Last week we looked at the photos below in the context of how I was braking. This week, we are looking at my body positioning. A lot of how I am positioned over the bike in the two photos on the right, is about the geometry of the bike. Older bikes don’t allow you to be in an ideal descending position. On the right, the biggest difference is that my center of gravity is lower, that is because I have a seat dropper! A lower center of gravity makes you a more stable rider, you are harder to tip over. The other big difference is the width of my bars. On the right, they are much wider, giving me more leverage on my bike. The combination of wider bars and lowered center of gravity also means I have more range of motion. I can move my bike side to side, and front to back, to go over and around all the obstacles in the trail. In other words, I can have ALL the fun on my bike! For more information about what to look for when buying your new mountain bike, take a look at this video and see what specifications I recommend. I ride the Jamis Portal and think it’s one of the most ideal bikes for my clients, coaches and friends. It’s the best all around bike for 2020!