Sighting Down Trail

We're frequently asked for advice on how to help mountain bikers improve their riding skills. Learning how to better sight a route is one of the most critical.

Spotting other trail users down the route is similar to spotting a riding line, which we'll discuss later.

It's vital to improve your riding skills by not staring down at your front tire. The more information you can absorb fast, the better.

Riders learn to ride with "split vision," which allows them to scan the track while "holding" the visual data as it reaches the wheels. If you have to look down right in front of the wheel, you're probably about to bury the front end or fold it over anyway. Even XC level travel bikes are tolerant enough to ride "through" some really chunky things if you let them.

Learning to see other trail users better makes everyone's day better. No one wants to feel the rush of adrenaline from being nearly ran over or from a ninja hiker hiding behind a tree till the last possible second, right?

It's simple to see down the trail when it's very straight. You can glance up above tiny or medium vegetation as the trail changes direction. Colors, shapes, and movements that stand out are what you're looking for. This is something your brain will perform quickly. You might just see a hat, or a massive rack of deer antlers, like in one of my more unforgettable moments...

When pieces of the route come into view, it's a smart practice to learn to look further down the trail. Your riding will benefit whenever you can take in data that tells you "this is coming up."

Riding at around 70% of your skillset will also leave enough gas in the tank in case of an emergency, such as a surprise deer springing directly in front of you on the route - right in front. When you're certain they went partially over your bars, for example!