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5 Ways to Have More Fun on Your Bike

Jul 16, 2017 at 19:38
by andrew burke  
Most good things come in 3s or 5s... so I'm going to cap this off right here at 5.

just an old pump
1.) Safety first: pump up your tires, and make sure your chain ain't slappin around like a dead snake being held out of the window of an '82 Chevy pickup. If it is, remove a few links from your chain. While you're still at the house, check yer tires. I see a lot of riders show up to the trails with low tire pressure, shrug, and go ride. Then I see them halfway back with a burped tire or blown tube. Do this little thing before you leave, and have more fun.



FOX air shock
2.) Make your suspension a bit stiffer: add some air (15-25psi) to your shock and forks. Suspension that is too mushy actually feels like trying to run through mud... I feel less controlled, and I certainly lose my sense of what the trail is actually like. By adding some air, you give yourself more pep in your step! Need more proof? The suspension of DH World Champ Aaron Gwin's bikes are notoriously firm. Your next ride may not feel quite as smooth, but you'll be able to feel the trail and catch a little air more easily Smile



Good Flat pedal options
3.) Try platform pedals: also called "flats", these pedals allow you to adjust your feet on the pedals as you ride. This lets you adjust your balance on the fly, and keeps things fun and flexible, since you can ditch your bike at any time. For example, when I lean into a turn, my feet usually also swivel a bit on the pedals. You may even take a foot off around a corner to lean over and dig in more. They're so much fun! Your feet don't have to be bolted to your pedals to have fun. Smile




Josh Bender.
4.) Ride with others who have different riding styles than you: It seems like most locations offer one main type of riding. You either have long pedally XC trails, or alpine chair-assisted DH trails. Going to go ride somewhere completely different can help you learn great new bike skills, and meet new people. Cases in point... I ride mostly slopestyle, and when my friends all got be to take a big bike out and send some DH trails, I had a blast and learned to corner better in the process. Riding with guys them took me out of my comfort zone, and it was all for the better.


IKON tire
5.) You can probably use less knobby tires than you think: a mountain bike is used for dominating mountains, and thus needs giant toothed tires, right? Well, probably not if you're riding hard packed dirt. I see so many riders using huge DH tires on smooth trails. Those meaty tires may give off the look of traction and confidence, but I've found that having good body position helps more with traction. Try riding with lower profile tires than you think you need. (unless you ride in loam or heavy peat bog daily) For example, if you use DH tires, try Trail tires. And if you're currently using Trail tires, try some Cross Country tires. The benefit here is less rolling resistance, which equals more speed & less effort while riding. Which makes for more fun. Just look for tire models with heavy duty casing, such as Maxxis' EXO, or Schwalbe's Snakeskin.


Okie dokie, happy riding,

AB

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filmdrew avatar

Member since May 17, 2008
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