SERIES INFO

By Matt Swann.

Correct bike setup for DH racing

Let's face it, everyone is different. Different types of people and different types of bikes. But, there are particular ways we can set up our bikes to maximize the benefits of these highly evolved machines while traveling downhill at high speed.
The first thing you will notice about a bike used for DH is they are longer, stronger and have larger amounts of suspension travel than XC style mountain bikes.
One of the easiest things we can change on our bikes to make them more DH friendly, is the rider positioning. By this we mean, handlebar position, seat height and angle, brake lever reach and position, and if possible frame geometry can be adjusted to increase stability.

1. Handlebar position.

The most suitable position to run your handlebars is, to ensure the up-sweep of the bar is somewhere between horizontal to the ground through to rolled forward. In doing so, the sweep should be rolled upwards. This will ensure your arms remain slightly bent at all times and you're encouraged to use your arms to absorb impacts. It also helps to keep your body low which improves your stability. Your handlebar height should be at a comfortable height but as you gain more experience it is beneficial to lower your handlebar height to lower you centre of gravity.

2. Seat height and angle.

In order for your body to be able to slide easily over the back of the seat in steeper sections, it is best to run your seat at a lower height. It is a personal comfort factor, but as a guide your seat should be set so when you are sitting on it, both feet should be able to comfortably touch the ground with flat feet. It should also be angled with the nose slightly upwards so you are encouraged to sit slightly behind the saddle.

3. Brake lever position.

When riding, it's best to use one finger, your index finger, on the each brake lever. Most brakes are powerful enough to do this but for some younger riders it can be difficult to have enough strength to stop. Especially on rough tracks. If you set your brake levers so when your first finger is extended, the curve at the end of the brake lever rests comfortably under your index finger. It's important to adjust the reach on each brake lever towards the handlebar so it's easy to reach any time. It is also very helpful to adjust your brake lever so when your brakes are fully applied, the lever finishes just before touching the handlebar. This will help to greatly improve your grip on the handlebar in rough terrain as your hands are wrapped around the handlebar more completely. Again, this is personal choice but it is very helpful for beginners and will greatly reduce arm pump. Attention should be made to the angle of your brake levers also. It's widely accepted that the best position for your brake levers is at an angle that will follow the angle of your arm when seated on the bike. As a side note, run your brake levers so they are not completely tight on the handlebar. Just tight enough so they don't move with normal riding forces but loose enough so they move in the event of a crash and thus won't brake. Hydraulic brake levers are not cheap!

4. Frame Geometry setup.

On some bikes, there is the ability to change frame geometry, suspension setup and travel and even wheelbase length. Some very important aspects of frame geometry are head tube angle and bottom bracket height. The general rules are; the lower your bottom bracket height the more stable the bike will be at speed and through corners, and the slacker, or more raked out the head tube angle, the better the bike will handle at speed. Obviously, sometimes different types of courses require bikes and angles to be changed to suit, but generally it is best to find a comfortable setup that works for you and stick with it. Sometimes you can also change the amount of suspension travel the bike has front and the rear. Some smoother courses may only require shorter travel and courses with big bumps may need more travel. If the course requires you to maintain speed through flat turns and berms, it may be best to run with shorter travel to allow your bike to stay more firm and nimble to keep speed high. Wheelbase length relates directly to courses with high or low speed. A long wheelbase is best for fast wide open courses and shorter wheelbases are best for coursed with lots of tight turns and slower speed sections.
Some things can be a little more technical to set up on your bike but will greatly improve the performance of your bike. These are:

5. Suspension setup.

Bikes of all shapes, sizes and weights require different suspension setup. Bikes with only front suspension (hardtails) rely heavily on the suspension that is inside the riders elbows and knees. Keeps these pivots (your joints) well oiled and use them as much as possible, they are priceless. Make sure that your front suspension is set up so that you can maximize the travel. Your pre-load, or pressure of the downward motion of the suspension should be set so under the riders weight and with a big, hard push down on the handlebars the forks, while riding, should use about 85% of the travel available. While riding downhill the forks should bottom-out slightly when you ride off a large drop or jump. This way you are maximizing the full travel of the suspension.
The rebound damping, or speed at which the suspension returns to its top position, is also very important. Make sure your forks are not rebounding so fast they top out. This can damage forks and be very off-putting and unstable while riding. As a guide, have your rebound adjusted so that if you compress your forks very quickly and pull up quickly while not on the bike, the rebound damping is set so the forks have some resistance in the rebound motion and the front wheel will momentarily bob off the ground.
For bikes having front and rear suspension, it's important to have both fairly evenly balanced. Within reason, if you have 10 inches of rear wheel travel you won't need 10 inches of front travel. 8 inches is fine…..
The most important factor for rear suspension travel is rebound. Incorrectly set rear rebound adjustment will make your bike ride very awkwardly and can be dangerous. It is best to have you rebound adjusted relatively slowly. Again, if you were to compress the rear suspension quickly and then lift the bike quickly off the ground the rear wheel should stay off the ground momentarily. Less than half a second before returning to the ground. Most importantly, don't allow the suspension to rebound at the same rate that it compresses.
Also important in the setup of rear suspension is air pressure.
NEVER RUN YOUR REAR SHOCK WITH NO AIR IN IT!!!
The manufacturer will have minimum and maximum air pressure limits for their suspension and it's important to stay between these limits. You will damage your shock if you don't, and always use a correctly fitting, specific suspension pump with a good pressure gauge on it. Never use a auto or tyre pump. For more in depth suspension setup, we highly recommend that you contact TeKin Suspension, in Melbourne.

6. Tyre Pressure.

Getting flat tyres is a pain! It can ruin the fun of a good ride, and can mean your entire race experience was wasted on one rock.
For downhill riding, always use a good quality two ply tyre. This will mean you can lower pressure in your tyres and are less likely to get flats. As a very general rule, tyre pressures should be between 18psi and 30psi. Basically, try to run your tyre as soft as you can without getting a flat. You won't know what pressure this is without a bit of trial and error. After some time, you will learn what the best pressure is for different tracks. In general, for courses with lots of sharp rocks and objects you will hit hard, run your pressure harder. For smoother tracks you can run your tyre pressure a little lower.

Basic Riding Techniques

Rules of basic body positioning

While riding your bike downhill, the most important thing to remember is body position. The correct body position while riding will become very natural with experience. However some riders automatically assume the correct body position. It is important to never forget this most basic part of your riding as it can help you get out of trouble in sections if you're set on your bike correctly.
The most important part of body position is your elbows, knees and feet. Your elbows should always be bent and slightly raised. If you refer back to the setup section for handlebars you will understand why we need to rotate our handlebars slightly forward. This will encourage you to keep your elbows bent and slightly raised. When you ride with your elbows bent and raised you will find that your upper body position will be lowered and you will be ready for the rougher sections on the trail. As I said earlier, your best suspension on the bike is your elbows. This will also take some pressure off your wrists and reduce arm pump (Fatigue).
Your knees should always be bent and your feet should remain at 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock, that is, with your crank arms horizontal to the ground. This will also lower your centre of gravity and increase your ability to handle rough sections. Work out which foot feels most comfortable at the front or rear, but it is important to be able to ride at some point with either foot leading. Another handy tip that helps, especially on steep sections, is to open your knees a little and widen your body. This will help you to get over the back of the bike easily in steep sections and increase your stability.
Always remember to look where you are going. This sounds simple but if your eyes tend to wander off the trail you will find yourself veering off the track. Always concentrate on looking exactly where you want to go but remember to look ahead so you can see obstacles and corners approaching.

Body positioning in corners.

Holding maximum speed in and especially out of corners is one of the best ways to improve your times on the trail. It's very important to stay low in the corners to lower your centre of gravity. Where possible, try and keep your feet at 9 and 3, but sometimes you will have to hold your inside pedal up. Never ride with your inside pedal down because, as you lean over, you will hit that pedal on the ground. Also try to keep both feet on the pedals as much as possible. In slippery conditions, this can be a challenge but you will find it a smoother way to ride and you should go faster. With flat pedals you have the ability to get your feet off very quickly in times of trouble and with clip in pedals this can be more difficult unless you are very familiar with using clip ins.

Body positioning in steep sections.

The steeper the trail the more likely you are to go over the handlebars so it is very important to get your body behind the seat and put more weight over the rear wheel. This will reduce your chances of going over the handlebars and will give you more control in these sections. By taking the weight of the front wheel you will also find it easier to get over rough sections. When you do place your body behind the seat, it's important to keep your arms as bent as possible to still be able to absorb bumps and pump through sections. In many steep sections you may find lots of obstacles and ruts. You will need to keep your pedals level to give as much clearance as possible.

Braking techniques.

Having a good set of disc brakes is very helpful in this situation. They don't have to be hydraulic, but they will need to be well serviced and with decent pads. Having the ability to brake as late as possible into corners and technical sections is very helpful and will make you go faster, giving you more confidence.
Most of your slowing down will be done with your front brake and cornering control will be achieved by using your rear brake. For cornering it is important to get your braking done early and before you start the corner. Washing off the appropriate speed into a corner so you can rail the corner without using too much, if any, brakes will allow you to come out of the corner with maximum speed. When you're not braking during the corner you're able to concentrate entirely on the corner itself and put your body weight in the correct position to maximize traction.

Cornering techniques.

Some of the best DH riders in the world will tell you that cornering speed is your most important asset. Having corner exit speed will give you the ability to maintain flow over any preceding section. This could mean speed over a technical rough section, speed over a flatter section or speed into a jump that you might need speed to clear.
The best way to approach a corner is to control your braking into the corner, then use as little braking as possible in the corner. Thus you can control your traction and weight your bike correctly. For flatter corners keep your body in the middle of the bike with your arms bent and weight low. Try to keep your pedals flat at position 9 and 3 and concentrate on weighting the outside pedal to push the down force into the tread on your tyres.
Also on flat non-bermed corners try to lean the bike, not your body. By this we mean, lean the bike in the direction that you're cornering and keep your body in a more upright position. This will place more weight down onto your tyres and improve traction.
On solid bermed corners, the technique is very different. Maintain the same braking technique as before. You still don't want to be touching your braked mid corner, but as you enter the berm you need to get your body down low and compress into your suspension. Then as you exit the berm, pull the bike hard in the direction the track is following. Use your suspension rebound to exit as fast as possible. Depending on the track and your strength, you may find it beneficial to pull out of the berm hard and into a higher line so you're ready for the next corner or section. Use the solidness of a good berm to push hard into it. Pull hard out of the berm to change your line to your advantage.

Small jumping and drops techniques.

Drops and jumps in a track are great fun and a chance to show some skill and style. But first we need to learn the basics and illustrate some of the associated risks with these obstacles. The first obvious note to make is that your wheels will come off the ground. It is important to realize that when your wheels are off the ground the bike will handle very differently. Never ride a jump or drop that is beyond your ability. You need to build up progressively to big jumps and drops so you understand what it takes to ride these obstacles.
For any jump or drop, make sure you are aware of the landing or any obstacles that you may need to clear before you ride it. There may be things that you don't know about on the landing or the drop/jump may be much bigger than you think. Get off your bike and check it out on foot so you know exactly what you're hitting.
As you approach the jump or drop, keep your speed under control. If you require certain speed to clear the jump or obstacle, make sure you have enough. Sometimes it's useful to sit and watch some more experienced riders hit the jump or drop, to understand how much speed you may need. Just don't watch for too long or you might talk yourself out of it!
Approach the jump/drop with feet at 9 and 3 and with your arms bent ready for take off. As you hit the lip of the jump, preload your arms and legs by crouching down, this will cause your suspension to preload and as you leave the lip of the jump, the suspension and your arms will be able to launch off the jump and give you better flight to clear the obstacle. When the bike leaves the ground, you need to remain relaxed in your arms and legs and keep your pedals flat. Be prepared for the bike to land as it could be a bit rough and unexpected. Use your arms and legs to absorb the impact of landing as best as you can.
For plain drop offs, approach with the same caution and be ready for the landing impact. As you do the drop, slide your weight backwards slightly so you place more weight over the back of the bike. In doing so your legs absorb more of the impact than your arms and you are less likely to go over the handlebars. Try to land on your back wheel a little which will distribute the impact on landing between your arms and legs.
For any drop or jump make sure you never pull out when it's too late. The last thing you want to do is roll off the end of the lip and dive straight into the ground. So make sure when you decide to do it, you go all the way!!

Skills for technical sections and rock sections.

Technical rock and root sections can provide some of the most exciting spectator opportunities in mountain biking. They can also pose some significant challenges for riders. Once you learn to master these sections you can really have fun and cut some time from your race runs.
It's important to approach technical sections with confidence and maintain your basic body position so you are prepared for any situation. It is more likely that the bike will do unexpected things in technical sections because there is so much going on. As a rider, you can only do so much to avoid bad lines.
Again, it's important to scope lines before you ride a section so you know what you're about to ride and so you can pick the best lines.
As you approach the technical section, make sure your line is sorted and you know where you're going. These sections can be very rough so be prepared to move your body around on the bike to accommodate the bumps. Keeps your arms and legs bent and keep your hands relaxed so you don't fight the bike over bumps. These sections are quite often very steep so you need to be ready to throw your weight behind the seat to avoid going over the handlebars.
Sometimes it is very helpful to be able to jump over these technical sections if possible. Look for lumps or obstacles that you can use to launch over bigger obstacles and use your time in the air to change your line or jump from one line to another. Pick suitable and solid areas of track that you can launch off

Advanced Riding Techniques

Line selection for maximum speed.

Your riding will advance to a point where you start to look at things you can do to increase your speed and reduce your race times. Selecting the correct line at every point on the track is very important for maintaining speed. This can mean you need to ride a more difficult line or sometimes take the more straightforward line that everyone else is taking. It's very useful to sit on the sidelines and watch other riders on a section to see which lines are faster. Sometimes it's up to you to be creative and use a new line that hasn't been ridden. Remember, at a race you are permitted to ride any line that is within the event course markings. So, think outside the square, be creative with your line choice and experiment with different lines until you determine the quickest and best line for you.
A fast line selection isn't always the most obvious line because there are many determining factors to represent a fast line. Consider things such as entry speed, exit speed, speed through the section and speed from that section to the next. Always consider the danger of choosing a line that is faster. It's never faster to ride a line if you crash!
There are so many variables when it comes to choosing lines on different courses. So it's impossible to detail every situation you will come across. Just remember to ride within your limits and observe other riders to determine fast lines. Trial and error can be a big part of determining lines that are fastest.

Large jumps and drops.

A large part of doing a big drop or jump is commitment. Never attempt a jump or drop that's beyond your ability. Know exactly what you're about to ride off and observe other riders doing it before you attempt it. Confirm the line you will use for the approach and stick to that line. Be prepared for the landing to be hard and use your legs and arms to absorb as much impact as possible. Determine the exit from the landing so that, as you take off, you are already prepared to change your line for the next corner or section. Finally, make the decision to do the drop or jump and follow it through to the end. Never pull out of the section at the last minute as you will find yourself in trouble.

Strength and Fitness training.

For any rider, being as strong and fit as possible will help you improve your riding. The best and most fun way to stay fit is to ride your bike as much as possible. Even better than this, get a cross country style bike that can be used for riding longer distances, more comfortably. Riding for long consistent distances a few times a week will improve your aerobic fitness and will benefit you during DH racing because you are able to do more runs with less fatigue. If you have access to a XC style bike or even a road bike, take it out for a ride and try to increase the duration of your rides as you improve. In general, base training, or aerobic fitness training is concentrated on in your pre season, and as you come closer to the race season you may want to concentrate on increasing your leg strength and speed by doing some sprints on the bike. It is very helpful if you can simulate as many situations as possible that you will encounter in your racing.
If you have access to gym equipment it may also be very useful to work on your muscle strength. This can reduce the likely hood of injury and will make your riding experience more enjoyable. Always use the advice of a qualified fitness trainer for strength training. Push ups and sits ups are a great substitute to using weights and cost you nothing.

Committing/Preparing for a section.

We will always come across sections of a track that challenge us and make you nervous. The best way to overcome this fear is to ride the section cleanly. To be able to do this you really need to make a commitment to the section and be confident on the bike. Even some corners and off camber section requires commitment to be able to ride them cleanly.
Approach the section with complete confidence and know exactly where you are going and what is approaching. Quite often, committing to a section means you need to carry good speed into that section. Use terrain that has a good solid base that you can have more confidence in changing your line or pumping through. It's no good trying to punch through a section if you have nothing to work with except dust or mud.
Again, watch as many riders through a section to get an idea of how to ride that section confidently, but look closely at the more experienced riders because they will give you more confidence than less experienced riders.

Gear selection and maximum pedaling efficiency.

If you choose the wrong gear in your downhill run it can mean you could either lose a speed on a fast section, or it could mean you can't complete a section or clear a jump properly. From the very start of the run, select the correct gear and change as the course speed changes. Make sure your drive train and gear systems are working smoothly otherwise you will always be battling to select the right gear. A new inner and outer cable will go a long way to improving the shifting quality of your bike for little cost.
Always make sure you're in a gear that gives you the ability to pedal out of any corner with power and increase speed quickly. The first four pedal strokes out of each corner are the most important.
You need to adapt your pedaling between high speed and low speed on all courses. Sometimes it's neither possible nor efficient to change gears too often between the high speed and low speed sections. You must be able to increase your pedaling speed and maintain the same gear for faster sections. Once you reach a certain speed in a section, you don't need to change gears, just pedal faster. This will save you from making unnecessary gear changes. Make sure you have your gear selection before your race run and try using different gears during your practice runs to see which works best for you. For your starting gear you will use the same gear on most tracks. Establish which gear you have the best power out of the gate and stick with it.
Pedaling down the course is a great way to increase your speed in sections. Sometimes you need to be very selective when you throw down the power. It is not always beneficial to pedal in some sections as you may be wasting your power and not increasing your speed. It may be a section that has low clearance for your pedals. In this case pedaling will cause your pedal to hit the ground ruining your flow. A good skill to have is the ability to pump your bike over bumps and obstacles. Sometimes pumping your bike can be faster than pedaling in a section and can save your energy. Save your pedaling efforts for when the track really allows you to punch out power and maximize your energy output. For particularly rough sections that require lots of pedaling, use a slightly harder gear than normal, as this will stop you from moving the bike or your feet too much.

Preparing for your race runs.

For some people, racing can be a nerve racking experience. All riders will approach their race runs with a different attitude. Some riders will be relaxed and just want to have fun. Other will be a little more competitive. In any case, it is a good idea to be well prepared for your race run. The key thing is to have fun.
There are two aspects to preparing yourself to race, yourself and your bike.

1) Prepare yourself.

Make sure you have done enough practice runs on the course and know which lines you want to ride on every aspect of the track. Even if things get a little messy on your run, you need to start with the best intentions and be confidence you can hit your lines. At the same time, don't do so many practice runs that your body's tired.
Ensure that, during practice and leading up to your race run, you maintain a high level of hydration and nutrition. Drink plenty of water and electrolyte rich drinks. Red Bull or similar are not good to have all day but some find them beneficial. If you intend using a carbonated drink supplement, do so about 20 minutes before your race run. For food, healthy, carbohydrate rich food with high energy content and low GI is best. Things like bananas, sandwiches and cereals offer good, long term (low GI) foods to sustain energy throughout the day. Some chocolate bars and some lollies will give you an energy boost in the short term before a race run. Ensure you have a substantial feed at least one hour before the start of your run.
Leading up your race run you will need to do a warm up. A downhill race run is an explosive and relatively short exercise burst. You will need your body to be prepared for the exertion. Ride your bike around the pit area and up and down some trails. During this period you will need to do some quick sprints to get your muscles used to working quickly. Try to simulate some of the things you will be doing in your race run, like cornering, jumping or bumpy sections. One of the most common warm up practices is to develop a quick 'cutty' track and do laps of this. Don't ride over terrain that is likely to damage your bike or give you a flat. Always try to do some stretching of your legs and arm muscles before your race run to help increase your mobility. If your body is more flexible and muscles warm you will have a better chance to react to the unpredictable situations ahead.

2) Prepare your bike.

After you finish doing your practice runs and before your race run, you should go straight to the toolbox and give your bike a good once over. Firstly, give your bike a good clean, wiping off any dust and as much grime on the drive train. Also wipe the dust off the fork seals. You will need to check all the major bolts on the bike, including: cranks, handlebars, stem, pivots, chain guide and fork crowns. Always check the tension of your spokes on both wheels, if they are loose or your wheel is buckled, fix it now as you don't want to get halfway down the hill and have one of your wheels fold up.
Check your gears to make sure they are operating smoothly. Finally, check you have the correct tyre pressure in each tyre. For rocky courses with a high probability of punctures, you need higher pressures.
You are about to embark on a high speed, risky journey down the mountain and you want to ensure that your bike is in tip top condition.

This document is designed as a guide only.

Thank you and enjoy your riding.