• Tweet

Happy New Year.  I hope yours got off to a great start.  And for one lucky subscriber it’s an even better start.

Find out if that’s you below…

And while you’re at it, why not give these a go (they’ve made my new year very busy):

• Avoiding the Ghost
• Missing the Hisses
• Tubeless Squizzes

By the way, how are those New Years’ Resolutions going?  Still strong?  Or did they die a horrible second week death?

• Tweet

Cartoon displayed with special permission from http://www.glasbergen.com

So you’ve had a bit too much pudding and Christmas cheer and you can’t seem to get motivated back onto the trails…

The weather is either too hot or too cold and the couch is too comfy.

And Twenty twelve is dawning and all you start hearing are those three little words: ‘New Years Resolution’, and all that does is make you cringe.  Deep down you know the bike will be fun once you get back on it, but it’s that first step, that starting step, that’s the hardest.

So, I’m going to make it easy for you.

I’m going to offer my new years resolution to share. Not some big list of all the things you want to do in twenty twelve, just one simple resolution to kick-start all that you want to do.  And this is it:

Take the first step and start.  That’s it.

Sure, the finer details of your resolutions are important and you’ve probably thought them through already, so…

For twenty twelve whenever you get that tap on the shoulder that says “you should be working on that new years resolution” don’t think about what you should be doing for too long.  Don’t allow time for those excuses to creep in.  Simply…

Take the first step and start and do.

Want to get better at cornering?

• Get off the couch and take the first step.

Want better balance, good enough to ride across log bridges?

• Don’t wait for excuses. Take Action and Take this First Step.

Want better fitness?

• Thinking about the longer miles and harder climbs won’t make it happen.  So, recharge your motivation with one of these practical tips, then take that first step and get on the bike and ride.

And guess what?  Once you’re pedaling the rest of the ride will take care of itself.  The fun and the enjoyment will power you forward.

Bad weather?

• Buy a stationary bike trainer.  And if the thought of pedaling going nowhere bores you to tears try one of these ideas.  Don’t wait for excuses.  You know what you should be doing, so just do it.

Before you know it you’ll be pedaling through January 2012 with renewed vigor, just the way you really wanted the new year to start.

You’ll feel light and fresh and your mountain biking will get better and better as the year goes on because, rather than worrying about the effort everything could take, you’ll instead be choosing to jump to action and take those first steps and start.

Happy New Year.  I hope 2012 is the biggest and best for you yet.

• Tweet

The new mtbtips steed, of course!

I’ve had my first ride on my new co-host, and she is sweet!  I’ve still got the smile on my face.

Introducing Eleanor the third…

She’s prettier, faster, smarter and 4 kilograms lighter than Eleanor II.  That’s right, 4 kilograms.  So how light is she?

Here’s Eleanor III and me (a little excited) at the weigh-in yesterday.
-

• Tweet

Are you the lucky winner of the mountain bike gear prize for November?
-

• Tweet

It’s not enough to just let the trail come to you if you want to get better at mountain biking.  You need to go out and seek the trail.

You need to ride hungry.

You need to give your eyes arms, extend your view, and really reach around every corner and along every next piece of trail to get better.

If you’re a beginner mountain biker chances are you’re looking too close to the front wheel, too often.  And if you’re an experienced mountain biker you’ve probably had the odd lazy eyed ride over the years…

And that’s where this tip kicks in.

It breaks beginner habits and awakens those lazy eyes to get you in a better groove, looking further along the trail.

On your next ride, Newbie or not…

make sure you’re really reaching forward along the trail with your eyes.  Sure, there will still be plenty of times where you’ll need to give attention to the trail and obstacles right in front of your front wheel but,

…as soon as you’ve seen enough to get you past that point effectively, immediately boost your eyes forward and up the trail again.

Reaching well forward with your eyes will accelerate and improve your decision making skills, helping you respond quicker and adapt better to whatever is coming up next, new trail or old.

It’s all about giving your eyes arms and it all adds up to Faster Fun.  Make sure you’re doing it right here.

• Tweet

When it comes to cornering faster on a mountain bike, the best tires, line, body language and desire won’t help you reach maximum speed and control unless you’re focusing for more speed at the right point in the corner.

And many of us focus on the wrong point.

When trying to go faster, many of us focus all of our efforts on ‘hitting’ the start of the corner as fast as possible, with all of our energy and might.  Then we simply try to keep that speed through the corner and out.

The problem with using this method though, is that as you try to hit that corner entry faster and faster, the inevitable happens…

• shortly into the corner you realise you’re going too fast for the turn and too fast to keep control
• to regain control you jam the brakes on, and possibly skid, but
• by then you’ve lost too much momentum, and you end up exiting the corner far slower than you should have

So let’s change all that with…

The Golden Rule of Mountain Bike Cornering – ‘Focus on exiting the corners fast, rather than entering them fast’.

On your next ride focus on what you need to do to increase your corner exit speed first, rather than entry speed.  This shift in thinking will open up your mind to consider the whole of the corner in ways you didn’t before.

When done correctly, and combined with the nine essential mountain bike cornering techniques, the Golden Rule of Cornering will have you coming out of corners earlier, at higher speed, and in more control.

• you’ll develop a better understanding for the whole corner and particularly how your style and speed at entry and apex affects your exit speed
• you’ll learn to look and think further through and past the corner
• you’ll brake less in corners, ride smoother, and flow more as one with your bike

Go try it. 

A simple change of habit is all it takes to corner faster on a mountain bike.

As the famous quote says, ‘Begin with the end in mind’.  Focus on exiting the corners fast, rather than entering them fast.

And remember,

Braking (and skidding) around a corner reduces your control and grip, so

• set your corner speed before your enter
• work at keeping off the brakes around corners
• start pedalling out of the corner as soon as you can, if you’re not pedalling already.

Get a quick refresh of the nine must-have cornering techniques here, then go have some fun!

Subscriber BONUS!  And if you give the Golden Rule of Cornering a real go, I want to hear about it.  I want to hear about the results your getting.  How much has it boosted your mountain biking skills?

For those subscribers that submit their comment below this website article I’ll double your entry in the November prize draw.  How’s that for getting into the Christmas spirit early?

• Tweet

Drum roll…

-

Have a great ride this weekend everybody.

Cheers,
Chris

• Tweet

Two days ago I headed out for an MTB ride and noticed this big, dark lump of something spinning around with my front wheel as I rode down the street.  Was it dog poo?  A small animal caught between the treads perhaps?

I stopped to check it out.  Nope, none of those.  I had my second major tire failure.  A really hideous, mutant looking air bubble between (I guess) a casing and the tread layer like I’ve never seen before, and as I turned for home to fit a new tire it got me thinking if this has happened to anyone else.

Has this ever happened to you?  Do you know what causes it?  Maybe just a manufacturing fault?  Check it out – it’s huge!

I’d be interested to hear from anyone who has had this sort of tire failure before.  Drop me a line in the comments if you can.

-

• Tweet

A selection of fast new tips, each with its own short video, that might just give you the edge you’re looking for this weekend:

The 2 x 10 Too Fast Start Solution

Pressure Check

The Quick Release Tube

The Gel Grab

Fast?  Yes.  Not sure if they can help this guy, though…

• Tweet

It’s that time again folks…

Are you the prize winner for the month of September?
-