Mountain Biking 101: Reading the trail

Learn to scan the trail.

The principle here is that nothing on the trail should ever be a surprise.  If you can’t see ahead, then slow down!

Even at the beginning of a new mountain biker’s progress (maybe especially then) the ability to look at the trail, and read it is possibly the most useful skill in the toolbox.

New riders tend to fixate on the next obstacle.  As they do, they neglect the one after that, and the ones farther ahead.

Here’s the problem.  Any trail is, basically, a series of obstacles, or “problems.”  Each obstacle requires some kind of adjustment to the rider’s position, speed, or control.  New riders tend to see only the very next obstacle.  As a result, the one after that tends to take them by surprise.

The Scan:  As soon as you enter the trail, begin your scan. 

• Look as far ahead as you can see. 
• Note each obstacle between you and the limit of your vision, but don’t linger on any one. 
• Scroll your vision scan back toward you.  You are most interested in the next two obstacles you will encounter. 
• Note the distance between the nearest obstacle, and the one after it. 
• Plan your moves for the nearest obstacle. 
• Take a quick look at the one after it. 
• Clear the next obstacle, and repeat the process.

As you get better at this scanning process an interesting thing starts to happen.  You find that your subconscious mind is working on the problems of the future obstacles.  By the time you come to them, you already have them more than half solved.

Example:  An internal dialog.

I’m looking forward.  There’s a drop off.  Then a tight turn with roots, then a step up.  Look at the drop off.  Weight back.  Let it go.  Good!  Made it!  Look ahead.  Tight turn with roots.  Step up. Narrow gate between the trees.  Look at the turn.  Move to the outside…    …And so on.

Just the act of scanning forward and back starts the process of figuring out the approach to each challenge.  Try it on your next ride.

One more Caution:  As you are looking at obstacles, focus on the solution, and not on the problem!  There is an old mountain bike adage.  “See the rock.  Look at the rock.  Hit the rock!  See the tree.  Look at the tree.  Hit the tree.  You are going to go where you are looking.  If you don’t want to go there, don’t look there!”  This is absolutely true.  Your bike will go where you are looking.  So note the obstacle, and then look for the solution.  Once you’ve found the solution, look only at that.  Focus on the path through the problem, not on the obstruction.

Today’s Term(s): 
Shred or Shredding ~ A particularly aggressive riding style, esp including a lot of skidding and sliding.  While fast and exciting, “Shredding” is destructive of trail surfaces and of the land they are located in.

Dab ~ Putting a foot down to stabilize oneself while in motion.

Spuds (SPD pedals) ~ One of the more common of off-road type “clipless pedals.”  SPD™ is a Trademarked pedal from Shimano.  The acronym stands for Shimano Pedaling Dynamics, which basically means it’s a clipless pedal made by Shimano.

This series, running every Tuesday, is intended to help those who are new to mountain bike riding.  By no means is it an exhaustive treatment, but it is our fond hope that it will help you, the beginner, to begin to enjoy riding your bike off road.

Future Topics:

Trail Care & Maintenance

Preparations

Shifting

Dressing for it

Standing and staying loose

Hydration

Track Stand

Bunny Hop

Wheelie

“Cleaning” the mud