Sharp As A Marble - Episode #7

Sharples must be feeling generous this week because he answered more questions than ever before! Inside he gives advice to Pinkbike users Stooky, D1rtJumper, Gloryhp, Russ-69, and Waldon83 on everything from learning to corner properly in both directions, committing to a new trick, and whether or not all of those energy drinks that you put down are helping your riding.

• Stooky asks:
I'm not an ambidextrous turner. I seem to have tight left turns dialed, but sharp right turns are a nightmare. I always lose traction in the front, with the front 'drifting' out rather than the rear. How do I overcome the serious mental block that is stopping me inverting what I do to turn left? I am right handed and can barely lift a glass to my mouth using my left hand!

Hi Stooky, that is a bit of a worry about not being able to lift a glass with your left hand. Do you look like ‘Mister Spanky’ (the character Cedric had on his helmet for a while)? Not too many people out there are ‘ambi tuners’, even the best will say that they prefer turning one way more than another. One of the main reasons is that we all have a preferred leading or dominant side. Just like surfing and snowboarding, you are either natural or goofy footed. In an ideal world you would always ride your downhill side’ foot forward, and you should always enter a corner with your outside foot forward. Most people can't do it, they cant even ride along the flats in the switch position. Video yourself and try to look at your shoulder position, your head angle, your feet, hips etc… Even if you can't ride switch, you need to try to mirror the rest of your body position for left and right turns. Don’t stop making use of your strengths. Derek Zoolander was a successful model and he couldn’t turn both ways, but you will need to minimize your weaknesses. Ride pump tracks switch, dirt jump switch, lift dumbbells and strengthen your body evenly, mark out a track with lots of right hand turns and practice them day in day out. Don’t accept your mental block. Slap yourself in the face the next time you get a ‘block’.




• D1rtJumper asks:
How do you help yourself to stay committed to something? I'm talking about hitting a new drop or trying a new trick. Because I’m having trouble committing to staying on my bike while trying 360's and I need help!

Your lack of commitment sounds like you are preparing for failure a little too much... and maybe you have practiced failing a little too much. You always need to be prepared to bail, but only after the shit has hit the fan, not before. Premature bailing is one of the most common causes of a crash. To break your ‘habit’, go through the motions on a smaller trick, visualize it, note your body position, body language. If that still hasn’t got you over the hump, don’t accept failure, be determined, don’t focus on the outcome, focus on the actions.






• Gloryhp asks:
Yo Scott, what are your views on energy drinks like Monster and Red Bull, and their effect on riding. They taste so damn good, but I don't want to be drinking anything that could be detrimental to my riding! This winter I've just been taking Lucozade out with me... Please shed some light on the situation?!

Hey Glory boy, basically, you can't create energy within the body with a stimulant (as used in most energy drinks), but you can rob energy from somewhere else. This is fine if you are in a situation where you really need the energy right now, and will have time to recover later. Using those drinks just to get through the day is not a healthy option. Most of the time people feel tired because they are either bored, dehydrated, or full of toxins. Any drink that is jam packed full of really big words is also full of stuff that the body will have to work really hard to process, and will also act like a diuretic and dehydrate you. It will eventually make you feel tired again. It just starts a cycle. Coffee has a similar effect to the energy drinks, taxing your adrenal system, your organs and, your wallet. Water is a god-drink. Yes, the same product used to flush your toilet. Electrolytes can be added to water if you are sweating a lot, my favorite product is SHOTZ. If you need some carbohydrates for a sustainable source, then use one of the million products out there (less ingredients are always better), and if you are about to start a big race and you are falling asleep, and those energy drinks don’t give you the jitters, then get into it.





• Russ-69 asks:
Will a better bike make someone a better rider? Being only a beginner DH rider, I am stuck between spending some decent money and getting a sweet bit of kit, or should I wait and save my money, while trying to improve my skills on my current bike? Would I improve faster on a better bike?

Russ, a better bike will make you faster, but it won't make you a better rider. Training will make you a better rider, most of the really good riders I know would still be really fast on a hard tail with a blown fork! You are better off learning how to ride on a lesser bike, and then graduating once you have the fundamentals mastered. I hear guys with all sorts of excuses: “I can't go Downhilling, I don’t have a bike, I’ve only got a 7 inch travel bike.” Waah waah waah. Jared Graves won the Sea Otter DH on his slalom bike, he wasn’t slow in the rough technical bits.







• Waldon83 asks:
Sharps, some decisions can make the rest of your day. One day while riding in Yakandandah (Victoria), I realized I had only brought one knee pad with me from Melbourne. I chose to ride the day with naked knees, but found myself off my bike and in the dirt more than when I wear my POC pads. Did the loss of the knee pads cause a terrible chain reaction that left me in pain for the day, especially once I got home to realize I had left the one I took, back in Yakandandah? What gives, and what equipment have you forgotten that has impacted your day's ride?

Wow Waldon, your day sucked. What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger, right… I love the name Yakandandah. I forgot my shoes once and did a DH run at Fort William in thongs (not G string, flip flops.





Scott Sharples has been a professional coach for 10 years now. He has coached a few World Champions, including Sam Hill, and now offers many levels of personalized training depending on your needs. If you are a serious rider who is looking to get faster and more confident you can contact him at sscoach@gmail.com or visit www.RaceBrain.com to sign up. Scott was the Junior Downhill Coach for the Australian National Team and also coached many of the World’s fastest mountain bike athletes. He is currently working with the USA’s Junior MTB Gravity racers.

• Curious about equipment choice?
• Wondering which exercises you should do to get faster on your DH bike?
• Want to have faster and more consistent runs?

Put your questions in the comment section!