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“Gotta go slow to go fast!” (this for all riders, especially those more concerned with control than speed, please read on!) So here are two guys that pay (or used to pay) their rent by going faster – not by slowing down – telling us we need to slow down to go fast? What gives? In the following, we'll explore what the saying actually means and how it can help not only racers, but also recreational riders ride more efficiently, more in control, safer, and, faster. every time we descend on the bike, its an exercise in momentum management. Every corner we take, every rock or root we drop off, etc. Every time we almost get thrown over the handlebars by improperly negotiating an obstacle, its because we screwed up on managing our momentum. So I find it kind of amazing that very few riders look at riding a section of trail in terms of momentum management. So sometime on a future ride, do this: look at sections of trail purely in terms of momentum. Use momentum as your tool to generate speed. Use momentum as your tool to clean obstacles. Think/look “outside the box” and don't feel the need to follow the typical lines of the trail. Chances are, you'll start to see things quite differently. You will start to “go slow to go fast” and reap the benefits of managing your momentum. If done correctly – and when combined with other proper techniques such as proper use of vision, body position, etc – instead of fighting the forces of physics in order to hold a particular line or drastically increasing or cutting speed, you'll start to instead “flow” with the trail.
Great World Cup and US Open highlights. Check out Mitch's crash in the Giant Slalom and the interview with US Open Downhill Winner Andrew Neethling. Listen to what Andrew says about slowing down to win the race! Something I stress with so many of my students, fast in doesn't always mean fast out, sometimes you gotta go slow to go fast.
There are two big myths in the cycling community that hold back many riders. The myth of the "natural athlete" and the myth of the "magic pill" have played a huge role in depressing riders confidence for years. Many people seem to think that the best people in sports are gifted or born with natural talent and that simply isn't the case. Yet despite not being a "natural athlete" I have done okay for myself in snowboarding and mountain biking. The "magic pill" or "pros secret" does not exist. So many people think that if they just knew that "one thing" that Steve Peat, JHK, Sam Hill, Ryan Trebon, or whoever their hero his knew they could ride as well as them.
Check out this video of BetterRide Alumnus Joey Schusler ripping trails and having fun in Columbia!
