Having started to do a bit of duel racing, and then discovered there’s a pump track near me, I thought I’d go and have a crack to try and improve my tight/fast cornering. (i’m racing with some proper fast boys and they leave me for dead in the berms)

The place I went to had a 180° berm, maybe 8′ radius to the outside of it

The thing I keep running up against is my vision:-

If I look where I natually want to look, then I end up not being able to process the information fast enough and end up backing off – especially exiting the berm.

If I look far enough ahead to process what my eyes are seeing, then I’m effectively looking over my shoulder at the berm exit as I’m entering it. Once bars and front wheel are completely out of my field of vision I get completely disorientated, as I’ve no feel for where the bike is in the turn and I end up backing off. I also feel like I’m constantly about to tuck the front wheel.

I know it’s possible to sling the bike in and pop out at full speed (if not faster), but I’m very obviously missing something about how to, and I’m pretty convinced it’s about where I’m looking.

Ideas?

Cheers, Jon

Close your eyes.

I think my hero berm is tighter than that.

when i built my pump track i found i had to almost manual out of the tight 180 to get any confidence in the turn. manual say the last 1/4. i didnt think i could turn that tight. i know now i can and i dont bother to manual unless i get it wrong! i just turn harder and pump more.

dont worry about your wheel or what its on just worry bout the next feature.

your disorientation is because you dont know whats coming or your body position is wrong for the next bit. therefore you are not prepared for hte next feature. i`m like this when i built my new line a few weeks ago. it all seems to happen a bit quick. it takes me a good while of practice to get the bits right (not helped by havin to bed hte line in as well)

all good fun and i prescribe more practice. try and get your body in a position to pump hte pump after the tight berm. Try and work out where you need to look to get your body position right. It might be you look say 2/3rds of the berm. miss out looking at the exit hump (you know its there and its shape) and then look directly to teh next feature instead.

You’re going too fast for your current level of ability. Build it up more gradually and give your body and mind time to adjust to what you’re trying to do.

slow down? dont be daft. you need speed to make the corner. commitment and body position are lacking.

If I look far enough ahead to process what my eyes are seeing, then I’m effectively looking over my shoulder at the berm exit as I’m entering it.

That’s the right thing to do.

Once bars and front wheel are completely out of my field of vision I get completely disorientated, as I’ve no feel for where the bike is in the turn and I end up backing off. I also feel like I’m constantly about to tuck the front wheel.

I totally know what you mean! I’ve been working on this for a while and it’s just a case of practising the correct technique over and over again until you completely trust the bike to follow the correct line – but it’s a fun thing to practice! If you feel like you’re actually about to tuck the wheel under (which shouldn’t happen as your bars should be almost straight) do you have your weight too far forwards? It’s easy for the hips to creep forwards and too much of the pump to be via the bars rather than pedals.

Last weekend I spent an afternoon at a local-ish BMX track and that concentrated practice has really helped me enter the berms faster and pump the smaller ones or pedal the bigger ones, though nothing so tight at 8′ radius 180 degree ones. Keep going to your local pump track and you’ll be ripping it soon enough – although it isn’t easy it’s much less complex than is riding technical singletrack at race pace.

Although it feels pretty weird to be looking in a completely different direction to that of the bike’s travel, it also feels pretty awesome to be looking past the exit and throwing and pumping a bike round a corner, with the bike almost completely on its side!

Cool (but old) video here of Mark Weir riding his backyard pumptrack (not sped up!): http://www.leelikesbikes.com/wp-content/WeirPumpHi.mov

Try riding bmx.You never see the bars,your hands or the front wheel as your head is usually in front of the front axle!It’s a bit odd at first.

I’m very obviously missing something about how to, and I’m pretty convinced it’s about where I’m looking.

Ideas?

Imaging you’re chasing Dexter 😉

Rob

sounds like you’re looking where you should, other things to consider imho:

– body position (left/right and front/back)
– commitment (as mentioned above – it’s important to be confident about what you are doing / about to do)
– feet (probably goes without saying but will mess things up horribly if they’re wrong)
– push down on the inside hand to produce more front end grip if required

other than that – practice practice practice 🙂

practice practice practice, get someone to film you to see whats going on.

Love that Mark Weir video, just shows h ow smooth it can be and the effects of pumping the bike to gain momentum.