5/12/2019 Learn how to descend safely by MTB on Lanzarote
Are you ready to enjoy one of our MTB tours on Lanzarote? We are going to give you a few tips so that you can enjoy making MTB descents on Lanzarote in a safe way, and you don't have to use our road assistance service, in this case in trials.

Before starting with the subject I would like to remind you that all the bikes we rent at Papagayo Bike receive a daily maintenance, putting a great emphasis on the tuning, checking the proper functioning of the gears, brakes, tires…

For us it is very important that you enjoy riding one of our bikes and don't have to worry about anything.
 

“…When you ride your bike, act wisely…”

The first thing we have to do if we go out to the mountain on a bike is to respect the environment in which we are, it will be easy for us because if we like to go out on a mountain bike it is very likely that we are nature lovers. It is also important to remember that we must respect the rest of the users of the terrain.

And among cyclists it is essential to give priority to the one who climbs. No need to remember what's annoying when you're riding up a slope and you lose that continuous momentum on the way up or even have to get off the bike.

If we are not in a race trying to beat the time, the best thing to do is to be a little cautious on the descents to finish the route without having to use the first aid kit, do it with all your teeth and without upsetting yourself and those around you.

Learn how to descend safely by MTB on Lanzarote

9 points to take consider in a descent on MTB

Here I show you some basic points to consider when you are going to make a descent on Lanzarote by MTB, with these tips it will be easier to descend a complicated path or track.
 

1- Pay attention to the position on the MTB bike.

The position of the body on the bicycle should be with the butt backwards, as far back as possible if the descent is by a very inclined path, the greater the inclination the greater the displacement of the body backwards.

On paths with extreme inclination it is probably even advisable to back out the body behind the saddle, always assuming that you have to return to the position afterwards.

Always keep your knees and arms slightly bent with your hands tightly on the handlebars but with some relaxation in your arms and legs so that they also serve as cushioning.
 

2- Lower the center of gravity.

The lower we bring the body the more sense of control we have. Therefore, I recommend you to bend your arms well and lower your head and chest as much as possible, as if you wanted to make a full-speed descent to have the minimum friction with the air.

Remember, the lower we go, the greater the feeling of security and control we will have, and it is not just a feeling, it is pure physics.
 

3- Look where you're going.

If we have obstacles on a path, we always have to trace the area we will pass through with our eyes, decide before facing it which area we are going to take the bike through without hesitation, always looking for the cleanest and least complicated area.

This point in a descent is very important, to trace with the look the part where we are going to take ourselves before passing is fundamental to face the descents with more security.

Normally, where we look is where we will tend to direct the bike, so we must look for the best part of the path or road, the cleanest part with fewer obstacles.
 

4- Use the most suitable plate and pinion change.

In areas with curves where we go very fast we have two possibilities, one is to be careful and the other, if we have a lot of technique and we look capable, try to skid a little with the rear wheel in a controlled way, always towards the side of the turn.

In the case of descents it is not usually complicated to change the plate and pinion, so if you have fallen short or long you can change gears without many problems, as there is hardly any tension in the chain.
 

5- Be careful with the turns.

In areas with curves where we go very fast we have two possibilities, one is to be careful and the other, if we have a lot of technique and we look capable, try to skid a little with the rear wheel in a controlled way, always towards the side of the turn.
 

6- Configure the front fork.

In descent I recommend (if we have the option) to have the shock absorber of the fork unlocked, this way we will have the complete damping that will help us to face the descent with more comfort.
 

7- Pay attention to the tire pressure.

Regarding the pressure of the tires, I recommend not to carry too much pressure because otherwise the bike will become more uncontrollable, it will jump a lot. Depending on the route where you are going to ride our rental bikes, our technicians will take care of leaving the ideal pressure so you don't have any problems.
 

8- Brake with brains.

The brakes are very important when we make a descent in MTB. On inclined trails, when we need to go slowly we must regulate the braking and not put too much pressure on the rear brake so as not to block the wheel and prevent it from skidding, in this way the braking will be more effective than if we block and skid the wheel.

On the other hand, with the front brake it is very important to apply more pressure, but always without blocking the wheel, because if we block it, it's possible that the bicycle lifts up from behind and we end up on the ground.

Remember, braking is important when descending technical areas where you have to control your speed, avoiding blocking the rear brake and controlling the front brake by touching it just enough to control your speed without using too much force.

I hope that these simple steps will help you to face the MTB descents on Lanzarote with more security, and you will be able to enjoy your outings on the island to the fullest.
 
Learn how to descend safely by MTB on Lanzarote
 

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