How to Distribute Weight on a Downhill Mountain Bike

Video Transcript

"MICKEY DENONCOURT: Weight distribution isn't so much a bike setup issue, as it is a riding style issue, but some of the things you do when you set up your bike are really going to influence your weight position and the way you want to ride. A lot of people when they get on a downhill bike, they sort of ride, like a like straight up in the air, they're standing straight up, their back is straight, their arms are straight down on the handle bars. So, their center of gravity is really high, it's not very stable. Things that can contribute to that, are having their handle bars too high, so it's harder for them to lean over, having bikes that are too long for them, stuff like that. What you really want to do is instead, you want to have--make sure your bike is set up so its nice and neutral when you're in much slower, more center sort of, attack position. So, you know, right now I'm trying to get my center of gravity, basically right between my wheels so, I can quickly move forward or backwards to change how things handle. So I'm much lower, and you can see when I get on my bike, you know, my hands nice even on the brake lever, is like it's straight down where they need to be, you know, my handle bars are wide enough that, I don't feel cramped on my bike, my stem is long enough, so that I'm still waiting the front wheel while being able to get off the back wheel. So, what you want to do is you want to think about, you know, not the extremes, or you set up your bike with the whole, all around package, or what you're going to be doing with it, and how you can get yourself into the most effective position."