How to Pedal Pump on Mountain Bikes

Mountain biking is all about controlling your momentum. You need to have total control over your body and your bike. Pedal pumping, or just pumping, is a way that you can utilize your momentum to keep your mountain bike moving forward without having to pedal. Here is a basic guide to help you pump some trails.

Difficulty:

Challenging

Instructions

1. Float your weight over your bike. In order to get in a good pumping and flowing rhythm, you need to get up off your seat. Stand over your bike with the pedals even. This will give your feet clearance as you navigate the trail. Be sure you can easily shift your weight over the front and rear of your bike.

2. Press down through gaps and holes on the trail. This will help you build momentum as you navigate the trail. Place your weight over the front tire as your tire goes down into the hole or bump. This will increase your traction and place your weight so that you can pull through the uphill side.

3. Bring your weight back going uphill or around turns. After you press down on the front end of your bike going through a bump, pull back and shift your weight back to get over the top. As soon as you clear the top, press back down on the front end. This will keep your momentum going and minimize how much you need to pedal. You can also shift your weight back on turns for better control.

4. Rock your weight back and forth through your trail. Continue the flow of pressing down and pulling back as you navigate the trail. It may take a while getting used to moving your body so much. Try exaggerating with your hips and body as you pump through the trail when starting out. This will help you get a feel for pump and flow.

5. Keep your head up and looking ahead. They key to pumping successfully through a trail is vision. You need to know what is coming ahead of you on the trail. There is a fine balance between looking ahead while focusing on obstacles you are currently navigating. Start out slowly and speed up as you become more familiar with the trail and more comfortable with the pumping technique.