Getting Over Small Obstacles

I think the one thing I hear the most when out with a First Time or Beginner rider is remarks about all the stuff on the trail; rocks, branches, fallen limbs, roots etc. A lot of folks might expect all this to be cleaned up by someone, I guess. But that would be contrary to the whole idea, that is, getting out and communing with Nature, getting some physical exercise and challenge. No, don't ever expect the trail to be 'clean'. Basically what you should expect is that the trails are labeled and there isn't much overgrowth pushing into the trail. Otherwise, all that other stuff is part of the fun!


So, let's learn to get over all those small obstacles that you WILL encounter on the trail. You'll want to be standing up, knees and elbows bent. First off, most anything under a couple inches you can just roll over, or even pedal over. What's important is that you DO HAVE sufficient speed to get over the small obstacle, so don't slow down! If you aren't going to pedal over the obstacle, approach with your pedals level with the ground (one straight forward, one straight back). If you are going to pedal over the obstacle, it's a good practice to time your pedal stroke so neither pedal is near the ground as you pass over the obstacle. Another thing, if you feel you might want to use your brakes, DO NOT use the front brake! Use the rear only! As you hit an obstacle, a portion of your forward momentum is lost. But it's your bicycle that loses it first. If you are leaning too far forward, you will tend to fall over the handlebars. If you are using your front brake when you hit an obstacle, this magnifies the effect and you are VERY likely to go over the handlebars. Other than that, just roll or pedal over the obstacle, do not fear whether your bicycle can handle it, never look back!


One quick thought before we move on to bigger obstacles. Something you will commonly run over is fallen branches and such. These types of things can get stuck in your rear derailleur pretty easy (where the gears shift in the back). It's a good idea to watch out for this, otherwise you may be stopping to pull plantlife out of your chain and derailleur.


What about obstacles that are larger? The biggest we'll cover here is small fallen trees, roots or rocks that measure around three to five inches high off the ground. In general, you 'could' also just roll over these if you have enough speed (and front suspension) but this is likely to cause damage to wheels and increases the chances of going over the handlebars. Here is an easy to learn technique that will save you on rims, spokes, and wheel trueing (truing?). The basic idea is to get your front tire 'onto' the obstacle without smashing into it. This not only saves wear and tear on the bicycle and you, but also greatly reduces the amount of forward momentum typically lost on these types of obstacles.


Here is the idea. You are going to use a combination of a single pedal stroke and pulling up on the handlebars with your hands to lift your front wheel into the air, just high enough and long enough for your front tire to land ON the obstacle without hitting it smack in the face or going over. This should be practiced at low speeds at first, and on small obstacles. In fact a stick will do fine. All you need is something to focus on to learn the technique. So let's say you have your stick in front of you on the ground and you are riding towards it. As you near the stick, make sure your favorite foot is forward. Rotate that foot backwards (higher up from the ground but still the forward foot) about 1/8 a rotation (your standing up, right?). Just as you come to the obstacle, kick the pedal with your forward foot and pull up on the handlebars at the same time. The idea is for your front tire to land ON the stick and NOT go all the way over it. This is important! Land ON the stick. Practice this for a while and then work on something bigger. Maybe a small fallen tree, or a curb etc. Same exact technique. Ride up to the obstacle, more speed for a bigger obstacle. Approach with your favorite foot forward. As you near, cock that favorite foot back, then give the pedal a kick and pull up on the handlebars. Land ON the obstacle. You don't have to worry about the back tire, if the front goes up and over, the back will follow.


That's it. Practice makes perfect they say, and soon you'll be able to go over some fairly large obstacles. As you progress the problem that comes up is the center of your bicycle won't be high enough off the ground to clear the obstacles and you'll start mashing your front chain rings. How to avoid that and how to get onto and over larger obstacles (one to two feet high) is in the Intermediate area.

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Riding / Manuevering
Dealing with Sand
Riding in Wet Conditions
Getting Over Small Obstacles
Reading the Terrain
Setting a Pace
Balance Part 1 - Two Wheels
Target Heart Rate / Monitors
Target Heart Rate / Monitors
Staying Hydrated
Staying Hydrated
Learning Gears
Using the Front Brake