Team VK went out with the resident Racing with Giants mountain biking guru, Julien Lallemand today for a mountain biking clinic. Julien developed a mountain bike skills teaching method and taught regular mountain bike skills clinics in Hong Kong and rode for the Hong Kong Mountain Bike Association. Here is his article on mountain biking skills – a set of fundamental skills that will make your riding safer, better and faster.

Below are Julien’s tips from the clinic!

Practice your skills during your next rides:

Play!
Remember to play! Allow 10 minutes of playing during a training ride. Try repeatedly a sketchy section. Ask a friend to demonstrate a section you’ve got difficulty with and watch his posture, where he brakes and his line.

Release your brakes and brake harderTry to release completely your brakes on open downhills (no “death grip”!) instead of braking constantly like many riders do. Lett your bike roll and brake harder before entering a curve or reaching an obstacle. You must not skid. Watch out for the surface: gravel is the most slippery surface so allow more braking distance on it.

Remain flexibleForce yourself to flex your arms and feel the saddle between your inner thighs on fast downhill or rough trails. Try to make it a reflex. Every time you feel stiff on a trail section force yourself to relax and to find a good balance on your feet. Your arms must never be straight or stiff.

No stunts!Finally – NEVER attempt a STUNT without having built-up to it! Go PROGRESSIVELY, go one small step at the time.

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Here are few reminders about the skills we have seen last Saturday:

Posture:• Every time you are facing a situation which may challenge your balance: Get off the saddle, stand on your feet, stay low, and watch ahead. Your upper body must always be independent from your bike.
• Getting in a READY POSITION must become a reflex as soon as you are going fast, on a steep slope or on a rough section. Your arms must always remain flexed so you can steer and absorb your bike when it tilts.

Anticipation:• Looking WHERE YOU WANT TO GO is key to ride well. Going fast down a turn, taking a switch back, going through a very rough section with a big drop on the side: you must look ahead where you want to bring your bike. And NOT looking at where you do not want to go.
• Always look with your entire upper body. Your head, shoulders and chest must turn towards the point you want to reach.

Braking:• You understood yesterday the difference with braking to drastically slow down, and braking to control your speed. You must brake hard in the straightest possible line, NEVER when leaning into a curve. You have to slow down BEFORE and while in the curve you may adjust your speed mostly with your back brake.
• You also practice brake balance, you now know that you must release your FRONT brake when entering a tight turn or fast turn. This works as well for any type of obstacles. Brake before and release the brakes while overcoming the obstacle.
• If your wheel start skidding and drifting, release the pressure on your brakes immediately – you need your wheels to roll to keep their grip.

Here’s a great article from the November 2008 Women’s Health.

Beginner Biking Tips
Mountain Biking: Enjoy the Ride
Still a backcountry biking virgin? Your wheels are waiting.
Terah Shelton

I’m straddling a dual-suspension mountain bike, about to roll down a ridiculously steep slope before pedaling up a near-vertical incline. My boyfriend, Jamel–who has as much mountain-biking experience as I have (uh, that would be zilch)–has already conquered the killer hill and is waving me on. This is my first real mountain-bike ride, and I’m about to face my biggest fear: losing control.

Searching for courage, I look up at the ceiling of leaves and branches about 30 feet above my head. Most urban playgrounds are carefully manicured versions of nature surrounded by skyscrapers that loom defiantly like extended middle fingers. But there are no towering buildings visible from the middle of Walnut Creek Metropolitan Park. This nearly 300-acre urban wilderness in northeastern Austin, Texas, is packed with zigzagging dirt-covered trails covering 16 miles. It’s the perfect place to get lost–and, if I’m lucky, find myself. That’s why I’m here on a sunny Saturday morning: Every now and then, when life gets too overscheduled and monotonous, I feel an overwhelming urge to do something totally insane–before I go insane. To recover, I cook up wacky adventures (like the time I hiked up a volcano). This time I’ve decided to don padded spandex.

Shock Absorbed
An hour ago, my mountain- biking sensei, Vanessa Ford, 40, president of the Austin Flyers Cycling Club, served up a crash course in the basics. Jamel and I learned how to pull up on the handlebars to jump over rocks, tree roots, and curbs. We practiced shifting our body weight back on descents. I even successfully tackled a few smaller hills and twists while pedaling at embarrassingly slow speeds. I may be an adventure junkie, but I’d rather not have to peel myself off the ground.

Gripping and regripping the handlebars, I start down a well-worn path. Within seconds, I’m plunging at what feels like 50 miles an hour. Freaked out by the speed and my trembling bike frame, I forget one of Ford’s first lessons: Pick your line before you take it. I swerve too late to avoid a protruding tree root and hit it dead on. The collision sends a jolt from my heels to my teeth. My feet slip, and the sharp metal corner of my right pedal cuts into my calf.

Blazing Saddle
As a dotted trail of blood emerges on my stinging lower leg, I lead my bike back to the starting point, determined to do better. This time I pick my line, envision myself at the top of the far rise, and shove off. Pedaling intermittently, I flutter the brakes, hike my butt up off the saddle, and shift my weight back. With my body properly balanced, the bike suddenly feels as easy to handle as a steering wheel. I take a breath and enjoy the wind rushing past my skin. The ground comes up fast and I shoot up the first third of the incline like a pinball.

The rush lasts until about halfway up the climb. My momentum sputters and I start rolling backward (and break into a swearing streak). This is when I normally would lose my nerve and feel helpless. Miraculously, I don’t. I grit my teeth and push with every ounce of strength in my glutes and quads. Ugh! I just can’t… beat… gravity. I dismount with dignity and walk the last few feet to the top. When I flash Jamel a smile and look down the truly impressive incline, victory still feels sweet.

For the next few miles of trails, the turns are easier to navigate and I take them with more guts, bunny-hopping (the technique of rising off the saddle, leveling the pedals, then squatting and springing up) over small obstacles. Facing another serious downhill with a sharp 90-degree turn at its base, I wipe all fear from my mind and descend like a seasoned pro. OK, so I’m no Lance Armstrong (who happens to call this town home). But that was awesome. Correction: I am awesome.

Take the show off the road
Learn to ride or take it to the next level at these women-only getaways

MAVERICK WOMEN’S WEEKENDS
Where Vail, Colorado
Duration 2 days
Cost $225 (includes workshops, rides, and lunches)
Skill Intermediate and up
Info vailmountainbikecamps.com

DIRT SERIES
Where Rides held in California, Idaho, Oregon, Utah, and Canada
Duration 2 days (or less)
Cost From $165 (Canada) and $295 (U.S.) per person (includes instruction, rides, and lunch)
Skill Beginner and up
Info dirtseries.com

DIRT CAMP
Where Moab, Utah
Duration 6 days
Cost $1,250 per person (all-inclusive)

Last updated: November 6, 2008 Issue date: November 2008