5 MTB moves you need to learn this summer

Laurin Lehner

· 09.02.2017

Photo: Robert Niedring

5 MTB moves you need to learn this summer

You'd love to be able to do the moves, but don't have the confidence? Let's go! You should tackle these five MTB manoeuvres this season. Our expert Stefan Herrmann shows you how to do them in no time at all.

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You should definitely know this when you set off on your mountain bike:

1. take off

This move is No. 1 on the wish list of riding technique course participants. No wonder! Taking off on your bike is one of the best things about biking. With these tips, it's guaranteed to work!

2nd ride on the rear wheel

Everyone wants to be able to do the wheelie, but only very few can do it. With these tips and plenty of practice, expert Stefan Herrmann is sure you'll be able to do it by the end of 2017.

3. fast through the bend

Go through the bend with gusto, instead of slowly chugging through. This way, you can speed through the turn with precision.

4. use the edge of the terrain

Dropping guarantees thrills and sensations at the same time. If you want to pull off off-piste edges, you need more courage than technique. Stefan reveals the technical details.

5. over it instead of around it

Never dismount again! The bunny hop is one of the most important moves of all. The jump over horizontal tree trunks requires the right timing and more effort. You need to know that!

Approach Start in the basic position and with sufficient speed. Bend your legs and arms before the jump.

Take-off Just before the front wheel leaves the edge, you go dynamically, impulsively and evenly into extension (upwards). Result: You take off together with your bike.

Airtime Immediately after the stretch, it is important to bend your legs and arms slightly again for more stability in flight. Also important: make sure you are centred on the bike.

Landing When jumping onto the flat, it is particularly important to extend your legs and arms just before landing. This is the only way to efficiently absorb the impact energy. Recipe for success The take-off movement determines how safely and how intensively you take off. Push off evenly and make sure you stay relaxed instead of tensing up. Tip: Land a tick earlier with the rear wheel.

TIP! The take-off kicker is the be-all and end-all. Make sure it is rather flat and has at least one wheel length. If it is shorter, it tends to kick.

TIP! The wheelie requires a lot of practice. From now on, try the wheelie everywhere. The most important prerequisites: well controllable brakes, rather short stem (40-80 mm), flat pedals.

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Photo: Robert Niedring

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 MTB moves you need to learn this summer

Laurin Lehner

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