When we all say weighting the front it’s not getting right over the wheel – it’s more being in the middle of the bike really (as opposed to unweighting the front by getting off the back of the bike).

This is good advice.

Nu-skool geometry places your weight distribution more centrally between the axles anyway. The trick to remember is not to automatically move back behind the bike as you might on traditional geo, but to ‘hunker down’ where you already are, and drop your chest by bending your arms.

Hardtail Party’s video on how to ride modern geometry hardtails is good (and relates to modern full-sus bikes too).

I guess I think of it more as get low than get back. You only have to actively weight the front if you’ve succumbed to moving yourself back.

To add to that, I really wouldn’t think “don’t get back!” because you do move your hips back. However it’s a hinge with your shoulders dropping down towards the bars and your palms firmly pressing into the bars with bent arms, rather than your hips moving way back and arms straightening.

Likewise don’t just think “weight the bars” because if your default position is as high as most amateurs you’ll end up heading over the bars on really steep stuff – you do still need to move your hips!

For me going to a modern hardtail required the same recalibration in my riding as when I first went from riding a 26″ wheeled bike to a 29er. It’s amazing how fast you adapt though.

One of the biggest changes I found was the sheer precision of riding a modern bike. Which I can only assume is due to the added stiffness from wider rims, thicker fork stanchions, tapered headsets and boosted hubs.

Have my old 26″ Cotic Soul away as I didn’t like riding it anymore when compared to my 29er bikes.

My advice in riding a modern geometry mountain bike is to try to almost over accentuate your actions on the bike. As they require more rider input to get them to wheelie, jump and corner. It’s well worth it though, as they they are so more capable.

When I first rode a big bike after a Mk1 Superlight it was fine, quite intuitive but now every time I ride the Superlight I go over the bars. And I don’t know where to put my elbows.

Reading this with interest as I’d like to update my 2009 Orange 5 as I suspect it may be holding me back when trying to catch some mates on 29″ F/S bikes down roughish lakes descents.
Almost as much as the price of a bike to replace it is also holding me back……………