Newcomers to the sport tend to feel safer with one pedal close to the ground in the 6/12 o’clock position. This is bad news. First of all, the low pedal is likely to hit rocks. A bigger problem however is uneven lateral weight distribution. All body weight supported on one pedal causes the bike lean over to that side  Let’s examine this scenario. A leaning bike turns to that side. To keep the bike on the trail rolling in a straight line it needs to come upright. This can be done by leaning the upper body to the opposite side as a counterbalance.  Wow, that sounds difficult! Now add some challenging terrain. It can quickly get too much. All these problems can be avoided by simply keeping your weight evenly distributed on both sides of the bike. A cue I give to beginners is “keep your weight on both feet”. That means pedals at approx 3/9 o’clock. Here is a fun lesson to teach that concept.

Basic mountain bike balance lesson.

            Part (a) Put your bike down and find a partner. Face each other, raise your hands and touch palms. Stand on one leg and keep that leg straight.  Now using palms only (no thumbs!) knock your partner off balance.

Part (b) Face your partner, hands raised and palms touching again. This time place your feet heel to toe, then open them 10 inches wide (hint: how your feet would look in the pedals at 3/9 o’ clock).  Bend your knees and lower your center of gravity. Now try to knock each other off balance.

Part (c) When did you feel the most stable? What was the difference between the two positions? How does that translate to when you are on your bike? When you are on your bike, is the ground like your partner trying to knock you off balance? How did lowering your center of gravity change things? Tell me what this would mean about the weight between your right and left hands?