Skills for mastering narrow things on the track

[Irulan]

Girl I am going to see if I can find some photos or videos of the drills I have been taught ( and teach) to enhance what we call "body bike separation".

[Irulan]

Excellent demo of body bike separation which is what you'd be doing at slow speed to weasel your way through some trees. This is a GREAT video, don't be turned off by the freeride nature of it, the skills are all the same for any kind of mountain biking.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAkBmcz40KM

a variation on the straight line b/b/s demo'd in the video is to ride in a circle-
If you are going around to the left ( counterclockwise) angle your bike and get your hips and shoulders into it . Be in a medium-ish gear, slow circles, inside arm ( left) will be bent, outside arm straight, the bike is going to angle ( tilt outwards) and you are going to counter balance with your hips and shoulders. It really helps if your saddle is down so you aren't tempted to sit on it. I don't feel like i am explaining this well. The key is to feel your hips and shoulders moving into it, the wide/loose stance of the legs ( "cowboy stance" in the video) and moving separately from your bike, both fore/aft and side/side.

[katherine]

I am having a lightbulb moment, thank you!

[Irulan]

Excellent! Glad to help.

I am really glad I found that little video clip, it's pretty nifty.