Skills for Mountain Biking – A Guide [4]

Steering seems like a very natural process. We learn to steer as soon as we get on a bike. However, when entering sharp bends or turning at high speed, you should not rely solely on your usual bicycle riding skills. That is why in mountain biking you should use all your steering skills to the maximum in order to be able to safely and securely navigate narrow paths or sections.

Entering a curve

Riding a bike is about much more than just turning the handlebars into the direction of the oncoming curve. You can only turn effectively if you "follow" the curve and then turn around it.

"Following" a turn is something you do naturally, but it's important to master this skill so you can later negotiate switchbacks (also known as hairpin bends) or curves at high speed.

In the photo: Learn to trust your wheel grip

Photo: Shaun Horrocks

Remember the idea of a weight tied to your heart that we used to explain braking forces? We deal with the same phenomenon when cornering, except that in this case the weight must not move beyond the line between the two wheels.

When cornering hard, braking forces are generated by the front wheel's grip on the ground. Just like when braking hard, cornering hard requires a low stance, which in turn gives you more room to adjust your steering and control your sway. The faster you go, the more you need to lean.

Just watch the road.

You only turn where your eyes can see. So look at the maximum point on the inside of the curve. Look with your whole upper body, turn your head in its direction, bend your shoulders, and turn your whole body towards the curve.

Learn to turn.

Push yourself up onto the chair and stand on your outside foot. Sitting on the chair helps you absorb the unevenness of the road (your own feet and hands are the best shock absorbers). You should practice turning to develop your balance skills if you don't want to end up jumping on the chair.

The “outside foot” should be planted deep into the ground for good traction. You are lower on your bike and therefore easier to balance. You should also lift your “inside foot” to protect the pedal from hitting rocks or the ground.

On the picture: Keep in mind that you need more space to overcome unevenness in a bad turn, so don't let your inside foot drop!

Stop by steering

The harder you turn, the more resistance the front wheel will experience from the ground. You should not only follow the turn, but also be prepared to feel the force of the brakes pushing you sideways. Also, a balanced stance is key to precise cornering.

Exercise: Walking in circles

• Choose a quiet paved road with a curb or barrier on at least one side. Make sure the surface is smooth, clean, and non-slip (no loose rocks, leaves, or peat/moss).
• Draw a circle with small stones, pebbles, or other objects. You will need 8 such circles.
• Draw a 3-meter (10-foot) circle with 4 “gates” marked with stones. The circle should touch the curb. Each gate is made of 2 small stones. They are 0.6 meters (2 feet) apart. Walk in the circles marked with stones on the path (1 foot = 0.3 meters).
• Start moving in the direction you want. Walk slowly.
• Always look towards the door in front of you and beyond it.
• Turn your head and shoulders toward the door you're facing (where you want to go) and ignore the curb.
• The curb is an obstacle that you should avoid. If you pay too much attention, you are more likely to crash into it. So focus on the path you are on (in this case, the door in front of you) and not on the path you don't want to take (crashing the curb).
• Lean on the inside of the steering wheel when turning (to the left when turning left). Leaning on the steering wheel helps when turning at high speed or on sharp bends.
• Don't touch the front brake when you're going into a corner, it will immediately throw you off balance. If you want to slow down while cornering, you should use the rear brake.
• Is it easy? Try it another way.
• Is it still easy? Make it harder: Make a circle 2 meters (7 feet) in diameter and walk in both directions.
• Press firmly on the pedal with your outside foot (the crank is vertical) and very lightly push yourself up off the chair.
• Look at the opposite side of the curb, turn your head and shoulders in its direction: this way you will automatically follow it and turn around.
• Want to make it more challenging? Repeat the exercise on a less bumpy dirt road.

Exercise: Turning without slowing down (dropping)

This exercise will teach you how to maintain your speed and maintain it while cornering. Choose a spot where you can safely reach a certain speed and where you can create a 90º turn using various objects. In nature, you can use a bend on a dirt road and make it more visible by marking it with a water bottle or backpack.

The bend should be approximately 9 meters (30 feet) long.

• Dial speed
• If you are driving too fast, slow down before you turn.
• Just before turning, lightly rise from the chair and "External"Put your foot as low as possible (left foot for a right turn, right foot for a left turn). All of your weight should be on that foot."
• At the same time, you should start to bend lightly.
• Your entire focus is on the exit from the corner. Even before you enter the corner, you are already looking at the exit. Your head and shoulders are facing the exit of the corner. Whatever it is, you are not paying attention to the side of the corner (maybe a flying rock), which is important and noticeable at such a time, is where you should put your wheel!
• The faster you go, the more you should lean towards the “inside” side of the steering wheel. This helps you shift more weight to the front wheel, thus achieving more traction.
• If you need to slow down while turning, never use the front brake (if you do, only apply it very lightly), use the rear brake with caution.
• Are you tired? Increase your speed! Use more force.

Warning: If you use the brakes when entering sideways, you will automatically slide to the outside, and if you don't want your front wheel to slide, don't touch the front brake when turning. You can also lightly adjust your speed by using the rear brake. The faster or sharper you turn, the more you should avoid using the brake!

Conclusion of the exercise: Now you are no stranger to cornering, you know where to look and how to behave when cornering. You know that you should control your speed, brake in advance, and not touch the brakes when entering a corner. Try the tips above and I assure you that you will become the king of corners in no time!

Translated and edited by Tea Gulua and James Dean