1 Explore new trails
It's so easy to say - we know! Because it's time-consuming, exhausting and uncertain. New trails are bags of wonders that can also contain nasty surprises. But also pleasures. Because new trails awaken the senses, increase vitality, make the nerves crackle and pump blood through the veins. Especially when it's high up, above the tree line, towards the rocky peaks - like the French trail searcher Kilian Bron somewhere in the Dolomites (photo).
2 Shredding with mud
Admittedly: It takes effort. But after the first puddle, the first mud pit, the first mud graffiti on your face, it gets easier. And then it gets fun, we guarantee it. At some point you'll forget about the rain, the batz and the grey sky. A nice side effect: riding in mud sharpens your bike skills. Think of Danny Hart and his descent of the century in Champéry. Be sure to watch it on YouTube!
3 Biking & swimming
Is there anything better than ending your Epic Ride in the lake? Clothes off and into the water. The stickiness, the sweat, the stink - get rid of it - marvellous! For us, that's part of summer. And if there's no lake to hand, there's usually a stream or puddle in the mountains. From below 10 degrees it gets sporty. But think of the cold water competition, the ice mile. The aim is to swim a distance of one mile (about 1,609 kilometres) in water with a temperature of 5 degrees Celsius or below. Swimmers are not allowed to wear a wetsuit or other heat-insulating clothing. Normally only swimming trunks/swimsuit, a swimming cap and goggles are permitted.
4 Dare to drop
Dropping is pure magic. The thrill fires the synapses, followed by the messenger substances dopamine and GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid). They generate pleasure and a sense of well-being. Another plus: the technique is simple. Tip: Speed creates safety. Do everything but roll over the edge too slowly.
5 Start every day at 30
Training needs continuity. The only thing that helps is a training routine, e.g. 30 push-ups after getting up. "Every day, every day!", as US Navy Seal and fitness coach David Goggins insists. Push-ups in particular are an ideal full-body exercise. Due to the large number of muscles involved, push-ups strengthen the upper body, arms and core. If you do them on the Pro Pilot handlebar wobble bar, for example, you can hold the handlebars better and react more quickly when cycling.
6 Experience Cerro Abajo live
Cerro Abajo is the UFC Fighting of bike sport. It could hardly be more dangerous, action-packed or exciting. In October, the blatant city downhill in Genoa on the Italian Riviera. We say: go there, cheer, marvel and experience superstar Juanifer Vélez live. Tip: Combine the trip with a stop in Finale Ligure and ride our favourite trails: 1 Rollercoaster, 2 Tobogan, 3 H-Trail.
7 Never get relegated again!
This project is primarily aimed at the electro faction. Unless your name is Braydon Bringhurst or you have explosives in your calves like Tomáš Slavík. During the bike test in Finale Ligure, we've just experienced once again what nasty uphill trails you can master on an e-bike. Incredible - and so much fun! You absolutely have to experience this! #NeverDescend
8 Rear wheel offset as...
... Trial star Thomas Öhler. Practical: You can learn the move in the car park.
- Step 1: Pull the brakes, weight forwards until the rear wheel lifts off.
- Step 2: Move the tail by swinging your hips.
- Step 3: Combine movements.
The steering movement is added in the trail bend. We say: With this riding technique, winding trails become a trick spectacle, every hairpin bend a stunt show. Always remember what Thomas Öhler says: first steer, then turn.
9 Become a logrider
Our motto: lots of logride, lots of fun! The balancing act revitalises every bike lap, challenges your balance, tests your fine motor skills, accelerates your pulse, is fun and shows: "I've got it!" Or not. Particularly funny: log rides as a buddy challenge, like here (photo) the lads from Scotland, Kriss Kyle and Danny MacAskill. The difficulty can be increased at will. We find log rides with consequences the most exciting, e.g. when the tree trunk (log) lies over a pond or muddy ditch.
10 Praise the Riding Buddy
Praise is good - for both the praised and the praiser. Therefore: Props (Proper Respect) for your riding buddy! Neurologists know: Praise boosts self-confidence, increases trust in your own skills, raises team spirit and reduces stress. The neurotransmitter dopamine plays a central role here. It encourages the brain to repeat the praised actions.
11 Collect rubbish
Rubbish in forests and meadows? There are few things that trigger us more. Particularly annoying: the handkerchiefs that are scattered in the thicket after a pee break. Although a handkerchief decomposes in a few weeks under ideal conditions, it still looks ugly. Dry undergrowth can even be spoilt by the white rag for years. Plastic bottles - please hold on tight! - take up to 450 years to decompose. Well, bravo! Who does that? We say: help, put it away - can, bag, plastic film... Okay, you can leave the pee towel behind (disgust alert!). It doesn't always have to be a big clean-up - collecting rubbish and taking it with you on your trail ride will do. #FreeYourTrail
12 Driving a race
To all non-racers: Just do it! A race is an experience you won't forget in a hurry. We guarantee it! The excitement, the vibe, the atmosphere. Whether it's a marathon for everyone, such as the BIKE Festival in WillingenThe Enduro One series is a hobby enduro race, or even a mega-galanche for the intrepid.
13 Finally learning it: Adjusting the gearstick
Clicker, clacker, rattle - a misaligned gearstick is annoying. OMG, how annoying! For many, readjustment seems like witchcraft, a skill that cannot be learnt, like speaking fluent Chinese or being able to ride in the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy. We give the all-clear: you can learn it. For example, with the tutorial by BIKE editor Stefan Frey on YouTube.
14 Snap the Buddy
"The act of remembering changes the memory," says Charan Ranganath, Professor of Neurology. Was the drop really three metres high? Did the tyre really touch your shoulder during the shoulder burner? We say: better take a photo. Bike stunts as photos will delight you for eternity. So grab your mobile phone and take a photo of your trail buddy jumping, dropping or wallriding. If the shot is successful, your buddy will celebrate you - and take a photo himself.
15 Check out a new park
Have you ever been to the Lac Blanc bike park in the Vosges, Osternohe or Lenzerheide (photo)? Why not check out a new park? But be careful - our tip: Have a good look at the stunts beforehand, start slowly according to the motto: "Second run, double fun" and don't try to do too much straight away. This only increases the risk of injury unnecessarily.
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Dimitri Lehner
Editor
