BTT Downhill is known as one of the most radical sports in the world. Many mountain biking lovers want to practice this sport, but do not know how to start. So that you don’t risk your physical well being, check the tips we leave below.
Physical Training
To be a good Downhill practitioner you need to be in excellent physical shape. It is not only necessary to know how to get down since in many Downhill tracks the athlete has to go through a few climbs. You should train sprints which are very useful in easier areas of a Downhill course as well as you should train endurance, necessary for any type of cycling.
Technical Training
At Downhill it is necessary to have a bit of physical preparation, but as the name indicates this modality favours the descent, so it is necessary that you have a lot of descent training. To do so, try to find technical descents and try to overcome them. If you find long descents better! This way you can train your descent technique and stamina.
You should never train Downhill alone. Remember that if you fall you will need help!
Jump training is also very important as on a Downhill track there are always several jumps. A good place to practice jumps could be, for example, motocross tracks.
At high speed, during the descent, look a little ahead of the track, about 10 or 20 meters, sometimes even more than that. The sooner you identify the obstacles the better!
Descent technique
In order to have better control over the bike during technical descents, you should use everything at your disposal to cushion the collisions with the obstacles. In addition to the bike’s own shock absorbers, try to keep your knees and elbows bent. It is easier to overcome obstacles, as the vibrations caused by the irregularity of the tread are absorbed more easily.
Keep the pedals aligned horizontally, so that if there is a stone or roots going through the wheels, do not hit the pedals.
On steep descents, very characteristic of the Downhill, you should lean back, i.e. place your rear almost behind the bike seat. This way the weight stays on the rear wheel, decreasing the probability of using the front brake and skidding.
And of course, besides the bike, use high-performance wheels and rims
Even if you are still a beginner in the sport, do not neglect the importance of a good bicycle and all its components. A bicycle without good wheels does not work miracles.
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