Hey Lee-
Met you at the Georgia high School mountain bike league Summit last summer with Dan Brooks and got some good riding in there. I have a serious question about cornering and the techniques that IMBA is teaching. I find that I do a combination of flat footed for easy turns and outside foot down for aggressive cornering. What is your recommendation after the recent IMBA teaching of “flat-footed” through turns.
Stefanie Gore
North Georgia Mountain Bike Club (founder and junior mtb coach)
Georgia High School Mountain Bike League coach
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Been an admirer from the UK for a while now and have a good collection of your books. I’d be interested in seeing a blog post from you on cornering technique.
In Mastering Mountain Bike Skills 2nd Edition, you advocate putting your outside leg down and putting all the weight into the outside leg. This allows the rider to weight the tyre effectively and get your lean on. I’ve also seen other people use a technique where they lean their butt out just as much and lean the bike, but they keep their feet parallel to the ground. I see the benefits to this being that, since both legs are not full extension, the rider can extend into any depressions and most importantly get their pump on as they’re coming out of the corner.
Connected to that, your book advocates a similar technique for traversing a slope where the down slope leg is fully extended and the hips are tilted over the bike. To me, this is another situation where it might make more sense to have feet parallel to the slope so that they can extend into any depressions.
Anyway, as mentioned, I’d be keen to know your opinions on this. I’ve always used the leg down technique but am wondering if I should be using the other technique for more radness!
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After studying your lessons about not getting weight back in the air and staying centered (Stop the injury cycle!), I’m curious if that contributed to Myriam Nicole’s violent endo at the Fort William World Cup. I know landing on the flat didn’t help, but is this an example of overloading the rear like your info graphic?
PS: Just trying to wrap my head around it all as I start to slowly but surely leave the ground higher and longer the more I ride and better I get. Not a knock on her, I know she’s far more skilled a rider than I. I just watched the second half in slow mo and immediately saw your info graphic in my head.
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Hope all is well. I was thinking of getting better and longer front end suspension from 100mm to 120mm. Knowing that I’m transitioning from Ironman to XTERRA, mountain bike biathlons, a large variety of trail rides, as well as the 12 or 24 hour thrown in, would adding 20mm of travel be something your recommend or is 120mm simply overkill for the type of riding I do? Also would adding suspension mean I would have to change up the stem length, spacers that you guys dialed in at our last Moab camp? After reading your book on Mountain Bike Skill, I would initially think it would slacken the head tube angle, etc.
Thank you. Your thoughts/inputs on shred-fu are always greatly appreciated! Looking at my first XTERRA in late June in CO, South Carolina or Indiana (can’t decide yet) and maybe a 12 or 24 hour relay next month.
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I am a big fan of yours, you’re one of my role models within the World of Mountain Biking.
I write this email as a 17 year old from the UK trying to decide on a career path, I currently work as a lifeguard and I am in full time education. I love Sport and especially riding bikes with knobbly tyres on dirt.
Becoming a Mountain Biking coach interests me greatly as I would love to turn my passion into a career and help share my passion with other riders. I was hoping for some insight into the industry and advice as to how to break into it and become a coach.
Is it better to start part-time and go to University/ College as well, if so would a degree relating to Psychology and Sports coaching be beneficial? or completely commit and become fully qualified straight away? How does someone come about working for your coaching team? What qualifications or experience do you look for?
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I attended the Level 1 class at Valmont Bike Park with Kevin this weekend, it was awesome. We learned so much!
One of the key things I learned is that I need more flexibility. Kevin mentioned F6 and it looks like a great way to reinforce key movements and strengthen your riding body. I was wondering if you have any specific recommendations for improving flexibility, especially in hamstrings.
Thanks Lee, looking forward to the Level 2 clinic in a couple of weeks!
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Lee, I was just catching up on my email and noticed your newsletter article on the 1×11 drivetrain. I ride a 1×11 with a 30t chainring. I feel like I am working my ass off compared to my buddies with their 2×10 setups. What do you suggest? I ride a Santa Cruz Tallboy carbon, I am 60 years old, currently I am in early-season shape but a strong upper-intermediate rider in-season. Your article seems to suggest that a smaller chainring or a switch to a 2×10 might help.
Help!
“Mr. Fatigued” Marc
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Howdy, I just finished a functional threshold power test (20 minutes flat out). Brutal. Over 10 weeks of Pump Up the Base, my FTP went up 8% to 271. I have no idea if that’s what I should be expecting. Stand up pedaling really improved, that’s for sure. Let me know what you think so I can figure out how to continue my training. Thanks,I hope you’re doing well.
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1st, much thnx on the Butcher SX tire recommendation. I love it and confidence is very high to play with different approaches in different type corners gives many sh_t eatin grins!
2nd, any insight/opinion on Specialized Enduro EVO vs Status vs Demo 8 bikes? No racing, just playing on natural dh tracks a few times a year. Haven’t been able to ride an evo or status but heard great things. If it matters, my ride style is all bmx influenced as I still play on my 20s. Really respect your approach to things and any insight would be great!
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Hi Lee
I’m on week 10 of Pump Up the Base but its now nice enough to ride outside and I don’t know if I can mentally handle riding the trainer when the trails are money. Don’t you think it’d make more sense training-wise to get out for trail rides now even though I’m not all the way done with the program?
Mark
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