Braking practice from Heather Lewis

The Ant said:

you'll be fine. But again, keep your weight back or you might go over the bars.
Anyone else who was there remember more to this??? Or just have more helpful hints?

Click to expand...

Yup...! And don't act so surprised, Susan...... (grin)

All of the above is spot-on -- I just want to add some emphasis on one point. When you get up on pegs and extend all your weight backwards .... try to keep your rear-end as close to the seat/rear fender as possible.

That is, stand on the pegs, have your arms fully extended, and keep your rear-end as far back as it will go... and as low as you can go without actually sitting down.

This keeps your weight as low as possible (most of your body-weight is on your foot pegs) and your center of gravity as low as possible (by staying low without sitting down).

This low/far-back, body-positioning is also critical for steep downhills! It allows you to brake harder and reduces your chance of your bike tipping over forward.

Oh, and practice, practice, practice. Once you get comfortable doing it on a smooth surface, go try it in deeper dirt/sand, and then on some rougher ground. Then go back to the smooth and try it while making a small corner. Just by practicing the above, you can become a real pro at braking.

Major props to Heather Lewis for her impromptu "Mini-Clinics" at MoonRocks this year. :thumb:
She even had some guys sitting in learning how to ride better.

-- RandyB

P.S. We're one set of softer, 250x fork springs away from the "The Ant" becoming "The Flying Ant"..... :laugh:

Thanks for the info Susan & Randy, sounds like downhill mountain biking style.