Mountain Biking - Hairpin turns: didn't quite make it

Thanks for all the advice on how to make those 180 hairpin turns on the trail. I attemped your suggestions this weekend. However, none of them worked on the really tight turns. I either bailed before the turn (just didn't look like there was enough room) or went off the edge of the trail, and that wasn't fun.
However, I just need some practice. It's got to be in my head because I've seen others make those switchbacks. Some of the turns really look impossible as I descend on them.

I'll just keep trying!

Just slow down alot and if its really tight lift up your front wheel and pull the way you want to go. Like a little wheelie, you could also practice bunnyhopping and then stop and hop around to the way you want to go.

Those switchbacks really require a lot of balancing skills. Mastering trackstands is a good start, which I still need to work on.

Mightypudge is right - trackstanding can be very helpful. With lots of practice, I've gotten to the point where I can trackstand almost indefinitely. There have been many occasions when I have stalled going uphill, stopped to pick out a better line, or negotiated super-technical sections using trackstands (or many trackstands). To practice trackstanding, start out facing forward on a slight uphill. Put your strong foot forward and hold your pedals levelor with your strong foot slightly up. You can use your brakes to keep yourself from rolling at this point. Later on, you will be able to keep yourself from moving by just using pedal pressure or rolling slowly forward or backwards. As you get better on a slightly uphill angle, start practicing on flats and downhills. When you get good at downhill trackstands, the hairpins should be easily negotiable at slow speed.

-Moab

I used to take fireroad switchbacks rally style....sliding :D:D:D i remember it was great fun....1hr of fireroad switchback dh action Kos Island Greece...but i ve 9years to visit my home there...

math, i'm not talking about switchbacks on fire roads.

i'm talking about switchbacks on trails where you only have like <3 sq. ft. of room to make a 180 degree turn.

Yes, those tight trail switchbacks can be testing. Good balance and positive thinking will get you beyond it - as well as lots of practice. And we all just love to practice! That's for sure.

Ok shannon i get you. Well on tight stuff obviously you need balance and side grip... however those fireroad switchbacks were 40mph on straight and 15mph on the hairpin. 8ft wide though. on something tight i would suggest to either go sidegrip or put a leg on the apex and skid turn with the back brake.

thats gotta be bad for the trail.

Originally posted by Phatman
thats gotta be bad for the trail.

It isn't if the trail builders take that style turning into account. But Math is right that is one of the faster ways around a hairpin.

Just takes good balance. Sometimes when the front wheel rolls around at a sharp angle the bike wants to lean and its easy to lose your balance.

sliding and skidding on the trail is poor mountain biking etiquitte, not to mention damaging to the trail causing excessive erosion.

Getting clipless shoes helped me a lot because these types of turns are pretty much a mental game. You have the technical skill to physically turn the bike, you just have to make yourself do it. For some reason knowing that i couldnt just bail off the bike did the trick. I think the largest part was due to the increased balance I learned from being clipped in. Not being able to quickly put a foot down encourages good balance in these types of situations. As stated before, trackstands are a very good skill to learn. Often times when riding really technical singletrack with lots of rocks and trees to negotiate, i'll get hung up on something and come to a complete stop. By trackstanding and/or slightly rolling backwards, I can manuver around a bit and reposition my bike to get passed whatever I'm hungup on.

You can use this same skill to get around really tight corners. If your line isnt right to get around the turn and you know you are going to go off the trail, you can stop, trackstand and reposition the bike by either front/rear wheel pivioting or simply turning very sharply. You can turn at almost a 90 degree angle if you are not moving forward, its all in the balancing and trackstands are an excellent way to learn good balance.

Just force your self to keep you feet on the pedals and not to bail, your body will naturally do whatever it takes to keep you upright.

Hope that makes sense, im really hungover right now :beer: :o

Shannon dont judge before knowing... some trails are very delicate to corrosion and some others are bombproof trails. If you ever come to Greece you will understand what i mean, after all i would never even consider damaging my own soil.