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Our founder Jamie is a bit of a legend. Whatever he turns his hand at, he’s generally really good at it. And he’s pretty humble about it, which makes it even more annoying for the rest of us. But he’s really good, and we mean REALLY good at riding. And on the descent, he can shred with the best of them, and to top it all off, he’s a fantastic riding coach. Here are his top 3 tips on body position on the descent. Have a looksie, and don’t forget to book your skills clinic with him some time! Take it away Jamie…
Body position on the descent
Descending can either be a lot of fun, or scary as hell. But it doesn’t have to be scary and body position is a surprisingly easy thing to get right. The best way to think about it is the more difficult the trail, the more aggressive your body position. So here are 3 easy tips to help you drive the bike rather than just hang on for the ride!When the going gets tough, here are our top 3 tips to make sure you are having a good time!
Arms
Keep your elbows slightly bent. Stay loose all the way from your shoulders down to your fingertips. This means your arms will also act as suspension and you can allow the bike to move around below you. If you keep your elbows a little wide it will also move up to your shoulder keeping your chin forward and over your stem! Think of it as your press up position.
Hips
Stick that butt out! You want to be hinging at the hips. The more aggressive (lower) you are getting the more the hinge bends. It will help keep your back low and weight evenly distributed through the bike. Your ass moves forwards – backwards and side – side. Don’t be afraid to shake that ass! This is where all of the driving force comes from!
Legs
Always Keep your knees a little bent and pointing slightly out. By doing this you’ll have a lot of space for your bike to lean and bounce around underneath you without throwing you around. Your legs are the best suspension you have on your bike. They are strong and powerful so keep them relaxed!
If you do find this kind of thing useful then it would definately be worth taking a lesson. Lessons are the fastest way to improve your riding with minimal crashing. Hunt around at your local bike park for lessons, or if you are ever in Rotorua, get in touch and we will be happy to put one of our instructors on the case!