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how do you find hand and foot balance in the attack/ready position?

2K views 9 replies 10 participants last post by  Metal_FTW 
#1 ·
hey all,
we've all heard the "light hands, heavy feet" mantra, but how do you guys balance pressure on the hands and feet?

you need 'some' pressure on your hands to maintain front wheel traction, but how do i know how much pressure is correct or if im putting TOO much pressure on my hands?

do you have any "on-the-bike" checks that you perform while riding to double check your hand and foot pressure? some people wiggle their fingers to make sure they aren't deathgripping, which i've used to some success.

another question, do you have any "on-the-bike" checks that you perform while riding to double check your fore-aft body position? many use the "chin over stem" technique, but usually during pumping or corning i find my chin behind my stem. in the past, i've been much of a backseat rider aka too far rearward, so i've been trying to fix it.

all tips are welcome, thanks in advance.
 
#2 ·
When i'm in a neutral position (flatish ground) I like to have my weight on my feet, and my hands floating with the bars. When I get into turns i'll shift a little bit of weight forward, but that happens anyways if you are in the attack position. I think if you focus on being in the right position the weight shift will happen naturally. If you focus on shifting weight forward for turns you will probably be putting too much weight forward.

When descending make sure you are dropping your heels. This forces you to keep your weight on the pedals. Of course you'll have a good amount of weight forward from an aggressive attack position, but the dropped heels will stop you from having too much forward weight. The tell tale sign of too much forward weight is being "bucked" forward towards the bars. That's my signal to myself that i'm riding sloppily and need to tighten up ship.

When climbing... I don't really think about it. I just find my climbing position, and get forward enough to keep that wheel down, but back far enough that I can loft the front wheel with little effort for obstacles.
 
#4 ·
A skills class is probably a good idea.

Generally speaking, keeping weight "centered" puts you in a good spot, because you're going to be adapting and adjusting the entire time on the trail. Sometimes forward. Sometimes back. Sometimes up or down, or side to side. Sometimes you'll even do crazy things like rotate your body. It just depends on the trail and the terrain and how you're riding them.

You'll know you're doing something wrong if you crash. You're doing something right if you can make small adjustments in body position and weight distribution to correct handling problems on the fly, as soon as you're able to notice the beginnings of a loss of control, and before you crash.

Side note - a female coaching friend of mine (who likes to coach other women) will often use the phrase "boobs over bars" to emphasize body position. Just that small amount of humor makes it just that much more memorable.
 
#5 ·
- Without your bike, get into an athletic position. Your hips should be centered between your feet, and your feet should be flat. Too much on your tippy toes, and you are unbalanced. Too much on your heels, and you are unbalanced. (notice, no weight is on your hands).

- Acting like you are holding your handlebars, look forward and squat down. Stand up. Repeat.

- Get on your bike and do the same thing. No weight should be on your hands - all in your feet. Level pedals, eyes up, one finger on your brake levers.
 
#6 ·
you need 'some' pressure on your hands to maintain front wheel traction, but how do i know how much pressure is correct or if im putting TOO much pressure on my hands?
In a corner new riders tend to lean back so if you can take the corner with light hands (not pulling back on the bars) you're off to a great start. The other thing is don't twist the bike to lean it. If it feels like you need to push the inside grip down and pull the outside up, you're in the wrong position. You should have just a light downward pressure on the outside grip. Also, these movements should come from your hips and feet. Watch the instructional videos on the basics(Simon Lawton, Skills with Phil), get the basics down, then watch how the pros snap a corner. Watch their feet.
 
#7 ·
actually you need very little weight on the bars to maintain front wheel traction. You body position will drive weight to the front or rear wheels through the pedals. You need enough weight on the bars to control the the bars and therefore the front wheel. Ideally this is very little as the more weight that is on the bars the easier it is to go over them. It is a skill to be developed as once you do you can tackle tougher terrain and you can learn to countersteer. Basically pushing down the inside bar of the turn this getting the bike to react quicker to the change of direction. In the end the attack position is never static, but the position that allows you quickly shift weight to where it is needed to maneuver the bike. The bike needs to flow under you and heavy feet, light hands and bends in knees and elbows allow for that.
 
#9 ·
Ok Op So you got the Heavy Feet, Light Hands thing down right ?
Your over thinking one component only.

Here are a few things to think about, Just points to try and test for your self.

You have a Dropper seat post right ?
If not get one, The secret to the dropper Is not knowing when to drop your saddle but when to raise it. You'll figure this one out, nuff said here.

Cockpit dialed in ?
Got your brakes moves Inboard for one finger braking ? Got the levers set to the correct distance for your finger length ?
All this cockpit setup work lets you keep three fingers wrapped around the grips right ? One finger braking Is plenty with modern disk brakes.
The more fingers around the grips the better control you have and the less tight you need to grip and that means your loose and,,,,Loose Is Fast.

With this I never think about bar pressure unless I'm driving the front tire Into the trail for a reason.
Read on..

Try steering with your feet sometimes, or better yet steer with your belly.
Next time you go Into a fast corner go In pedals level with the outside/highside pedal FORWARD and when you push the bike down under you point your belly around the turn and push that outside foot forward and around with your core.
Careful, go easy on this because if done right your traction and the speed the bike turns In will freak you out. Faster smoother corner speeds are yours for the taking..

Now I think about bar pressure,, I may Increase the pressure to drive my front tire Into the trail because I will be turning, faster, tighter, needing more traction.
It will be there because I am Fluid on the bike and not worried about a pedal bar load ratio.
Want the back end to come out/slide a little ? Move some weight to the front end.

Here we go,, I do this by getting low, my saddle is down, the bike Is pitched over below me.

I am fluid and not concerned with weight distribution,
I stay centered on the bike because moving around freely Is how I stay centered.

Next time you go out work at moving on, over and around on the bike,
and try steering with your feet FIRST out In the open, no trees, you will love it and It will help you get past weight distribution...
 
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