How To Flow As One With Your Bike

As Yoda from Star Wars would say: ‘To ride smoother and faster on a mountain bike, flow as one you must’.  What Yoda means is ‘to get better bike control, the best feel for the bike, better speed, the highest efficiency and least amount of wasted energy, you and your bike must flow as one’.  You and your bike must operate as one harmonious unit flowing along the trails.

Sounds poetic.  But how can you make it happen?  Here’s one way that works fast…

Kill the Strangler

Many beginner mountain bikers have a habit of strangling the handlebar with a grip that is far too tight.  If you’re one of them, then that un-necessary nervous tension and energy you are using is not just strangling the handlebar.  It’s strangling your control, your speed and your mountain bike skills as well.

So try this next tip now.  You’ve got nothing to lose by giving this great beginner mountain biking tip a go.

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On Your Next Ride

On your next ride perform this little 3 step process to help you relax and engage as one with your bike.  At minimum do it on approach to gnarly trail, up or down hill.  And if you find you’re strangling the bar a lot, prompt yourself to do it every few minutes as you’re riding along.  You’ll be amazed at how often you find yourself strangling the bar…

step 1.   In your mind think thumbs, then release your thumbs slightly to have a more relaxed, but still firm bar grip

step 2.   In your mind think shoulders, then relax your arms and shoulders to get rid of the shrug

step 3.   In your mind think about helping and encouraging your bike where to go, rather then telling it where to go.  Remember, your bike and you should be friends so stop strangling it!

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Relax to Go Faster on a Mountain Bike

It’s an uncanny thing because it can be so hard for beginner mountain bikers to do, but relaxing your thoughts on the bike is one of the number one keys to better mountain biking.

Why is relaxing your mind so important?

Because if you can relax your mind and stop worrying about all that could go wrong, you’ll naturally have more space in your head to think more positively about how you need to ride.  That positive focus will translate into better decision making which will result in better movements and performance on the bike.

Relax your mind and you’ll simply ride far better.  But,

What If You Can’t Relax

This is why this 3 step flow tip is so effective.  If you can’t relax your mind you just need to do things in reverse.  Make yourself relax your body first, just like the 3 steps do, and that in turn will relax your mind.

Go try it now. It’s great for advanced right through to beginner mountain bikers.  I often run the three steps through my head before extreme ups and downs on the trail just to check that my shoulders and grip is relaxed.  In particular, if I’ve had a bad day, I say a little ‘thumbs and shoulders’ chant in my head during the early parts of the ride to help me get into the groove.

Using this mountain biking tip will instantly help you

• take the edge off any nervous thoughts
• make better and quicker decisions on the bike
• ride with smoother movements and greater control

and all of that goodness will bring more flow into your ride.  You’ll feel better.  You’ll feel calmer.  And you’ll go faster on your mountain bike because of it.  So what are you waiting for?  Follow the three step flow process and go kill the strangler in you.

Find even more speed here and learn how to ride over obstacles easier here.