The Science of Mountain Bike Riding: The Physics Behind MTB Skills

Book excerpt: So many times you have been told to make certain movements on the bike, but not the reasons why. Understanding why to perform certain actions helps to learn and perfect them faster. Why do we have to bend in a curve? Why do we risk tipping in a jump? Why is speed useful and dangerous at the same time? The goal of this book is to teach MTB driving techniques by explaining the physical principles that govern the dynamics of this sport. Everyone can understand the explanations, no scientific knowledge is required. This book is for both beginners and experts who want to improve their driving techniques, including instructors and MTB schools. It is divided into five chapters: - The first one explains the concept of weight distribution. It shows how the "attack position" is the ideal one to deal with the roughness of the ground. - The second is about curves and all their variables. - The third chapter discusses the concept of "active driving", fundamental to have fun and tackle obstacles safely. It refers to the most common skills (wheelie, manual, bunny hop, nose press, etc.). - The fourth shows the analogy between a rider and an astronaut when dealing with jumps and drops. - The fifth one analyzes how the geometries available on the market affect driving and its stability. Also, what all riders fear, i.e. falling. All the explanations make use of concepts such as force, moment, parabolic motion, principles of dynamics, free fall, cardinal equations of dynamics, energy, gyroscopic effect, etc