Cycling on trails and in the forests can feel hard and difficult to learn at the start. But there are plenty of tricks and tips to apply to learn faster and master more difficult trails in the terrain. Here are some short cuts to make cycling easier and more fun!

Basic technique

Train basic technique on flat ground or in one of the easier XC bike trails 30 minutes every day: stand still on the bike, practice curving, dare to tilt the bike in curves and practice on bunny hop (and what that really is you can read more about further down).

Balance training

Practice your balance biking on a plank. Have a good position over the bike with an even weight distribution over the bike, keep your eyes focused far ahead and keep a fairly high speed.

Bike with a guide

Hire a guide, then you’ll get technique tips, more enjoyable cycling and you won’t get lost. Åre is swarming with skilled cyclists and biking companies who can share their expertise.

Learn to Bunny hop

A Bunny hop is perhaps the most useful technique you can learn. If you can bunny hop you’ll be able to learn jumping, overcome unexpected obstacles and get a much more playful and fun cycling. A bunny hop means that with the help of your body and technique you lift the front wheel and then the rear wheel in one and the same movement. You can compare it to an ollie on a skateboard that gives the same effect.

Do the following:

1. Learn to lift the front wheel by moving your body weight backwards and downwards. Think that you should almost sit on the rear wheel (lower the saddle). Have slightly bent legs, when you have a low body position, gently push your legs forward. Then the front wheel will lift off the ground and balance on the rear wheel. The arms should always be straight; it’s your hips and legs that keep the balance. Practise this over and over until you can lift the front wheel over a plank.
2. Now focus on the rear wheel. Now you’ll learn how to lift the rear wheel over the same plank. Move your centre of gravity slightly forward from your basic position. Here, with the help of pointing your toes towards the slopes, lift the rear wheel. It’s called a pedal grab, point your toes down, grab the pedals and lift the rear wheel. Keep a firm grip on the handlebars, lock your wrists and turn them slightly forward. With the help of your hands it’ll be easier to lift the rear wheel. Do both movements at the same time. Practise this, ride over the plank with the front wheel and lift the rear wheel over the plank.
3. When you’ve learned how to lift the front wheel and the rear wheel, practice rolling over the plank, first lifting the front wheel and then the rear wheel. The more speed you take the faster you must do the movement.
4. Now merge the two movements into one. Do exactly the same as before but now you should be a little smarter in your body movement so when the front wheel is in the air you quickly move the weight forward and then lift the rear wheel. Now you doing a bunny hop. Practise over the same plank, if it’s too low, make a slightly higher obstacle.

Lastly, be careful not to jerk the handlebars towards your stomach and pulling up with the pedals. It may seem simpler but you’ll be more limited in how high you can jump, where you can do it and the technique won’t be better. When you do a bunny hop, you have the movement forward while you have a movement upwards. When you learn this movement, you’ll have much more time to find the timing out on the trail.