How To Generate Flow On A Mountain Bike

If you are finding yourself lagging behind your mates on the trails, it’s likely that you are not generating enough pump & flow from your mountain bike, this is especially relevant if you find you are pedalling on the trails more than others that you ride with. Achieving decent levels of mountain bike pump not only provides a big improvement in trail times and performances, but is also one of the most rewarding ways to ride a mountain bike.

We refer to pump as ‘speed management’ here at Westbrook Cycles, and we use this term because achieving pump is about harnessing the speed and energy within a mountain bike trail. As well as using the steepness of the trail to increase speed, pump is also about selecting the right routes for maximum acceleration and grip. Pumping the bike refers to providing acceleration, without pedalling - by using our body and dropping our heel and wrist, applying downforce to the bike - we can provide acceleration which pushes the bike through certain areas of a trail. Think of the way a BMX rider drops into a halfpipe, by pumping through the bike a BMX generates more power than just dropping into the halfpipe.

Suspension And Pumping

The way that your mountain bike is setup, will have an effect on how much pump you can generate. If your suspension is incredibly soft, it will soak up plenty of obstacles on trails - but will also soak up the energy you try to pump through the bike, lessening your ability to pump.

The rebound of your suspension is also important, if the rebound is set too fast - your bike will rebound too quickly when trying to pump, and if your rebound is too slow - your suspension will just pack down as you pump. This is more important on hardtail mountain bikes, with pumping on full suspension bikes being easier to time right.

MTB Pumping & Body Position

Body Position is a key factor in achieving mountain bike pump - the centre of gravity of your body needs to remain behind the centre of the bike. Be careful not to lunge either too far forward, or too far back. Keep your body position relatively static and instead focus on letting the bike rise and fall through undulations on the trail. Keep your arms and legs extended then bend, with your upper body remaining in pretty much the same position. Push down through the bike, but keep the body on a stable platform.

It’s very easy when pumping to lose your upper body position and form - as we push up and down through the legs, take care not to let the upwards force especially, push you too far over the handlebars. Remember to drop the wrist and push with the arms too.

MTB Pumping Footwork

Good footwork is essential when it comes to MTB pumping. Driving your legs up and down creates the pumping power required to shred trails. Drop your heels, and as you sink throughout the pump - you can elongate the pump for maximum performance.

Looking Ahead

Keep your eyes looking well ahead, as you should be anyway. Look through the sessions of the trail and look ahead at the point in which you can pump. Do not be drawn into looking down the forks of your bike. In looking ahead you can identify the sections and what you need to do sooner.

In the entry to a section - drop your heels and wrists and sit into the pocket, ready to drive through the section and gain momentum. Pumping through corners not only increases speed, but also maximises contact with the tyre and the ground - increasing grip. This welcome increase in grip will not only allow you to ride faster, but it will also increase the power behind your braking performance.

When To Pump

Only by riding trails will you find when pumping works best for you. Rollers, start of jumps and bermed corners are all of the obvious places to pump - these are easy areas of the trail to spot, and the easiest areas to pump through. Think about how you want to unweight the bike as you roll over obstacles and have the confidence to pump at the beginning of the jumps, which will increase the control you have over the bike.

Remember that you are not a passenger on the bike, but the pilot!