MTB
Watch this video and get the inside track on how to slide around corners like a pro with our resident mountain biking skill kings.
Sliding around corners with both wheels free of adhesion and kicking up great dusty plumes behind you is possibly the greatest feeling you can have as a mountain biker.
It's a difficult skill to master, of course, but fear not – Rob Warner and Tom Oehler are here to help you get the drift just right.
Watch the video below to learn how to drift like a pro
Steps to getting that perfect drift
- Find a downhill turn with a relatively loose surface. Look for an area that will provide you with the space to drift wide without hitting trees or rocks but will give you enough speed to complete the task.
- As you come into the turn, lean your bike into it. Over-exaggerate the lean of the bike slightly. This will start the process of the drift. Make sure your bottom is as close to or just above the seat when you do this.
- When you lean into the turn, you'll begin to feel the tyres break free with the back wheel losing traction first.
- Make sure your inside foot is off the pedal and hovers just above the ground going into the lean. This will give you some control over the drift as you go into the turn and keep the back wheel as grounded as you can.
- Keeping the front wheel on the ground is the key to a good drift and making sure you don’t wash the whole thing and crash.
- When you begin to slide in the corner with the lean, bend your elbows and put the weight of your body over the front of the MTB. This will weight the front wheel to stop it sliding out, and unweight the back wheel to let it drift more.
- Practise the technique over and over again until you get more comfortable, gradually increasing your speed as you do. Have a go at leaning into the corner more and making those turns tighter.
- Once things begin to go sideways regularly, shifting your weight backwards and forwards on the MTB will help you to practise control of the drift.
All that remains to do is to get out there, find a corner and give it some! Remember, the boys reveal a new essential skill every week so don't forget to check back soon.
