When To Get Low - Practice Like a Pro #64

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THIS EPISODE:
Generally speaking, we aim to ride tall in order to conserve energy, stay relaxed, and maintain access to as much arm and leg travel as possible. However, there are a few scenarios in which we will find ourselves getting low on the bike!
Upon entering a steep descent
Through a steep descent
During an off-camber turn
Watch the video to learn why!
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ABOUT SIMON LAWTON
Following his own Pro Downhill mountain bike racing career, Simon Lawton (Owner and Founder) has spent the last 25 years analyzing the top riders in the world to understand the tiniest details that contribute to their greatest successes, and also any weaknesses that are holding them back. With an exceptional understanding of kinesiology, Simon has developed his own teaching curriculum that explains the incredible relationship between human and machine. He has trained top pro mountain bike racers across the world, and his foundational techniques apply equally to beginner riders. His on-bike drills allow you to break down complex skills on the bike and develop correct techniques.
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ABOUT LINNEA ROOKE
Linnea has been racing locally in the pro category, but prior to Fluidride, she had almost no formal training and was held back by major gaps in her technique. While she was able to carry speed well on straight downhills and high-bermed turns, she lacked foundational cornering skills and was timid in the air. In Feb 2020, she met up with Fluidride to help with a filming trip in Baja, and was fascinated by Simon's teaching methods. Wanting to be part of this mission, she left her career in healthcare in July 2020 to officially join the Fluidride team as COO. We started filming this series to document her journey of cleaning up bad habits, adding new skills to her toolkit, and chasing her dream of riding with style.
Linnea is riding an Evil Following V3! www.evil-bikes....

[@struggle375]

I like the way he explains with no BS

[@ronjamman8798]

43yo here learning to ride mtb. your channel is really helping me a lot and giving me confidence when i’m in the trail. thanks!

[@Fluidride]

Love this. Thanks so much! -Simon

[@justsayin3600]

I really like my mixed wheel for doing steep downs. 29ers give me little room at the rear.

[@Fluidride]

One of the advantages of a mixed wheel bike for sure!

[@allentufts5185]

Great Video!

[@GaedeRafael]

Where is the "hip hinge" video? Did you delete it?

[@Fluidride]

I took it down as we had a LOT of people complaining that I was attacking another instructor. I didn't know it was something formally being taught, but always see riders doing it (presumably incorrectly?). It's still on my pay site (Fluidride Online) along with tons of other content not on this channel. I never want anyone else to feel attacked by my teaching, but feel it is critical to ride correctly to stay safe. I was torn when I removed it. If I'd know the Hip Hinge was a formal move someone taught, I would have called it something different. If you want to see it, fluidrideonline is free for 7 days. No strings attached. Easy to click and cancel if you don't want to pay. (Only $13/mo or $129/yr if you choose to stay). -Simon

[@patricklaureys9238]

Love these tutorials. I have a local race with a very steep, narrow, and curvy descent that has me sweating every year. I practiced some of the techniques you guys have been covering, especially the hip rotation and body-bike separation. I did the descent on my training ride today and it doesn't phase me at all anymore, so thanks for that! I did hit a very sandy, drifty section, and automatically went to an easier (spinning) gear and in a lower position. It helped.

[@Fluidride]

Nice. Love knowing this is landing! Cheers. -Simon

[@fabiocanevello]

Hi Simon, why did you remove the last video? It was very interesting

[@Fluidride]

I took it down as we had a LOT of people complaining that I was attacking another instructor. I didn't know it was something formally being taught, but always see riders doing it (presumably incorrectly?). It's still on my pay site (Fluidride Online) along with tons of other content not on this channel. I never want anyone else to feel attacked by my teaching, but feel it is critical to ride correctly to stay safe. I was torn when I removed it. If I'd know the Hip Hinge was a formal move someone taught, I would have called it something different. If you want to see it, fluidrideonline is free for 7 days. No strings attached. Easy to click and cancel if you don't want to pay. (Only $13/mo or $129/yr if you choose to stay). -Simon

[@beno9966]

Where did the Hinge video go? I had it loaded up then it was gone :(

[@johndaw7764]

Wondering the same thing, that was a good video

[@Fluidride]

I took it down as we had a LOT of people complaining that I was attacking another instructor. I didn't know it was something formally being taught, but always see riders doing it (presumably incorrectly?). It's still on my pay site (Fluidride Online) along with tons of other content not on this channel. I never want anyone else to feel attacked by my teaching, but feel it is critical to ride correctly to stay safe. I was torn when I removed it. If I'd know the Hip Hinge was a formal move someone taught, I would have called it something different. If you want to see it, fluidrideonline is free for 7 days. No strings attached. Easy to click and cancel if you don't want to pay. (Only $13/mo or $129/yr if you choose to stay). -Simon

[@countrylawakaJohn]

Good video. I do have one question. Is that his normal bike? It looks a little small for him.

[@Fluidride]

That is the bike I normally teach on. It's an S5 Specialized Stumpjumper (XL) but is lower and shorter than my big travel bikes. I'm just tall:-). Not quite tall enough for XXL in most makes though. -Simon

[@countrylawakaJohn]

I am with you on that but my dilemma is between a med. and a large. Regards, John @@Fluidride

[@mattgies]

Linnea wanted a soundtrack, but apple bottom jeans and boots with the fur are not so good as biking kit.

[@Fluidride]

AHAHA I'm dying 🤣 How did you know I love that song 🤣🤣🤣 -Linnea

[@mattgies]

@@Fluidride Haha, it's a classic

[@paulgriswold1776]

Just finished taking lessons with Simon this morning. I should have watched the video first 😅. I would encourage anyone to take in person lessons from Fluidride. I’m glad I did. Shout out to the “Lost Dog Chain Breakers” of El Paso TX

[@Fluidride]

Thanks Paul! Great having you in class yesterday! -Simon

[@TCK71]

Fantastic MTB tutorial series.

[@seanoneil277]

Good stuff, Simon & Linnea. I like that focus: not trying to get low, just ending up there because of the needed adaptations. Especially the "don't get low, THEN twist, that won't work." It's not about emulating what you SEE, it's about emulating what caused the thing you see. This was the toughest thing to teach visual learner, monkey-see monkey-do students in skiing. They would be good at emulating a "position" but no understanding of how/why that position exists. The explanation didn't help them as much as what they saw and emulated.

[@Fluidride]

Yes, to your point I think this is also where a lot of well intentioned coaches go wrong with technique ideas. It's not about the shape we are making (or especially holding) but rather the process that helps us move with ease through these shapes as we stay dynamic on the bike. My students often try so hard to do something thinking of the final goal they have in mind, without relaxing through the journey which ultimately brings them to their goal.

[@dogdaysunrise1970]

I don't know, but I think if you're as tall as she is, you should ride mullet.

[@phrides]

Linnea starting to think about the merits of mullet setup after that initial segment there.

[@Wabit01]

Thanks for these awesome vids, good vibe too! I’m curious if you had any tips on how to improve rapidly changing body body position? I'm okay if I have time to prepare, but sometimes it feels like two features are kinda stacked ontop of one another - for example a steep rock roll immediately into a sharp corner. Or a sharp corner straight into a drop, and then immediately onto a rock garden. My body feels like it just can't keep up with what my brain wants it to do :D

[@Fluidride]

Hey Danny. Great question and actually timely as I was just talking with Linnea this morning about my major challenge in teaching advanced jump classes, which is that riders are not always able to recover from one feature before getting to the next. I have a lot of ideas around, this, but will keep it as brief as I can here. Firstly, try to notice on terrain that seems easy to you how you are always able to feel balanced and relaxed. We want to bring this to increasingly more and more technical terrain. The key is to be sure each move is made properly which will then bring us back to our neutral position over the bottom bracket. Find some terrain that moderately challenges you in this regard, and work through it until you feel things are linking better. Repetition is the key here. Then up the challenge. For a roll to turn for instance (which you referenced) you could find an embankment to roll down and could set up a turn at the bottom. Start with a part of the bank which allows you minor challenge then work your way to steeper parts, or to a tighter turn at the bottom. I recommend using cones for this so you can stay challenged while keeping safe. Also remember that the goal is 'link' the moves. Remember that when we are cornering, we are looking for compression in the bike, something a steep roll down naturally gives us. In your mind, remind yourself that the terrain is helping you load the bike as you reach the base of the hill and move into your turn. Thinking about each piece of terrain can help us with the next is really helpful in creating a strong mental space where we can think of one thing as helping the other instead of upsetting it. With this method you will be able to progress nicely. Be patient with yourself as you learn. Gradual improvements add up quickly over time. Hope this helps! -Simon

[@Wabit01]

@@Fluidride thank you so much for this advice, that's absolutely superb!

[@xanthoptica]

Much of this advice is encapsulated in the really simple cue we use in NICA training: "Heavy feet, light hands." Keeping your weight over the cranks is something you can learn to do intuitively (meaning once you develop the habit, you don't have to think about it consciously). And it puts you in the right position in all these situations, and more.

[@Fluidride]

Indeed. That cue is the best for addressing so many issues on the bike!