CONTROL ON STEEP TERRAIN

MAINTAINING CONTROL ON STEEP TERRAIN – UPRIGHT BRAKING POSITION

This is an extension of braking, the ability to be able to maintain enough grip on the front wheel when it is steep to allow the rider to control the speed.

In my experience, it is a very, very unusual to concept to clients, the idea of standing up and weighting the bars on steep terrain as it is probably THE MOST LIKELY PLACE, they will want to lean back.

OPTIONAL DRILL
Depending on the client and their curiosity or fear around weighting the handlebars, I often give the client an opportunity during the early drills to feel the position of weighting the bars on a steep slope but not moving.

Place the bike on the steepest slope you can find. Help the client to climb onto their bike using the pedals as steps. Once on and feet level, they will often be very far back on the bike. You can demonstrate this to them by wiggling the bike underneath them and they will feel themselves how unstable the bike is.

Then ask them to first stand up, then to adjust forward until you see the fork and wheel “engage” as the weight comes onto them.

Wiggle the bike again so they can feel the improved stability, then ask them to move back again so they can clearly feel the difference as they go back and forwards on the bike, finding the “sweet spot” where the bike feels safest.

Allow them to roll out.

DRILL FOR STEEP TERRAIN – UPRIGHT BRAKING POSITION
Depending on the layout of practising on track, make sure that at some point in the lesson the client has the opportunity to practice riding down something steep, SLOWLY.

It is key that the location is smooth and straight.

The client must try this at a slow speed as they will experience nothing at a normal speed as the velocity masks the experience of added traction. Once they master it obviously, they can try it again at a normal speed, but to learn the skill it must be done slowly.

Demonstrate it yourself rolling down the slope. You can do it with both brakes or even if it is appropriate, demonstrate doing it with just the front brake. This is NOT to demonstrate the best method, it is a TOOL to teach them which brake they are scared of, why they need to practice and master it and how to do so.

It is likely you will get all sorts of issues popping up here;

Wanting to drop a foot and stand unevenly on the pedals
Leaning back
Standing on tippee toes
Getting low

All of those positions are the client indicating to you with their body language that they are nervous of the front brake and unsure how to control it on loose, steep terrain.

Depending on what pops up, practice and film over and over until they can stand up tall, weight the handlebars and drag the brakes, predominantly the front, all the way down the slope.

If they are an expert, they should be able to come to a stop mid slope or ride very slowly using only the front brake and maintaining control of the front wheel like doing a track stand. In fact, this position really just is a track stand on a steep slope.