Slackliner Andy Lewis placed one foot on the tensioning strap, then the second. He balanced over the narrow strip of fabric. His arms were rowing through the air to keep his balance. Beneath him yawned 900 metres of emptiness. One mistake and he would have been dead. The slackliner did without a safety rope for his record attempt. Nevertheless, Andy Lewis dared to do the hair-raising stunt because he knew: I can do it! If you are mentally strong, you can even ignore death and walk unsecured between gorges or walk barefoot over hot coals. This strength of will is also required when biking. "Riding over a tree trunk is sixty, seventy per cent mental," says riding technique expert Stefan Herrmann.
BIKE reader Maria Clauss nods in agreement as she listens to his words. Today, she wants to finally lose her fear of riding over tree trunks - no more constantly thinking about what would happen if she lost her balance and the front wheel slid off the trunk. As soon as the lane narrows too much, the horror film in her head starts playing over and over again. No more of that!
Stefan has prepared four exercises before Maria's test for the day. Because technical tricks also help to improve your sense of balance. The first two exercises are safe. Maria has to ride very slowly on the flat without losing her balance. She jerks along the car park at a snail's pace for minutes. Then she is waved towards a massive boulder. Exercise number two. The master demonstrates it. Stefan slowly drives up to the stone and stops to the side to keep his balance by pushing against the stone (see picture 1 below). Maria tries it. She skilfully balances with her knees. Maria only fails once in the subsequent exercises with the beer benches. Stefan is satisfied.
Time for the day's task. This lies in the forest in the form of a ten-metre-long tree trunk. "If you lose your balance in the middle, it's better to descend to the left," warns Stefan. A slope lurks to the right of the tree trunk. "Speak well to yourself. You have to be convinced that you can do it," the trainer adds.
A matter of nerves - mental training makes them safe
Maria stands ten metres from the tree trunk and murmurs words of encouragement to herself, her gaze focussed. Now it's just her, her bike and the tree trunk. Then she sets off, bumps over the root driveway onto the trunk and balances towards Stefan. She only has to make a few balance corrections. Her brisk pace gives her stability, the front wheel dances over the narrow tree trunk, sometimes on the far left, sometimes on the right. Stefan runs alongside to secure her. After ten metres, Maria bumps off the tree trunk with relief. She has passed her test for the day. And at the first attempt! "It's really just a matter of the head," she says and immediately pushes her bike to the top of the tree trunk for another attempt. Of the next ten attempts, nine were successful. The front wheel slips off the trunk once, but Maria skilfully catches herself.
Approaches
Balancing manoeuvres require practice and strong nerves. With the right technique, you can achieve success faster. Try it out slowly.
The next manoeuvre she wants to tackle is the bunny hop. She's also been wanting to learn this for ages. Will she be able to learn it with pure head work? Maria can't imagine balancing unsecured over ravines, but if you can walk barefoot over hot coals, then a bunny hop should also be doable.
You must pay attention to this!
1. head: Be convinced of yourself! If you don't believe in it, then you will fail. Your gaze should wander back and forth from the front wheel to the finish point - not stagnate.
2. posture: Do not drive too slowly! Speed gives you stability. You can also ride along the tree trunk sitting down. The advantage of standing: You can react better if you veer off track. Correct your balance with your knees and by leaning the bike slightly - this works best with your elbows out (see picture above).
3. emergency plan: If your front wheel comes off the track, you must use the exit drop (see above). Dynamically stretch your legs and arms and shift your centre of gravity decisively to the side - this will prevent the front wheel from diving away and you will land on both wheels. The exit drop is particularly important for higher balance rides.
Error analysis
Slight problems when balancing on the bike are normal - then it is important to counteract them with sensitive balancing movements. In this picture, Stefan shows how to react incorrectly. Because if you balance with your upper body, you create a counter-movement that is far too energetic. Slight balance corrections can be made with the help of the knees or by leaning the bike slightly with skilful use of the arms.
Laurin Lehner
Editor
