Tight downhill single track switchbacks

[TigerMom]

I've had to work on these tons. Here's what you need to analyze for yourself.
1. Picking your line. Sounds like you know what you aren't doing here. There's more to it, like looking at the entrance and exit of the turn, but looking down the trail past the trun is the main key.
2. Body position - where are you? Are you in "attack/ready" mode? Are you out of the saddle? Are you balanced on your feet?
3. How are your body/bike separation skills? This means, are you loose on the bike, and the bike moving independently of your body? You might need to lean the bike some and shift your hips to the outside of the corner to balance.
4. Use mostly the back brake to control your speed, and really steer the bike with the bars and your eyes.

Pedals level is always good - cornering with an outside foot down is an advanced technique.
Too far back and you will unweight the front of the bike which will make it squirrelly.
Try putting your saddle down. It will make everything easier.
And some switchbacks are really, really hard.

And what do you mean by crouch? Are you clear on what attack position is? The difference (to me) between attack and crouch is that attack position is well balanced on the feet, elbows out, knees NOT hugging the frame, and a crouch is more inward; contained, with elbows and knees in and tight. Hope that makes sense. :-)

1) I am trying to figure out what a good "line" to pick is. I aim away from ridges/ditches. But those tight turns near cliff edges...so hard to NOT look at the edge and to focus my eyes ahead on the trail.

2) Oh. I guess I was using the wrong jargon. Based on your description, I am in a crouched position and riding the nose of the saddle when I climb UP steep hills.
Based on your description, I am in the attack position on the steep downhills with my butt up and back off of the saddle but not completely off of the saddle (because the steepness is not remotely close to your recent photo of you riding that steep downhill wooden ramp). I am still trying to figure out whether to do the steep downhill single track tight turns with my feet level and in attack position OR with my outer leg down (which means my butt is almost in the saddle rather than back and off of the saddle).

3) I have difficulty with this body/bike separation skill as I am scared to death. So, I don't know how to relax and let the bike move independently of my body. When my outer leg is down, I can lean my bike more inward compared to when I ride in the attack position with my pedals level.

3) I was told to give 60% braking to the front brakes and 40% braking to the rear brakes on the descends so that the bike steering works better. I don't understand the mechanics of this, but this is what I was told and what I have been doing.

Thanks for all your great advice so far!!!

[Wahine]

1) I am trying to figure out what a good "line" to pick is. I aim away from ridges/ditches. But those tight turns near cliff edges...so hard to NOT look at the edge and to focus my eyes ahead on the trail.

I had an instructor the used the phrasing, "Where would the water flow?" and that actually helped me a lot with technical bits, including switchies and as Irulan mentioned, look past your exit and down the trail.

3) I have difficulty with this body/bike separation skill as I am scared to death. So, I don't know how to relax and let the bike move independently of my body. When my outer leg is down, I can lean my bike more inward compared to when I ride in the attack position with my pedals level.

There is a really great drill to work on this, drop your saddle down low then pedal around on a grassy surface, when you have enough momentum to roll a bit, coast in the attack position and very purposefully lean your bike side to side under you while maintaining your body position in space. This will help you learn to move your bike under you without disturbing you body stability.

This video is helpful, especially with regards to how to use your arms through the turn and where your head should be.

[TigerMom]

I had an instructor the used the phrasing, "Where would the water flow?" and that actually helped me a lot with technical bits, including switchies and as Irulan mentioned, look past your exit and down the trail.




There is a really great drill to work on this, drop your saddle down low then pedal around on a grassy surface, when you have enough momentum to roll a bit, coast in the attack position and very purposefully lean your bike side to side under you while maintaining your body position in space. This will help you learn to move your bike under you without disturbing you body stability.

This video is helpful, especially with regards to how to use your arms through the turn and where your head should be.

@Wahine: That video was "spot on" for me in every way. The steepness and the tightness of those switchbacks are exactly the types that I am riding. In addition, I guess I have NOT been "picking the right lines" because I was not going on the inner part of the curve on the way down and then going to the outer part of the curve and then aiming inward. I have been doing what the guy said was "picking the wrong line" at the end (I was just sticking to the outer part of the curve from beginning to end of the turn) and then stumbling with one leg down EXACTLY like he did. I'm going to have to re-watch this video several times. Interestingly, I have no problem going uphill on the switchbacks and don't even need to try to "pick the right line".

@Irulan: Wow! I think I can only do up to the forward-backward on the saddle part of the exercises for body/bike separation. I have a LOT of homework for myself, especially that tight high speed turn looks super scary and difficult for me. But, hey, one step at a time.

THANKS A LOT FOR ALL THE TIPS AND VIDEOS!!!!

[TigerMom]

Oops, another question. When you turn, I thought that you were supposed to lean you bike inward into the turn and your body to stay centered. But in Wahine's video, the guy says to lean your body inward during the downhill turn instead of leaning the bike inward.

Are both methods correct or have I been getting it wrong all this time?