MTB Uphill And Downhill Body Positions

It’s well-publicised that a balanced riding position on a mountain bike is key to overall performance and riding enjoyment. Finding the right position, however, does require you to shift your body about on the bike - both predicting the terrain you come across and responding to obstacles and technical areas of a trail in which you encounter.

The first step in achieving a good mountain bike position is to concentrate on stability. Think of spreading your weight evenly between the front and rear wheels of the bike - meaning that when riding on the flat, your body sits over the bike's bottom bracket. Remember also that a low centre of gravity on the bike increases stability.

Riding Uphill Body Position

Riding uphill requires a different body position compared to riding downhill. The ideal uphill MTB position includes having your weight sitting slightly forward over the middle point of the bike; this will naturally keep the rider's weight centralised.

Riding Uphill Body Position Tips

There are several things to remember when ascending. The first is to be in a body position which allows you to look forward at where you are going; this allows you to predict the terrain and evaluate how far up the ascent you are, allowing you to exert yourself correctly.

It’s also very natural to ‘pull up’ on the bike's handlebars when you climb - this can cause the front wheel to lift and lose momentum. If you find this happening, dropping your wrists is the easiest way to correct it. It’s essential to keep the right amount of weight over both the front and back wheels to ensure the back wheel still grips and propels you forward and your front wheel does not lift.

Remember to use the entire gear range to find the right gears and keep a light pedal stroke. On steep ascents, remember you can lift yourself out of the saddle to have a big push forward.

Riding Downhill Body Position

Riding downhill requires keeping your weight slightly back to remain correctly balanced over the two wheels. Failure to do so can mean too much weight is over the front wheel.

Riding Downhill Body Position Tips

Like the uphill riding tips, we will first cover the importance of scanning the trail ahead - allowing you to move your body position before you reach obstacles and challenging terrain. When riding downhill, ensure that you keep your arms and legs bent and flexible - this allows your joints to act as secondary suspension, soaking up rough parts of the trail and obstacles.

Sitting your hips over the back of the bike is also a good idea, keeping the bike stable as you descend. Feather your brakes on the way down the trail instead of jamming either brake on, which will cause you to lose grip.