Hi Guys,
I was riding last weekend and I just realized that I never squeeze the bike with my knees. I mainly hold on with my ankles. Some people hold on so tightly with their knees that it looks awkward, so I'm wondering if holding on will change how I ride. Someone please let me know if I should be gripping the bike with my knees, and in what situations. I want to know the proper way to ride.
Also, should I be holding on with my knees on straight-aways, and when seat-bouncing?
Should I hold on with my knees?!?!?!?!?!
Started by
kx910
, Mar 22 2012 11:56 PM
8 replies to this topic
Posted 23 March 2012 - 12:19 AM
You definitely should hold on with your knees, but it shouldnt be awkward or uncomfortable. If you have correct body position on the bike, holding on with your knees should almost happen by itself. Try it out. One way I have always reminded mysef to hold on with my knees when the track gets really rough is to turn your toes in. This will automatically force you to grip the bike with your knees. Your legs offer a lot of strength that can and should be used to gain a lot of bike control. Will go a long way to reducing arm pump as well.
Posted 23 March 2012 - 06:44 AM
Unless your 6'2", i have the problem of not being able to squeeze with my knee's while standing even with my knees bent. I hold on with my boots to the frame while standing and clinch the shrouds with my knees while sitting.
Posted 23 March 2012 - 12:49 PM
I found its way more natural to grip the bike with your knees when wearing knee braces as opposed to knee pads due to the extra width with knee braces. What are you wearing?
Posted 23 March 2012 - 01:24 PM
i_wheelie_longer, on 23 March 2012 - 12:49 PM, said:
I found its way more natural to grip the bike with your knees when wearing knee braces as opposed to knee pads due to the extra width with knee braces. What are you wearing?
I have knee pads. Knee braces cost too much.
Posted 23 March 2012 - 01:26 PM
_nothing_, on 23 March 2012 - 06:44 AM, said:
Unless your 6'2", i have the problem of not being able to squeeze with my knee's while standing even with my knees bent. I hold on with my boots to the frame while standing and clinch the shrouds with my knees while sitting.
That's the same thing I do, but I'm 5'10.
Posted 23 March 2012 - 01:30 PM
Swapper265, on 23 March 2012 - 12:19 AM, said:
You definitely should hold on with your knees, but it shouldnt be awkward or uncomfortable. If you have correct body position on the bike, holding on with your knees should almost happen by itself. Try it out. One way I have always reminded mysef to hold on with my knees when the track gets really rough is to turn your toes in. This will automatically force you to grip the bike with your knees. Your legs offer a lot of strength that can and should be used to gain a lot of bike control. Will go a long way to reducing arm pump as well.
try standing up with your feet about 2 feet apart, then try to touch your knees together. That's how I feel. I don't think I have the wrong body position cuz I don't come off jumps the wrong way, so I guess I just have to get used to it.
Posted 23 March 2012 - 09:23 PM
A wise person once told me; you wanna be "ONE" with the bike. You want to be in control of the bike, not the other way around. If you arn't pinching with your knees, you're being taken for a ride. The last thing you want is to be taken for a ride and your "ankles" can't do it because there isn't any strength down there and your boots don't grip to the frame anywhere near the "pinching" action of your knees/legs.
Pinching is actually a difficult skill to learn because it can feel unnatural. If you're skinny like myself, I have to twist my knees IN towards the bike to pinch it. But one solution is to wear knee braces because they add some thickness to your knees and that thickness will help so instead of turning your knees towards the bike, the bike is all of a sudden wider when you pinch, making it much more natural. Knee pads don't have anywhere near the same effect, I'd consider their "effectiveness" very low compared to braces.
Once you know how to pinch, you learn WHEN to pinch soon there after. Once you got those two skills down, you'll crash a lot less and feel more in control of the bike.
Pinching is actually a difficult skill to learn because it can feel unnatural. If you're skinny like myself, I have to twist my knees IN towards the bike to pinch it. But one solution is to wear knee braces because they add some thickness to your knees and that thickness will help so instead of turning your knees towards the bike, the bike is all of a sudden wider when you pinch, making it much more natural. Knee pads don't have anywhere near the same effect, I'd consider their "effectiveness" very low compared to braces.
Once you know how to pinch, you learn WHEN to pinch soon there after. Once you got those two skills down, you'll crash a lot less and feel more in control of the bike.
Edited by tye1138, 23 March 2012 - 09:24 PM.
Posted 25 March 2012 - 09:41 AM
tye1138, on 23 March 2012 - 09:23 PM, said:
A wise person once told me; you wanna be "ONE" with the bike. You want to be in control of the bike, not the other way around. If you arn't pinching with your knees, you're being taken for a ride. The last thing you want is to be taken for a ride and your "ankles" can't do it because there isn't any strength down there and your boots don't grip to the frame anywhere near the "pinching" action of your knees/legs.
Pinching is actually a difficult skill to learn because it can feel unnatural. If you're skinny like myself, I have to twist my knees IN towards the bike to pinch it. But one solution is to wear knee braces because they add some thickness to your knees and that thickness will help so instead of turning your knees towards the bike, the bike is all of a sudden wider when you pinch, making it much more natural. Knee pads don't have anywhere near the same effect, I'd consider their "effectiveness" very low compared to braces.
Once you know how to pinch, you learn WHEN to pinch soon there after. Once you got those two skills down, you'll crash a lot less and feel more in control of the bike.
Pinching is actually a difficult skill to learn because it can feel unnatural. If you're skinny like myself, I have to twist my knees IN towards the bike to pinch it. But one solution is to wear knee braces because they add some thickness to your knees and that thickness will help so instead of turning your knees towards the bike, the bike is all of a sudden wider when you pinch, making it much more natural. Knee pads don't have anywhere near the same effect, I'd consider their "effectiveness" very low compared to braces.
Once you know how to pinch, you learn WHEN to pinch soon there after. Once you got those two skills down, you'll crash a lot less and feel more in control of the bike.
Well, I found one soulution to my problem. Yesterday, I was sitting on my bike (in the garage) and I turned my knee pads facing in a little bit. This helped a lot and helped me grip the bike better, so I guess i'm gonna do this until I can afford knee braces.
