When going downhill?
Please don't let it be speed, as my local set have a nice drop to fall down if you fluff it! 😯
The guy following me down the descents at Cannock the other week said it looks as though I almost manual round them, leaning right back and swinging the front wheel round. Doesn't feel like that though but I do feel as though my speed through them is getting better 🙂
with berms or not?
Look much further ahead than you think you need to and stick your outside foot down, keeping your weight between the wheels. It's not rocket science.
If you're approaching a switchback going left have your right leg forward. Reverse for a right switchback, ie, lead with the left leg. And try and look at where you want to go, not at the front wheel.
The above sometimes works for me 😐
Obi_Twa
stick your outside foot down
WTF
Aye - on the pedal.
🙂
😉
approach slowly thinking "****, I'm never gonna get round that" whilst sweating like a fat lass at a disco. Close your eyes and then emit a shriek akin to a hamster going through a mangle, wait for it all to go earth/sky/earth/sky/ambulance and you're done. Works for me every time
The alternative technique is to not see them, barrel into them at warp and straight line them landing in a bloody heap at the bottom.
There aren't any tight switchbacks at Cannock are there? Not on the dog or monkey trails.
There aren't any tight switchbacks at Cannock are there? Not on the dog or monkey trails.
Define tight 😛 I guess not super tight but M8 has some good switchbacks down it.
Dragging a bit or rear brake helps with the tandem - that and special "tandem lines"
Going back on yourself tight! No berms...just drop.
Looking where I want to go is something to work on as is foot/weight/pedal placement.
Thanks 🙂
lol @ tazzymtb.
that and special "tandem lines"
tandems being the irresistable force that will plough through any immovable object, switchbacks included.
I did a couple of runs of very tight switchbacks last summer with a French guy, he would brake into a nicely balanced endo, then just line the back end up exactly where he wanted it and shoot off, it looked pretty smooth.
Go in high and wide to give you more space to turn, roll out through the apex and off you go.
Of course that's the theory but it tends to leave you at a tipping point with a long way to fall down the hill in my experience. Then you can either go for it, or jump off the bike.
A lot of it is not going in too fast and having a bit of balance on the bike - trying not to put a foot down at traffic lights while commuting has made a huge difference to my tech riding...
Brake late, heavy with the front and weight slightly forward. Gentle rear brake, lean into the corner, most of your weight on the inside pedal and force the light rear end round, still carrying a bit of brake to make it slide a bit. Bit like a power slide, without the power. Not particularly trail friendly, but great fun and very fast.
Very much like the endo technique described above.
If you do fall off, you will fall into the bend, not off the track!
pmsl
most of your weight on the inside pedal
😯
Great 'endo' technique, as in arse over endo 😆
WWJD?
(What would Jedi do???)
Seriously, the "inside pedal back" has made a huge difference to my switchback technique, explained why I could do tighter left-handers than right-handers.
I can honestly say that in almost 20 riding mtb's, having my weight on the inside has never caused 'arse over endo' or anything even close for that matter.
Having the weight on the inside reduces the chance of washing out, weight forward keeps the front end planted and lets the rear slide round easily.
Worked for me since my bmx days
I would hazard a guess that this is more down to luck than judgement and that your very fast isn't relatively all that fast.
ayeee.. weight on that inside pedal all the way to the hossie lol.
::laughs with tony::
funkymonkey, if you don't want to go and see jedi, which I know would prove eye opening for you, at least watch a bit of footage of world cup downhillers and see if you can spot your techinique being utilised.
[edit] but if you're having fun, and don't really mind, then there is no problem, and I apologise for any criticism [edit]
You all know full well you're gonna go out and try it tomorrow
Not a chance I'll be trying that tomorrow. I can ride a bike and value my life.
weight otb, but I'm slow
Weight outside pedal, turn hips to point where you want to go, rest of you follows - try it slowly at first and exagerate the hip thing - you'll see what I mean.
I will admit to not being an expert but i find pedals level but outside foot forward feels right to me.
As for endoing, this works for me sometimes in thrutchy situations but its more of a trialsy endo than a beautifull smooth rolling turn (I wish!).
We rode the Black K Bour trail at Luchon a couple of years ago which was tight hairpin after tight hairpin. Its a long way to go to practice but having chance after chance gives you time to experiment..
If its tight pull an endo. If it isn't that tight normal cornering is correct. Key thing to any switchback is to take the widest possible line in. Common mistake is to just follow the worn line in the corner where there is lots of real estate to make the turn wider on entry. Also don't fall into the trap of turning in early and then having no exit space to use.
Was riding some yesterday and defo weight on the outside pedal and look round the corner at where you want to go rather than where you are at.
Weight on the inside pedal sounds like a recipe for a washout. Centrifugal forces and all that 😉
on very steep rocky switchbacks lead with your out side foot so you dont pedal strike.
otherwise, outside foot down!
There's some pony being trotted out on this thread. Suspect for most of us the answer us that we're not sure what we do, we just get on with it
It's the hips - seriously - try it. Ride in high, weight outside foot rotate hips and feel the flow. It's ok this is free advice.
I love the internet
I started reading this thread thinking I know nothing on this subject and I might learn something and I have
Not only does the world contain people who will advise others to corner inside foot down, they are happy to defend there advice when people who know better correct them
The last time I fell off my bike I tried to pedal round a moderate corner going down hill. The inside pedal clipped a small stump I hadn't seen and that was it I was off. As I lay on the ground at no point did I think. "I must have the inside pedal down going round corners more often".
My advice is this (if this is wrong please tell me)
If you are going round a tight corner, say a turn to the left, where the outside of the exit is a steep drop (on you right as you leave the corner) don't cut into towards the apex. When I do this I seem to end up approaching the drop head on and having to slow right down and then sort of wobble round the last bit. It seem to work much better to ride right round the out side of the corner and not try to cut to the inside until you are at least half way round. Does that make sense?
I also agree with the hips thing. Lean the bike, feel the camber thrust steering. Sorry I'm a geek
some "different" techniques....
Some of you lot seem to be talking about corners not switchbacks.
Outside foot down, look where I'm going, lean the bike and point the hips towards where I want to go got me round the more 'swooping' corners at Cannock today...well mostly, there were some errors made and the going was shall we say 'loose'!
I'll see if the same techniques applied to the really tight set I ride regularly works.
What I (try to) teach in the Alps (for tight, technical, slow-speed switchbacks):
Start super-wide. Ridiculously wide. If this requires riding over rocks, roots, cabbages, etc, do it!
Outside foot forward.
Stay wide until your cranks are about level with the apex.
Turn like you mean it! Turn the bars, rotate your hips, shift weight to the front wheel (as much as possible when it's steep & techy).
This should be enough to get you round, but you can get some extra help from making a quarter rotation of the pedals (so that your outside foot is now down, this also helps keep you moving when you might stall). With your outside foot now down and you more or less past the apex, driving the outside foot will help to get the back end of the back round (a bit of low-speed drifting might result if the surface is wet/loose/rock slabs/cow poo/whatever).
Most importantly, keep your eyes locked on where you want to go, all the way round - look for the apex on the way in, then look for the exit as soon as you can.
When you move to the outside to enter the turn, if you can do this dynamically, with an up and down weight movement (like a skier turning) it helps a lot, as you can get the bike leaning the right way - if you just steer to the outside, you'll probably find yourself leaning the wrong way and hence slow down your turn initiation.