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Mont Saint-Anne 2017: How Aaron Gwin's Mastery Of Mountain Bike Fundamentals Resulted In One Of The Greatest DH Race Runs Of All Time

 

Hey, Mountain Bike Fanatics!

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Quebec, Canada. 

The rain was pouring so loudly it was hard to hear the announcers. 

Most of the world's elite Downhill Mountain Bike racers had done their best to simply get down the mountain...

...and Aaron Gwin was at the start gate, ready to drop in. 

If you haven't seen the recording yet, go Google the clip (type in Mont Saint-Anne 2017 Aaron Gwin and you'll find it). 

Then, if you want to see how YOU can start to master movement and ride amazingly with ease, read on.

Riding in full command of your bike is what makes riding fun!

As you watch the video, notice that Aaron takes more than a few "inside lines" which require more balance and put him at greater risk of crashing...and he pulls it off faster than the racers who did it earlier in dry conditions. 

What makes him so successful at this? 

  1. Years of mastering proper movement patterns OFF the bike.
  2. Calling on those movement patterns to ride safely at a high speed.
  3. A competition-crushing desire to win.

Now, even if you don't care about #3, I'll show you how you can start working on #1 and #2 right now. 

Most riders start off "practicing cornering" or "practicing bunny hops," which is fine if you know how to move properly first. 

Let's talk about a simple movement exercise that can give you feedback on if you are moving properly. 

With feet flat, spread your feet a few steps out. 

Toes pointed out, slowly squat down as close as you can to having your thighs parallel to the ground. 

Holding your arms straight in front of you, take notice of the front of your stomach, just below the belly button. 

You probably feel like you are pushing "out" like you just held your breath slightly. 

You might also notice you are holding your breath! 

If so, what you are experiencing right now is an imbalance created by shifting from one position to another. 

If you do this on a bike, you will find some fundamental "weak links" that can:

  • Increase your effort required to perform riding.
  • Increase strain and effort on your joints and muscles.
  • Make you run out of breath faster!

Good news is, these are symptoms and most everyone runs into them at some point in life. 

Here's a point of focus you can use to improve this particular movement pattern:

BEFORE you sink down into your squat, imagine what it feels like to stand up at your tallest with your sternum lifted as you are getting an award for acing a test or helping someone out. 

Then, focus on squeezing your pelvic floor (I'll do another post on exactly how to do this) and then activate your core muscles around your waist and LIFT your sternum as you sink into the squat. 

Now notice how easy it is to breathe. 

No need to hold the position for long, this tiny "tweak" to activating your core is the secret. 

Now, if that was 25% easier, imagine having 25% more energy on the trail. 

That's what makes Mr. Gwin so incredibly good - watch his body during the race run! He barely moves the middle of his body and head. 

This is because his arms and legs act as stabilizers and suspension, reacting to the terrain under him RATHER than doing the job of the core. 

Now that you've tried this small drill, take it to your daily rides and see how else you can engage your stabilizing core and see what improves! 

Farewell, MTB Fanatics! 

-Dave

 

P.s. Be on the lookout for more content soon!

 

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