Mountain Biking - Downhill Tips and tricks

As you may of read in one of my other threds i am going a forest near by this weekend to do some cross country and down hill riding. I am not very experienced at this and would like to know if anybody has any tips or tricks about how to get around the trails faster and easier.
Here is a link to one of the trails http://www.forestry.gov.uk/website/ourwoods.nsf/LUWebDocsByKey/EnglandNorthYorkshireNoForestDalbyForestDalbyForestVisitorCentreandShopREDCycleTrail
i have done this once before and managed it but this time i would like to do it better and faster ;-)
any comments welcome
cheers
Aidan

just pedal faster, and use your legs

use your legs for what? to take some to the shock?

to take some of the shock*

to take some of the shock*
Yeah, keep them loose, that way they'll absorb the shock. Pedal faster ;) and try and feel more confident in yourself.

Wear lots of protective gear...

i have a full face helmet, wrist guards and gloves. what else is a good idea?

I would think a chest protector with shoulder guards would be a very nice addition. Some elbow pads might not be a bad idea either. I"ve never done any dowhill riding but it looks like fun but a wreck is going to definitly hurt without lots of protection.. :eek:

im more scared of breaking my bike than hurting myself
i fell off on a quarter pipe a couple of months ago, hurt my elbow and twisted my ankle, but even worse bent my rear derailleur

I had a race this weekend and here is how I flow:
do the course slowly once, just to get a feel for lines and the general feel of the run, memorize your lines, pick the fastest smoothest, some rock gardens are eminant, and the best is to just keep your head up, loosen and bounce....honestly it is hard to explain, just go try some freeride trails or beginer DH and you will learn alot, the first time I tried I hated it and didnt ride the next day, BUT a few months later it is easier, still difficult, but easier, you will have a hard time but you will pick it up and then XC will seem like a ride to 7-11 the race I did this weekend was 2 mi. long and was quite tech and fun, so bring plenty o water and power bars etc. the best advice I can give is go at your own pace, dont let the dudes blasting stff make you feel like you suk, everyone started somewhere....HAVE FUN dont worry about jumps and speed just have a blast..

I"ve never done any dowhill riding

Why on earth would you give advice on something you have no knowledge of?

I would think a chest protector with shoulder guards would be a very nice addition. Some elbow pads might not be a bad idea either. I"ve never done any dowhill riding but it looks like fun but a wreck is going to definitly hurt without lots of protection.. :eek:
Well, before upper body armour I'd definately reccomend shinguards (my new Dainese Freestyle shinguards rock :D).

Well, before upper body armour I'd definately reccomend shinguards (my new Dainese Freestyle shinguards rock :D).


Or of your a skin flint like me, 661 4x4 knee/shins pads are good. The brand x body armour is cheap and has constanly being getting good reviews over here, often better than more expensive suits:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=7088

cheers guys been alot of help

how do you stop your back tire from losing traction when you are standing up cycleing up hill?

how do you stop your back tire from losing traction when you are standing up cycleing up hill?
I'm not sure, I've found no other way to stop it than sitting down.

how do you stop your back tire from losing traction when you are standing up cycleing up hill?

Sometimes pulling your front wheel up works. If it's really steep, I pull up almost every pedal stroke. Just a little bit.

how do you stop your back tire from losing traction when you are standing up cycleing up hill?

Sometimes you really can't prevent it from happing (on really steep hills for example), but this is what i've noticed from riding XC. It's all about the force or 'torque' you apply while pedaling. If you are pedaling faster up a hill with less force being applied to the pedals (low gear) the tires shouldn't slip as much. Thats why sitting down on the saddle sort of reduces the amount of force that is being applied to the pedals because when you stand up and pedal you have added body weight to this force. If you're sitting down, your body weight is eliminated from the force you're applying to the pedals. It probalby sounds like a whole lot of bull but it's something I have noticed riding up hills :).

Sometimes pulling your front wheel up works. If it's really steep, I pull up almost every pedal stroke. Just a little bit.
yeh i know what you mean, sometimes i do that when just riding a long a road when im bored, ill give that a go

Get a 661 pressure suit, its got everything.

Try and maintain a steady momentum going up hills and try and be smooth in your pedalling. You have to act as your own traction control....if you feel yourself starting to spin, back off just a fraction. Like in a car, if you gas it too much you'll spin em....but if you accelerate just the right amount you'll get maximum speed without spinning.

Its hard to explain, but its all feeling that you'll develop as you ride more.

Why on earth would you give advice on something you have no knowledge of?

I see you give advice on this forum all the time and you have no knowledge of most things. Thats just my humble oppinion.

fat tires.

lower tire pressure. (as low as you can go without pinch flatting)

drop your seat.

stay loose.

easy on the brakes.

One DH tip that nobaby has mentions yet is:

Try to keep your belly-button verticaly above your bottom bracket this way you dont lean to far forward or to far backward also to turn keep belly-button verticaly above your bottom bracket and lean the bike but not you it'll help you from washing out.

Remember try to do all your braking before you start to corner. If for some reason you misjudge it (and you will, I even do it on my local track occasionally) don't freak out, just lean back a little bit more than usual, leave the front brake alone and drag the rear brake through the corner but don't lock it up. As yo uare in the corner lean and pull back on the handlebars a bit and throw the bike around the corner. However try to keep yourself from gettign into this situation it can get really sketchy.

Braking in general: front brake will give you more power, use it when on a straight line coming into an obstacle.

If there is an obstacle infront of you, rock, rock garden, drop, stairs......... do not hold the bars too tightly. Let your arms be able to move freely and let your legs move freely. The idea is to allow the bike to move underneath you but keeping your torso and head still. Watch all the best DHers, their heads do not jolt or move, it is steady as if they were on rails. Also try and keep your head upright, even when leaning into a corner. Finally, you go where you look! If there is a big rock onm the track, don't look at it and go, I better keep away from it. I can tell you now, you will most likely hit it, ignore what you don't want to hit.

Also don't stare down directly in front of you because you tend to go where you look, so staring down will leave you unaware of what is coming up. Look about 3-5 meters in front of you so that you can get a good view of obstacles.

I see you give advice on this forum all the time and you have no knowledge of most things. Thats just my humble oppinion.

Well duh, no need to state the obvious...