Roxys riding technique training - Part 1: Rock Garden
With Roxy you will learn some important riding skills in the next few weeks that will surely help you on the trails.
Today we will start with Rock Gardens - downhill passages with blocky sections.
XCO trails are becoming more and more demanding and there are more and more rock gardens and blocky stone fields to master. In this newsletter you will learn how to ride them safely and in control.
4-step-tutorial
Lower the saddle for downhill riding. This gives the bike more room to move under you.
Look at the place beforehand and find a line that you can ride. Riding blindly into unfamiliar sections can be very dangerous.
Be sure to get up from the saddle and make sure that your weight is balanced on your legs. Lean on the handlebars as little as possible. It helps to have the heel of your front foot lowered to work against the forces that arise and push your body forward when the bike rolls over large rocks.
Use your arms and legs as your natural suspension: go low in front of big steps by bending your arms and leg and then let the bike tip forward into the step. This keeps you balanced on your legs and gives you maximum traction.
Roxys pro tip
"Don't ride into such places with fear. Fear causes your body to stiffen, which then results in you no longer being able to uncouple the bike from your body and being jolted.
So practice these techniques on easier rock gardens or easier root passages and increase the difficulty of your descents step by step."