light hands, heavy feet: 17 drills to help make your mountain biking more stable no matter what the...

Thick Skull Mountain Bike Skills presents

Light Hands, Heavy Feet: Developing the Habit

17 Drills to Make Your Mountain Biking More Stable no Matter What the Terrain

By Griff Wigley, Mountain Bike Geezer

ThickSkullMTB.com

http://thickskullmtb.com/free-subscription/

Why is ‘light hands, heavy feet’ a fundamental mountain bike skill?

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“Carrying weight in our feet vs. our hands puts our weight much lower on the bike, allowing the bike and us to float over terrain more smoothly.”



“Carrying weight in our hands creates a higher center of gravity, making it easier for our body to get knocked out of position by uneven terrain and obstacles.” – Jake Carsten, IMBA ICP Instructor Trainer, coach at Dirt Dojo



“Leaning forward onto the bars makes the front wheel too heavy. Leaning back away from the bars makes the front wheel too light.”



“Unless you’re intentionally pulling an expert move, your hands should be neutral on the bars. This lets your weight drive through the bottom bracket and into both wheels.” - Lee McCormack, Lee Likes Bikes, co-author, Mastering Mountain Bike Skills

What prevents ‘light hands, heavy feet’ from becoming a habit?

It’s a skill that’s hard to observe

• A coach can’t easily observe a student’s incorrect hand pressure, though bent wrists are an indicator

• Even if wrists are straight and overall body position on bike is correct, hand and feet pressure can still be wrong



It’s not a sexy skill. No one ever says:

“Wow, look at that guy. He’s really good at keeping his hands light.”

Most riders don’t ever think to practice it or seek help to get better at it.



Drills to practice the skill aren’t common

Shouting reminders of ‘light hands’ with hand gestures of holding tea cups (‘tea party hands’) can help

But the following drills could also be used:


Stage 1 Awareness Drills

Venue: Yard, driveway, neighborhood park, empty parking lot

8 easy drills to increase hand pressure awareness


Drill 1: Hand pressure awareness, sitting on bike

• Sit on bike, feet on ground; push palms of hands against handlebar grips. Say “palms”

• Pull up and back on grips with fingers. Say “fingers”

• Clench grips tightly with fists. Say “fists”

• Loosen grip on bars, barely touching. Say “neutral”

• Repeat, saying the words as hand pressure changes


Drill 2: Hand pressure awareness, riding in figure 8s

• Ride bike slowly in figure 8s, both sitting and standing

• Notice hand pressure and mentally label it (palms, fingers, neutral) whenever it changes

• Deliberately do whatever is needed to feel palm and then finger pressure on the bars

• Find and keep a neutral/light hands grip for a few seconds or longer


Drills 3, 4, 5: Hand pressure awareness, moving around cockpit, braking

• Drill 3: Repeat Drill 2, but ride standing up in a straight line, moving body back and forth in bike’s cockpit

• Drill 4: Repeat Drill 2 but ride standing up and then brake to a stop. Notice what happens to hand pressure when brake levers are squeezed

• Drill 5: Repeat Drill 2 but ride straight in a ready or attack position


Drill 6: Hand pressure awareness, stationary position

• Repeat Drill 2, but wedge front wheel of the bike against an object; stand on pedals and balance in a stationary position

• (Examples: fire hydrant, trailer hitch, or steps along a wall)

• Using body position, deliberately exaggerate palm and finger pressure on bars


Drill 7: Hand pressure awareness, stationary uphill position

• Prop bike’s front wheel on object in a stationary uphill position; chock rear wheel with rock

• Grab handlebars, balance bike with handlebars against wall, stand on pedals, use shoulder and hip as needed for balance


• Move around cockpit, saying “palms,” “fingers,” “fists,” and “neutral” as hand pressure changes

• Using body position, deliberately exaggerate palm and finger pressure on bars

Drill 8: Hand pressure awareness, stationary downhill position

• Repeat Drill 7 but prop bike’s front wheel on object in a stationary downhill position; chock front wheel with rock


• Note especially what happens to hips in order for hands to be completely neutral or weightless on bars


Venue: Singletrack trail

8 intermediate drills to increase hand pressure awareness


Drill 9: Hand pressure awareness on an easy trail

• Ride a trail or section of a trail that’s flat and relatively easy

• Say the words “palms,” “fingers,” and “neutral” out loud as hand pressure on bars changes

• Say words when seated and when standing

• Just focus on being aware of the changes. Don’t deliberately try to have neutral hands


Drill 10: Hand pressure awareness on easy uphills and downhills

• Drill 10: Repeat Drill 9, but on a trail that has relatively easy uphills and downhills


Drill 11: Hand pressure awareness on a challenging trail

• Repeat Drill 9, but on a trail that’s much more challenging

• Alternate between riding it as fast as possible and much slower than normal

• Note approximate % of the time hands were neutral on uphills and downhills

• Ride fast over gnarly terrain. Note if hands were tightly clenching grips, whether ‘light’ or not



6 advanced drills to increase awareness of light hands & feel how bike lean turns the front wheel Venue: Flat, empty parking lot with no distractions, vehicles, traffic, obstacles, or other bikers Warning: These drills involve taking hands off brake levers while bike is moving


Drill 12: Steer with palms of hands on ends of bars

• While standing on pedals, hold handlebars with palms of hands pressing on ends of bars as lightly as possible

• Ride a straight line and lean bike side-to-side (usual bike/body separation exercise)

• Do drill both pedaling and coasting

• Note how drill prevents using downward/upward pressure on bars & enables a different steering experience


Drill 13: Steer with fingertips

• Repeat Drill 12, but only use fingertips on top of or at ends of bars


Drill 14: Ride in circles, steering with one hand’s fingertips on stem

• Coast in circles while standing on pedals

• Lean bike using fingertips of one hand on one end of bars, and fingertips of other hand in center of bars or on stem

• Coast to a slow stop, keeping balance as long as possible


Drill 15: Ride in circles, steering only with fingertips of one hand

• Repeat Drill 14, but take fingertips off center of bars

• Coast in circles using only fingertips of one hand on end of bars

• Feel bike turning bars/front wheel as you lean it

• Do drill in both neutral position and then in increasingly lower attack or ready positions


• Repeat Drill 15, but momentarily lift both hands off bars while coasting in a slow circle (standing on pedals, seat all the way down)

• Lean into turns, riding no-handed as long as possible

• Experience front wheel turning on its own

Drill 16: Ride in circles, steering no-handed


Drill 17: Put it all together with fast turns

• Do a series of fast turns around the lot as if riding on a trail

• Deploy all elements of a basic turn that mountain bike instructors teach (eyes ahead, attack position, rotate torso/hip flexion)

• Focus on keeping hands neutral Thick Skull Mountain Bike Skills

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Light Hands, Heavy Feet: Developing the Habit

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light hands, heavy feet: 17 drills to help make your mountain biking more stable no matter what the...

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