Back in the days of Test of Metal and narrow bars, the first guys through Roller Coaster were going straight off the log drops and had flat backs and were very low and over their front wheels. The further back in the field the racers were, the more behind the saddle they were (common observation for all BC XC races). Seemed like a direct correlation between forward + low and how fast an XC racer was down technical terrain. However, the fastest racers were also doing a lot of lifting and thrusting of the bars in anticipation of the terrain, rather than just sitting back with locked arms and letting the bike do the work.
Some people seem to think your push up width should be your handlebar width. But I challenge them to try hand clap push ups with a wide stance rather than hands more directly under the shoulders.
March 27, 2020, 10:57 a.m. - taprider
Back in the days of Test of Metal and narrow bars, the first guys through Roller Coaster were going straight off the log drops and had flat backs and were very low and over their front wheels. The further back in the field the racers were, the more behind the saddle they were (common observation for all BC XC races). Seemed like a direct correlation between forward + low and how fast an XC racer was down technical terrain. However, the fastest racers were also doing a lot of lifting and thrusting of the bars in anticipation of the terrain, rather than just sitting back with locked arms and letting the bike do the work. Some people seem to think your push up width should be your handlebar width. But I challenge them to try hand clap push ups with a wide stance rather than hands more directly under the shoulders.