World class technique can tame just about any rock garden. Taking a Bikeskills SESSIONS clinic that focuses on roots, rocks and ruts can help even the beginner feel comfortable en las rocas. Above, Jiro, flat out flying… make that skimming over, a Rockville Bike Park rock garden.
Rock Gardens are what to mountain biking what moguls are to skiing: fun if you have the skills, not so much if you don’t. A few weeks we noticed a long, long chain of forum entries in a popular cycling site discussing how to deal with rock gardens. Not surprisingly, several people wrote in telling people to “check out the Bikeskills video on rock gardens with Brian Lopes…” We thought with so much interest in this essential skill, we’d post the video and add a little more detail in that old fashioned method called “text.” So here you go…
Here’s the video that’s been posted on… who knows how many websites. While it doesn’t take the place of a Bikeskills clinic, it’s a darn good start. And, what multiple time World Champion Brian Lopes says, you can take to the bank – and avoid a trip to the ER….
Now That You’ve Watched the Video, Let’s Go Over the Key Points:
- First and foremost, if you aren’t familiar with the rocks and or other technical terrain you are about to enter stop get off your bike and walk the area and scope it out
- Choose a Line that you feel comfortable with. This is a multi-part point. A line means the entire “flow” of the trail section not just where you enter. More important is you choosing what youfeel comfortable with: not what you saw somewhen else do! If you don’t feel comfortable with any line, then just keep walking…
- Before you enter the rock garden, get in to attackposition. Briefly stated, attack postion is: moving down and back on the bike, elbows up and slightly bent, one finger hovering over the brake lever, head up and looking ahead and scanning the terrain
- Start out with a slow, safe speed through the rock garden – especially if you are a beginner, or, you are unfamiliar with the terrain
- Check or reduce your speed to the level you feel comfortable with before you enter the rock garden and do so on terrain that affords good traction to brake without skidding
- Keep looking up and ahead: Difficult and highly technical terrain increases the tendency to look down and at the terrain directly in front of the bike making it more difficult to make course and speed corrections
- Scan ahead for safe places in the rock garden to brake if necessary, especially when dealing with downhill rock gardens: do not let your speed get out of control!
- Especially when going slowly, keep that front wheel moving! Use the “pumping” technique covered in the Bikeskills Pumping for Speed and Control video
- Stay off that front brakein a rock garden, especially at slow speeds. Grabing a hand full of front brake at the wrong time – say just before hitting a square edged rock – can result in a trip over the bars. Not good
- As your skills improve, slowly increase your speed and or try more challenging lines. Remember: confidence is a function of increased skill level, not the other way around.
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