How To Ride Through The Rocks

Some call them “baby heads,” because the largest rocks that a cross-country mountain bikes can roll over for any distance are about the size of a toddler’s noggin. Most riders call them rock gardens and steer well clear of such things. There comes a time, however, when you’ll have to pedal over a patch of rocks—perhaps because you were traveling too fast to stop in time, or maybe because you’d like to ford a shallow creek bed without making a mess of your brand new shoes. Either way, you’ll find that, with a few tips and the ability to “flow with the changes,” you can ride over and around a very nasty section of baby heads and live to enjoy the experience in mountain bikes.

Choose and commit: Choose your line well before you enter the rocks. Firm up your arms and upper body and pedal smoothly. Commit to your line.

Meet your new friend Mo.
Bouncing over rocks in mountain bikes uses a lot of energy, so be prepared to ride into the baby heads with a little speed. Momentum is your friend, but don’t overdo it. Pedal into the rocks at about jogging speed. Choose a gear that is about midway through the cogset and in the granny chainring, or use the middle ring paired with the lowest cog.

Straight is great: Choose the straightest possible line that takes you over the smallest rocks. Look well ahead so you won’t fixate on a difficult section and fail.

“Get straight; move ahead.”
Pick the straightest possible line through the rock garden. Survey your options well before you reach the point of no return and then commit to your mountain bikes line. As you reach the rocks, fix your gaze at least ten feet ahead. Avoid fixating on any single boulder along the way. If you do, you will get sucked into the rock, smack it, and then stall. Pedal smoothly and in circles as if your legs were an electric motor.

The right way: When a sizeable rock looms in your path, hit it and roll up and over. Avoid abrupt changes in mountain bikes direction.

Adopt the “Icebreaker” position.
The key to blasting through boulders is to lower your body slightly and get centered between the mountain bikes wheels. Bend your elbows slightly and brace your arms and shoulders. Imagine that you are punching at the rocks ahead with your front wheel. There is no need for a lot of leg power. In fact, bursts of power will vector you off line and ruin your balance. Keep pedaling smoothly and effortlessly, eyes forward. Let the mountain bike’s front suspension punch through the rocks

The wrong way: Trying to ride around tricky sections risks losing your balance. Ride as straight as possible, but if you do get deflected off line, go with the flow—follow your mountain bikes until you are balanced again.

Walk the dog.
There is no way that your mountain bikes will stay on your chosen line. Rocks shift and roll under your tires and you must also wiggle around to keep your balance. Keep your Ice Breaker stance with your upper body, but let the bike find its own line. If your bike drifts off line, follow it like you are walking the dog. As long as you are maintaining a relatively straight path across the rocks, it doesn’t matter if you veer a yard to the left or right. Go with the flow, but always with conviction.

Too much is a bad thing: Hard charging through the boulders will usually end in disaster. If you don’t carom off line, your mountain bikes rear wheel will probably bounce high and cause your mountain bikes to nose into a boulder—it could hurt.

Believe in your mountain bikes.
Okay, you have chosen a good line, pedaled with conviction, followed your bike off line a couple of times and kept your eyes forward. Now you must pass the final test: the deal-breaker boulder. It always happens—a large rock, bigger than you imagine that your tires can roll over, looms directly in your path. Do you attempt to steer around it, or play it safe, hit the brakes and start walking? Neither. Attempting to round a corner in a rock garden will destroy your momentum. Believe in the capabilities of your mountain bikes. Keep pedaling and simply bash up and over the boulder. Any rock that meets your tire at or below the axle level can be safely rolled. Don’t even lift the front wheel, just bash and dash. Maintaining a straight line is your best survival tool in the boulders.