It may officially be ski season here (7 or so Tahoe resorts are open as of Thanksgiving Day), but mountain biking conditions are currently AMAZING. As a result, I’ve spent more time on dirt than snow this holiday weekend. I’ve spent a majority of the time in Reno at the local dirt jumps. After multiple sessions I heading out to the DH trails of Tahoe (12-inch or less wide single tracks on very steep wet slopes, with unavoidable obstacles; obstacles consisting of log jams, snowy roots, steep drops, jumps, and berms … a mixed bag of expert downhill features) when I realized that the Pumptrack and Dual Slalom Course reinforced a ton of skills.
Riding a Dual Slalom course or a pump track will teach you a number of critical skills that can benefit you in tangible ways out on the singletrack:
1. It teaches you how to pump the terrain to gain speed.
2. It teaches you how to ride berms and improve cornering.
3. It teaches you how to maintain momentum in order to ride as fast as possible.
4. It helps you learn how to look several steps ahead of where you’re riding.
5. It creates a playful bike-handling demeanor, allowing you to see interesting lines on the trail that might not be so obvious.
6. It provides an intense full-body workout in a very short amount of time.
7. It’s tons of fun!
