Technical Down Hill Mountain Biking

Technical Down Hill Mountain Biking

The key to down hilling is relaxing your upper body.

The steeper and rockier the hill is, the more tightly

the rider tends to put a death grip on the handle

bars. Most riders tend to slow down as they approach

obstacles such as rocks, then apply both brakes.

If you don't apply your brakes, the rock will stop

your wheel. This isn't good, as the rock can throw

you off balance and completely kill any type of

momentum you have.

Relaxed riders won't slow down as much. The

combination of extra momentum, no front braking at

crucial moments will allow the wheel to bump over

the rock and continue onward with little effort.

If you are going slow, it's essential to release

your brakes as much as possible when you approach

an obstacle. This may entail going a bit faster,

although the result is much less painful. On

steep hills, going really slow will always make

things much more difficult.

One exception to this is a very tight turn. If a

hop is out of the question, you'll need to slow

down to allow the smallest radius of turning circle.

This kind of thing takes practice, although track

standing isa great way to improve on your balance.

Although down hilling is one of the most extreme

methods of mountain biking, it can also be one of

the most dangerous. If you're new to mountain biking

you shouldn't start out with down hilling, as it

takes a lot of practice.

With a bit of practice and knowing the right

techniques, technical down hilling is something you'll

find fun. It can provide quite a rush and a lot

of excitement for those who seek adventure.

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