Mountain Biking in Monterey
Aug. 10th, 2004 12:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ninevirtuesI went mountain biking with my coach, Sharon Osgood. She watched me wobble, and struggle, and within about two hours had smoothed out my riding style noticeably.
things to remember, posted here not because I think you all desperately want mountain bike coaching, (Except possibly for Steve-- hi, Steve!) but so I can keep track of what I just learned:
1) Everyone's legs burn going up hills. It's not just me, and it doesn't mean I'm not in good shape. It means that mountain biking is anaerobic by nature, and the leg burn is just part of the fun.
2) When climbing, slide your butt forward so you're perched on the nose of the saddle and your weight is on the bottom bracket. Stick your chest out, a little, to weight the front wheel so it doesn't come up. (It's amazing how much easier it is to climb when you do this.)
3) When descending, slide your butt back a little and grip the seat with your thighs. 2/3 of your weight should be on the back half of the bike. (I discovered that I have a very bad habit: I come up off the saddle when I descend. No, no. I need to _sit down_ and get a grip. In general, this seems like good life advice. ;-)
4) As with road riding, steer with your belly button. (It's like hula hooping!)
5) When you're in the lowest front chainring, and the hardest gear in back, shift UP a few gears harder, tehn shift to the middle chain ring, then readjust. This keeps you from dropping your chain.
6) When going over a jump, it's possible to get some air and survive the jump by sitting down and leaning back as you go over. Your arms and hands are connected to the handlebars, so your front wheel automatically comes up a bit and your back wheel comes down. That's exactly what you want.
things to remember, posted here not because I think you all desperately want mountain bike coaching, (Except possibly for Steve-- hi, Steve!) but so I can keep track of what I just learned:
1) Everyone's legs burn going up hills. It's not just me, and it doesn't mean I'm not in good shape. It means that mountain biking is anaerobic by nature, and the leg burn is just part of the fun.
2) When climbing, slide your butt forward so you're perched on the nose of the saddle and your weight is on the bottom bracket. Stick your chest out, a little, to weight the front wheel so it doesn't come up. (It's amazing how much easier it is to climb when you do this.)
3) When descending, slide your butt back a little and grip the seat with your thighs. 2/3 of your weight should be on the back half of the bike. (I discovered that I have a very bad habit: I come up off the saddle when I descend. No, no. I need to _sit down_ and get a grip. In general, this seems like good life advice. ;-)
4) As with road riding, steer with your belly button. (It's like hula hooping!)
5) When you're in the lowest front chainring, and the hardest gear in back, shift UP a few gears harder, tehn shift to the middle chain ring, then readjust. This keeps you from dropping your chain.
6) When going over a jump, it's possible to get some air and survive the jump by sitting down and leaning back as you go over. Your arms and hands are connected to the handlebars, so your front wheel automatically comes up a bit and your back wheel comes down. That's exactly what you want.
