HOW TO RIDE SINGLETRACK FASTER THAN EVER

Use heavier tires
Light, skinny tires with a low-profile tread are fast on climbs and smooth surfaces, but slow in the rough. Tougher (and heavier) carcasses are less likely to puncture, and can be run at lower pressures for more grip and less skittery deflection. Taller, chunkier knobs and squarer profiles roll slower on hard surfaces, but generate far more grip on rough singletrack – meaning they’re actually faster.
Check out FSA’s choice of wheels, optimised for different types of mountain biking disciplines and available in a choice of 27.5 and 29in diameters.

Stand up
It may not be aero, but control matters more. Stand up with the pedals level, drop your hips back (a little) and down, and keep your knees and elbows in a relaxed bend. The dropped saddle is a huge help here, as it lets you get your centre of gravity low.

Look up
It’s natural to look at what’s going under your front wheel, but don’t! Look as far ahead as you can to give yourself time to react – you can plan your moves and use your sense of timing to deal with the obstacles themselves. You’ll find looking further ahead helps with balance, too.

Avoid the obvious line
Look at the whole trail ahead of you rather than getting sucked into the previous rider’s wheeltracks – don’t just follow the obvious line. It’s more likely to be unintimidating than fast or smooth. For instance, the least capable riders may go around a rock when going straight over it would make the next corner easier. Then everyone else follows their tracks. Or the trail may drop low across a camber and over a mess of roots instead of staying high over one or two much bigger ones, or run wide into a rut when there’s a less mangled inside line. Look for straighter, smoother and faster lines that maybe harder to get onto, but are easier to exit.

Get the best from your mountain bike – checkout FSA products including wheelsets, bars and disc brakes.