How To Conquer Switchbacks by Roland Green

Few months ago, there is a series of clips from bikeskills show about this. Somehow, by just looking at the clips is just not enough. After some searching from internet, i had found the top 1o tips to clear the switchbacks. Here it go:

BREATHE DEEP: About 10-20 feet before the switchback, take four or five deep breaths to get your body ready for increased effort.

SHIFT FOR SPIN AND TORQUE: You want a gear that's small enough to let you spin easily, yet large enough to let you apply intense power to accelerate to ride up through the turn. Try a combo that feels slightly harder than you'd normally pick--small chainring/third-from-largest cog works for most of us. Bonus: You're less likely to catch a pedal because you make fewer pedal strokes.

EYE THE EXIT: For smoother steering and better balance, your eyes should travel along your line before your bike does. Start from your front wheel, trace your planned line around the turn, then focus on an exit point 3-10 feet beyond the switchback.
Common goof: Fixating on your front wheel, or even the next 2-3 feet; it's hard to avoid on slow turns. Take your vision all the way around the switchback and out.

TAKE THE WIDE LINE: Don't follow the classic turn pattern (enter wide, go inside, exit wide)--that's the number-one reason riders bite it. Your entire line should be in the outer half of the turn. The farther out, the better your traction. And the steeper the switchback, the farther out you should ride.

RELAX: A lot of us tense up and stall at this point. Straight arms = tense boy. Flex your elbows. Breathe. Compare and contrast particle physics and string theory.

SWIVEL YOUR HIPS: To change direction without ratcheting the bar sideways, keep your butt on the saddle, your head centered, and use your hips to steer your bike through the turn. Make an arc with your hips and torso that follows the turn's curve: Start with your weight on the inside of the turn, then swing out and finally back in to finish the direction change. Confused? On a right-hand turn, your hips will trace a letter C as they move. For a left-hand turn, you'll trace a backward C.

DIP YOUR SHOULDER: Dip your inside shoulder a couple inches into the turn to pull your bike into the turn. With your head slightly behind the axle, look through the exit and up the trail another 20 feet.

SLIDE BUTT FORWARD: Just past the apex, scootch forward on the saddle and bend closer to the bar. Shift your weight to the front wheel to compensate for the grade increase--but don't stand. Staying in contact with the saddle preserves the rear wheel's traction.

TURN FOR TRACTION: Once you've gotten the bike around the turn, you can turn the bar to avoid loose terrain or get more traction.

LEAN TORSO: To maintain traction, the angle of your lean over your bike should become sharper--from about 60 degrees to 45. As you climb the steep section after the turn, your nose should be over the stem.

Quoted from Roland Green - XC Pro from Trek!!

:::CS @ Major:::