BODY POSITIONING ON DIRT BIKES: Cross Training Enduro Skills

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• published: 06 May 2016
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CROSS TRAINING: BODY POSITION ON YOUR DIRT BIKE Body position accounts for much of trials and enduro technique - with such light bikes where and how you move your body has a huge impact on what the bike does. This happens less with a heavier enduro bike, but it is still a critical part of good riding technique. Playlist for our enduro vlogs: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlur54ugvzNJlUO0y6D10jVOGMLI4Raci Cross Training Enduro Skills Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cross.training.enduro.skills/ Cross Training Enduro Skills Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJAvmhgP0h1AEKY8vTEJPJg One of 50+ free enduro training vids at http://www.crosstrainingenduro.com/ Visit our cross training Youtube channel and subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJAvmhgP0h1AEKY8vTEJPJg Experienced enduro riders will usually only sit for sharp corners, very difficult terrain, or conserve energy on an easy section. If accelerating hard or hitting rough terrain, simply crouch down further, then back up again to conserve energy. Your elbows are always up and out to give you maximum control. Point your toes in so that your ankles grip the bike. This should naturally lead to gripping the bike with your legs when needed. This means you won't have to hang on to the bars so tightly, so your upper body, arms and hands won't tire as quickly. This positioning makes the transition between standing and sitting easy, with maximum control of the bike during the transistion. The sitting position should always have your butt in line with the footpegs. This is usually sitting at the very front of your seat. Again, always keep your elbows up and out for maximum control. It's best to have your toes on the pegs when sitting, so your boots aren't pointing down and exposed to the terrain. Your hand levers should be either horizontal or only angled down slightly. Many riders have their levers at 45 degrees down for easy use when standing but this will make things difficult as you move to more advanced riding techniques. Your foot should always be covering the rear brake for immediate use. Trials riders often teach themselves this by practising with the rear brake constantly on, but just varying it to suit the conditions - it's not a bad idea for cross training too. LOOK AHEAD A common problem for beginners is not looking ahead far enough. It can even happen to experienced riders when trying techniques outside of their comfort zone. Looking down at your front wheel or an upcoming obstacle will hamper your riding no end. Even when crossing a large log or hopping up a ledge you need to be looking head. Trust your brain to react instinctively while tackling the obstacle as you consciously plan on your next moves. Trust us, you will be a better rider for it! Your default body position. Bend your legs but keep your lower legs vertical. This puts your butt toward the rear where it will help with traction. It gives you a lot of stability in the bike, especially in rough terrain. Whatever you do, don't stand with straight legs. This is very unstable and you will get thrown around more, and lose control easily in rough terrain. The great thing about this body positioning is it works for hill climbs and descents because your centre of gravity is low. The only time you should need to move forward on the bike is for extremely steep sections, then return to your normal body positioning to keep that rear wheel weighted for traction. A quick note. Many riders say this crouched position will be too tiring. If you keep your lower leg vertical, this body position will mainly use your quad muscles and should not be too tiring. However if you are unfit you may need to do some exercise if you want to always have the best body positioning. For us older guys, a pair of Steg Pegz can help too! Crouch lower when you need to lower your centre of gravity, for situations like: Hard acceleration Soft sand & mud Gnarly terrain High speed Rocky terrain This will be harder on your quad muscles so go back to the standard position when possible, or just slow down and sit instead. Remember we also have other Youtube channels: Adventure Oz Youtube channel:https://www.youtube.com/user/secretgardenproject Trials training Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZ6Lrqmphte_EJv-vjzj5gg Music is from flashtoolkit.com but we can't find a name for it to give credit.