or motocross video as the proper technique is more visible in these sports than in mountain biking. But the principle is the same. Most on here will probably disagree with me, but I find the technique is exactly the same whether you're on a berm or a flat corner. The only difference is that on a flat corner, your tyres will wash a bit more, and you have to manage that. The technique though is exactly the same whether for bermed or flat. Also, make sure your line going into the berm is sufficiently high, a common mistake.
It's because you were shit.
We all have days when we are shit, the key is to carry on and not be shit next time.
upright, horizontal.
?vertical?
aye, so if you drew a line through your spine it would be at a right angle to the ground, or if through your shoulders, parallel
i see what you mean
"the front tucked under"
Most common reason for this is if you dab your brakes, especially the front brake, while turning. The centrifugal force of your body pushes harder on the outside of the handlebars, making the bike stand up, the turn stall, and ultimately the rider may fall.
Sometimes the problem comes before the berm with braking technique - if your footwork isn't neat and you brake late you'll hit the turn with too much pressure on the bars instead of controlling it through hips and feet.
Have you got anyone who can shoot some clips of you and youtube them? It's pretty easy to analyse this still from video, but really hard from text.
Cheers, Chris@CycleActive
Thought this was going to be about Gareth.