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Down in the Dirt
by Timm Muth
A monthly article by the author of Mountain Biking in North Carolina. Rants, raves, reviews and chain grease.

Wherever You Look, There You Go
March 2003

Ok, so you're finally getting this mountain biking thing down, traveling at a good pace, coursing through the trees. You haven't fallen down yet, and you're feeling pretty perky. Then you round a corner, and remember belatedly about the jumbled boulder field that lies there in wait. And you know you're going way to fast to stop in time.

Quick, before the panic sets in: How do you find the clear line?

Answer: Look for where the rocks aren't.

That may sound like some mountain biking Zen riddle, but it's definitely your best choice of actions. This is the key to letting your bike find its way through the carnage. Just relax your vision a bit, and look for the clearest line. Don't focus on any one thing, but just take in the whole scene and let your mind figure out where the fewest number of obstacles are. There's almost always some kind of fairly clean line somewhere running through the roots and rocks. So just let it reveal itself, and tell your body that that's where you want to be.
Now I'll repeat this part: DON'T focus on the stuff you don't want to hit. Cause guaranteed, you stare hard at that nasty, flat-faced, wheel-bending slab up ahead, and you can bet your last fig bar that you'll shortly be running straight into it.

A corollary to this theory is: Don't look down off the steep side while you're cruising some fast contour line. Your front wheel will follow your eye, and soon you'll be taking a seldom used shortcut to the bottom. If you want to safely enjoy the scenery, stop and point it out to your crew. Remember: A view to die for really isn't, so stop and take the time to enjoy yourself and your surroundings.

Early on in the learning curve, most riders find themselves thrashing over every rock and root they encounter. You can exhaust yourself pretty quickly that way, flailing your arms about, fighting to maintain your balance and your sense of cool. It ain't a pretty picture, and you can find yourself exhausted after 30 minutes, while your more-experienced partner isn't even breaking a sweat yet.

The problem often isn't so much lack of riding skills; it's that you're so engrossed in the current obstacle, you never get a chance to see what's coming next and prepare for that one. Looking right at the end of your wheel focuses all your attention and will right there, and often you'll go: "OK, big rock ahead. Better slow down (first mistake). OK , go around it on the left. Oop's, there's a sinkhole there. Maybe on the right instead. Should I loft the front wheel some and try to ride over it. Ahh! Look At that root behind it. I'd better……." (Pionk!) Rider glances off rock, slips on root, thrashes around awhile, then falls down.

Again, the solution is to not focus too hard on what's right in front of you. Look out ahead 15 or 20 feet. Recognize what's coming, let it filter through your brain, let the clearest line appear, then let your body handle it as you encounter it. At that point, it's now no longer your brain's problem. Your brain and eyes should be considering the next rock 15 feet ahead, while your body deals with whatever you're rolling over at the moment.

Smooth, easy trail riding just seems to be one of those things that you can't force, can't analyze, and don't need to work hard at. So instead of freaking at the next rock pile, or perhaps stopping to discuss relative riding difficulties of pointy rock versus slippery root with yourself, just set all that aside for a bit and try riding easy. Breathe out, relax your vision a little, take it all in, and look for where the rocks aren't. That's where you'll find the most fun, incidentally.



Old Dirt

 

 

 

"Bicycles are almost as good as guitars for meeting girls."
- Bob Weir