Everything to help you ride stronger and better.

There’s a flashlight in my belly button

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Could you clarify one thing about the flashlight for me.
What I do not grasp so far is what the “flashlight – turning of the hips” does.
Judging from you remarks on skiing you know a thing or two about that as well. Being an enthusiastic skier myself, I have compared the position of carving a turn on skis with that on the bike. The only thing which seems to be different is the turning of the hips. As you surely know, during a turn on skis you try to keep your downward-pointing shoulder and hip back, so that you can keep the skis on their edges. So rotating the hips forward during a turn isn’t good on skis — why is it on the bike?
Or did I misunderstand something here?

Thanx a lot.

Ralf

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Hope for aging, busy people

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Last week, before we re-built the Lyons pump track, I rolled a new 100-lap record. This is despite more work and family time — and way less time on dirt. It gives me hope.

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Teaching at Valmont Bike Park

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The long-awaited Valmont Bike Park opens next weekend. (Rad!) I did some design work for the park, but otherwise I’ve been watching from the side of the road like everyone else.

My main focus right now: Getting the contract to teach clinics at Valmont.

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Random sorting

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Hi all, I just randomly sorted some test questions, and I thought I’d share the technique.

If you found this post while you were looking for sorting techniques on Google, check out the bike stuff. It’s pretty sweet.

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I can’t stop worrying about my pedals

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Hello Lee,

I have been going through some hard times lately with my riding.. started when I bought Crank Brothers Mallets and I couldn’t get in and out quick enough and took some hard hard tumbles.. I mainly ride technical trail in FL. one of which is Alafia.

I tried flats out found out I had re-learn how to pedal and be able to bunny hop…I am not confident on the jumps ie. foot slipping fear…I have been ridding clipless since 95′ and I am 45 if that matters.

clipless where fine untill recently I guess I stepped up the game and don’t do the XC ride any more… I just like going out playing around learning how to wheelie off of drops, pump , jumps etc…just having basic fun.

I just dremeled the cleats down a little bit to see if the engagement would be quicker as well as the disengagement. should I just buy a decent pair of flats and stick to them? I did buy some 5/10 impact lows..

I’m getting alot of feedback – most riders say stick to the clipless others say go to flats I have know gotten to point I am confused and on my rides all the focus and energy is going into this one nagging question – flats or no flats??

Hopefully you can set me straight!

Best Regards,
Joseph Vazquez III

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Stopping the negative thought spiral

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Hey Lee,

Just wondering if you had any advice for helping me break the vicious cycle I seem to be stuck in at the moment.

At the beginning of this year, I felt like my riding was improving and my confidence was building with most every ride. There was the occasional setback, but I found it easy to shrug it off and not dwell on it.

The past couple months haven’t been so rosy. March started off with a couple crashes that were a little more significant, but still nothing I’d consider major. Some cracked/separated ribs were about the extent of the injuries. However, ever since, I’ve struggled with sections of trails that used to be no problem. I find myself focusing on negative possibilities rather than positive outcomes. Of course, this leads to crashes and close calls, which tend to make me more cautious, which leads to further undesirable situations, and so on.

I know what I’m doing wrong (mentally) but I can’t seem to snap my brain out of it. I keep trying to push through it, but it’s starting to not be fun anymore.

Thanks for any advice you can send my way.

Eric

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Lee likes road skills

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Hi all, I updated my clinics page with info on road riding. Road bikes are rad — especially when you know how to Ride them (capital R).

Skills clinics with Lee > Road

It’s raining today. The way things are going, I might start teaching trainer clinics …

Teaching tip for leaning bike more than body?

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Hey Lee,
I have been working with a couple of people for a while now and I just can’t get them to lean their bike more than their body. They came to MTB quite recently from other sports and nothing I have tried with them will get them to forget their deeply ingrained past.

Got any hot tips on a drill to make people see the light? I was getting them to slalom down a slope on slippery grass where it is about the only way to get around the corners, but it didn’t work for them.

I went back to your book today hoping there was something. While it talks about the importance of cornering that way, it doesn’t provide a skills drill for it.

Cheers man!
Michael

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Chocolate milk and recovery

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Hi Lee,

Can you share any good foods, drinks or shake recipes that you may use to speed muscle recovery when riding many days back to back? I typically try and drink milk or chocolate milk right after I ride, and generally eat high protein and high fiber foods.

Thanks a bunch and ride on!

Jon in Vermont

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The mysterious wandering front wheel

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Hi Lee,

Hope you’re doing well. I’ve been mountain biking quite a bit and I have a question. When I’m riding slowly up a hill, I have trouble keeping the front wheel from wandering back and forth. The hills aren’t that steep and the wheel doesn’t feel light. Leaning forward to get more weight on the wheel doesn’t seem to help. It just seems that I have trouble holding a straight line at low speed without losing my balance. I’ve been doing standing track stands and have gotten pretty good, but other riders seem to be able to keep their front wheel straight better than me while riding seated and slowly. Of course, having the front wheel wander back and forth wastes energy and also makes it more difficult to hold a good path between the rocks. Any suggestions?

Regards,
Chuck (a Jedi Knight clinic graduate)

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More weight forward on an all-mountain hardtail?

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Hi Lee. I am reading your book. Love it! Your skill and experience are unquestionable.

My question is: You say keep the weight into the BB at all times to keep balance. I have heard magazines here in the UK say some hardtails make possible a more weight forward position and this works well as you can “lean on the fork”, and allow the rear wheel to be lighter to skip over things and generally dance about while the front stays glued and where you want it to go. The rear just follows in its own way!

I’m from England and have recently got a Ragley Blue Pig. A big step up from my previous XC bike. I think you should check them out. They are more all mountain hardtail than anything. Really strong, stiff, super slack front end (67.5 sagged, 65.6 no sag – 140mm fork,sagged 40mm), and SUPER steep seat angles for climbing. Long top tubes designed to run really small stems and super wide bars. Optimized for 130-150 forks.

When I tried what you mentioned on it, it felt the rear wheel was getting hammered and I felt like I might be getting more beat up (than normal!). I am wondering if I would be best putting a little pressure on the bars as well for this kind of bike? And if I do, would I do this at all times, inc. for braking? And how much would “just a little” be?

I know you are the best man to ask for this.

Thanks,
Andrew.

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5 x 10 for braaapable toughness

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My standard trainer ride is five 10-minute intervals, with some strength/mobility in between. I mix up the bike protocol depending on how I feel and what I want to fantasize about.

Last night’s bike sesh was fun and effective.

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