It’s another one of our Let’s Talk features, and my good friend Shawn is in to get you talking about mountain bikes.

Shawn runs the website, www.texasmountainbiketrails.com and in this video he poses an interesting question to all of you….especially if you’re primarily a road cyclist. Oh, and Shawn just happens to be a video graphics master and includes some cool stuff in this one.

You definitely have to check this one out, and then please leave your answer/comment before leaving our website.

Let’s Talk.

Whether you’re a road cyclist or mountain biker, there are several different types of route types you can take when going for a ride….what type do you like best?

I’m primarily a road cyclist, and my preferred type of ride is one that takes me on a loop from home and back.  When I lived in Austin, I found myself also doing a lot of out and back rides.  For me personally, if it’s this type of ride I prefer the out to be at least 10 or 12 miles so it can be doubled up on the way back.

But I’ve also found myself loving the mountain bike lately and along with this I have learned that there are a whole bunch of ways to classify a route.

So what type do you prefer, and why?  Below is a list of some of the various route types that I know about….feel free to add in any of your own in the comments below.

Road Cycling

The Loop – This is a popular type of ride for many cyclists.  Basically, it’s a ride that takes you around in a full circle so that you’re never double backing down any of the roads you head out on.

The Out and Back – This type of ride takes you down a road (or series of roads) and then you trace back your route to come back to where you started.

The Crazy Word Design – With the popularity of GPS and online tracking of rides, there are millions of personal ride routes to be found on the internet.  You’ve also probably seen some of these crazy designs and spelled words that have been posted as well.  I’m still not sure if they are legitimate or not, but funny to look at either way.

Hill Repeats - Doing hill repeats is everyone’s idea of a good time, right?  Uhhhh, not exactly.  Hill repeats are when you climb one hill (or a series of a few hills) over and over.  You climb up, you ride down….and then do it all over again.

Mountain Bike

I’m taking this list of typical mountain bike routes and names from my friend Greg over at Singletracks.

Figure 8 – Pretty self explanatory….just don’t make yourself dizzy from too many of these.

Lariat – Like a popsicle.  It’s basically a loop with a stick off of it.  Usually you ride the popsicle stick out, ride the loop, and ride the same popsicle stick back.  Is anyone else craving one right now?

Network – Lots of places are actually trail networks.  A network is basically a spiderweb of shorter trail segments that add together and form a cohesive network.  Here’s an example of a trail system with sub-trails: http://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/bull-mountain.html.

Shuttle – A shuttle ride is generally a point-to-point route where you ride from one end to the other, but use a vehicle to do the connection.  Usually you take a vehicle high up into the mountains and then ride the trail back downhill.

Loop – A loop for mountain biking would be pretty much the same as on a road bike…..it would just likely have different terrain.  Same thing goes for the Out and Back.

Your turn….which one do you like best?

Shuttle Route photo c/0 http://singletracks.com

I may not be an extreme mountain biker like some of you out there, but lately I’ve been feeling like a mountain bike pioneer….and making it happen on the Grenada off-road trails.

On my tropical island of Grenada, there are not too many mountain bikers around…heck, there’s not that many cyclists in general.  There are a few people who use the bike for transportation, some who train for road and triathlon racing, and some who just meander around because they love riding….but the number of hardcore mountain bikers is significantly small.  Possibly even non-existent.

I do know of one guy who claims to have ridden every inch of this island and cycled through every trail, and I think he’s the only one to have ever ventured down these trails on a bike.

But I know there are more trails, and that’s what I’ve set out to unearth.  Christopher Columbus may have been the pioneer who discovered Grenada in 1498, but I’m going to be the mountain bike pioneer who rides some virgin trails in 2013.

My buddies over at Singletracks.com have even added Grenada to their worldwide directory of mountain bike trails so that I can be the first to include our mountain bike trails on their site.  So far I’ve included the Mt. Hartman trail which takes you over to the Hog Island bridge if you make a slight detour.  Here’s the link to the Mt. Hartman trail I posted on Singletracks.  They happen to have the largest trail directory, and I’m hoping to make it even bigger.

One thing I’ve learned so far is that you need a lot of patience to be a pioneer.  I’ve rode down so many trails only to find them become so thick that they can’t be ridden, or ventured into some private property with angry sounding dogs, or something else that has made me have to turn around and come back.  For every 5 trails I’ve set off to discover, only about 1 of them turns into something ride-able.

But I’m going to continue exploring Grenada’s great unknown on a bike.  It’s not a huge island, but there’s plenty of mountains and rainforest to get lost in.

Here’s hoping I don’t come across that juvenile Anaconda that was recently located on the island.  Yeah, what a crazy story…turns out some guy on the island has had a pet Anaconda for a few years and it escaped.  Grenada has a few harmless snakes around, but the thought of this thing creeping on the island spooks me a little bit.  Yeah, I guess I never should have watched that movie “Anaconda” when I was younger.

I’m sure there are new bike paths to be discovered where you are as well.  Come join me and be a mountain bike pioneer of your own.

My good friend, Shawn from Texas Mountain Bike Trails, is in to tell you about one of the reasons he loves riding a mountain bike.  He shares some great insight and a list of interesting things he’s come across while riding trails.  Enjoy.

Where The Wild Things Ride

by Shawn McAfee

We’re all about loving the bike here and seriously, what’s not to love?

But then there are also some things that need to change occasionally.  I mean, you wouldn’t wear the same pair of under-roos every day would you?

Some things on the bike just have to have a little variety.  Mile upon mile of monotonous road repeated every day just gets painful.  Changing up your route can do you a world of good.

But, what if you took that to the extreme.  Instead of taking the same road you ride every day, you instead ditch the road all together.

There’s a whole other world of riding out there, and that’s where the wild things ride.

Riding the road you get exposed to a lot of dangerous “wildlife” like suicide squirrels, distracted drivers (Drop the phone-save a life) and loose dogs.  But what if you traded that in and got to ride with some real wildlife.

I’m a mountain biker.  I love being in the dirt.  It’s a soul-soothing harmony of dirt, rubber and pedals every time I make it out.  One of the things I love most about mountain biking though is the incredible amount of wildlife I get to ride with.

In my off-road adventures I’ve come across all of the following:

• Deer
• Raccoons
• Armadillo
• Snakes
• Birds of every kind
• Bunnies

And then I’ve also come across a few slightly more frightening animals as well:

• a 300 pound wild hog
• Coyote (multiple)
• A bobcat
• A naked man…

Yes, seriously to that last one.  That was… odd and unfortunate.

The point being that I never know what I’m going to see.  Every ride is a new adventure filled with excitement.

I still love my road bike too, in fact just last year I fell in love with crit racing.  But the road just has something missing to me.  I thrive on the unknown and love a good adventure.

So maybe, if you’re getting into a riding rut, this weekend you should give mountain biking a go.  If you don’t have a MTB, try stopping at your local bike shop and see if they have one you can demo for a ride.

I promise you first hand, it will give you one more reason for loving the bike.

Note from Darryl:

We ran a post a while back with a list of animals that people have come across while riding.  Head over to our post, “What Have You Passed?” and add to it.  Oh, and be sure to check out www.texasmountainbiketrails.com.  Shawn has an awesome website with incredible information and fantastic writing.

Greg from Singletracks.com is back with more mountain bike tips for you….this time he talks about riding fast through the rocks.  Be sure to check out all the other Mountain Bike tip articles as well.

Top 5 Tips for Flying Through the Rocks

by Greg Heil

When Darryl emailed me the possible topic of “going fast down rocky and uneven trails on a mountain bike,” my first thought was “hey, that’s a great topic!” But as I started thinking about it a little more, I realized that going fast down a technical trail isn’t just one skill—it’s the culmination of a multitude of bike handling skills that need to be learned and cultivated over time.

Sometimes the fastest, straightest line isn’t the smoothest. Rider: Greg Heil.

Explaining how to go fast through a downhill rock garden could easily fill several chapters in a mountain bike skills book, so in this article I’m just going to give you the quick-and-dirty version. Here are my top 5 tips for going fast on rocky trails:

1. Look Down the Trail – I took a mountain bike skills camp that spent a full day covering vision, so this is a very complex topic. But in a nutshell: look where you want to go and don’t look where you don’t want to go. You want to go down the trail, so look ahead of yourself. Don’t look down at your front wheel or at a challenging obstacle right in front of you: you need to look ahead at where you want to go. Pick a spot down the trail to focus on and, as you approach it, shift your gaze past that spot and keep descending. For more information, check out this article titled “Mountain Biking 101: Read the Path Ahead.”
2. Line Selection – If you are looking down the trail properly, as you approach a downhill rock garden you should have plenty of time to choose a line through to the other side. If you’re riding for speed, try to choose the smoothest, straightest line possible. Sometimes smooth and straight aren’t always the same thing; personally, if it’s a choice between the two I generally choose straight. Slowing down to try to dodge every single rock is just that: slow, and it opens up numerous opportunities for error. Generally, I just try to pick a line and flow through it (more on that in a second). Finally, if you can’t see the entire rock garden or don’t have time to pick a line through the entire thing, break it up into chunks. Don’t fixate on individual rocks–visually divide the technical section into large chunks and knock it out one chunk at a time.  Check out this blog post for more information on-line selection.
3. Get Off the Brakes - One big mistake that many beginners make is that when they approach a difficult rock garden, they automatically grab a handful of brake and slip and slide down it as slowly as possible. When riding technical terrain, speed is your friend. The faster your wheels spin, the more gyroscopic force the spokes generate. Basically, a fast-spinning wheel wants to stay upright, but a slower-spinning wheel is much easier to tip over.
4. Ride Loose - Another serious error that many beginners make when they enter a rock garden is to stiffen up and grab the grips really hard. The best thing you can do in a rock garden is stay loose and ready to absorb the vibrations. Keep your hands loose on the grips, your butt out of the saddle, a nice wide stance on the bars, the cranks flat, your chest low and close to the bar, and your weight forward. This attack position will help you to deal with any obstacles in your path
5. Take a Mountain Bike Skills Camp - Ultimately, this is a very complex topic and can be very difficult to communicate via writing, especially in a short blog post. If you are serious about becoming a better bike handler, check out my blog post about why you should take mountain biking lessons.

Your Turn: What do you struggle with most when descending technical terrain?

Greg Heil started riding mountain bikes seriously in 2007, and since that time has ridden hundreds of trails all across the United States. He is the Social Media Coordinator, and an editor, for Singletracks.com, which is your source for everything mountain biking: the number one mountain bike trail map database in the world, a daily blog, gear reviews, forums, photo of the day, and more! Be sure to drop by the site and check it out, and to “follow” them on Twitter.

It’s time for another one of our mountain bike monthly features….this time Greg from Singletracks let’s us know what he feels is an Epic Mountain Bike Ride.

What Makes an Epic Mountain Bike Ride

By Greg Heil

The word “epic” has been entirely overused in recent days, and especially in mountain biking circles. It seems like every time I ask a rider how his ride or the trail was, the classic response is either “It was epic dude!” or “Man, it was so gnarly!”

Epic adj.
3. heroic; majestic; impressively great: the epic events of the war.
4. of unusually great size or extent: a crime wave of epic proportions.

By definition, if we use the word “epic” to describe every trail we ride, then we are actually lying about 99% of the time or, at the very least, just horribly misusing this descriptor and diluting any powerful meaning that it might have originally contained. However, I do believe that the word “epic” is a useful description… but only when a ride actually fits the definition.

Here are some of my personal criteria that need to be met in order to make a ride certifiably “epic”:

1. Distance

In my opinion, you can’t have an “epic” ride that is only 5 miles long. Even 15 miles doesn’t qualify… to get to truly epic status, we probably need to be talking about roughly 30 miles or more minimum. This could change depending on your fitness… for Jeremiah Bishop, an epic ride might have to be 150 miles or more.

However, in my book, the distance factor is balanced out by the others. Sometimes you can have a really, really tough ride that is more hike than bike and takes many hours but relatively few miles—that can be epic too. Similarly, if there is little technical difficulty, backcountry factor, or adverse circumstances, but you still ride 100 miles of dirt–that ride is still certifiably epic.

But whatever you do, don’t roll off the trail after a two-hour ride and try to claim that it was “epic.” Because it wasn’t.

2. Technical Difficulty

30 miles of fast, flowy singletrack might be fun… but it’s probably not “epic.” Add in some uber steep hike-a-bike, wicked rock gardens and root webs, a series of 2-3 foot drops, all over the course of a 30+ mile ride… and now we’re getting epic, dude.

3. Backcountry Factor

Many suburban areas offer 30+ mile trail systems right on the outskirts of the city limits. These trail systems usually consist of a stacked-loop design where you are never really that far from another singletrack trail and only a mile or two at most from the closest paved road. If you were to get injured in such a place, help could be there in a matter of minutes.

In contrast, let’s say you head out to do a 30-50 mile singletrack loop in the mountains of Montana. But in order to get to this loop, you have to drive 20 miles of paved highway out of the closest town, and then another 20 miles of gravel logging roads before you even get the bike off the rack. From that point, already 40 miles away from the closest hospital, you then head up on little-used singletrack trails for into the backcountry… putting you at 60 miles away from the closest hospital, with 20 of that being singletrack. Think help is going to get there in 20 minutes? I doubt it. If you’re riding alone, a bad fall here could mean death.

Now we’re really getting epic.

4. Adverse Circumstances

Adverse circumstances automatically catapult a mountain bike ride high up the “epic” scale.

If the weather switches from sun to rain to snow and back to sun over the course of ride, that definitely contributes to the epic factor. If one of the trails is unexpectedly muddy or has a ton of blow-downs, the epic-ness has just gone up..

Crashes and injuries also factor highly in the epic-ness equation. Did your friend take a header off of a cliff and dislocate his shoulder 20 miles from the closest road and have you help him pop it back into its socket? Yeah, that’s epic man.

And finally, mechanical issues can easily help a ride become “epic.” If your seatpost snapped off halfway through a 50-mile loop and you finished the rest of the ride standing up—you better believe that’s epic!

Your Turn: While there are definitely some constants, everyone’s definition of an “epic” ride varies. What do you think makes an epic mountain bike ride?

Greg Heil started riding mountain bikes seriously in 2007, and since that time has ridden hundreds of trails all across the United States. He is the Social Media Coordinator, and an editor, for Singletracks.com, which is your source for everything mountain biking: the number one mountain bike trail map database in the world, a daily blog, gear reviews, forums, photo of the day, and more! Be sure to drop by the site and check it out, and to “follow” them on Twitter.

In October we kicked off our monthly mountain bike feature with a rockstar post by Greg from Singletracks, and he told us all about his top 3 mountain bike tips.  Then in November he told gave us 3 reasons why winter in mtb season.

Greg will be back with another post later this month, but today our own Aaron Madrid checks in with a great post about how he’s recently developed a love for the mountain bike.

Developing a Love for Mountain Biking

I’m not really sure why I started out on a road bike.  I think it was just the idea of going fast.  When I started riding I was considerably heavier, and “fast” was never an adjective used to describe me.  If you have moseyed around Lovingthebike for long, than you know all about my road cycling and love for the commute.

Recently though, things have changed.  I won’t deny it, my road bike love hadn’t lessened any, but the excitement from going fast had somehow lost its sheen.  I think between my big fall towards the end of the summer, the cold weather, and other various activities taking up time in my life (I’ve recently started a cycling advocacy group in my home town www.bicyclelafayette.org) I just wasn’t feeling the road bike as much as I had before.

One of the first big events my advocacy group tried out was Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day sponsored by the IMBA.  I knew we had some mountain biking trails around town, but I had never had the opportunity (or that much of a desire) to try any of them out.  Our event went down without a hitch.  One of our local bike shops, Virtuous Cycles, even came out with some demo bikes for any kids or adults that didn’t have a ride that would accommodate the trail.  Towards the end of the day, I decided to try out the trails myself after some goading from my friend John who had been racing mountain bikes all year.  I hopped on a sweet full suspension Kona 29er and headed out.

The single track trail lead us back into some woods I knew from my childhood.  Never before had I experienced something quite like what went on that day.  I realized quickly that mountain biking is a completely different animal than road cycling or commuting.  Where road cycling tests your legs, mountain biking is much more of an upper body and core focused ride.  Weaving in and out of trees, staying on the trail, and climbing obstacles like logs and big rocks, creates an entirely different experience.  I fell in love after just one ride.  My passion for cycling was instantly rekindled and I knew I had to get myself a mountain bike.

As if it was meant to be, my local shop happened to have a sweet bike in the back that was the perfect size.  I wanted to get a bike that could take a beating and destroy any terrain.  The chromoly steel, simplicity of a single speed, rigid frame, and massive 29er wheels of the Kona Unit fit the bill perfectly.  I took the bike out several times to test it out, and each time my new love only deepened.  Since that first week test riding I have been out riding trails as much as possible.  We have a few nice trails in town that offer a variety of challenges, from some steady hills, to rocky paths, tight switchbacks, to drops that I still haven’t managed the courage to test.  Mountain biking has become my new obsession.

Over the coming months I plan on testing my skills and learning as much as I can.  I am already working on some video ideas to take you along on some of my trails so you can experience the excitement with me.  I have taken to riding my single speed to work, which presents new challenges to the commute due to the drastic difference in gear ratio between a mountain bike and a road bike.  I am experiencing so many things again for the first time that I felt it only right that I share my exploits with all of you.

If you already have ridden some trails and experienced the challenge and joys of mountain biking, then you will know what I am talking about.  If you haven’t yet tested your woodsmen skills, then I highly recommend you try to do so.

I’ll be sure to keep you posted on what I am learning so that you can hopefully avoid crashing into trees.  Thus far my lessons learned have been pretty simple. Your bars are wider than on a road bike…watch out for trees.  Clipping in is scary again…watch out for trees.  Leaning forward when you jump is not a good idea…watch out for trees.  Jumping stuff is awesome…watch out for trees.

Be sure to stay tuned for more lessons on mountain biking.  If you are already well versed in the art of mountain biking, then shame on you for not trying to tell me about how awesome it is sooner.

Loving the Bike, as always…

Aaronthestrong

We’re here with another segment in our mountain bike monthly feature….this time Greg from Singletracks is here to give you 3 reasons why winter is mountain biking season.

3 Reasons Why Winter is Mountain Biking Season

by Greg Heil

My road biking compatriots tell me that we have some of the best road riding on the East Coast here in Dahlonega, Georgia. Since the local mountains were once the most challenging stage in the Tour De Georgia and are now home to the popular Six Gap Ride (drawing 2,500 riders), guess I believe them. Still, when the winter makes its annual appearance, many riders who primarily roll on the pavement take to the woods… and here’s why:

1. Lack of Light

Unfortunately, we don’t have nearly as many hours of daylight during the winter months, which can turn dangerous on the road. Sure, you can strap on a headlamp and a taillight, but even in the best of conditions battling traffic can be dangerous. Pedaling the roads at night truly opens you up to a bad accident.

Mountain bikers, however, don’t have to worry about thousands of pounds of metal controlled by human beings more concerned with their cell phones than the bikers that they’re hurtling past at 60 miles per hour. Consequently, we just strap on high-powered helmet lights, head into the trees, and just keep riding all winter long!

2. Less Wind Chill

Riding a mountain bike creates much less wind chill than riding a road bike does due to the slower speeds. Also, since mountain bikers generally ride deep in the forest, the tight tree cover helps to cut down the speed of any regular wind much more than riding on a wide open road.

3. Fat Bikes

Fat bikes are a new breed of mountain bike that are quickly gaining a passionate following. While mountain bikes already have much fatter tires than road bikes, fat bikes take it to a ‘hole ‘nuther level with tires measuring 3” wide, 4” wide, and even wider! This wide width helps the bikes to float on loose surfaces such as snow and sand, and also allows the rider to run lower tire pressures without the fear of flatting. Lower tire pressures also help to increase traction, creating a bike that can perform comfortably in a variety of adverse conditions.

Instead of spending all winter on the trainer, try mountain biking instead!

Your Turn: How do you get the miles in during the winter?

Greg Heil started riding mountain bikes seriously in 2007, and since that time has ridden hundreds of trails all across the United States.

He is the Social Media Coordinator, and an editor, for Singletracks.com, which is your source for everything mountain biking: the number one mountain bike trail map database in the world, a daily blog, gear reviews, forums, photo of the day, and more! Be sure to drop by the site and check it out, and to “follow” them on Twitter.

Photos c/o maddslacker and chukt

I’m not exactly a mountain biker, but from what I know about it I wouldn’t expect Florida to be a hotspot for this sport.

Last week we introduced a monthly mountain bike article from our friends at Singletracks, and it received a great response from our readers.  Greg will be back again each month with a fantastic mountain bike post, but today I’m laying down one for you as well.

A fellow cycling blogger friend of mine recently started up a new company “geared” towards helping businesses with their social media and video needs.  Donald totally incorporated his love for cycling into this new company and must have been super excited about the work they did with www.visitflorida.com.

They put together a video for them on mountain biking and featured the riding that is offered at the Mala Compra Bike Trail in Palm Coast, Florida.

For any of your riders interested in riding this trail, here’s what Singletracks has to say about it:

Mostly intermediate trail, with a few red sections towards the middle of the trail. The trail has great canopy throughout and all hardpack, even in the middle of Florida’s brutal summer. The trail contains some pretty good short technical, challenging climbs followed by abrupt, shifty descents.

For the rest of you (like me) who just like watching great cycling footage, have a look at what Donald and his crew put together to feature the riding of this Florida mountain bike location:

We’ve teamed up with the guys over at Singletracks.com so that we can start brining our readers more articles on Mountain Biking.  We try to cater to all types of riders of all levels and abilities here at Loving the Bike, but seeing as I’m primarily a road cyclist the focus tends to shift mostly in that direction.

 Starting right now, we’ll be posting mountain bike articles each month courtesy of Greg Heil and Singletracks.  They definitely know their stuff when it comes to mountain biking, and we’re so happy to connect with them.

Top 3 Mountain Biking Tips

by Greg Heil

The relation of mountain biking to road biking/cycling fascinates me. On one hand, they each seem to be just a different side to the same biking coin. But on the other hand, mountain biking is oftentimes so radically specialized when compared to road biking that it seems like a different sport entirely.

Since these sports are so different, transitioning from the road to the trail can be a daunting task. Specifically, while road riders often bring an amazing fitness base to the mountain bike trail, the technical side of the sport usually proves to be challenging. While I could write for days about mountain bike skills, here are the three most basic mountain biking techniques that you should have in your arsenal:

1. Look where you want to go

When they first start mountain biking, many beginners have the tendency to look down at their front wheel in an attempt to see where it is going, or they focus their on obstacles in the trail. These tendencies are detrimental to good mountain biking. When riding singletrack, it is imperative that you look where you want to go.

For instance, is there a tree that you want to avoid? OK, well notice that tree, and then look down the trail and past it to where you want to end up. If you stare at the tree the entire time, you will run smack-dab into it. Are you riding along a steep cliff? While it’s tempting to stare off into the distance and enjoy the view, if you do without coming to a stop first, your front end will probably plummet straight off the edge.

While I’ve attended a skills clinic that spent literally an entire day discussing and practicing good vision, the simple truth is that you need to look down the trail. Focus on where you want to go. And the faster you’re going, the further down the trail you need to look.

All three of these tips melding together seamlessly in one photo. Rider: Greg Heil. Photo: Jeff Barber.

2. Brake smart

Many times when I’m riding with beginners, I’ll see them get up too much speed and lose control, careening off the trail until the underbrush finally stops their forward progress. When I ask them what went wrong, the conversation usually goes like this:

“I couldn’t stop.”
“Were you using your brakes?”
“Of course.”
“Were you using both of your brakes, your front brake, or your rear brake?”
“Just my rear brake.”
“Why weren’t you using the front brake?”
“I’m afraid of flipping over.”

Since your weight is driving down the hill with the force of gravity and the momentum that you’ve gained, about 70% of your total braking power is contained in your front brake, with only about 30% of your total power in your rear brake. If you use just the rear brake, you are only using a fraction of the total braking power available to you.

Obviously, locking up the front brake is a bad idea: there is a reason many people are afraid of using the lever on the left handlebar. To keep from flipping over, it’s important to use both of the brakes together. Not only does use of the rear brake help mitigate some of the potentially harsh effects of the front, but you now have 100% power instead of just 30%.

Finally, when you brake, do not lock the brakes up. Avoiding locking the brakes will eliminate the fear of doing an “endo,” but that is not the primary reason to avoid it. If you lock the brakes up, the bike begins to skid and go out of control. In order to slow forward progress as quickly as possible, the tires need to maintain solid contact with the ground. This is the same idea behind anti-lock brakes on cars.

3. Let the bike flow beneath you: calm upper body

Suspension is an extraordinary thing, and it can really smooth out the trail and provide forgiveness when your skills don’t measure up to the challenges that the trail provides. However, no matter how much suspension your bike has, your arms and your legs have more—your body is your primary suspension.

In order to soak up bumps from rocks, roots, and other trail obstacles, it is important to let the bike move under you. If you can allow the bike to buck beneath you and jolt without having those jolts throw your body all over the place, you will ride with much more control. Some people ride so rigidly that every little thing jolts them off balance, but if you can learn to separate your body from the bike it will make for a much smoother ride.

Your Turn: What questions do you have about mountain biking technique?

Greg Heil started riding mountain bikes seriously in 2007, and since that time has ridden hundreds of trails all across the United States.  He is the Social Media Coordinator and an editor for Singletracks.com, which is your source for everything mountain biking: the number one mountain bike trail map database in the world, a daily blog, gear reviews, forums, photo of the day, and more!  Be sure to drop by the site and check it out, and “follow” them on Twitter.