5 Cycling Techniques You Need (A)

Now more and more people are enjoying the cross-country mountain bike movement, so mountain bike enthusiasts must have solid basic techniques. Only mastering the solid basic technology can we ride the mountain bike safe and sound and bring more enjoyment to mountain biking.

All the movements on the mountain biking are based on the five core technologies: observation, balance, braking, turning and pedalling. When faced with any obstacles, the first thing must be to identify its difficulty (use your observation) and then use the correct skills, such as balance, braking, turning or pedalling. In many difficult riding conditions, you have to synthesise these skills, and the purpose of reviewing the cycling skills through these five techniques is to allow you to break down the reaction actions into those skills you will learn. In this way, when you are faced with a frightening route, you will see it as a concatenation of the actions you have already made in front of you, which you have not yet been able to arrange them in a great order.
Now let’s talk about these five techniques you need.
1. Observation.
Be sure to observe your ride environment and how you and your bike will be able to go through it before each action is performed. It is a skill to be alert to which direction you are going, how you can ride, and how your bike reacts to different road conditions.
It sounds simple to look ahead to the route you want to go, but most of the crash that caused by the wrong route is the result of looking out of the way. Looking ahead to the direction where the wheel will go is the key point. When you look at something else on your bike, the tilt of the head will cause you to lose balance, and then your whole body will move in that direction. So pay attention to what's on the line, and focus on the route you're going.
Pull your sight line far away to where you can stop, and keep your sight line at the distance where you can stop so that you can stop in time when you hit an insurmountable obstacle. Practice braking on a variety of different roads, and over time you'll have a concept of how far you need to look. But the general principle is that look further when going downhill at a high speed, and if you ride at a lower speed, you can shorten the distance of the forward gaze. But when taking a turn in the path of woodlands, look as far as you can.

2. Balance.
To ride a mountain bike well, the big principle is that no matter how the bike leans forward or down or hits an obstacle, it still can keep balanced. If you sit on the saddle when cycling and hit a big rock, the bike will transfer all the energy of the shock to your butt, as if you were kicked very hard. So the best shock absorber is your hands and feet: no one will enjoy the feeling when the power of impact transferred to your upper body. You need bike whose size fit you to help you balance well. Here are a few simple ways to help you choose the right size for your bike.
The height of the saddle. To know whether this bike fits you, the first thing you must do is to adjust the saddle to reach the "ideal position." This position will allow you to use your leg fully. When your legs are fully stretched, your heels should be able to touch the pedals. If your heel touches the pedal while your leg is still bent, it means you're sitting too low. Try to ride for a few minutes to make sure you don't need to shake your butt to pedal. If this happens, it means you're sitting too high. After finding the proper saddle height, mark it on the sitting tube and keep in mind that this is your ideal saddle height. At first, you may find it too high to the ground, but you have to try to get used to it. When you ride a mountain bike, you don't have to touch the ground when your feet are down. If you really feel uncomfortable about it, lower the saddle down half an inch to one, and that's all. Don’t drop too much.
The body length of the bike. The principle is that you should not see the front axle (or the front-drum) when cycling because the rider should be able to block it. If you see the front axle (fore-drum) appearing in front of the handlebars, this bike is too small for you; if you see the front axle (fore-drum) appearing in the rear of the handlebars, this bike is too big for you.
The proper riding posture. While sitting on a bike and pedal, you must make your arm slightly bent so that you can turn smoothly. When holding the handlebars, make sure your thumbs must be placed under the handlebars, just like the gesture of holding a tennis racket. Never rest your entire hand on the handlebar, because an unexpected impact can make your bike completely out of control.
Stand and ride. As long as the terrain is bumpy or unstable, you must get your butt off the saddle and stand on the pedal. Strictly speaking, there is no way to overcome the obstacle when your butt is glued to the saddle. The body centre of gravity should be placed in the middle of the two wheels, and move your butt away from the saddle, then move the body back up to meet the impact of the road. If you take your heart as the centre of gravity, you will want to try to keep your heart in a balanced position. To accomplish this, you must make good use of your hands and legs as they are your shock absorbers. They can help you keep your centre of gravity as stable as possible by absorbing the impact energy and controlling the inclination of the bike.
Now imagine a line that falls vertically from your heart to the ground, and the point that connects the line to the ground is where your body's centre of gravity is projecting to the ground. When you ride a bike that fits your size, the point falls roughly to the centre of the two wheels. Try to keep this point in the middle of the two wheels or slightly behind. The more forward your centre of gravity is, the more likely you can “shoot”.
When passing rough roads, lower your body and it will give your arms and legs more elastic stretching space. The bike will not only bump into obstacles but also drop down or tilt forward with the rough terrains. You must keep in touch with the ground at all times, and if there is no stress on the tire, the bike cannot turn or brake. When you pass a steep or bumpy road, crouching on the bike is the only way to keep the wheel in place.

Today, we have talked about two of the five techniques: observation and balance and we will talk about the three left later!