- Home
- Sports and Activities
- Recreation and Leisure
- Outdoor Sports and Activities
- Health Care in Exercise and Sport
- Cycling and Mountain Biking
- Mastering Mountain Bike Skills
If you want to ride like a pro, you should learn from a pro! In Mastering Mountain Bike Skills, Third Edition, world-champion racer Brian Lopes and renowned riding coach Lee McCormack share their elite perspectives, real-life race stories, and their own successful techniques to help riders of all styles and levels build confidence and experience the full exhiliration of the sport.
Mastering Mountain Bike Skills is the best-selling guide for all mountain biking disciplines, including enduro, pump track racing, dual slalom, downhill, cross-country, fatbiking, and 24-hour races. It absolutely captures the sport and offers everything you need to maximize performance and excitement on the trail. Learn how to select the proper bike and customize it for your unique riding style. Develop a solid skills base so you can execute techniques with more power and precision. Master the essential techniques to help you carve every corner, nail every jump, and conquer every obstacle in your path. Last, but not least, prepare yourself to handle every type of weather and trail condition that the mountain biking world throws at you.
Whether you’re a recreational rider looking to rock the trails with friends, are a seasoned enthusiast, or are aspiring to be a top pro, Mastering Mountain Bike Skills will improve your ride and dust the competition. Don't just survive the trail—own the trail, and enjoy the thrill of doing it.
Introduction
Chapter 1: Choose Your Weapon
Chapter 2: Become One With Your Bike
Chapter 3: Control Your Speed
Chapter 4: Make Great Power
Chapter 5: Carve Any Corner
Chapter 6: Ride Down Almost Anything
Chapter 7: Ride Up Almost Everything
Chapter 8: Pump Bumps for Free Speed
Chapter 9: Wheelie, Manual and Hop Like a Boss
Chapter 10: Might as Well Jump
Chapter 11: Avoid Injuries
Chapter 12: Handle Every Condition
Chapter 13: Flow on Any Trail
Chapter 14: Race Like a Champ
Glossary
Brian Lopes has had an unprecedented career of more than 20 years as a professional cyclist. He has been labeled "undisputedly, the best all-around, world-class cycling athlete" by USA Today.
Brian started racing BMX at the tender age of four, turned pro at the age of 17, and competed in the BMX circuit for seven years. In 1993, he channeled his efforts into mountain biking and later earned both a fifth-place finish and recognition in the sport in his first MTB race. He then won his first NORBA National race, and he has never looked back. He has won more than 19 titles in his mountain biking career, including nine National Championship titles, six UCI World Cup wins, and four UCI Mountain Bike World Champion titles, first in 2001 and then again in 2002, 2005, and 2007.
His enviable race resume made the Lopes name one of the most recognizable in the sport of cycling. Known for his flawless style and competitive drive, he is an inspiration to bikers and action sport enthusiasts around the world. Nominated in 2001 for the ESPY Action Sport Athlete of the Year award, he won the NEA (World Extreme Sports) award for Mountain Biker of the Year in 2000 and 2001. He was featured in the Sony PlayStation Downhill Domination game as himself. In 2008, he was inducted into both the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame and the BMX Hall of Fame.
In 2013, Brian took on the role of fitness trainer, working with the Honda, Red Bull, and Troy Lee 250 motocross team. In this capacity, Brian worked with Jessy Nelson, Cole Seely, and Shane McElrath. This opportunity allowed Brian to share his knowledge on the mental and physical fitness that racing requires.
Brian is currently working as a lead athlete brand ambassador generating brand awareness, producing relevant media content, and providing insightful research and development intelligence with the goal of creating exceptional cycling products. He races at select events, and he resides in Laguna Beach, California, with his wife, Paula, and his son, Maverick.
Lee McCormack is the world’s leading mountain bike skills author and instructor. He has helped thousands of mountain bikers—from beginners to experts to world champions—ride better, safer, and faster. In his role as the skill development director for the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA), McCormack created the curriculum and wrote the manual used to train high school mountain bike racers and their coaches throughout the United States.
McCormack's website, Lee Likes Bikes, is a favorite among devoted riders. The Lee Likes Bikes MTB School helps riders worldwide learn the skills he teaches in person. (Check out the site for videos showing the skills explained in this book, as well as more advanced skills.) As the founder and CEO of RipRow, McCormack is proud to be helping riders develop their skills and fitness off their bikes as well as on their bikes.
McCormack has been a mountain biker for almost 30 years, and he is still getting better, which makes mountain biking fun. He lives in Boulder, Colorado, with his wife, Arlette, and his twin daughters, Finley and Fiona. The whole family rides together whenever they can.
“I’ve known Brian for years, and he is one of the best mountain bike riders I ever rode with. Reading his book is sure to take your skills to the next level.”
—Nino Schurter, MTB Olympic Gold Medalist (2016), Five-Time Cross Country World Champion
“Brian helped me achieve my dream to become a great bike racer. He showed me the dedication and discipline that one needs to make this happen. The experience Brian shares in his book will allow everyone to achieve their goals of becoming a better and safer rider.”
—Cédric Gracia,4X World Cup and World Champion
“Working with Lee changed my world of mountain biking. He simply is THE best skills coach in the world. He took me from a pathetic off-road triathlete to an elite World Cup mountain bike racer.”
—Lesley Paterson,XTERRA World Champion and Professional MTB Racer
Learn the mental and emotional skills needed to win
There is a 0.1 percent chance you might beat Brian physically, but there’s a 0.00001 percent chance you’ll beat him mentally. That’s why he has done so much winning over so many decades.
There is a 0.1 percent chance you might beat Brian physically, but there's a 0.00001 percent chance you'll beat him mentally. That's why he has done so much winning over so many decades.
In any competitive class, a handful of people have the physical strength and skills to win. To win, you need the emotional and mental skills to hold it together throughout the race. Here are some tips to make you as stony as a statue.
Race for the Right Reasons
Competition can stoke youand inspire you to new greatness, or it can bum you out and spoil you on riding. The determining factor isn't whether you win or lose the race; it's how you perform in relation to your expectations and goals.
We enter races for a myriad of reasons: to wield our powers against others; to see how we stand against the best; to make a living; to challenge ourselves; to ride as fast as we want on fun courses; to travel to cool places; to bash elbows with our buddies; to commune with the racing tribe; to validate the time, money, and energy we put into our sport; and for some of us, to validate ourselves as riders.
Before you reach the starting line, take the time to figure out what, exactly, you expect to get from the experience. By setting clear expectations, you'll know what to strive for, and you'll know how to measure your success. Here are some things to keep in mind:
Why is more powerful than what. Think about the reasons you race. Whether you race for self-improvement (good reason) or to destroy other people (not such a good reason), your fundamental goal will drive you through the inevitable difficulties - and successes.
Enjoy the process. Riding (and living) is a never-ending process of increasing your strength and your skills. When you become serious about racing, you dedicate yourself to the process of finishing higher and higher in more challenging events and, eventually, in higher classes. Just as learning to jump a 10-foot (3 m) double is a step on the way to jumping a 12-footer (3.7 m), then a 15-footer (4.6 m), and on and on until the requirements outweigh the rewards, earning eighty-seventh place is a step toward tenth place, then third, then first, and then up to a harder class. Write down your racing goals and keep track of your progress. When you feel defeated or question your motives, your racing log will keep you motivated. Remember: Keep striving to improve, but enjoy where you are and take the time to appreciate what you've already accomplished.
Remember: It's only bike racing. What? Blasphemy! After you strip away your ego, winning a race means only this: You were the fastest or first rider on that day, in those conditions, among that specific group of racers. Lee won a Pump Track World Championshipwhen Brian wasn't there. That doesn't mean much.
Anything - different terrain, weather, racers, or luck - could have dropped you to number 2. Shoot, if you were in a higher class, you might have beeneighty-seventh! In racing (and in life) you can control only yourself - and then sometimes only barely. Try not to worry about things that are outside your control. If someone flats and you move up a spot, don't be too proud of yourself. In the same way, if a competitor makes a clever move and you fall a spot, don't be too bummed.
If you believe the old No Fear T-shirt that said "Second place is the first loser," you are in for a world of pain.
Have reasonable expectations. The most reasonable expectation is "I will do my best," whatever that means to you. For most people (except Brian), the most unreasonable expectation is "I will win." If you expect to win all the time, expect to be disappointed much of the time. In a time-trial event, you have no influence on other people's runs. If they are fitter, better skilled, cleverer, or ride in faster conditions, they might beat you. Do everything you can to ensure a good time, but in the end realize that times are what they are: just times. Racing head-to-head is even more complicated. You can get beaten because of a crash, a clever pass, superior fitness, or mental toughness. Win or no win - either way, do your best.
Set personal performance goals. As we've been saying, winning is arbitrary and, in large part, out of your control. Set goals for yourself: In a downhill, lay off your brakes through the tricky rock section; in a cross-country, maintain 176 beats per minute on the climbs; in an enduro, pace yourself to finish the entire weekend strong. Whether you win or not, judge yourself by how well you met your goals. But keep in mind that this is racing. Keep striving to do better. Otherwise, go for a fun ride and save the entry fee.
Pick the right class. Racing is a great opportunity to compare yourself with other riders of the same caliber. The best racing class for you depends on your reasons for racing. If you want a challenge, race in a class that lets you ride fun courses with riders who will push you. For the most intense competition, race in a class that you have a chance, but no guarantee, of winning. There's nothing as exciting as battling it out with close competitors. Losing makes you hungry, and winning is definitely something to be proud of. If you must destroy other people to feel good about yourself, go ahead and stay in an easy class. Enjoy your five overall titles in Beginner 30-34; then move on to destroy Beginner 35-39. But be warned: There is a special hell for sandbaggers, and your competitors will try to send you there.
Use your losses.Learn from your mistakes. In a way, second place is more exciting than first place. When you win, you feel good and there are no excuses, but you start wondering about where to go from there. When you take a close second (or third or eighty-seventh or whatever), you get really hungry and hypermotivated to do better next time. The drive toward improvement is much more powerful than the satisfaction of accomplishment.
Have fun! Bobbi Watt, post-crash, filthy and stoked to be riding.
Get Into the Racing Zone
Before their race, some riders get excited and talkative. Others get quiet and reflective. Downhill, slalom, 4x, BMX, and enduro legend Jared Graves does the latter.
You've heard all types of competitors talk about getting into the zone. The zone is like the state of flow (see Find a State of Flow in chapter 13),only it's more intense. You've blocked out everything but what you need to win the race. There are good riders - people who flow smoothly while they're out playing with their buddies, but who crumble under pressure - and there are good racers - those who can reach the zone and drop the hammer on command. Brian is one of the best ever. Here are some tips to help you reach the racing zone.
Visualize. This is the key to a great performance. Imagine yourself having a great race. Fill in as much detail as you can - sights, sounds, sensations. Run your race in real time. Imagine what you'll do if you get off line or get passed. If you imagine something in enough detail, it's as if your brain is practicing in real life.
Before the start of the 1993 Mammoth Kamikaze, Missy Giove sat by herself on a rock outcropping, pedaling with her hands and leaning into each corner, imagining every detail of the race course. The phrase "If you can see it, you can be it" is usually true. The phrase "If you can't see it, you can't be it" is always true.
Save
Save
Save
Learn more about Mastering Mountain Bike Skills, Third Edition.
Gain speed with a Kung Fu Power Wheelie
Because you’re that kind of person, you’re riding back up the descent you just shredded down. Smooth, easy power is your style, and this climb is so easy. But there’s that boulder, and you don’t have enough speed to coast over it.
Because you're that kind of person, you're riding back up the descent you just shredded down. Smooth, easy power is your style, and this climb is so easy. But there's that boulder, and you don't have enough speed to coast over it. No matter: You stay seated until the last moment, uncork a power wheelie up the face, then pump down the backside. Wait a second . . . did you actually gain speed over that boulder? Yep, you sure did.
The rules:
- Gaze softly beyond The Thing With No Name. Let your peripheral vision do its job.
- Approach in the saddle, in a moderate gear. Lee prefers a 1:1 gear (e.g., 28 × 28 or 30 × 30) for this sort of thing.
- Right before you reach the thing, uncork a power stroke. Simultaneously:
- Drive your hips forward.
- Stand tall into the pedal.
- Anchor back with your arms.
- While staying perfectly balanced on your feet! Yeah it's tricky. That's why this is a Kung Fu Power Wheelie not a Schmucky Weak Wheelie.
Feel the opposition between your hands and feet. The more tension you create through your core, the more power you'll have.
- As soon as your front wheel reaches the top of the thing, hinge back and push your front wheel over the other side. Your butt drives back. Hands drive forward. Bam! This pushes the bike down the other side while keeping you balanced.
This is an awesomely useful trick when climbing technical mountains and managing flat, convoluted swamps. When the thing is tall and vertical, you can get the rear wheel higher by popping with your legs at the end of your power stroke. Start simple and work your way up.
When Should You Start Your Kung Fu Power Wheelie?
When you hit the thing? Before you hit the thing? How far before the thing?
The simple answer:
- Do it way sooner than you're doing it now. If your front tire smashes into the thing while you're power stroking, that's a clear sign of tardiness. Ideally, you'll start your power stroke as your power pedal crosses 12 o'clock.
- If you're in a 1:1 gear, your bike will travel about 2.5 feet (76 cm) in a quarter-stroke.
- You want your pedals to be level as your front wheel reaches the top of the thing. This reduces the chance of pedal strike, and it gives you more leg pop in case you want to get over something vertical.
- Start your Kung Fu Power Wheelie about 2.5 feet (76 cm) before you hit the thing. Yep, that soon.
Before you go to Moab, UT, get your kung fu power wheelie on lockdown. Brian demonstrates this move, which makes technical rock climbing kinda fun.
Learn more about Mastering Mountain Bike Skills, Third Edition.
Master these pedaling drills
You can get fancier and infinitely more complicated drills, but these are our favorite drills for improving pedal stroke. Do these on the trainer and on the road while you’re learning (what else is going on?); then, try to fit them into your trail rides.
You can get fancier and infinitely more complicated drills, but these are our favorite drills for improving pedal stroke. Do these on the trainer and on the road while you're learning (what else is going on?); then, try to fit them into your trail rides. When you start feeling miserable on a climb, this is a great thing to focus on.
Start in the saddle. When you can do these moves sitting, practice them standing.
Drill 1: Push Across the Top
When you push the pedal across the top of the stroke, you start the power phase earlier, and you erase the dead zone at the bottom of the other pedal. Both are good things.
If you want to push your pedal forward, you need to get your foot behind the pedal. You do this by dropping your heel.
- As the pedal passes 9 o'clock, start dropping your heel with the goal of pushing across the top of the stroke.
- Visualize getting your heel below the pedal spindle before 12 o'clock so you can push forward. This probably will never happen, but it's a great goal and a useful visualization.
- Push as soon as you can! Then, push sooner. Use your butt (aka glutes) as much as you can.
- Strive to have your heel lowest at 3 o'clock.
This is the A-1 best, most effective pedaling drill. Master it!
Note: The harder the gear and the slower your cadence, the more heel drop you'll use (and need). Play with different speeds.
When you can consistently drop your heel across the top of the stroke, you're ready for . . .
Drill 2: Extend to the Bottom
From about 3 o'clock to 6 o'clock, your pedal is traveling backward. If you pay attention to your current pedaling at this phase, you'll probably notice that you're pushing the pedal forward. This is a huge waste of energy!
Your goal: Get your foot in front of the pedal, and push the pedal backward to the bottom of the stroke. You do this by pointing your toes.
- As soon as the pedal crosses 3 o'clock, start extending your ankle (pointing your toes).
- Keep extending until 6 o'clock. At this point your toe should be at its lowest point.
- Your heel continues to rise from 6 to 9 o'clock, but that is a function of your knee bending. The main toe-pointing action happens between 3 and 6 o'clock.
This is tricky! Strive for zero down pressure at the bottom of the stroke. You know it's right when the pedal moves backward smoothly and easily. When you can reliably extend your foot into the bottom of the stroke, you're ready for . . .
Drill 3: Both at the Same Time
This is so technically demanding that it's hard to even talk about. Lee has been working on this for years, and this winter, it finally clicked in a big way. As a result, his climbing reached the next level of eternally reduced suckage.
- While one foot is extending, drop the opposite heel.
- While one heel is dropping, extend the opposite foot.
Whoa, man , too much! Feel the opposition. Use the energy of the extending foot to help lift the opposite pedal and drop the opposite heel. Teach your feet to work at the same time. Start at low rpm and work your way up.
This is crazy-insanely-ridiculously tricky! But, it'll help you pedal more smoothly and more powerfully, especially when you're pushing a hard gear out of the saddle.
You don't need to focus on the middle of the power phase.You already know how to mash the pedals down. If you practice the beginning and the end of your power phase, you'll make your power stroke longer and more powerful. You will suck less at pedaling. Heck, you might get great at it!
Save
Learn more about Mastering Mountain Bike Skills, Third Edition.
Learn the mental and emotional skills needed to win
There is a 0.1 percent chance you might beat Brian physically, but there’s a 0.00001 percent chance you’ll beat him mentally. That’s why he has done so much winning over so many decades.
There is a 0.1 percent chance you might beat Brian physically, but there's a 0.00001 percent chance you'll beat him mentally. That's why he has done so much winning over so many decades.
In any competitive class, a handful of people have the physical strength and skills to win. To win, you need the emotional and mental skills to hold it together throughout the race. Here are some tips to make you as stony as a statue.
Race for the Right Reasons
Competition can stoke youand inspire you to new greatness, or it can bum you out and spoil you on riding. The determining factor isn't whether you win or lose the race; it's how you perform in relation to your expectations and goals.
We enter races for a myriad of reasons: to wield our powers against others; to see how we stand against the best; to make a living; to challenge ourselves; to ride as fast as we want on fun courses; to travel to cool places; to bash elbows with our buddies; to commune with the racing tribe; to validate the time, money, and energy we put into our sport; and for some of us, to validate ourselves as riders.
Before you reach the starting line, take the time to figure out what, exactly, you expect to get from the experience. By setting clear expectations, you'll know what to strive for, and you'll know how to measure your success. Here are some things to keep in mind:
Why is more powerful than what. Think about the reasons you race. Whether you race for self-improvement (good reason) or to destroy other people (not such a good reason), your fundamental goal will drive you through the inevitable difficulties - and successes.
Enjoy the process. Riding (and living) is a never-ending process of increasing your strength and your skills. When you become serious about racing, you dedicate yourself to the process of finishing higher and higher in more challenging events and, eventually, in higher classes. Just as learning to jump a 10-foot (3 m) double is a step on the way to jumping a 12-footer (3.7 m), then a 15-footer (4.6 m), and on and on until the requirements outweigh the rewards, earning eighty-seventh place is a step toward tenth place, then third, then first, and then up to a harder class. Write down your racing goals and keep track of your progress. When you feel defeated or question your motives, your racing log will keep you motivated. Remember: Keep striving to improve, but enjoy where you are and take the time to appreciate what you've already accomplished.
Remember: It's only bike racing. What? Blasphemy! After you strip away your ego, winning a race means only this: You were the fastest or first rider on that day, in those conditions, among that specific group of racers. Lee won a Pump Track World Championshipwhen Brian wasn't there. That doesn't mean much.
Anything - different terrain, weather, racers, or luck - could have dropped you to number 2. Shoot, if you were in a higher class, you might have beeneighty-seventh! In racing (and in life) you can control only yourself - and then sometimes only barely. Try not to worry about things that are outside your control. If someone flats and you move up a spot, don't be too proud of yourself. In the same way, if a competitor makes a clever move and you fall a spot, don't be too bummed.
If you believe the old No Fear T-shirt that said "Second place is the first loser," you are in for a world of pain.
Have reasonable expectations. The most reasonable expectation is "I will do my best," whatever that means to you. For most people (except Brian), the most unreasonable expectation is "I will win." If you expect to win all the time, expect to be disappointed much of the time. In a time-trial event, you have no influence on other people's runs. If they are fitter, better skilled, cleverer, or ride in faster conditions, they might beat you. Do everything you can to ensure a good time, but in the end realize that times are what they are: just times. Racing head-to-head is even more complicated. You can get beaten because of a crash, a clever pass, superior fitness, or mental toughness. Win or no win - either way, do your best.
Set personal performance goals. As we've been saying, winning is arbitrary and, in large part, out of your control. Set goals for yourself: In a downhill, lay off your brakes through the tricky rock section; in a cross-country, maintain 176 beats per minute on the climbs; in an enduro, pace yourself to finish the entire weekend strong. Whether you win or not, judge yourself by how well you met your goals. But keep in mind that this is racing. Keep striving to do better. Otherwise, go for a fun ride and save the entry fee.
Pick the right class. Racing is a great opportunity to compare yourself with other riders of the same caliber. The best racing class for you depends on your reasons for racing. If you want a challenge, race in a class that lets you ride fun courses with riders who will push you. For the most intense competition, race in a class that you have a chance, but no guarantee, of winning. There's nothing as exciting as battling it out with close competitors. Losing makes you hungry, and winning is definitely something to be proud of. If you must destroy other people to feel good about yourself, go ahead and stay in an easy class. Enjoy your five overall titles in Beginner 30-34; then move on to destroy Beginner 35-39. But be warned: There is a special hell for sandbaggers, and your competitors will try to send you there.
Use your losses.Learn from your mistakes. In a way, second place is more exciting than first place. When you win, you feel good and there are no excuses, but you start wondering about where to go from there. When you take a close second (or third or eighty-seventh or whatever), you get really hungry and hypermotivated to do better next time. The drive toward improvement is much more powerful than the satisfaction of accomplishment.
Have fun! Bobbi Watt, post-crash, filthy and stoked to be riding.
Get Into the Racing Zone
Before their race, some riders get excited and talkative. Others get quiet and reflective. Downhill, slalom, 4x, BMX, and enduro legend Jared Graves does the latter.
You've heard all types of competitors talk about getting into the zone. The zone is like the state of flow (see Find a State of Flow in chapter 13),only it's more intense. You've blocked out everything but what you need to win the race. There are good riders - people who flow smoothly while they're out playing with their buddies, but who crumble under pressure - and there are good racers - those who can reach the zone and drop the hammer on command. Brian is one of the best ever. Here are some tips to help you reach the racing zone.
Visualize. This is the key to a great performance. Imagine yourself having a great race. Fill in as much detail as you can - sights, sounds, sensations. Run your race in real time. Imagine what you'll do if you get off line or get passed. If you imagine something in enough detail, it's as if your brain is practicing in real life.
Before the start of the 1993 Mammoth Kamikaze, Missy Giove sat by herself on a rock outcropping, pedaling with her hands and leaning into each corner, imagining every detail of the race course. The phrase "If you can see it, you can be it" is usually true. The phrase "If you can't see it, you can't be it" is always true.
Save
Save
Save
Learn more about Mastering Mountain Bike Skills, Third Edition.
Gain speed with a Kung Fu Power Wheelie
Because you’re that kind of person, you’re riding back up the descent you just shredded down. Smooth, easy power is your style, and this climb is so easy. But there’s that boulder, and you don’t have enough speed to coast over it.
Because you're that kind of person, you're riding back up the descent you just shredded down. Smooth, easy power is your style, and this climb is so easy. But there's that boulder, and you don't have enough speed to coast over it. No matter: You stay seated until the last moment, uncork a power wheelie up the face, then pump down the backside. Wait a second . . . did you actually gain speed over that boulder? Yep, you sure did.
The rules:
- Gaze softly beyond The Thing With No Name. Let your peripheral vision do its job.
- Approach in the saddle, in a moderate gear. Lee prefers a 1:1 gear (e.g., 28 × 28 or 30 × 30) for this sort of thing.
- Right before you reach the thing, uncork a power stroke. Simultaneously:
- Drive your hips forward.
- Stand tall into the pedal.
- Anchor back with your arms.
- While staying perfectly balanced on your feet! Yeah it's tricky. That's why this is a Kung Fu Power Wheelie not a Schmucky Weak Wheelie.
Feel the opposition between your hands and feet. The more tension you create through your core, the more power you'll have.
- As soon as your front wheel reaches the top of the thing, hinge back and push your front wheel over the other side. Your butt drives back. Hands drive forward. Bam! This pushes the bike down the other side while keeping you balanced.
This is an awesomely useful trick when climbing technical mountains and managing flat, convoluted swamps. When the thing is tall and vertical, you can get the rear wheel higher by popping with your legs at the end of your power stroke. Start simple and work your way up.
When Should You Start Your Kung Fu Power Wheelie?
When you hit the thing? Before you hit the thing? How far before the thing?
The simple answer:
- Do it way sooner than you're doing it now. If your front tire smashes into the thing while you're power stroking, that's a clear sign of tardiness. Ideally, you'll start your power stroke as your power pedal crosses 12 o'clock.
- If you're in a 1:1 gear, your bike will travel about 2.5 feet (76 cm) in a quarter-stroke.
- You want your pedals to be level as your front wheel reaches the top of the thing. This reduces the chance of pedal strike, and it gives you more leg pop in case you want to get over something vertical.
- Start your Kung Fu Power Wheelie about 2.5 feet (76 cm) before you hit the thing. Yep, that soon.
Before you go to Moab, UT, get your kung fu power wheelie on lockdown. Brian demonstrates this move, which makes technical rock climbing kinda fun.
Learn more about Mastering Mountain Bike Skills, Third Edition.
Master these pedaling drills
You can get fancier and infinitely more complicated drills, but these are our favorite drills for improving pedal stroke. Do these on the trainer and on the road while you’re learning (what else is going on?); then, try to fit them into your trail rides.
You can get fancier and infinitely more complicated drills, but these are our favorite drills for improving pedal stroke. Do these on the trainer and on the road while you're learning (what else is going on?); then, try to fit them into your trail rides. When you start feeling miserable on a climb, this is a great thing to focus on.
Start in the saddle. When you can do these moves sitting, practice them standing.
Drill 1: Push Across the Top
When you push the pedal across the top of the stroke, you start the power phase earlier, and you erase the dead zone at the bottom of the other pedal. Both are good things.
If you want to push your pedal forward, you need to get your foot behind the pedal. You do this by dropping your heel.
- As the pedal passes 9 o'clock, start dropping your heel with the goal of pushing across the top of the stroke.
- Visualize getting your heel below the pedal spindle before 12 o'clock so you can push forward. This probably will never happen, but it's a great goal and a useful visualization.
- Push as soon as you can! Then, push sooner. Use your butt (aka glutes) as much as you can.
- Strive to have your heel lowest at 3 o'clock.
This is the A-1 best, most effective pedaling drill. Master it!
Note: The harder the gear and the slower your cadence, the more heel drop you'll use (and need). Play with different speeds.
When you can consistently drop your heel across the top of the stroke, you're ready for . . .
Drill 2: Extend to the Bottom
From about 3 o'clock to 6 o'clock, your pedal is traveling backward. If you pay attention to your current pedaling at this phase, you'll probably notice that you're pushing the pedal forward. This is a huge waste of energy!
Your goal: Get your foot in front of the pedal, and push the pedal backward to the bottom of the stroke. You do this by pointing your toes.
- As soon as the pedal crosses 3 o'clock, start extending your ankle (pointing your toes).
- Keep extending until 6 o'clock. At this point your toe should be at its lowest point.
- Your heel continues to rise from 6 to 9 o'clock, but that is a function of your knee bending. The main toe-pointing action happens between 3 and 6 o'clock.
This is tricky! Strive for zero down pressure at the bottom of the stroke. You know it's right when the pedal moves backward smoothly and easily. When you can reliably extend your foot into the bottom of the stroke, you're ready for . . .
Drill 3: Both at the Same Time
This is so technically demanding that it's hard to even talk about. Lee has been working on this for years, and this winter, it finally clicked in a big way. As a result, his climbing reached the next level of eternally reduced suckage.
- While one foot is extending, drop the opposite heel.
- While one heel is dropping, extend the opposite foot.
Whoa, man , too much! Feel the opposition. Use the energy of the extending foot to help lift the opposite pedal and drop the opposite heel. Teach your feet to work at the same time. Start at low rpm and work your way up.
This is crazy-insanely-ridiculously tricky! But, it'll help you pedal more smoothly and more powerfully, especially when you're pushing a hard gear out of the saddle.
You don't need to focus on the middle of the power phase.You already know how to mash the pedals down. If you practice the beginning and the end of your power phase, you'll make your power stroke longer and more powerful. You will suck less at pedaling. Heck, you might get great at it!
Save
Learn more about Mastering Mountain Bike Skills, Third Edition.
Learn the mental and emotional skills needed to win
There is a 0.1 percent chance you might beat Brian physically, but there’s a 0.00001 percent chance you’ll beat him mentally. That’s why he has done so much winning over so many decades.
There is a 0.1 percent chance you might beat Brian physically, but there's a 0.00001 percent chance you'll beat him mentally. That's why he has done so much winning over so many decades.
In any competitive class, a handful of people have the physical strength and skills to win. To win, you need the emotional and mental skills to hold it together throughout the race. Here are some tips to make you as stony as a statue.
Race for the Right Reasons
Competition can stoke youand inspire you to new greatness, or it can bum you out and spoil you on riding. The determining factor isn't whether you win or lose the race; it's how you perform in relation to your expectations and goals.
We enter races for a myriad of reasons: to wield our powers against others; to see how we stand against the best; to make a living; to challenge ourselves; to ride as fast as we want on fun courses; to travel to cool places; to bash elbows with our buddies; to commune with the racing tribe; to validate the time, money, and energy we put into our sport; and for some of us, to validate ourselves as riders.
Before you reach the starting line, take the time to figure out what, exactly, you expect to get from the experience. By setting clear expectations, you'll know what to strive for, and you'll know how to measure your success. Here are some things to keep in mind:
Why is more powerful than what. Think about the reasons you race. Whether you race for self-improvement (good reason) or to destroy other people (not such a good reason), your fundamental goal will drive you through the inevitable difficulties - and successes.
Enjoy the process. Riding (and living) is a never-ending process of increasing your strength and your skills. When you become serious about racing, you dedicate yourself to the process of finishing higher and higher in more challenging events and, eventually, in higher classes. Just as learning to jump a 10-foot (3 m) double is a step on the way to jumping a 12-footer (3.7 m), then a 15-footer (4.6 m), and on and on until the requirements outweigh the rewards, earning eighty-seventh place is a step toward tenth place, then third, then first, and then up to a harder class. Write down your racing goals and keep track of your progress. When you feel defeated or question your motives, your racing log will keep you motivated. Remember: Keep striving to improve, but enjoy where you are and take the time to appreciate what you've already accomplished.
Remember: It's only bike racing. What? Blasphemy! After you strip away your ego, winning a race means only this: You were the fastest or first rider on that day, in those conditions, among that specific group of racers. Lee won a Pump Track World Championshipwhen Brian wasn't there. That doesn't mean much.
Anything - different terrain, weather, racers, or luck - could have dropped you to number 2. Shoot, if you were in a higher class, you might have beeneighty-seventh! In racing (and in life) you can control only yourself - and then sometimes only barely. Try not to worry about things that are outside your control. If someone flats and you move up a spot, don't be too proud of yourself. In the same way, if a competitor makes a clever move and you fall a spot, don't be too bummed.
If you believe the old No Fear T-shirt that said "Second place is the first loser," you are in for a world of pain.
Have reasonable expectations. The most reasonable expectation is "I will do my best," whatever that means to you. For most people (except Brian), the most unreasonable expectation is "I will win." If you expect to win all the time, expect to be disappointed much of the time. In a time-trial event, you have no influence on other people's runs. If they are fitter, better skilled, cleverer, or ride in faster conditions, they might beat you. Do everything you can to ensure a good time, but in the end realize that times are what they are: just times. Racing head-to-head is even more complicated. You can get beaten because of a crash, a clever pass, superior fitness, or mental toughness. Win or no win - either way, do your best.
Set personal performance goals. As we've been saying, winning is arbitrary and, in large part, out of your control. Set goals for yourself: In a downhill, lay off your brakes through the tricky rock section; in a cross-country, maintain 176 beats per minute on the climbs; in an enduro, pace yourself to finish the entire weekend strong. Whether you win or not, judge yourself by how well you met your goals. But keep in mind that this is racing. Keep striving to do better. Otherwise, go for a fun ride and save the entry fee.
Pick the right class. Racing is a great opportunity to compare yourself with other riders of the same caliber. The best racing class for you depends on your reasons for racing. If you want a challenge, race in a class that lets you ride fun courses with riders who will push you. For the most intense competition, race in a class that you have a chance, but no guarantee, of winning. There's nothing as exciting as battling it out with close competitors. Losing makes you hungry, and winning is definitely something to be proud of. If you must destroy other people to feel good about yourself, go ahead and stay in an easy class. Enjoy your five overall titles in Beginner 30-34; then move on to destroy Beginner 35-39. But be warned: There is a special hell for sandbaggers, and your competitors will try to send you there.
Use your losses.Learn from your mistakes. In a way, second place is more exciting than first place. When you win, you feel good and there are no excuses, but you start wondering about where to go from there. When you take a close second (or third or eighty-seventh or whatever), you get really hungry and hypermotivated to do better next time. The drive toward improvement is much more powerful than the satisfaction of accomplishment.
Have fun! Bobbi Watt, post-crash, filthy and stoked to be riding.
Get Into the Racing Zone
Before their race, some riders get excited and talkative. Others get quiet and reflective. Downhill, slalom, 4x, BMX, and enduro legend Jared Graves does the latter.
You've heard all types of competitors talk about getting into the zone. The zone is like the state of flow (see Find a State of Flow in chapter 13),only it's more intense. You've blocked out everything but what you need to win the race. There are good riders - people who flow smoothly while they're out playing with their buddies, but who crumble under pressure - and there are good racers - those who can reach the zone and drop the hammer on command. Brian is one of the best ever. Here are some tips to help you reach the racing zone.
Visualize. This is the key to a great performance. Imagine yourself having a great race. Fill in as much detail as you can - sights, sounds, sensations. Run your race in real time. Imagine what you'll do if you get off line or get passed. If you imagine something in enough detail, it's as if your brain is practicing in real life.
Before the start of the 1993 Mammoth Kamikaze, Missy Giove sat by herself on a rock outcropping, pedaling with her hands and leaning into each corner, imagining every detail of the race course. The phrase "If you can see it, you can be it" is usually true. The phrase "If you can't see it, you can't be it" is always true.
Save
Save
Save
Learn more about Mastering Mountain Bike Skills, Third Edition.
Gain speed with a Kung Fu Power Wheelie
Because you’re that kind of person, you’re riding back up the descent you just shredded down. Smooth, easy power is your style, and this climb is so easy. But there’s that boulder, and you don’t have enough speed to coast over it.
Because you're that kind of person, you're riding back up the descent you just shredded down. Smooth, easy power is your style, and this climb is so easy. But there's that boulder, and you don't have enough speed to coast over it. No matter: You stay seated until the last moment, uncork a power wheelie up the face, then pump down the backside. Wait a second . . . did you actually gain speed over that boulder? Yep, you sure did.
The rules:
- Gaze softly beyond The Thing With No Name. Let your peripheral vision do its job.
- Approach in the saddle, in a moderate gear. Lee prefers a 1:1 gear (e.g., 28 × 28 or 30 × 30) for this sort of thing.
- Right before you reach the thing, uncork a power stroke. Simultaneously:
- Drive your hips forward.
- Stand tall into the pedal.
- Anchor back with your arms.
- While staying perfectly balanced on your feet! Yeah it's tricky. That's why this is a Kung Fu Power Wheelie not a Schmucky Weak Wheelie.
Feel the opposition between your hands and feet. The more tension you create through your core, the more power you'll have.
- As soon as your front wheel reaches the top of the thing, hinge back and push your front wheel over the other side. Your butt drives back. Hands drive forward. Bam! This pushes the bike down the other side while keeping you balanced.
This is an awesomely useful trick when climbing technical mountains and managing flat, convoluted swamps. When the thing is tall and vertical, you can get the rear wheel higher by popping with your legs at the end of your power stroke. Start simple and work your way up.
When Should You Start Your Kung Fu Power Wheelie?
When you hit the thing? Before you hit the thing? How far before the thing?
The simple answer:
- Do it way sooner than you're doing it now. If your front tire smashes into the thing while you're power stroking, that's a clear sign of tardiness. Ideally, you'll start your power stroke as your power pedal crosses 12 o'clock.
- If you're in a 1:1 gear, your bike will travel about 2.5 feet (76 cm) in a quarter-stroke.
- You want your pedals to be level as your front wheel reaches the top of the thing. This reduces the chance of pedal strike, and it gives you more leg pop in case you want to get over something vertical.
- Start your Kung Fu Power Wheelie about 2.5 feet (76 cm) before you hit the thing. Yep, that soon.
Before you go to Moab, UT, get your kung fu power wheelie on lockdown. Brian demonstrates this move, which makes technical rock climbing kinda fun.
Learn more about Mastering Mountain Bike Skills, Third Edition.
Master these pedaling drills
You can get fancier and infinitely more complicated drills, but these are our favorite drills for improving pedal stroke. Do these on the trainer and on the road while you’re learning (what else is going on?); then, try to fit them into your trail rides.
You can get fancier and infinitely more complicated drills, but these are our favorite drills for improving pedal stroke. Do these on the trainer and on the road while you're learning (what else is going on?); then, try to fit them into your trail rides. When you start feeling miserable on a climb, this is a great thing to focus on.
Start in the saddle. When you can do these moves sitting, practice them standing.
Drill 1: Push Across the Top
When you push the pedal across the top of the stroke, you start the power phase earlier, and you erase the dead zone at the bottom of the other pedal. Both are good things.
If you want to push your pedal forward, you need to get your foot behind the pedal. You do this by dropping your heel.
- As the pedal passes 9 o'clock, start dropping your heel with the goal of pushing across the top of the stroke.
- Visualize getting your heel below the pedal spindle before 12 o'clock so you can push forward. This probably will never happen, but it's a great goal and a useful visualization.
- Push as soon as you can! Then, push sooner. Use your butt (aka glutes) as much as you can.
- Strive to have your heel lowest at 3 o'clock.
This is the A-1 best, most effective pedaling drill. Master it!
Note: The harder the gear and the slower your cadence, the more heel drop you'll use (and need). Play with different speeds.
When you can consistently drop your heel across the top of the stroke, you're ready for . . .
Drill 2: Extend to the Bottom
From about 3 o'clock to 6 o'clock, your pedal is traveling backward. If you pay attention to your current pedaling at this phase, you'll probably notice that you're pushing the pedal forward. This is a huge waste of energy!
Your goal: Get your foot in front of the pedal, and push the pedal backward to the bottom of the stroke. You do this by pointing your toes.
- As soon as the pedal crosses 3 o'clock, start extending your ankle (pointing your toes).
- Keep extending until 6 o'clock. At this point your toe should be at its lowest point.
- Your heel continues to rise from 6 to 9 o'clock, but that is a function of your knee bending. The main toe-pointing action happens between 3 and 6 o'clock.
This is tricky! Strive for zero down pressure at the bottom of the stroke. You know it's right when the pedal moves backward smoothly and easily. When you can reliably extend your foot into the bottom of the stroke, you're ready for . . .
Drill 3: Both at the Same Time
This is so technically demanding that it's hard to even talk about. Lee has been working on this for years, and this winter, it finally clicked in a big way. As a result, his climbing reached the next level of eternally reduced suckage.
- While one foot is extending, drop the opposite heel.
- While one heel is dropping, extend the opposite foot.
Whoa, man , too much! Feel the opposition. Use the energy of the extending foot to help lift the opposite pedal and drop the opposite heel. Teach your feet to work at the same time. Start at low rpm and work your way up.
This is crazy-insanely-ridiculously tricky! But, it'll help you pedal more smoothly and more powerfully, especially when you're pushing a hard gear out of the saddle.
You don't need to focus on the middle of the power phase.You already know how to mash the pedals down. If you practice the beginning and the end of your power phase, you'll make your power stroke longer and more powerful. You will suck less at pedaling. Heck, you might get great at it!
Save
Learn more about Mastering Mountain Bike Skills, Third Edition.
Learn the mental and emotional skills needed to win
There is a 0.1 percent chance you might beat Brian physically, but there’s a 0.00001 percent chance you’ll beat him mentally. That’s why he has done so much winning over so many decades.
There is a 0.1 percent chance you might beat Brian physically, but there's a 0.00001 percent chance you'll beat him mentally. That's why he has done so much winning over so many decades.
In any competitive class, a handful of people have the physical strength and skills to win. To win, you need the emotional and mental skills to hold it together throughout the race. Here are some tips to make you as stony as a statue.
Race for the Right Reasons
Competition can stoke youand inspire you to new greatness, or it can bum you out and spoil you on riding. The determining factor isn't whether you win or lose the race; it's how you perform in relation to your expectations and goals.
We enter races for a myriad of reasons: to wield our powers against others; to see how we stand against the best; to make a living; to challenge ourselves; to ride as fast as we want on fun courses; to travel to cool places; to bash elbows with our buddies; to commune with the racing tribe; to validate the time, money, and energy we put into our sport; and for some of us, to validate ourselves as riders.
Before you reach the starting line, take the time to figure out what, exactly, you expect to get from the experience. By setting clear expectations, you'll know what to strive for, and you'll know how to measure your success. Here are some things to keep in mind:
Why is more powerful than what. Think about the reasons you race. Whether you race for self-improvement (good reason) or to destroy other people (not such a good reason), your fundamental goal will drive you through the inevitable difficulties - and successes.
Enjoy the process. Riding (and living) is a never-ending process of increasing your strength and your skills. When you become serious about racing, you dedicate yourself to the process of finishing higher and higher in more challenging events and, eventually, in higher classes. Just as learning to jump a 10-foot (3 m) double is a step on the way to jumping a 12-footer (3.7 m), then a 15-footer (4.6 m), and on and on until the requirements outweigh the rewards, earning eighty-seventh place is a step toward tenth place, then third, then first, and then up to a harder class. Write down your racing goals and keep track of your progress. When you feel defeated or question your motives, your racing log will keep you motivated. Remember: Keep striving to improve, but enjoy where you are and take the time to appreciate what you've already accomplished.
Remember: It's only bike racing. What? Blasphemy! After you strip away your ego, winning a race means only this: You were the fastest or first rider on that day, in those conditions, among that specific group of racers. Lee won a Pump Track World Championshipwhen Brian wasn't there. That doesn't mean much.
Anything - different terrain, weather, racers, or luck - could have dropped you to number 2. Shoot, if you were in a higher class, you might have beeneighty-seventh! In racing (and in life) you can control only yourself - and then sometimes only barely. Try not to worry about things that are outside your control. If someone flats and you move up a spot, don't be too proud of yourself. In the same way, if a competitor makes a clever move and you fall a spot, don't be too bummed.
If you believe the old No Fear T-shirt that said "Second place is the first loser," you are in for a world of pain.
Have reasonable expectations. The most reasonable expectation is "I will do my best," whatever that means to you. For most people (except Brian), the most unreasonable expectation is "I will win." If you expect to win all the time, expect to be disappointed much of the time. In a time-trial event, you have no influence on other people's runs. If they are fitter, better skilled, cleverer, or ride in faster conditions, they might beat you. Do everything you can to ensure a good time, but in the end realize that times are what they are: just times. Racing head-to-head is even more complicated. You can get beaten because of a crash, a clever pass, superior fitness, or mental toughness. Win or no win - either way, do your best.
Set personal performance goals. As we've been saying, winning is arbitrary and, in large part, out of your control. Set goals for yourself: In a downhill, lay off your brakes through the tricky rock section; in a cross-country, maintain 176 beats per minute on the climbs; in an enduro, pace yourself to finish the entire weekend strong. Whether you win or not, judge yourself by how well you met your goals. But keep in mind that this is racing. Keep striving to do better. Otherwise, go for a fun ride and save the entry fee.
Pick the right class. Racing is a great opportunity to compare yourself with other riders of the same caliber. The best racing class for you depends on your reasons for racing. If you want a challenge, race in a class that lets you ride fun courses with riders who will push you. For the most intense competition, race in a class that you have a chance, but no guarantee, of winning. There's nothing as exciting as battling it out with close competitors. Losing makes you hungry, and winning is definitely something to be proud of. If you must destroy other people to feel good about yourself, go ahead and stay in an easy class. Enjoy your five overall titles in Beginner 30-34; then move on to destroy Beginner 35-39. But be warned: There is a special hell for sandbaggers, and your competitors will try to send you there.
Use your losses.Learn from your mistakes. In a way, second place is more exciting than first place. When you win, you feel good and there are no excuses, but you start wondering about where to go from there. When you take a close second (or third or eighty-seventh or whatever), you get really hungry and hypermotivated to do better next time. The drive toward improvement is much more powerful than the satisfaction of accomplishment.
Have fun! Bobbi Watt, post-crash, filthy and stoked to be riding.
Get Into the Racing Zone
Before their race, some riders get excited and talkative. Others get quiet and reflective. Downhill, slalom, 4x, BMX, and enduro legend Jared Graves does the latter.
You've heard all types of competitors talk about getting into the zone. The zone is like the state of flow (see Find a State of Flow in chapter 13),only it's more intense. You've blocked out everything but what you need to win the race. There are good riders - people who flow smoothly while they're out playing with their buddies, but who crumble under pressure - and there are good racers - those who can reach the zone and drop the hammer on command. Brian is one of the best ever. Here are some tips to help you reach the racing zone.
Visualize. This is the key to a great performance. Imagine yourself having a great race. Fill in as much detail as you can - sights, sounds, sensations. Run your race in real time. Imagine what you'll do if you get off line or get passed. If you imagine something in enough detail, it's as if your brain is practicing in real life.
Before the start of the 1993 Mammoth Kamikaze, Missy Giove sat by herself on a rock outcropping, pedaling with her hands and leaning into each corner, imagining every detail of the race course. The phrase "If you can see it, you can be it" is usually true. The phrase "If you can't see it, you can't be it" is always true.
Save
Save
Save
Learn more about Mastering Mountain Bike Skills, Third Edition.
Gain speed with a Kung Fu Power Wheelie
Because you’re that kind of person, you’re riding back up the descent you just shredded down. Smooth, easy power is your style, and this climb is so easy. But there’s that boulder, and you don’t have enough speed to coast over it.
Because you're that kind of person, you're riding back up the descent you just shredded down. Smooth, easy power is your style, and this climb is so easy. But there's that boulder, and you don't have enough speed to coast over it. No matter: You stay seated until the last moment, uncork a power wheelie up the face, then pump down the backside. Wait a second . . . did you actually gain speed over that boulder? Yep, you sure did.
The rules:
- Gaze softly beyond The Thing With No Name. Let your peripheral vision do its job.
- Approach in the saddle, in a moderate gear. Lee prefers a 1:1 gear (e.g., 28 × 28 or 30 × 30) for this sort of thing.
- Right before you reach the thing, uncork a power stroke. Simultaneously:
- Drive your hips forward.
- Stand tall into the pedal.
- Anchor back with your arms.
- While staying perfectly balanced on your feet! Yeah it's tricky. That's why this is a Kung Fu Power Wheelie not a Schmucky Weak Wheelie.
Feel the opposition between your hands and feet. The more tension you create through your core, the more power you'll have.
- As soon as your front wheel reaches the top of the thing, hinge back and push your front wheel over the other side. Your butt drives back. Hands drive forward. Bam! This pushes the bike down the other side while keeping you balanced.
This is an awesomely useful trick when climbing technical mountains and managing flat, convoluted swamps. When the thing is tall and vertical, you can get the rear wheel higher by popping with your legs at the end of your power stroke. Start simple and work your way up.
When Should You Start Your Kung Fu Power Wheelie?
When you hit the thing? Before you hit the thing? How far before the thing?
The simple answer:
- Do it way sooner than you're doing it now. If your front tire smashes into the thing while you're power stroking, that's a clear sign of tardiness. Ideally, you'll start your power stroke as your power pedal crosses 12 o'clock.
- If you're in a 1:1 gear, your bike will travel about 2.5 feet (76 cm) in a quarter-stroke.
- You want your pedals to be level as your front wheel reaches the top of the thing. This reduces the chance of pedal strike, and it gives you more leg pop in case you want to get over something vertical.
- Start your Kung Fu Power Wheelie about 2.5 feet (76 cm) before you hit the thing. Yep, that soon.
Before you go to Moab, UT, get your kung fu power wheelie on lockdown. Brian demonstrates this move, which makes technical rock climbing kinda fun.
Learn more about Mastering Mountain Bike Skills, Third Edition.
Master these pedaling drills
You can get fancier and infinitely more complicated drills, but these are our favorite drills for improving pedal stroke. Do these on the trainer and on the road while you’re learning (what else is going on?); then, try to fit them into your trail rides.
You can get fancier and infinitely more complicated drills, but these are our favorite drills for improving pedal stroke. Do these on the trainer and on the road while you're learning (what else is going on?); then, try to fit them into your trail rides. When you start feeling miserable on a climb, this is a great thing to focus on.
Start in the saddle. When you can do these moves sitting, practice them standing.
Drill 1: Push Across the Top
When you push the pedal across the top of the stroke, you start the power phase earlier, and you erase the dead zone at the bottom of the other pedal. Both are good things.
If you want to push your pedal forward, you need to get your foot behind the pedal. You do this by dropping your heel.
- As the pedal passes 9 o'clock, start dropping your heel with the goal of pushing across the top of the stroke.
- Visualize getting your heel below the pedal spindle before 12 o'clock so you can push forward. This probably will never happen, but it's a great goal and a useful visualization.
- Push as soon as you can! Then, push sooner. Use your butt (aka glutes) as much as you can.
- Strive to have your heel lowest at 3 o'clock.
This is the A-1 best, most effective pedaling drill. Master it!
Note: The harder the gear and the slower your cadence, the more heel drop you'll use (and need). Play with different speeds.
When you can consistently drop your heel across the top of the stroke, you're ready for . . .
Drill 2: Extend to the Bottom
From about 3 o'clock to 6 o'clock, your pedal is traveling backward. If you pay attention to your current pedaling at this phase, you'll probably notice that you're pushing the pedal forward. This is a huge waste of energy!
Your goal: Get your foot in front of the pedal, and push the pedal backward to the bottom of the stroke. You do this by pointing your toes.
- As soon as the pedal crosses 3 o'clock, start extending your ankle (pointing your toes).
- Keep extending until 6 o'clock. At this point your toe should be at its lowest point.
- Your heel continues to rise from 6 to 9 o'clock, but that is a function of your knee bending. The main toe-pointing action happens between 3 and 6 o'clock.
This is tricky! Strive for zero down pressure at the bottom of the stroke. You know it's right when the pedal moves backward smoothly and easily. When you can reliably extend your foot into the bottom of the stroke, you're ready for . . .
Drill 3: Both at the Same Time
This is so technically demanding that it's hard to even talk about. Lee has been working on this for years, and this winter, it finally clicked in a big way. As a result, his climbing reached the next level of eternally reduced suckage.
- While one foot is extending, drop the opposite heel.
- While one heel is dropping, extend the opposite foot.
Whoa, man , too much! Feel the opposition. Use the energy of the extending foot to help lift the opposite pedal and drop the opposite heel. Teach your feet to work at the same time. Start at low rpm and work your way up.
This is crazy-insanely-ridiculously tricky! But, it'll help you pedal more smoothly and more powerfully, especially when you're pushing a hard gear out of the saddle.
You don't need to focus on the middle of the power phase.You already know how to mash the pedals down. If you practice the beginning and the end of your power phase, you'll make your power stroke longer and more powerful. You will suck less at pedaling. Heck, you might get great at it!
Save
Learn more about Mastering Mountain Bike Skills, Third Edition.
Learn the mental and emotional skills needed to win
There is a 0.1 percent chance you might beat Brian physically, but there’s a 0.00001 percent chance you’ll beat him mentally. That’s why he has done so much winning over so many decades.
There is a 0.1 percent chance you might beat Brian physically, but there's a 0.00001 percent chance you'll beat him mentally. That's why he has done so much winning over so many decades.
In any competitive class, a handful of people have the physical strength and skills to win. To win, you need the emotional and mental skills to hold it together throughout the race. Here are some tips to make you as stony as a statue.
Race for the Right Reasons
Competition can stoke youand inspire you to new greatness, or it can bum you out and spoil you on riding. The determining factor isn't whether you win or lose the race; it's how you perform in relation to your expectations and goals.
We enter races for a myriad of reasons: to wield our powers against others; to see how we stand against the best; to make a living; to challenge ourselves; to ride as fast as we want on fun courses; to travel to cool places; to bash elbows with our buddies; to commune with the racing tribe; to validate the time, money, and energy we put into our sport; and for some of us, to validate ourselves as riders.
Before you reach the starting line, take the time to figure out what, exactly, you expect to get from the experience. By setting clear expectations, you'll know what to strive for, and you'll know how to measure your success. Here are some things to keep in mind:
Why is more powerful than what. Think about the reasons you race. Whether you race for self-improvement (good reason) or to destroy other people (not such a good reason), your fundamental goal will drive you through the inevitable difficulties - and successes.
Enjoy the process. Riding (and living) is a never-ending process of increasing your strength and your skills. When you become serious about racing, you dedicate yourself to the process of finishing higher and higher in more challenging events and, eventually, in higher classes. Just as learning to jump a 10-foot (3 m) double is a step on the way to jumping a 12-footer (3.7 m), then a 15-footer (4.6 m), and on and on until the requirements outweigh the rewards, earning eighty-seventh place is a step toward tenth place, then third, then first, and then up to a harder class. Write down your racing goals and keep track of your progress. When you feel defeated or question your motives, your racing log will keep you motivated. Remember: Keep striving to improve, but enjoy where you are and take the time to appreciate what you've already accomplished.
Remember: It's only bike racing. What? Blasphemy! After you strip away your ego, winning a race means only this: You were the fastest or first rider on that day, in those conditions, among that specific group of racers. Lee won a Pump Track World Championshipwhen Brian wasn't there. That doesn't mean much.
Anything - different terrain, weather, racers, or luck - could have dropped you to number 2. Shoot, if you were in a higher class, you might have beeneighty-seventh! In racing (and in life) you can control only yourself - and then sometimes only barely. Try not to worry about things that are outside your control. If someone flats and you move up a spot, don't be too proud of yourself. In the same way, if a competitor makes a clever move and you fall a spot, don't be too bummed.
If you believe the old No Fear T-shirt that said "Second place is the first loser," you are in for a world of pain.
Have reasonable expectations. The most reasonable expectation is "I will do my best," whatever that means to you. For most people (except Brian), the most unreasonable expectation is "I will win." If you expect to win all the time, expect to be disappointed much of the time. In a time-trial event, you have no influence on other people's runs. If they are fitter, better skilled, cleverer, or ride in faster conditions, they might beat you. Do everything you can to ensure a good time, but in the end realize that times are what they are: just times. Racing head-to-head is even more complicated. You can get beaten because of a crash, a clever pass, superior fitness, or mental toughness. Win or no win - either way, do your best.
Set personal performance goals. As we've been saying, winning is arbitrary and, in large part, out of your control. Set goals for yourself: In a downhill, lay off your brakes through the tricky rock section; in a cross-country, maintain 176 beats per minute on the climbs; in an enduro, pace yourself to finish the entire weekend strong. Whether you win or not, judge yourself by how well you met your goals. But keep in mind that this is racing. Keep striving to do better. Otherwise, go for a fun ride and save the entry fee.
Pick the right class. Racing is a great opportunity to compare yourself with other riders of the same caliber. The best racing class for you depends on your reasons for racing. If you want a challenge, race in a class that lets you ride fun courses with riders who will push you. For the most intense competition, race in a class that you have a chance, but no guarantee, of winning. There's nothing as exciting as battling it out with close competitors. Losing makes you hungry, and winning is definitely something to be proud of. If you must destroy other people to feel good about yourself, go ahead and stay in an easy class. Enjoy your five overall titles in Beginner 30-34; then move on to destroy Beginner 35-39. But be warned: There is a special hell for sandbaggers, and your competitors will try to send you there.
Use your losses.Learn from your mistakes. In a way, second place is more exciting than first place. When you win, you feel good and there are no excuses, but you start wondering about where to go from there. When you take a close second (or third or eighty-seventh or whatever), you get really hungry and hypermotivated to do better next time. The drive toward improvement is much more powerful than the satisfaction of accomplishment.
Have fun! Bobbi Watt, post-crash, filthy and stoked to be riding.
Get Into the Racing Zone
Before their race, some riders get excited and talkative. Others get quiet and reflective. Downhill, slalom, 4x, BMX, and enduro legend Jared Graves does the latter.
You've heard all types of competitors talk about getting into the zone. The zone is like the state of flow (see Find a State of Flow in chapter 13),only it's more intense. You've blocked out everything but what you need to win the race. There are good riders - people who flow smoothly while they're out playing with their buddies, but who crumble under pressure - and there are good racers - those who can reach the zone and drop the hammer on command. Brian is one of the best ever. Here are some tips to help you reach the racing zone.
Visualize. This is the key to a great performance. Imagine yourself having a great race. Fill in as much detail as you can - sights, sounds, sensations. Run your race in real time. Imagine what you'll do if you get off line or get passed. If you imagine something in enough detail, it's as if your brain is practicing in real life.
Before the start of the 1993 Mammoth Kamikaze, Missy Giove sat by herself on a rock outcropping, pedaling with her hands and leaning into each corner, imagining every detail of the race course. The phrase "If you can see it, you can be it" is usually true. The phrase "If you can't see it, you can't be it" is always true.
Save
Save
Save
Learn more about Mastering Mountain Bike Skills, Third Edition.
Gain speed with a Kung Fu Power Wheelie
Because you’re that kind of person, you’re riding back up the descent you just shredded down. Smooth, easy power is your style, and this climb is so easy. But there’s that boulder, and you don’t have enough speed to coast over it.
Because you're that kind of person, you're riding back up the descent you just shredded down. Smooth, easy power is your style, and this climb is so easy. But there's that boulder, and you don't have enough speed to coast over it. No matter: You stay seated until the last moment, uncork a power wheelie up the face, then pump down the backside. Wait a second . . . did you actually gain speed over that boulder? Yep, you sure did.
The rules:
- Gaze softly beyond The Thing With No Name. Let your peripheral vision do its job.
- Approach in the saddle, in a moderate gear. Lee prefers a 1:1 gear (e.g., 28 × 28 or 30 × 30) for this sort of thing.
- Right before you reach the thing, uncork a power stroke. Simultaneously:
- Drive your hips forward.
- Stand tall into the pedal.
- Anchor back with your arms.
- While staying perfectly balanced on your feet! Yeah it's tricky. That's why this is a Kung Fu Power Wheelie not a Schmucky Weak Wheelie.
Feel the opposition between your hands and feet. The more tension you create through your core, the more power you'll have.
- As soon as your front wheel reaches the top of the thing, hinge back and push your front wheel over the other side. Your butt drives back. Hands drive forward. Bam! This pushes the bike down the other side while keeping you balanced.
This is an awesomely useful trick when climbing technical mountains and managing flat, convoluted swamps. When the thing is tall and vertical, you can get the rear wheel higher by popping with your legs at the end of your power stroke. Start simple and work your way up.
When Should You Start Your Kung Fu Power Wheelie?
When you hit the thing? Before you hit the thing? How far before the thing?
The simple answer:
- Do it way sooner than you're doing it now. If your front tire smashes into the thing while you're power stroking, that's a clear sign of tardiness. Ideally, you'll start your power stroke as your power pedal crosses 12 o'clock.
- If you're in a 1:1 gear, your bike will travel about 2.5 feet (76 cm) in a quarter-stroke.
- You want your pedals to be level as your front wheel reaches the top of the thing. This reduces the chance of pedal strike, and it gives you more leg pop in case you want to get over something vertical.
- Start your Kung Fu Power Wheelie about 2.5 feet (76 cm) before you hit the thing. Yep, that soon.
Before you go to Moab, UT, get your kung fu power wheelie on lockdown. Brian demonstrates this move, which makes technical rock climbing kinda fun.
Learn more about Mastering Mountain Bike Skills, Third Edition.
Master these pedaling drills
You can get fancier and infinitely more complicated drills, but these are our favorite drills for improving pedal stroke. Do these on the trainer and on the road while you’re learning (what else is going on?); then, try to fit them into your trail rides.
You can get fancier and infinitely more complicated drills, but these are our favorite drills for improving pedal stroke. Do these on the trainer and on the road while you're learning (what else is going on?); then, try to fit them into your trail rides. When you start feeling miserable on a climb, this is a great thing to focus on.
Start in the saddle. When you can do these moves sitting, practice them standing.
Drill 1: Push Across the Top
When you push the pedal across the top of the stroke, you start the power phase earlier, and you erase the dead zone at the bottom of the other pedal. Both are good things.
If you want to push your pedal forward, you need to get your foot behind the pedal. You do this by dropping your heel.
- As the pedal passes 9 o'clock, start dropping your heel with the goal of pushing across the top of the stroke.
- Visualize getting your heel below the pedal spindle before 12 o'clock so you can push forward. This probably will never happen, but it's a great goal and a useful visualization.
- Push as soon as you can! Then, push sooner. Use your butt (aka glutes) as much as you can.
- Strive to have your heel lowest at 3 o'clock.
This is the A-1 best, most effective pedaling drill. Master it!
Note: The harder the gear and the slower your cadence, the more heel drop you'll use (and need). Play with different speeds.
When you can consistently drop your heel across the top of the stroke, you're ready for . . .
Drill 2: Extend to the Bottom
From about 3 o'clock to 6 o'clock, your pedal is traveling backward. If you pay attention to your current pedaling at this phase, you'll probably notice that you're pushing the pedal forward. This is a huge waste of energy!
Your goal: Get your foot in front of the pedal, and push the pedal backward to the bottom of the stroke. You do this by pointing your toes.
- As soon as the pedal crosses 3 o'clock, start extending your ankle (pointing your toes).
- Keep extending until 6 o'clock. At this point your toe should be at its lowest point.
- Your heel continues to rise from 6 to 9 o'clock, but that is a function of your knee bending. The main toe-pointing action happens between 3 and 6 o'clock.
This is tricky! Strive for zero down pressure at the bottom of the stroke. You know it's right when the pedal moves backward smoothly and easily. When you can reliably extend your foot into the bottom of the stroke, you're ready for . . .
Drill 3: Both at the Same Time
This is so technically demanding that it's hard to even talk about. Lee has been working on this for years, and this winter, it finally clicked in a big way. As a result, his climbing reached the next level of eternally reduced suckage.
- While one foot is extending, drop the opposite heel.
- While one heel is dropping, extend the opposite foot.
Whoa, man , too much! Feel the opposition. Use the energy of the extending foot to help lift the opposite pedal and drop the opposite heel. Teach your feet to work at the same time. Start at low rpm and work your way up.
This is crazy-insanely-ridiculously tricky! But, it'll help you pedal more smoothly and more powerfully, especially when you're pushing a hard gear out of the saddle.
You don't need to focus on the middle of the power phase.You already know how to mash the pedals down. If you practice the beginning and the end of your power phase, you'll make your power stroke longer and more powerful. You will suck less at pedaling. Heck, you might get great at it!
Save
Learn more about Mastering Mountain Bike Skills, Third Edition.
Learn the mental and emotional skills needed to win
There is a 0.1 percent chance you might beat Brian physically, but there’s a 0.00001 percent chance you’ll beat him mentally. That’s why he has done so much winning over so many decades.
There is a 0.1 percent chance you might beat Brian physically, but there's a 0.00001 percent chance you'll beat him mentally. That's why he has done so much winning over so many decades.
In any competitive class, a handful of people have the physical strength and skills to win. To win, you need the emotional and mental skills to hold it together throughout the race. Here are some tips to make you as stony as a statue.
Race for the Right Reasons
Competition can stoke youand inspire you to new greatness, or it can bum you out and spoil you on riding. The determining factor isn't whether you win or lose the race; it's how you perform in relation to your expectations and goals.
We enter races for a myriad of reasons: to wield our powers against others; to see how we stand against the best; to make a living; to challenge ourselves; to ride as fast as we want on fun courses; to travel to cool places; to bash elbows with our buddies; to commune with the racing tribe; to validate the time, money, and energy we put into our sport; and for some of us, to validate ourselves as riders.
Before you reach the starting line, take the time to figure out what, exactly, you expect to get from the experience. By setting clear expectations, you'll know what to strive for, and you'll know how to measure your success. Here are some things to keep in mind:
Why is more powerful than what. Think about the reasons you race. Whether you race for self-improvement (good reason) or to destroy other people (not such a good reason), your fundamental goal will drive you through the inevitable difficulties - and successes.
Enjoy the process. Riding (and living) is a never-ending process of increasing your strength and your skills. When you become serious about racing, you dedicate yourself to the process of finishing higher and higher in more challenging events and, eventually, in higher classes. Just as learning to jump a 10-foot (3 m) double is a step on the way to jumping a 12-footer (3.7 m), then a 15-footer (4.6 m), and on and on until the requirements outweigh the rewards, earning eighty-seventh place is a step toward tenth place, then third, then first, and then up to a harder class. Write down your racing goals and keep track of your progress. When you feel defeated or question your motives, your racing log will keep you motivated. Remember: Keep striving to improve, but enjoy where you are and take the time to appreciate what you've already accomplished.
Remember: It's only bike racing. What? Blasphemy! After you strip away your ego, winning a race means only this: You were the fastest or first rider on that day, in those conditions, among that specific group of racers. Lee won a Pump Track World Championshipwhen Brian wasn't there. That doesn't mean much.
Anything - different terrain, weather, racers, or luck - could have dropped you to number 2. Shoot, if you were in a higher class, you might have beeneighty-seventh! In racing (and in life) you can control only yourself - and then sometimes only barely. Try not to worry about things that are outside your control. If someone flats and you move up a spot, don't be too proud of yourself. In the same way, if a competitor makes a clever move and you fall a spot, don't be too bummed.
If you believe the old No Fear T-shirt that said "Second place is the first loser," you are in for a world of pain.
Have reasonable expectations. The most reasonable expectation is "I will do my best," whatever that means to you. For most people (except Brian), the most unreasonable expectation is "I will win." If you expect to win all the time, expect to be disappointed much of the time. In a time-trial event, you have no influence on other people's runs. If they are fitter, better skilled, cleverer, or ride in faster conditions, they might beat you. Do everything you can to ensure a good time, but in the end realize that times are what they are: just times. Racing head-to-head is even more complicated. You can get beaten because of a crash, a clever pass, superior fitness, or mental toughness. Win or no win - either way, do your best.
Set personal performance goals. As we've been saying, winning is arbitrary and, in large part, out of your control. Set goals for yourself: In a downhill, lay off your brakes through the tricky rock section; in a cross-country, maintain 176 beats per minute on the climbs; in an enduro, pace yourself to finish the entire weekend strong. Whether you win or not, judge yourself by how well you met your goals. But keep in mind that this is racing. Keep striving to do better. Otherwise, go for a fun ride and save the entry fee.
Pick the right class. Racing is a great opportunity to compare yourself with other riders of the same caliber. The best racing class for you depends on your reasons for racing. If you want a challenge, race in a class that lets you ride fun courses with riders who will push you. For the most intense competition, race in a class that you have a chance, but no guarantee, of winning. There's nothing as exciting as battling it out with close competitors. Losing makes you hungry, and winning is definitely something to be proud of. If you must destroy other people to feel good about yourself, go ahead and stay in an easy class. Enjoy your five overall titles in Beginner 30-34; then move on to destroy Beginner 35-39. But be warned: There is a special hell for sandbaggers, and your competitors will try to send you there.
Use your losses.Learn from your mistakes. In a way, second place is more exciting than first place. When you win, you feel good and there are no excuses, but you start wondering about where to go from there. When you take a close second (or third or eighty-seventh or whatever), you get really hungry and hypermotivated to do better next time. The drive toward improvement is much more powerful than the satisfaction of accomplishment.
Have fun! Bobbi Watt, post-crash, filthy and stoked to be riding.
Get Into the Racing Zone
Before their race, some riders get excited and talkative. Others get quiet and reflective. Downhill, slalom, 4x, BMX, and enduro legend Jared Graves does the latter.
You've heard all types of competitors talk about getting into the zone. The zone is like the state of flow (see Find a State of Flow in chapter 13),only it's more intense. You've blocked out everything but what you need to win the race. There are good riders - people who flow smoothly while they're out playing with their buddies, but who crumble under pressure - and there are good racers - those who can reach the zone and drop the hammer on command. Brian is one of the best ever. Here are some tips to help you reach the racing zone.
Visualize. This is the key to a great performance. Imagine yourself having a great race. Fill in as much detail as you can - sights, sounds, sensations. Run your race in real time. Imagine what you'll do if you get off line or get passed. If you imagine something in enough detail, it's as if your brain is practicing in real life.
Before the start of the 1993 Mammoth Kamikaze, Missy Giove sat by herself on a rock outcropping, pedaling with her hands and leaning into each corner, imagining every detail of the race course. The phrase "If you can see it, you can be it" is usually true. The phrase "If you can't see it, you can't be it" is always true.
Save
Save
Save
Learn more about Mastering Mountain Bike Skills, Third Edition.
Gain speed with a Kung Fu Power Wheelie
Because you’re that kind of person, you’re riding back up the descent you just shredded down. Smooth, easy power is your style, and this climb is so easy. But there’s that boulder, and you don’t have enough speed to coast over it.
Because you're that kind of person, you're riding back up the descent you just shredded down. Smooth, easy power is your style, and this climb is so easy. But there's that boulder, and you don't have enough speed to coast over it. No matter: You stay seated until the last moment, uncork a power wheelie up the face, then pump down the backside. Wait a second . . . did you actually gain speed over that boulder? Yep, you sure did.
The rules:
- Gaze softly beyond The Thing With No Name. Let your peripheral vision do its job.
- Approach in the saddle, in a moderate gear. Lee prefers a 1:1 gear (e.g., 28 × 28 or 30 × 30) for this sort of thing.
- Right before you reach the thing, uncork a power stroke. Simultaneously:
- Drive your hips forward.
- Stand tall into the pedal.
- Anchor back with your arms.
- While staying perfectly balanced on your feet! Yeah it's tricky. That's why this is a Kung Fu Power Wheelie not a Schmucky Weak Wheelie.
Feel the opposition between your hands and feet. The more tension you create through your core, the more power you'll have.
- As soon as your front wheel reaches the top of the thing, hinge back and push your front wheel over the other side. Your butt drives back. Hands drive forward. Bam! This pushes the bike down the other side while keeping you balanced.
This is an awesomely useful trick when climbing technical mountains and managing flat, convoluted swamps. When the thing is tall and vertical, you can get the rear wheel higher by popping with your legs at the end of your power stroke. Start simple and work your way up.
When Should You Start Your Kung Fu Power Wheelie?
When you hit the thing? Before you hit the thing? How far before the thing?
The simple answer:
- Do it way sooner than you're doing it now. If your front tire smashes into the thing while you're power stroking, that's a clear sign of tardiness. Ideally, you'll start your power stroke as your power pedal crosses 12 o'clock.
- If you're in a 1:1 gear, your bike will travel about 2.5 feet (76 cm) in a quarter-stroke.
- You want your pedals to be level as your front wheel reaches the top of the thing. This reduces the chance of pedal strike, and it gives you more leg pop in case you want to get over something vertical.
- Start your Kung Fu Power Wheelie about 2.5 feet (76 cm) before you hit the thing. Yep, that soon.
Before you go to Moab, UT, get your kung fu power wheelie on lockdown. Brian demonstrates this move, which makes technical rock climbing kinda fun.
Learn more about Mastering Mountain Bike Skills, Third Edition.
Master these pedaling drills
You can get fancier and infinitely more complicated drills, but these are our favorite drills for improving pedal stroke. Do these on the trainer and on the road while you’re learning (what else is going on?); then, try to fit them into your trail rides.
You can get fancier and infinitely more complicated drills, but these are our favorite drills for improving pedal stroke. Do these on the trainer and on the road while you're learning (what else is going on?); then, try to fit them into your trail rides. When you start feeling miserable on a climb, this is a great thing to focus on.
Start in the saddle. When you can do these moves sitting, practice them standing.
Drill 1: Push Across the Top
When you push the pedal across the top of the stroke, you start the power phase earlier, and you erase the dead zone at the bottom of the other pedal. Both are good things.
If you want to push your pedal forward, you need to get your foot behind the pedal. You do this by dropping your heel.
- As the pedal passes 9 o'clock, start dropping your heel with the goal of pushing across the top of the stroke.
- Visualize getting your heel below the pedal spindle before 12 o'clock so you can push forward. This probably will never happen, but it's a great goal and a useful visualization.
- Push as soon as you can! Then, push sooner. Use your butt (aka glutes) as much as you can.
- Strive to have your heel lowest at 3 o'clock.
This is the A-1 best, most effective pedaling drill. Master it!
Note: The harder the gear and the slower your cadence, the more heel drop you'll use (and need). Play with different speeds.
When you can consistently drop your heel across the top of the stroke, you're ready for . . .
Drill 2: Extend to the Bottom
From about 3 o'clock to 6 o'clock, your pedal is traveling backward. If you pay attention to your current pedaling at this phase, you'll probably notice that you're pushing the pedal forward. This is a huge waste of energy!
Your goal: Get your foot in front of the pedal, and push the pedal backward to the bottom of the stroke. You do this by pointing your toes.
- As soon as the pedal crosses 3 o'clock, start extending your ankle (pointing your toes).
- Keep extending until 6 o'clock. At this point your toe should be at its lowest point.
- Your heel continues to rise from 6 to 9 o'clock, but that is a function of your knee bending. The main toe-pointing action happens between 3 and 6 o'clock.
This is tricky! Strive for zero down pressure at the bottom of the stroke. You know it's right when the pedal moves backward smoothly and easily. When you can reliably extend your foot into the bottom of the stroke, you're ready for . . .
Drill 3: Both at the Same Time
This is so technically demanding that it's hard to even talk about. Lee has been working on this for years, and this winter, it finally clicked in a big way. As a result, his climbing reached the next level of eternally reduced suckage.
- While one foot is extending, drop the opposite heel.
- While one heel is dropping, extend the opposite foot.
Whoa, man , too much! Feel the opposition. Use the energy of the extending foot to help lift the opposite pedal and drop the opposite heel. Teach your feet to work at the same time. Start at low rpm and work your way up.
This is crazy-insanely-ridiculously tricky! But, it'll help you pedal more smoothly and more powerfully, especially when you're pushing a hard gear out of the saddle.
You don't need to focus on the middle of the power phase.You already know how to mash the pedals down. If you practice the beginning and the end of your power phase, you'll make your power stroke longer and more powerful. You will suck less at pedaling. Heck, you might get great at it!
Save
Learn more about Mastering Mountain Bike Skills, Third Edition.
Learn the mental and emotional skills needed to win
There is a 0.1 percent chance you might beat Brian physically, but there’s a 0.00001 percent chance you’ll beat him mentally. That’s why he has done so much winning over so many decades.
There is a 0.1 percent chance you might beat Brian physically, but there's a 0.00001 percent chance you'll beat him mentally. That's why he has done so much winning over so many decades.
In any competitive class, a handful of people have the physical strength and skills to win. To win, you need the emotional and mental skills to hold it together throughout the race. Here are some tips to make you as stony as a statue.
Race for the Right Reasons
Competition can stoke youand inspire you to new greatness, or it can bum you out and spoil you on riding. The determining factor isn't whether you win or lose the race; it's how you perform in relation to your expectations and goals.
We enter races for a myriad of reasons: to wield our powers against others; to see how we stand against the best; to make a living; to challenge ourselves; to ride as fast as we want on fun courses; to travel to cool places; to bash elbows with our buddies; to commune with the racing tribe; to validate the time, money, and energy we put into our sport; and for some of us, to validate ourselves as riders.
Before you reach the starting line, take the time to figure out what, exactly, you expect to get from the experience. By setting clear expectations, you'll know what to strive for, and you'll know how to measure your success. Here are some things to keep in mind:
Why is more powerful than what. Think about the reasons you race. Whether you race for self-improvement (good reason) or to destroy other people (not such a good reason), your fundamental goal will drive you through the inevitable difficulties - and successes.
Enjoy the process. Riding (and living) is a never-ending process of increasing your strength and your skills. When you become serious about racing, you dedicate yourself to the process of finishing higher and higher in more challenging events and, eventually, in higher classes. Just as learning to jump a 10-foot (3 m) double is a step on the way to jumping a 12-footer (3.7 m), then a 15-footer (4.6 m), and on and on until the requirements outweigh the rewards, earning eighty-seventh place is a step toward tenth place, then third, then first, and then up to a harder class. Write down your racing goals and keep track of your progress. When you feel defeated or question your motives, your racing log will keep you motivated. Remember: Keep striving to improve, but enjoy where you are and take the time to appreciate what you've already accomplished.
Remember: It's only bike racing. What? Blasphemy! After you strip away your ego, winning a race means only this: You were the fastest or first rider on that day, in those conditions, among that specific group of racers. Lee won a Pump Track World Championshipwhen Brian wasn't there. That doesn't mean much.
Anything - different terrain, weather, racers, or luck - could have dropped you to number 2. Shoot, if you were in a higher class, you might have beeneighty-seventh! In racing (and in life) you can control only yourself - and then sometimes only barely. Try not to worry about things that are outside your control. If someone flats and you move up a spot, don't be too proud of yourself. In the same way, if a competitor makes a clever move and you fall a spot, don't be too bummed.
If you believe the old No Fear T-shirt that said "Second place is the first loser," you are in for a world of pain.
Have reasonable expectations. The most reasonable expectation is "I will do my best," whatever that means to you. For most people (except Brian), the most unreasonable expectation is "I will win." If you expect to win all the time, expect to be disappointed much of the time. In a time-trial event, you have no influence on other people's runs. If they are fitter, better skilled, cleverer, or ride in faster conditions, they might beat you. Do everything you can to ensure a good time, but in the end realize that times are what they are: just times. Racing head-to-head is even more complicated. You can get beaten because of a crash, a clever pass, superior fitness, or mental toughness. Win or no win - either way, do your best.
Set personal performance goals. As we've been saying, winning is arbitrary and, in large part, out of your control. Set goals for yourself: In a downhill, lay off your brakes through the tricky rock section; in a cross-country, maintain 176 beats per minute on the climbs; in an enduro, pace yourself to finish the entire weekend strong. Whether you win or not, judge yourself by how well you met your goals. But keep in mind that this is racing. Keep striving to do better. Otherwise, go for a fun ride and save the entry fee.
Pick the right class. Racing is a great opportunity to compare yourself with other riders of the same caliber. The best racing class for you depends on your reasons for racing. If you want a challenge, race in a class that lets you ride fun courses with riders who will push you. For the most intense competition, race in a class that you have a chance, but no guarantee, of winning. There's nothing as exciting as battling it out with close competitors. Losing makes you hungry, and winning is definitely something to be proud of. If you must destroy other people to feel good about yourself, go ahead and stay in an easy class. Enjoy your five overall titles in Beginner 30-34; then move on to destroy Beginner 35-39. But be warned: There is a special hell for sandbaggers, and your competitors will try to send you there.
Use your losses.Learn from your mistakes. In a way, second place is more exciting than first place. When you win, you feel good and there are no excuses, but you start wondering about where to go from there. When you take a close second (or third or eighty-seventh or whatever), you get really hungry and hypermotivated to do better next time. The drive toward improvement is much more powerful than the satisfaction of accomplishment.
Have fun! Bobbi Watt, post-crash, filthy and stoked to be riding.
Get Into the Racing Zone
Before their race, some riders get excited and talkative. Others get quiet and reflective. Downhill, slalom, 4x, BMX, and enduro legend Jared Graves does the latter.
You've heard all types of competitors talk about getting into the zone. The zone is like the state of flow (see Find a State of Flow in chapter 13),only it's more intense. You've blocked out everything but what you need to win the race. There are good riders - people who flow smoothly while they're out playing with their buddies, but who crumble under pressure - and there are good racers - those who can reach the zone and drop the hammer on command. Brian is one of the best ever. Here are some tips to help you reach the racing zone.
Visualize. This is the key to a great performance. Imagine yourself having a great race. Fill in as much detail as you can - sights, sounds, sensations. Run your race in real time. Imagine what you'll do if you get off line or get passed. If you imagine something in enough detail, it's as if your brain is practicing in real life.
Before the start of the 1993 Mammoth Kamikaze, Missy Giove sat by herself on a rock outcropping, pedaling with her hands and leaning into each corner, imagining every detail of the race course. The phrase "If you can see it, you can be it" is usually true. The phrase "If you can't see it, you can't be it" is always true.
Save
Save
Save
Learn more about Mastering Mountain Bike Skills, Third Edition.
Gain speed with a Kung Fu Power Wheelie
Because you’re that kind of person, you’re riding back up the descent you just shredded down. Smooth, easy power is your style, and this climb is so easy. But there’s that boulder, and you don’t have enough speed to coast over it.
Because you're that kind of person, you're riding back up the descent you just shredded down. Smooth, easy power is your style, and this climb is so easy. But there's that boulder, and you don't have enough speed to coast over it. No matter: You stay seated until the last moment, uncork a power wheelie up the face, then pump down the backside. Wait a second . . . did you actually gain speed over that boulder? Yep, you sure did.
The rules:
- Gaze softly beyond The Thing With No Name. Let your peripheral vision do its job.
- Approach in the saddle, in a moderate gear. Lee prefers a 1:1 gear (e.g., 28 × 28 or 30 × 30) for this sort of thing.
- Right before you reach the thing, uncork a power stroke. Simultaneously:
- Drive your hips forward.
- Stand tall into the pedal.
- Anchor back with your arms.
- While staying perfectly balanced on your feet! Yeah it's tricky. That's why this is a Kung Fu Power Wheelie not a Schmucky Weak Wheelie.
Feel the opposition between your hands and feet. The more tension you create through your core, the more power you'll have.
- As soon as your front wheel reaches the top of the thing, hinge back and push your front wheel over the other side. Your butt drives back. Hands drive forward. Bam! This pushes the bike down the other side while keeping you balanced.
This is an awesomely useful trick when climbing technical mountains and managing flat, convoluted swamps. When the thing is tall and vertical, you can get the rear wheel higher by popping with your legs at the end of your power stroke. Start simple and work your way up.
When Should You Start Your Kung Fu Power Wheelie?
When you hit the thing? Before you hit the thing? How far before the thing?
The simple answer:
- Do it way sooner than you're doing it now. If your front tire smashes into the thing while you're power stroking, that's a clear sign of tardiness. Ideally, you'll start your power stroke as your power pedal crosses 12 o'clock.
- If you're in a 1:1 gear, your bike will travel about 2.5 feet (76 cm) in a quarter-stroke.
- You want your pedals to be level as your front wheel reaches the top of the thing. This reduces the chance of pedal strike, and it gives you more leg pop in case you want to get over something vertical.
- Start your Kung Fu Power Wheelie about 2.5 feet (76 cm) before you hit the thing. Yep, that soon.
Before you go to Moab, UT, get your kung fu power wheelie on lockdown. Brian demonstrates this move, which makes technical rock climbing kinda fun.
Learn more about Mastering Mountain Bike Skills, Third Edition.
Master these pedaling drills
You can get fancier and infinitely more complicated drills, but these are our favorite drills for improving pedal stroke. Do these on the trainer and on the road while you’re learning (what else is going on?); then, try to fit them into your trail rides.
You can get fancier and infinitely more complicated drills, but these are our favorite drills for improving pedal stroke. Do these on the trainer and on the road while you're learning (what else is going on?); then, try to fit them into your trail rides. When you start feeling miserable on a climb, this is a great thing to focus on.
Start in the saddle. When you can do these moves sitting, practice them standing.
Drill 1: Push Across the Top
When you push the pedal across the top of the stroke, you start the power phase earlier, and you erase the dead zone at the bottom of the other pedal. Both are good things.
If you want to push your pedal forward, you need to get your foot behind the pedal. You do this by dropping your heel.
- As the pedal passes 9 o'clock, start dropping your heel with the goal of pushing across the top of the stroke.
- Visualize getting your heel below the pedal spindle before 12 o'clock so you can push forward. This probably will never happen, but it's a great goal and a useful visualization.
- Push as soon as you can! Then, push sooner. Use your butt (aka glutes) as much as you can.
- Strive to have your heel lowest at 3 o'clock.
This is the A-1 best, most effective pedaling drill. Master it!
Note: The harder the gear and the slower your cadence, the more heel drop you'll use (and need). Play with different speeds.
When you can consistently drop your heel across the top of the stroke, you're ready for . . .
Drill 2: Extend to the Bottom
From about 3 o'clock to 6 o'clock, your pedal is traveling backward. If you pay attention to your current pedaling at this phase, you'll probably notice that you're pushing the pedal forward. This is a huge waste of energy!
Your goal: Get your foot in front of the pedal, and push the pedal backward to the bottom of the stroke. You do this by pointing your toes.
- As soon as the pedal crosses 3 o'clock, start extending your ankle (pointing your toes).
- Keep extending until 6 o'clock. At this point your toe should be at its lowest point.
- Your heel continues to rise from 6 to 9 o'clock, but that is a function of your knee bending. The main toe-pointing action happens between 3 and 6 o'clock.
This is tricky! Strive for zero down pressure at the bottom of the stroke. You know it's right when the pedal moves backward smoothly and easily. When you can reliably extend your foot into the bottom of the stroke, you're ready for . . .
Drill 3: Both at the Same Time
This is so technically demanding that it's hard to even talk about. Lee has been working on this for years, and this winter, it finally clicked in a big way. As a result, his climbing reached the next level of eternally reduced suckage.
- While one foot is extending, drop the opposite heel.
- While one heel is dropping, extend the opposite foot.
Whoa, man , too much! Feel the opposition. Use the energy of the extending foot to help lift the opposite pedal and drop the opposite heel. Teach your feet to work at the same time. Start at low rpm and work your way up.
This is crazy-insanely-ridiculously tricky! But, it'll help you pedal more smoothly and more powerfully, especially when you're pushing a hard gear out of the saddle.
You don't need to focus on the middle of the power phase.You already know how to mash the pedals down. If you practice the beginning and the end of your power phase, you'll make your power stroke longer and more powerful. You will suck less at pedaling. Heck, you might get great at it!
Save
Learn more about Mastering Mountain Bike Skills, Third Edition.
Learn the mental and emotional skills needed to win
There is a 0.1 percent chance you might beat Brian physically, but there’s a 0.00001 percent chance you’ll beat him mentally. That’s why he has done so much winning over so many decades.
There is a 0.1 percent chance you might beat Brian physically, but there's a 0.00001 percent chance you'll beat him mentally. That's why he has done so much winning over so many decades.
In any competitive class, a handful of people have the physical strength and skills to win. To win, you need the emotional and mental skills to hold it together throughout the race. Here are some tips to make you as stony as a statue.
Race for the Right Reasons
Competition can stoke youand inspire you to new greatness, or it can bum you out and spoil you on riding. The determining factor isn't whether you win or lose the race; it's how you perform in relation to your expectations and goals.
We enter races for a myriad of reasons: to wield our powers against others; to see how we stand against the best; to make a living; to challenge ourselves; to ride as fast as we want on fun courses; to travel to cool places; to bash elbows with our buddies; to commune with the racing tribe; to validate the time, money, and energy we put into our sport; and for some of us, to validate ourselves as riders.
Before you reach the starting line, take the time to figure out what, exactly, you expect to get from the experience. By setting clear expectations, you'll know what to strive for, and you'll know how to measure your success. Here are some things to keep in mind:
Why is more powerful than what. Think about the reasons you race. Whether you race for self-improvement (good reason) or to destroy other people (not such a good reason), your fundamental goal will drive you through the inevitable difficulties - and successes.
Enjoy the process. Riding (and living) is a never-ending process of increasing your strength and your skills. When you become serious about racing, you dedicate yourself to the process of finishing higher and higher in more challenging events and, eventually, in higher classes. Just as learning to jump a 10-foot (3 m) double is a step on the way to jumping a 12-footer (3.7 m), then a 15-footer (4.6 m), and on and on until the requirements outweigh the rewards, earning eighty-seventh place is a step toward tenth place, then third, then first, and then up to a harder class. Write down your racing goals and keep track of your progress. When you feel defeated or question your motives, your racing log will keep you motivated. Remember: Keep striving to improve, but enjoy where you are and take the time to appreciate what you've already accomplished.
Remember: It's only bike racing. What? Blasphemy! After you strip away your ego, winning a race means only this: You were the fastest or first rider on that day, in those conditions, among that specific group of racers. Lee won a Pump Track World Championshipwhen Brian wasn't there. That doesn't mean much.
Anything - different terrain, weather, racers, or luck - could have dropped you to number 2. Shoot, if you were in a higher class, you might have beeneighty-seventh! In racing (and in life) you can control only yourself - and then sometimes only barely. Try not to worry about things that are outside your control. If someone flats and you move up a spot, don't be too proud of yourself. In the same way, if a competitor makes a clever move and you fall a spot, don't be too bummed.
If you believe the old No Fear T-shirt that said "Second place is the first loser," you are in for a world of pain.
Have reasonable expectations. The most reasonable expectation is "I will do my best," whatever that means to you. For most people (except Brian), the most unreasonable expectation is "I will win." If you expect to win all the time, expect to be disappointed much of the time. In a time-trial event, you have no influence on other people's runs. If they are fitter, better skilled, cleverer, or ride in faster conditions, they might beat you. Do everything you can to ensure a good time, but in the end realize that times are what they are: just times. Racing head-to-head is even more complicated. You can get beaten because of a crash, a clever pass, superior fitness, or mental toughness. Win or no win - either way, do your best.
Set personal performance goals. As we've been saying, winning is arbitrary and, in large part, out of your control. Set goals for yourself: In a downhill, lay off your brakes through the tricky rock section; in a cross-country, maintain 176 beats per minute on the climbs; in an enduro, pace yourself to finish the entire weekend strong. Whether you win or not, judge yourself by how well you met your goals. But keep in mind that this is racing. Keep striving to do better. Otherwise, go for a fun ride and save the entry fee.
Pick the right class. Racing is a great opportunity to compare yourself with other riders of the same caliber. The best racing class for you depends on your reasons for racing. If you want a challenge, race in a class that lets you ride fun courses with riders who will push you. For the most intense competition, race in a class that you have a chance, but no guarantee, of winning. There's nothing as exciting as battling it out with close competitors. Losing makes you hungry, and winning is definitely something to be proud of. If you must destroy other people to feel good about yourself, go ahead and stay in an easy class. Enjoy your five overall titles in Beginner 30-34; then move on to destroy Beginner 35-39. But be warned: There is a special hell for sandbaggers, and your competitors will try to send you there.
Use your losses.Learn from your mistakes. In a way, second place is more exciting than first place. When you win, you feel good and there are no excuses, but you start wondering about where to go from there. When you take a close second (or third or eighty-seventh or whatever), you get really hungry and hypermotivated to do better next time. The drive toward improvement is much more powerful than the satisfaction of accomplishment.
Have fun! Bobbi Watt, post-crash, filthy and stoked to be riding.
Get Into the Racing Zone
Before their race, some riders get excited and talkative. Others get quiet and reflective. Downhill, slalom, 4x, BMX, and enduro legend Jared Graves does the latter.
You've heard all types of competitors talk about getting into the zone. The zone is like the state of flow (see Find a State of Flow in chapter 13),only it's more intense. You've blocked out everything but what you need to win the race. There are good riders - people who flow smoothly while they're out playing with their buddies, but who crumble under pressure - and there are good racers - those who can reach the zone and drop the hammer on command. Brian is one of the best ever. Here are some tips to help you reach the racing zone.
Visualize. This is the key to a great performance. Imagine yourself having a great race. Fill in as much detail as you can - sights, sounds, sensations. Run your race in real time. Imagine what you'll do if you get off line or get passed. If you imagine something in enough detail, it's as if your brain is practicing in real life.
Before the start of the 1993 Mammoth Kamikaze, Missy Giove sat by herself on a rock outcropping, pedaling with her hands and leaning into each corner, imagining every detail of the race course. The phrase "If you can see it, you can be it" is usually true. The phrase "If you can't see it, you can't be it" is always true.
Save
Save
Save
Learn more about Mastering Mountain Bike Skills, Third Edition.
Gain speed with a Kung Fu Power Wheelie
Because you’re that kind of person, you’re riding back up the descent you just shredded down. Smooth, easy power is your style, and this climb is so easy. But there’s that boulder, and you don’t have enough speed to coast over it.
Because you're that kind of person, you're riding back up the descent you just shredded down. Smooth, easy power is your style, and this climb is so easy. But there's that boulder, and you don't have enough speed to coast over it. No matter: You stay seated until the last moment, uncork a power wheelie up the face, then pump down the backside. Wait a second . . . did you actually gain speed over that boulder? Yep, you sure did.
The rules:
- Gaze softly beyond The Thing With No Name. Let your peripheral vision do its job.
- Approach in the saddle, in a moderate gear. Lee prefers a 1:1 gear (e.g., 28 × 28 or 30 × 30) for this sort of thing.
- Right before you reach the thing, uncork a power stroke. Simultaneously:
- Drive your hips forward.
- Stand tall into the pedal.
- Anchor back with your arms.
- While staying perfectly balanced on your feet! Yeah it's tricky. That's why this is a Kung Fu Power Wheelie not a Schmucky Weak Wheelie.
Feel the opposition between your hands and feet. The more tension you create through your core, the more power you'll have.
- As soon as your front wheel reaches the top of the thing, hinge back and push your front wheel over the other side. Your butt drives back. Hands drive forward. Bam! This pushes the bike down the other side while keeping you balanced.
This is an awesomely useful trick when climbing technical mountains and managing flat, convoluted swamps. When the thing is tall and vertical, you can get the rear wheel higher by popping with your legs at the end of your power stroke. Start simple and work your way up.
When Should You Start Your Kung Fu Power Wheelie?
When you hit the thing? Before you hit the thing? How far before the thing?
The simple answer:
- Do it way sooner than you're doing it now. If your front tire smashes into the thing while you're power stroking, that's a clear sign of tardiness. Ideally, you'll start your power stroke as your power pedal crosses 12 o'clock.
- If you're in a 1:1 gear, your bike will travel about 2.5 feet (76 cm) in a quarter-stroke.
- You want your pedals to be level as your front wheel reaches the top of the thing. This reduces the chance of pedal strike, and it gives you more leg pop in case you want to get over something vertical.
- Start your Kung Fu Power Wheelie about 2.5 feet (76 cm) before you hit the thing. Yep, that soon.
Before you go to Moab, UT, get your kung fu power wheelie on lockdown. Brian demonstrates this move, which makes technical rock climbing kinda fun.
Learn more about Mastering Mountain Bike Skills, Third Edition.
Master these pedaling drills
You can get fancier and infinitely more complicated drills, but these are our favorite drills for improving pedal stroke. Do these on the trainer and on the road while you’re learning (what else is going on?); then, try to fit them into your trail rides.
You can get fancier and infinitely more complicated drills, but these are our favorite drills for improving pedal stroke. Do these on the trainer and on the road while you're learning (what else is going on?); then, try to fit them into your trail rides. When you start feeling miserable on a climb, this is a great thing to focus on.
Start in the saddle. When you can do these moves sitting, practice them standing.
Drill 1: Push Across the Top
When you push the pedal across the top of the stroke, you start the power phase earlier, and you erase the dead zone at the bottom of the other pedal. Both are good things.
If you want to push your pedal forward, you need to get your foot behind the pedal. You do this by dropping your heel.
- As the pedal passes 9 o'clock, start dropping your heel with the goal of pushing across the top of the stroke.
- Visualize getting your heel below the pedal spindle before 12 o'clock so you can push forward. This probably will never happen, but it's a great goal and a useful visualization.
- Push as soon as you can! Then, push sooner. Use your butt (aka glutes) as much as you can.
- Strive to have your heel lowest at 3 o'clock.
This is the A-1 best, most effective pedaling drill. Master it!
Note: The harder the gear and the slower your cadence, the more heel drop you'll use (and need). Play with different speeds.
When you can consistently drop your heel across the top of the stroke, you're ready for . . .
Drill 2: Extend to the Bottom
From about 3 o'clock to 6 o'clock, your pedal is traveling backward. If you pay attention to your current pedaling at this phase, you'll probably notice that you're pushing the pedal forward. This is a huge waste of energy!
Your goal: Get your foot in front of the pedal, and push the pedal backward to the bottom of the stroke. You do this by pointing your toes.
- As soon as the pedal crosses 3 o'clock, start extending your ankle (pointing your toes).
- Keep extending until 6 o'clock. At this point your toe should be at its lowest point.
- Your heel continues to rise from 6 to 9 o'clock, but that is a function of your knee bending. The main toe-pointing action happens between 3 and 6 o'clock.
This is tricky! Strive for zero down pressure at the bottom of the stroke. You know it's right when the pedal moves backward smoothly and easily. When you can reliably extend your foot into the bottom of the stroke, you're ready for . . .
Drill 3: Both at the Same Time
This is so technically demanding that it's hard to even talk about. Lee has been working on this for years, and this winter, it finally clicked in a big way. As a result, his climbing reached the next level of eternally reduced suckage.
- While one foot is extending, drop the opposite heel.
- While one heel is dropping, extend the opposite foot.
Whoa, man , too much! Feel the opposition. Use the energy of the extending foot to help lift the opposite pedal and drop the opposite heel. Teach your feet to work at the same time. Start at low rpm and work your way up.
This is crazy-insanely-ridiculously tricky! But, it'll help you pedal more smoothly and more powerfully, especially when you're pushing a hard gear out of the saddle.
You don't need to focus on the middle of the power phase.You already know how to mash the pedals down. If you practice the beginning and the end of your power phase, you'll make your power stroke longer and more powerful. You will suck less at pedaling. Heck, you might get great at it!
Save
Learn more about Mastering Mountain Bike Skills, Third Edition.
Learn the mental and emotional skills needed to win
There is a 0.1 percent chance you might beat Brian physically, but there’s a 0.00001 percent chance you’ll beat him mentally. That’s why he has done so much winning over so many decades.
There is a 0.1 percent chance you might beat Brian physically, but there's a 0.00001 percent chance you'll beat him mentally. That's why he has done so much winning over so many decades.
In any competitive class, a handful of people have the physical strength and skills to win. To win, you need the emotional and mental skills to hold it together throughout the race. Here are some tips to make you as stony as a statue.
Race for the Right Reasons
Competition can stoke youand inspire you to new greatness, or it can bum you out and spoil you on riding. The determining factor isn't whether you win or lose the race; it's how you perform in relation to your expectations and goals.
We enter races for a myriad of reasons: to wield our powers against others; to see how we stand against the best; to make a living; to challenge ourselves; to ride as fast as we want on fun courses; to travel to cool places; to bash elbows with our buddies; to commune with the racing tribe; to validate the time, money, and energy we put into our sport; and for some of us, to validate ourselves as riders.
Before you reach the starting line, take the time to figure out what, exactly, you expect to get from the experience. By setting clear expectations, you'll know what to strive for, and you'll know how to measure your success. Here are some things to keep in mind:
Why is more powerful than what. Think about the reasons you race. Whether you race for self-improvement (good reason) or to destroy other people (not such a good reason), your fundamental goal will drive you through the inevitable difficulties - and successes.
Enjoy the process. Riding (and living) is a never-ending process of increasing your strength and your skills. When you become serious about racing, you dedicate yourself to the process of finishing higher and higher in more challenging events and, eventually, in higher classes. Just as learning to jump a 10-foot (3 m) double is a step on the way to jumping a 12-footer (3.7 m), then a 15-footer (4.6 m), and on and on until the requirements outweigh the rewards, earning eighty-seventh place is a step toward tenth place, then third, then first, and then up to a harder class. Write down your racing goals and keep track of your progress. When you feel defeated or question your motives, your racing log will keep you motivated. Remember: Keep striving to improve, but enjoy where you are and take the time to appreciate what you've already accomplished.
Remember: It's only bike racing. What? Blasphemy! After you strip away your ego, winning a race means only this: You were the fastest or first rider on that day, in those conditions, among that specific group of racers. Lee won a Pump Track World Championshipwhen Brian wasn't there. That doesn't mean much.
Anything - different terrain, weather, racers, or luck - could have dropped you to number 2. Shoot, if you were in a higher class, you might have beeneighty-seventh! In racing (and in life) you can control only yourself - and then sometimes only barely. Try not to worry about things that are outside your control. If someone flats and you move up a spot, don't be too proud of yourself. In the same way, if a competitor makes a clever move and you fall a spot, don't be too bummed.
If you believe the old No Fear T-shirt that said "Second place is the first loser," you are in for a world of pain.
Have reasonable expectations. The most reasonable expectation is "I will do my best," whatever that means to you. For most people (except Brian), the most unreasonable expectation is "I will win." If you expect to win all the time, expect to be disappointed much of the time. In a time-trial event, you have no influence on other people's runs. If they are fitter, better skilled, cleverer, or ride in faster conditions, they might beat you. Do everything you can to ensure a good time, but in the end realize that times are what they are: just times. Racing head-to-head is even more complicated. You can get beaten because of a crash, a clever pass, superior fitness, or mental toughness. Win or no win - either way, do your best.
Set personal performance goals. As we've been saying, winning is arbitrary and, in large part, out of your control. Set goals for yourself: In a downhill, lay off your brakes through the tricky rock section; in a cross-country, maintain 176 beats per minute on the climbs; in an enduro, pace yourself to finish the entire weekend strong. Whether you win or not, judge yourself by how well you met your goals. But keep in mind that this is racing. Keep striving to do better. Otherwise, go for a fun ride and save the entry fee.
Pick the right class. Racing is a great opportunity to compare yourself with other riders of the same caliber. The best racing class for you depends on your reasons for racing. If you want a challenge, race in a class that lets you ride fun courses with riders who will push you. For the most intense competition, race in a class that you have a chance, but no guarantee, of winning. There's nothing as exciting as battling it out with close competitors. Losing makes you hungry, and winning is definitely something to be proud of. If you must destroy other people to feel good about yourself, go ahead and stay in an easy class. Enjoy your five overall titles in Beginner 30-34; then move on to destroy Beginner 35-39. But be warned: There is a special hell for sandbaggers, and your competitors will try to send you there.
Use your losses.Learn from your mistakes. In a way, second place is more exciting than first place. When you win, you feel good and there are no excuses, but you start wondering about where to go from there. When you take a close second (or third or eighty-seventh or whatever), you get really hungry and hypermotivated to do better next time. The drive toward improvement is much more powerful than the satisfaction of accomplishment.
Have fun! Bobbi Watt, post-crash, filthy and stoked to be riding.
Get Into the Racing Zone
Before their race, some riders get excited and talkative. Others get quiet and reflective. Downhill, slalom, 4x, BMX, and enduro legend Jared Graves does the latter.
You've heard all types of competitors talk about getting into the zone. The zone is like the state of flow (see Find a State of Flow in chapter 13),only it's more intense. You've blocked out everything but what you need to win the race. There are good riders - people who flow smoothly while they're out playing with their buddies, but who crumble under pressure - and there are good racers - those who can reach the zone and drop the hammer on command. Brian is one of the best ever. Here are some tips to help you reach the racing zone.
Visualize. This is the key to a great performance. Imagine yourself having a great race. Fill in as much detail as you can - sights, sounds, sensations. Run your race in real time. Imagine what you'll do if you get off line or get passed. If you imagine something in enough detail, it's as if your brain is practicing in real life.
Before the start of the 1993 Mammoth Kamikaze, Missy Giove sat by herself on a rock outcropping, pedaling with her hands and leaning into each corner, imagining every detail of the race course. The phrase "If you can see it, you can be it" is usually true. The phrase "If you can't see it, you can't be it" is always true.
Save
Save
Save
Learn more about Mastering Mountain Bike Skills, Third Edition.
Gain speed with a Kung Fu Power Wheelie
Because you’re that kind of person, you’re riding back up the descent you just shredded down. Smooth, easy power is your style, and this climb is so easy. But there’s that boulder, and you don’t have enough speed to coast over it.
Because you're that kind of person, you're riding back up the descent you just shredded down. Smooth, easy power is your style, and this climb is so easy. But there's that boulder, and you don't have enough speed to coast over it. No matter: You stay seated until the last moment, uncork a power wheelie up the face, then pump down the backside. Wait a second . . . did you actually gain speed over that boulder? Yep, you sure did.
The rules:
- Gaze softly beyond The Thing With No Name. Let your peripheral vision do its job.
- Approach in the saddle, in a moderate gear. Lee prefers a 1:1 gear (e.g., 28 × 28 or 30 × 30) for this sort of thing.
- Right before you reach the thing, uncork a power stroke. Simultaneously:
- Drive your hips forward.
- Stand tall into the pedal.
- Anchor back with your arms.
- While staying perfectly balanced on your feet! Yeah it's tricky. That's why this is a Kung Fu Power Wheelie not a Schmucky Weak Wheelie.
Feel the opposition between your hands and feet. The more tension you create through your core, the more power you'll have.
- As soon as your front wheel reaches the top of the thing, hinge back and push your front wheel over the other side. Your butt drives back. Hands drive forward. Bam! This pushes the bike down the other side while keeping you balanced.
This is an awesomely useful trick when climbing technical mountains and managing flat, convoluted swamps. When the thing is tall and vertical, you can get the rear wheel higher by popping with your legs at the end of your power stroke. Start simple and work your way up.
When Should You Start Your Kung Fu Power Wheelie?
When you hit the thing? Before you hit the thing? How far before the thing?
The simple answer:
- Do it way sooner than you're doing it now. If your front tire smashes into the thing while you're power stroking, that's a clear sign of tardiness. Ideally, you'll start your power stroke as your power pedal crosses 12 o'clock.
- If you're in a 1:1 gear, your bike will travel about 2.5 feet (76 cm) in a quarter-stroke.
- You want your pedals to be level as your front wheel reaches the top of the thing. This reduces the chance of pedal strike, and it gives you more leg pop in case you want to get over something vertical.
- Start your Kung Fu Power Wheelie about 2.5 feet (76 cm) before you hit the thing. Yep, that soon.
Before you go to Moab, UT, get your kung fu power wheelie on lockdown. Brian demonstrates this move, which makes technical rock climbing kinda fun.
Learn more about Mastering Mountain Bike Skills, Third Edition.
Master these pedaling drills
You can get fancier and infinitely more complicated drills, but these are our favorite drills for improving pedal stroke. Do these on the trainer and on the road while you’re learning (what else is going on?); then, try to fit them into your trail rides.
You can get fancier and infinitely more complicated drills, but these are our favorite drills for improving pedal stroke. Do these on the trainer and on the road while you're learning (what else is going on?); then, try to fit them into your trail rides. When you start feeling miserable on a climb, this is a great thing to focus on.
Start in the saddle. When you can do these moves sitting, practice them standing.
Drill 1: Push Across the Top
When you push the pedal across the top of the stroke, you start the power phase earlier, and you erase the dead zone at the bottom of the other pedal. Both are good things.
If you want to push your pedal forward, you need to get your foot behind the pedal. You do this by dropping your heel.
- As the pedal passes 9 o'clock, start dropping your heel with the goal of pushing across the top of the stroke.
- Visualize getting your heel below the pedal spindle before 12 o'clock so you can push forward. This probably will never happen, but it's a great goal and a useful visualization.
- Push as soon as you can! Then, push sooner. Use your butt (aka glutes) as much as you can.
- Strive to have your heel lowest at 3 o'clock.
This is the A-1 best, most effective pedaling drill. Master it!
Note: The harder the gear and the slower your cadence, the more heel drop you'll use (and need). Play with different speeds.
When you can consistently drop your heel across the top of the stroke, you're ready for . . .
Drill 2: Extend to the Bottom
From about 3 o'clock to 6 o'clock, your pedal is traveling backward. If you pay attention to your current pedaling at this phase, you'll probably notice that you're pushing the pedal forward. This is a huge waste of energy!
Your goal: Get your foot in front of the pedal, and push the pedal backward to the bottom of the stroke. You do this by pointing your toes.
- As soon as the pedal crosses 3 o'clock, start extending your ankle (pointing your toes).
- Keep extending until 6 o'clock. At this point your toe should be at its lowest point.
- Your heel continues to rise from 6 to 9 o'clock, but that is a function of your knee bending. The main toe-pointing action happens between 3 and 6 o'clock.
This is tricky! Strive for zero down pressure at the bottom of the stroke. You know it's right when the pedal moves backward smoothly and easily. When you can reliably extend your foot into the bottom of the stroke, you're ready for . . .
Drill 3: Both at the Same Time
This is so technically demanding that it's hard to even talk about. Lee has been working on this for years, and this winter, it finally clicked in a big way. As a result, his climbing reached the next level of eternally reduced suckage.
- While one foot is extending, drop the opposite heel.
- While one heel is dropping, extend the opposite foot.
Whoa, man , too much! Feel the opposition. Use the energy of the extending foot to help lift the opposite pedal and drop the opposite heel. Teach your feet to work at the same time. Start at low rpm and work your way up.
This is crazy-insanely-ridiculously tricky! But, it'll help you pedal more smoothly and more powerfully, especially when you're pushing a hard gear out of the saddle.
You don't need to focus on the middle of the power phase.You already know how to mash the pedals down. If you practice the beginning and the end of your power phase, you'll make your power stroke longer and more powerful. You will suck less at pedaling. Heck, you might get great at it!
Save
Learn more about Mastering Mountain Bike Skills, Third Edition.