5 moves for wet trails

Laurin Lehner

· 29.03.2015

Photo: Robert Niedring

5 moves for wet trails

In wet conditions, your confidence quickly dwindles along with your grip - and with it the fun. Learn the safe way through puddles, over wet wood and the Scandinavian flick.

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For tackling wet trails, riding technique guru Stefan Herrmann advises: "If you keep your nerve and learn a few techniques, you'll rock with speed and style even on slippery trails."

1. MANUAL THROUGH THE PUDDLE

Puddles and rivulets are best crossed on the rear wheel. Why? 1. safer, 2. more elegant and 3. drier.

SPLASH: Almost there. As soon as the rear wheel has cleared the puddle, bring the centre of gravity back to a central position. The front of the bike then tilts automatically.

STRETCH: Just before the front wheel enters the puddle, lean backwards with the help of a dynamic arm and leg stretch. Result: Your front wheel rises. Important: The arms are stretched!

CREATE TENSION: Start off quickly: so that you can reach the shore without pedalling. Pretension: Bend your legs and arms (low over the handlebars). Crank position horizontal. One finger on the rear brake.

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Photo: Jörg Spaniol

2. SCANDINAVIAN FLICK

Letting the rear wheel wag in the wet is fun and looks stylish. We show you the most casual way to turn into a trail.

Stefan Herrmann drifting. In wet conditions and on tarmac, the move is politically safe. "On trails, of course, such a drift leaves traces," warns Stefan.

APPROACH: Your eyes are already fixed on the trail entrance. Because that's where you want to go. Your position is upright and you have shifted your centre of gravity further forward to take the weight off the rear for the drift.

LET THE REAR DRIVE: Firstly, let your rear drift to the "wrong" side. You can do this by taking the weight off the rear end, locking the rear wheel and turning your hips in the desired direction. Result: The rear breaks out.

CHANGE DIRECTION: Now in the other direction. To do this, simply turn your hips to the other side. Now you need a sure instinct! You will soon have to release the brake.

INTO THE TRAIL: Ideally, the front should now point towards the trail entrance. This is exactly when you need to release the brakes, otherwise the rear end will break away too much. Slight counter-steering helps to gain control.

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Photo: Robert Niedring

3. ROOT DESCENT IN WET CONDITIONS

Every biker knows how tricky root carpets can be in the wet. But only those who behave incorrectly and fearfully will stumble. With this advice, anyone can do it.

In five key points:

+ Be determined
+ Start off with sufficient momentum
+ Drive a straight line
+ Do not steer
+ Hands off the front brake

Technically easy - mentally challenging. On the root descent, it's all or nothing! Especially when it's wet. Stopping in the middle is not an option!

90° STRATEGY: Ideally, you should traverse roots at a 90° angle. This is hardly possible with real root carpets. Then you need to ride in a straight line across the root field.

RIDING POSITION: Just like on a normal steep descent, the centre of gravity is also behind the saddle on a root descent. The result: little pressure on the front wheel. Arms and legs are bent - so you can react to bumps at any time.

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Photo: Robert Niedring

4. CURVE SCRAPING - EVEN IN WET CONDITIONS

If you corner on slippery surfaces, you usually do so very gingerly and slowly. But even in wet conditions, you can take the bend with gusto. Prerequisite: timing and sensitivity.

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ASSESSING THE CORNER: You should always use the approach to scan the corner. E.g. curve radius, obstacles, curve exit, any berms or edges. For a better view, straighten up on the approach. If there are no obstacles or the course of the bend, the ideal line is: outside, inside, outside.

PUTTING THE BIKE INTO THE TURN: The more slippery the surface, the more sensitively you have to initiate the movements. Start on the outside. You should have already adjusted your speed by this point. Gently lean your bike into the bend by stretching the arm on the inside of the bend - you yourself tend to stay upright!

THE VIEW LEADS: At the apex of the bend, the bike is at a particular angle - this is where you need to show feeling and act carefully if the tyres lose traction (drift). On slippery surfaces, you should only exert as much pressure on the front wheel as necessary. Your eyes are already looking straight ahead.

OUT WITH A TASTE: The bend is done! Straighten your bike again and take the momentum with you. Now you can start pedalling again and tackle the next bend. The best thing to do again: outside, inside, outside - what works in Formula 1 also applies to biking.

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Photo: Robert Niedring

5. GREASY WOOD

Traction on damp wood is close to zero. You don't have to skip the carpentry work because of this. Provided you bear three things in mind.

Always stay relaxed! Stefan's tip: don't pedal, don't brake, don't steer, don't think, don't breathe - just do it!

FINGER WEG ... from the brakes. Pick up the necessary speed before the wood ride. After that, you should refrain from doing anything that causes unrest. So: don't pedal, don't brake, don't steer. Be determined! Either all the way or not at all. Stopping in the middle is not an option here.

WORST CASE: If you turn in hard and pull the front brake, you have done everything wrong and are guaranteed to end up on your nose. Remember this before you try it! The most important thing is to stay relaxed, because then you'll definitely succeed on the wet wooden ladder.

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Photo: Robert Niedring

You can read this riding technique from BIKE 2/2015 in the BIKE app (iTunes and Google Play) or the issue in the DK shop reorder:

Read in the Apple App Store
Read in the Google Play Store
Order in the DK-Shop

Laurin Lehner

Editor

Born in South Baden, Laurin Lehner is, by his own admission, a lousy racer. Maybe that's why he is fascinated by creative, playful biking. What counts for him is not how fast you get from A to B, but what happens in between. Lehner writes reports, interviews scene celebrities and tests products and bikes - preferably those with a lot of suspension travel.

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5 moves for wet trails

Laurin Lehner

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