Teaching tip for leaning bike more than body?

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

Hey Michael,

Thanks for writing.

Look on page 92 of MMBSii (that’s the 2nd edition of Mastering Mountain Bike Skills).

On clean pavement — NOT slippery grass!!! — have riders focus on the movement from the first photo to the second. Pay special attention to the left arm (and, secondarily, the right foot).

That movement is the key to learning to lean your bike independently from your body. Once you can do that, the world is chock full of braaap.

Rock.

— Lee

Know more. Have more fun!

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