As a mountain biker with an infinite love for off-road, he can climb and even descend. Considering the diverse playability of mountain off-road, most mountain off-road players will not specifically buy a DH mountain bike. Therefore, the following 5 small changes can easily help you transform your existing mountain bike into a downhill weapon, and experience the instant thrill of mountain off-road downhill.
1.Replace the short stem
The long stem makes the body more stretched and the center of gravity is more forward, all of which invisibly increase the difficulty of mountain bikes when going downhill. In intense mountain trails where more handling flexibility is needed to adapt to changing environments, a short stem will bring the handlebars closer to the body, increasing the potential range of arm movement and making the upper body more flexible. It distributes the body’s center of gravity better in the downhill bumps, provides the right grip, and helps you go downhill faster.
Suggestion: If you are using a 90mm stem, try 50mm; if you are using a 70mm, try 35mm (but not as short as possible).The stem is subject to a lot of impact in the mountain off-road, so it is necessary to buy a stem with excellent quality and high strength. If the wallet is not too big, you can change it to a cheaper one (cheap and the strength must be guaranteed, it will be heavier).
2.Check the horizontal length of the handle
In the initial stages of mountain biking, the handlebars of mountain bikes are very short. When some foreign riders participated in the downhill race in 1993, they used a 500mm short handlebar without lift (it’s incredible when I think about it now). Similarly, the longer the better, the better. Many mountain bike enthusiasts like a very long handlebar, which is too much. Mountain cross-country has higher requirements on the handling of bicycles. Correctly setting the optimal length of the handlebar can effectively improve the handling when going downhill, and ensure the strength and ensure that the shoulders are not injured. The following is a simple self-test method.
- Riding on a mountain bike;
- Close your eyes;
- Place your hands on the handlebar naturally (in the most natural state, place the handlebar where you feel comfortable);
- Open your eyes.
See where are your hands? If your hands are right on the handlebars, it’s great, no adjustment is needed; if you feel comfortable with your hands on the end of the handlebar, you need to change to a longer handlebar; this is what mountain trail veterans often say. If the handlebar is under your control, don’t rush to cut off the handlebar, unless you are sure that the short handlebar is suitable for you. The track is now more difficult than before, and the longer handlebars allow the rider to perform better.
This is just a very simple adjustment method. In foreign countries, there are already very detailed BIKE Fittings for riders’ personal body data (shoulder width, arm span, etc.) and riding style. Professional riders will even change the handlebars and stems of different lengths according to the different starting order of each race.
3.Lower the seat tube
More and more mountain bikers are beginning to realize the importance of dropper seatposts. For AM players, dropper seatposts are basically standard on mountain bikes. If you don’t have a seat tube lift yet, you can try lowering the seat tube a little bit before going downhill, which will allow your body to have more room for movement and facilitate the adjustment of the center of gravity when going downhill.
Stroke selection of the lifting seat tube: With the increasing difficulty of the current mountain bike competition, even XC mountain bikes require 30-60mm of travel during the competition. In other words, if you want to get your hands on a dropper post, buy as much travel as you can. Standard dropper posts can have 120mm of travel, with smaller riders generally using 100mm, and taller and more aggressive riders may need 150mm.
4.Put on real mountain off-road tires
Change mountain bike tires
The tire is the most direct connection between the rider and the ground, so it is crucial, especially in mountain off-road. True mountain off-road tires deliver great confidence downhill. There are three points to pay attention to when choosing mountain off-road tires:
- Choose wider tires. Wide tires offer more control and cushioning than thin tires. If you are using 2″ tires, try 2.3″, if you are using 2.3″ now, then try 2.5″ (I think the choice of tires depends on the actual terrain and difficulty of off-road, not blindly the wider the better ).
- Replace the tire with large teeth and knobs. What? Rolling resistance? Mountain bikes are far different from road bikes, and tires with stable performance and strong grip are the favorite of real mountain off-road enthusiasts. The well-distributed, large and deep tread pattern makes the mountain bike a real mountain beast on the downhill. Classic tires include: Specialized Butcher and Maxxis Minion.
- Use tubeless tires: Tubeless tires have many benefits in mountain off-road. Lower tire pressure can be used to obtain better grip and control on the premise of ensuring lateral support; greatly reduce snakes during intense downhill. Chance to bite; immune to small punctures, improved cushioning and control.
5.Improve car control skills
This is the final tip. The improvement of the technical level is often much more difficult than the replacement of equipment. But at the same time, in countless trainings, the continuous improvement of the car control ability can make you no longer flinch in the downhill, and move forward bravely. Mountain bikes can break, but the skills you have learned about mountain bikes can be applied to any bike.
- Looking ahead, the downhill speed is very fast, and the driver needs to be very focused. If you want to see a farther place, the wheels have already arrived at the place you see. Looking ahead, choose the downhill route in advance. Going downhill becomes easy; so look ahead so you don’t fall;
- Use the brakes correctly. Many riders can’t help but squeeze the brakes tightly when they see the downhill in front of them. As everyone knows, the brakes after locking can easily cause the car to slide on the downhill, which is very dangerous. Rolled forward, resulting in a crash.
- Adjust the center of gravity of the body flexibly. Mountain cross-country downhill is different from paved roads. On bumpy roads, the car will vacate and enter the pit, which can easily cause the driver to lose the center of gravity. Drivers need to practice more in normal times, find the feeling of the center of gravity when going downhill, adjust continuously, and finally form muscle memory. In the downhill, you can quickly adjust the center of gravity and go downhill steadily.