| Off camber roots can look pretty formidable. But the | | | | to drop some speed, do it before you hit the roots. |
| ability to get over a rooty section with a bit of speed | | | | Any braking on the camber will lose the limited grip you |
| can open up a whole new dimension to the choice of | | | | might have had. Some times speed can be your friend. |
| lines available to you, or simply make you faster | | | | The slower you go the longer you’ll be hanging |
| through a tricky bit. | | | | around on the roots. Experience will help you judge |
| The trick is to be confident and the following guide will | | | | your speed in the future, but to begin with, just |
| take you through how to hit roots and clear them | | | | remember not to brake too hard. |
| safely. A confident rider will succeed time and time | | | | RELAX (LIKE FRANKIE SAID) |
| again - the key is not to hesitate because that is when | | | | Once you're on the roots, keep the bike straight and |
| you can take a flyer. | | | | your body relaxed. Let the bike move freely |
| THE RIGHT APPROACH | | | | underneath you, like you are hovering over it. If you're |
| Your first task is to get your approach line right. Too | | | | too tense in your arms and legs, you'll force the bike to |
| tight and the second you hit the roots you'll be fighting | | | | slide. Try to imagine your torso as a stable platform |
| for grip. With an off-camber, a great trick is to try to | | | | that doesn't move. Instead, your elbows and knees |
| start low and finish high. So, try to find a grippy part of | | | | should take all the shocks and keep the bike smoothly |
| the trail before the roots to turn against, pushing you | | | | on terra firma. Keep your elbows out to maximise |
| upwards though the section and over the roots. If you | | | | how much movement you can get without moving |
| come in too high, the likelihood is that you'll spend the | | | | your shoulders. |
| next few seconds sliding down the roots. | | | | SLIDE ON THROUGH |
| LOOK, LOOK, LOOK AGAIN | | | | By now you'll be pretty much at the end of the section. |
| Once you're on the right line, lookup. The further you | | | | If the surface is wet or the speeds low, a little rear |
| can look through the section the better. It can | | | | wheel slip might still happen. Don't panic. Any tension will |
| sometimes help to look slightly higher than you know | | | | only increase the likelihood of a crash. Once your front |
| you'll end up. | | | | wheel is on the other side, you're home and dry. Stay |
| Remember, you go where you look. Watch some of | | | | relaxed and let the rear wheel do its thing. It's sure to |
| your mates - the ones who panic and look to where | | | | find grip soon enough and catch up with the rest of |
| they don't want to be, will be the ones who end up | | | | you. |
| there. | | | | TOP TIP |
| SPEED IS YOUR FRIEND | | | | The steeper the camber, the more weight you should |
| You should now be able to quickly scan the section | | | | shift to your downhill leg. |
| and make a decision on how fast to hit it. If you need | | | | |