previous | next

Cycling on dirt trails and other rough terrain requires special tactics to keep you from wiping out.

Position

On rough terrain, here’s how you can absorb shocks better.

  • Take most of your weight off your seat, letting your legs and arms absorb the jolts. For really bumpy or steep terrain, lift higher off your seat.
  • Keep your knees and elbows slightly bent.
  • Move your butt forward on ascents and backward on descents to keep your weight centered over your pedals.
  

Turning

  • When turning, put the outside pedal down (close to the ground) and put most of your weight on it. If your inside pedal’s down, it might scrape the dirt and cause you to wipe out.
  • When you’re leaning your bike into a turn on loose dirt or gravel, keep your body straight with respect to the ground. This reduces the chance that the bike will slide out from under you.
  

Braking

  • Keep your hands over your brake levers.
  • When braking, apply the back and front brakes at the same time. On descents, apply slightly more pressure to the back brake. Too much front braking can flip you.
  • Don’t force your bike into a skid by locking up the wheels with your brakes. Instead, apply your brakes periodically to stay at a controlled speed.
  • Don’t brake in the middle of a sharp turn. Slow down enough before the turn to stay in control.
  • Trail riding is rough on brakes. Inspect, clean, and adjust your brakes often.

Staying in Control

  • Always control your speed so you can stop suddenly to avoid a collision.
  • If your bike starts to bounce around uncontrollably, stop! If you can’t, force yourself to fall where you can avoid hitting objects.
  • When falling, push yourself away from the bike and try to roll. On descents, you can push off backward and let the bike ride out from under you.

Ruts and Bumps

  • Roll through ruts or over obstacles by shifting your weight as follows.
  • After your front wheel’s entered a rut, take your weight off of it as it comes up the other side. Keeping your weight on the wheel might cause it to dig in.
  • When riding over an obstacle like a rock or log, pull up your front wheel to climb over the obstacle. (You can make your front tire spring up by pushing down, then pulling up in one quick move.) When the front wheel starts down the other side, shift your weight to the front wheel so the rear wheel rolls over the obstacle easily.