In a recent comment on Mountain Biking by 198, a reader asked a question that I think can help out everyone…so we will address it here.
I was recently in my first race (a 6hr) and the one thing that really caught me off guard was how it didn’t matter how fast I flew into a corner the good riders seemed to flow out of the corner with so much more momentum than I did, that I was easily left behind. I had six hours to watch this happen about a thousand times, so I started to observe that I was effectively stopping and starting a lot. That is, I was on my brakes more into corners and this of course meant that I was wasting energy that these other guys were somehow conserving. The problem is that I could see not real difference in how we cornered, save for the fact that they came out much faster than I did. I’d love to hear some advice on maintaining that momentum.
This is a common problem among mountain bikers. This rider is braking too late into the corner, stopping all forward momentum at the apex and then having to use burst speed (that robs energy) to get out of the turn at speed. The other riders are using a more fluid technique in and out of the turns that keeps momentum and energy throughout the turn. So…to fix this issue…let’s take a close look at how you should be taking corners while you ride your mountain bike.
How To Turn On A Mountain Bike At Speed
In an effort to squeeze every second of time and ounce of momentum out of our mountain bikes, we need to make every action as fluid as possible. Here are some tips on how you can take turns on your mountain bike at speed and keep your momentum on the trail.
Keep Your Eyes Focused On Where You Want To Go – When taking a turn at speed on your mountain bike, you need to keep your eyes focused on where you want to go and not on the front tire. The most common mistake among mountain bikers is the want to look at what you are running over and not where you are pointed. I think it is in our human nature to do this (I know I have…and every time I do…my turn is choppy and inefficient), so we have to train ourselves to look forward at our exit instead of 2 inches in front. By looking forward through the turn, your body gets pointed in the right direction and you don’t make unnecessary adjustments in your steering throughout the turn.
Brake Earlier…Not In The Turn – As you approach a turn on your mountain bike, you want to adjust your speed before you hit the turn and accelerate through it. The second most common mistake in taking turns at speed on your mountain bike is braking too late so that your hardest braking force is being applied at the apex of the turn. At the apex of the turn, you want to be carry momentum not killing all of it, so by adjusting your speed beforehand…you are able to concentrate on capitalizing on the momentum you are keeping by increasing speed instead of slamming the power to the ground in an attempt to get going again. Ideally, you want to be off the brakes throughout the entire turn and in the pedals exploding out with your forward motion as soon as you get pointed straight.
It’s All About The Line – Especially in tight turns on the trail, you want to straighten your line out as much as possible. When I take turns on my mountain bike, I imagine myself as a race car on the track. By coming in wide and not on the inside line, you are able to keep your speed much better than if you try to cut the turn short. In turns that have a natural berm, it is important to stay in that berm and let it carry you around the turn. With tight switchbacks and off camber corners, I will come in wide…meet the turn at the apex and use that straight shot out of the turn as a way to increase my momentum and speed.
You And Your Bike Are Not One – When you are taking turns at speed, you and your bike need to move independently of each other as you navigate the turn. The more you can adjust your body weight on the bike to compensate for traction…the better. If you stiffen up and keep your body moving on the exact same plane as your bike, you are going to run into trouble as you try to keep speed but end up with a choppy mess. With high speed downhill runs, I always try to imagine a triangle as I keep my head and hands as the points and lean the bike inward independently of my body applying force downward (pushing the bike against the trail for speed and traction). It is also a great idea – especially on downhill turns – to keep your weight back and let the fork pull you through the turn. If you have your weight forward, you are going to kill momentum and make the front end twitchy to the point you are going to want to hit your front brake.
Speed And Your Tires Are Your Friend – There is a fine line between too little and too much speed, but if you take the turn with planning…speed should be your friend as you explode out the other end. You need to have trust in your tires and suspension that they are going to grab the trail and keep you upright. By going to slow without that trust, you are killing all chance of speed out of the turn without the aid of your forward momentum.
If You Get Into Trouble…Use The Rear Brake And Wheel – If you feel yourself coming in too hot or getting off line, do your best to stay off the front brake if possible. You can use the rear brake and a little tire skid to turn the bike into the right direction and not kill the speed you are so desperately trying to keep. The trail builders out there will hate this tip…but it works. Your rear brake and tire are going to be your savior in keeping the bike pointed in the right direction. The front brake is just going to bring you to a straight stop.
So there you have it! My tips on keeping speed and momentum on your mountain bike as you take turns on your favorite trail. Hopefully it helps you keep the speed you are looking for without wasting that precious energy that gets us to the end of our rides.