So, your riding on a slippery-slimmy trail. Your front tire has a mind of it's own and doesn't agree with you in regards to where you're going to end up (Often on your head in these conditions...).
Well, I'm going to contradict myself here; BUT(!), I'm still right!
SIT DOWN! That's right...you heard me...the guy who's always teaching kids that "If you sit down you can't go fast and you're gonna get beat up by all those bumps"...yup...I said it...sit down!
Maintain "Better" balance by lowering your "Center of Gravity".
ALSO!!!! Lean on the "Outside" foot peg when turning in less than perfect "Traction" conditions. Focus your attention on that task the next time you're riding in these conditions. Check out Rodney Smith's or Bubba's "Body-English" the next time you see them riding in Goo or Slime! It'll be a definitive "Visual" of what I'm talking about.
They, literally, seem to be sitting on the "Side" of the bike as they turn. The "Upward" side, that is. They aren't trying to "Pull" the bike down, like we often see when a rider is flying into a turn and trying to keep the bike in a rut or berm...no, they're actually on the "Outside" surface of the bike while turning. They are putting a LOT of weight on their outside peg. This translates into downward force...as in "Straight Down".
Think of a bike making a turn, it's leaned over...now...freeze that moment...remove the rider...let's say that you could walk up to this bike, frozen in time with no rider, leaned over and just sitting there...Now, put all your weight on the outside peg. Just "Standing" on the peg on this leaned over bike..go ahead...bounce on it for a minute...can you picture this? Can you imagine how all the force/pressure caused by your "Weighting" of the peg would transfer to the tires causing them to flex and try to '"Dig In"?
I wish I was a whiz with a computer; 'Cause the video footage of Bubba pulling off a "Come from Behind" miracle last year is one of the best examples of what I'm talking about. It was one of his first notionals back after getting hurt and he bailed in the first turn...
He picks his bike up, on a cloudy "Wet" day, and proceeds to go faster than humanly possible on Less, MUCH LESS, than "Good" dirt...doing this "Leaning on the Peg" thing I've been babling about in every turn...on every lap.
If you catch the GNCCs on Outdoor Network, you can see Rod Smith doing this in PERFECT FORM! Old film of David Bailey in the mud is pure art...
Try it. It works. You really need to be "on" that peg WHENEVER you're trying to "Hook-Up"...you just gotta be careful on the Big Green Monster...
Now, if you're real smart and you see my other posts/replies from today...you'll see why I've discussed this at length...DOH!
Go RIDE!
Manny
Hey Smitty...let's Ride! Call me!
