Ami jumps into daring descents on rough mountain terrain aboard your trusty mountain bike? Welcome to the crazy world of Downhill! Downhill Mountain Biking is a discipline that takes place on uneven slopes of up to 3.5 km, strongly sloping, with the presence of natural or artificial obstacles.
The Downhill discipline belongs to the realm of gravity, since it is based solely on the propulsion force of gravity. Let’s see how to practice this particular discipline of cycling.
Make sure you have on hand:
- Bicycle Downhill.
- Technical clothing for Downhill.
1.) The route, of course, must be strictly alpine: it is characterized by the presence of roots, rocks, steep terrain and definitely not feasible with traditional bicycles. The Downhill bike must be written both front and rear suspension with up to 250 millimeters, and the handlebars must be larger in order to ensure greater maneuverability and stability. Each component of the bike has to ensure maximum ground: sturdy frame; tires even on the sides; rims with a high number of beams, hydraulic disc brakes, pedals with studs; gear ratios suitable.
2.) Being a particularly dangerous discipline, practitioners (professional or not) must wear resistant caps, similar to those worn by motocross riders: helmet with face mask, goggles, gloves reinforced, chest, knee, armor chest / back. It is important not to underestimate the dangers and do not skimp on precautions: the traveling speed can indeed reach down peaks of 80 km/h.
3.) The pilot who intends to grapple with this bold discipline will have to adopt postures, quite similar to those of fellow motocross: torso leaning forward, legs bent to lower the center of gravity and move back, pelvis slightly rearwards to compensate for the steepness of the descent. As far as driving techniques, it is recommended:
– To distribute and balance the braking on the front and rear.
– Brake smoothly, avoiding blockages.
– Maintain a constant speed.
– Drive relaxed.
– Choose a line and avoid zigzag gait.
– Do not focus solely on the obstacle but more immediate prevent the next ..
