How to acqure correct elbows position

Hand position determines correct elbow position while descending. Draw an imaginary straight line from index finger to the lower and opposite corner of your palm. Place this line on the handlebar.

Incorrect position:

Correct position (pay attention to the arrow and how it "sits" on the handlebar):

Such hand placement will also assure correct elbow position (as if doing a pushup or holding a basketball somewhere between the chest and belly button. Don't overdo it and don't protrude elbows too much forward. They will not be 90 degrees to the handlebar sticking out straight up. It would be too much). Do the same with the left hand.

MOST SIGNIFICANT TIP: Dynamic Pedal when cornering (Steering with inside knee: opening the Inside turn knee, dipping outside turn pedal)

Tried it on May 11, 2012. I will corner always like the info below from now on. It is an amazing tip that works!

I ride right foot forward.
The tip in the video suggests: When cornering open the inside knee (which is unweighs this side of the bike) and as the result of such opening, the OUTSIDE PEDAL will be dipped a bit.
When I turn left: open the left knee- the right foot (pedal) will move forward and down.
When I turn right: open the  right knee- the left foot (pedal) will move back and down.
Just like skiing! Man, this tip works!!!

Cornering (twist those hips, screw into the bike)

Disclaimer: These tips are for the blog author, pls seek professional instruction as this sport may be dangerous!



Great Reference on cornering: TWIST THOSE HIPS, SCREW INTO THE BIKE!
Hey coach series:
http://www.nsmb.com/5214-hey-coach-ep-1/

0. Brake before the turn
1.  Drill:  standing practice turning the bike on flat terrain by TWISTING THE HIPS (1:20 in the clip)
ADD Dynamic pedal idea in this drill
2. Turn with all three eyes (belly button is the third eye, imagine laser shooting from it, point with it!)
     (2:15 in the clip)
3.  Angulate the bike into the turn, not the body (2:28 in the clip)
4.  Go screw yourself into the bike (2:37 in the clip)
BATHE :
 Brake before the corner
 Angulate the bike, not the body
 Twist the hips (screw yourself into the bike in the direction of the turn)
 Hand (I adjusted this from the original: outside hand is so that the outside elbow is high)
 Explosive exit (I can't do it yet: put pressure with feet on suspension as you are unscrewing yourself: as you untwist towards the end [quote] "try pushing yourself up to neutral position with a powerful push through the heels of your feet. This should drive more traction but also generate some momentum and bring you to the neutral position quickly, ready for the next corner or trail challenge."

Technique points I keep in my mind when riding these days

The key word on my mind on a downhill turn is ROTATE, just one word but occasionally also.....

1. Rotate the belly button and looking with "three eyes" when on downhill turn
2. Leaning the bike into the turn
3. Counterbalancing the leaning with the rear part as a result of belly button turn and resulting weight shift on the seat.
3. Having the outside turn elbow bent and high
4. Looking past the turn
5. Dynamic Pedal

Elbow position on steep climbs

Disclaimer: These tips are for the blog author, pls seek professional instruction as this sport may be dangerous!

When I have to muscle up a very steep section this is what works well for me:

Imagine someone attached ropes to your elbows and pulling on them up so they are parallel to the chest line (or armpit to armpit line). Elbows are bent and are pointing up.

This prevents the front wheel from going up in the air and puts more weight slightly forward.

May 12, 2012 update:
Do NOT keep elbows in this extreme forward position when descending.
Correct descending  elbow position is as if doing a pushup or holding a basketball at chest level

Deceptively easy climb- Bridal Path going East

Disclaimer: These tips are for the blog author, pls seek professional instruction as this sport may be dangerous!


This small climb is tricky as it involves several small turns and one needs to calculate them so pedals don't hit the side roots and the log.

Successful for me gear combination: GRANNY and SECOND BIGGEST ring in the back. Did it is sitting position.

I used to do it with the MIDDLE ring and the BIGGEST ring in the back but it is less smooth and most likely I will need to stand. Too much available torque (the use of the MIDDLE ring up front) I find on such stretch is not necessarily good.

Scariest stretch on Bridal Path

Disclaimer: These tips are for the blog author, pls seek professional instruction as this sport may be dangerous!

This is where I flew over handlebar and hit the hip pointer. Result: huge painful hematoma.

Descending and making a relatively sharp turn is still the biggest weakness. So I walk biting putting a lid on the ego. Ego has no hips that may hurt after all...

Granny ring vs Middle ring

Disclaimer: These tips are for the blog author, pls seek professional instruction as this sport may be dangerous!


By trial and error I came up with the following:

Granny chain ring- good for climbing steep terrain where one is likely to sit all the time. This gear does not provide "torque on demand" if you stand up and it is ideal for obstacles of the type "if you stand you rear wheel will spin".

Great to use on a very steep terrain with the SECOND biggest ring in the back! You would likely to sit or hover over your seat.

Middle chain ring- good with tall obstacles where one will coordinate pedal push with a partial or full standing up motion. Also ideal for moment where short "torque on demand" burst is needed (e.g. to roll over a tall rock or root on otherwise relatively flat terrain).

Great with the BIGGEST or SECOND BIGGEST ring in the back.

WET CONDITIONS:

If the obstacle is not super steep and it is WET, I use the middle ring up front and SECOND BIGGEST in the back to avoid back wheel spinning. (during dry conditions, the BIGGEST ring in the back can be used).

For greater cardio-use middle ring up front (except for very steep terrain) and the BIGGEST or SECOND BIGGEST ring in the back.

For smooth (no bursts of energy) riding and a bit less cardio- use the granny ring up front and the BIGGEST or SECOND BIGGEST ring in the back.

Welcome to IgorBikingTheMountain blog!

Disclaimer: These tips are for the blog author, pls seek professional instruction as this sport may be dangerous!

Hello,

I am a MTB novice. Just like many of us out there and who are a bit shy to ask experienced people for some advice....
It is great that there is such opportunity as learning XC Mountain biking on North Shore, probably the best place on earth to do it.


Why create this blog? I have felt intimidated for a while by seeing all those expert bikers who look like gatekeepers of very useful insider information about this sport.

In this blog I will try to share bit by bit what I learned about riding, bike setup, obstacles, etc, providing some information that may be interesting for other beginners (and myself too!)
The information (often anecdotal in nature) is gathered from conversation in bike stores, my own trial and error experiments and from often serendipitous conversations on the trail with other bikers.

Take it with the grain of salt and seek professional advice as what works for me may not work for you! This sport can be dangerous so always use professional help!
All information is based on the author's personal experience and therefore is subjective in nature!