Pivot 180 – MTB Skills Practice

A short skills practice session focusing on the 180 pivot. You can see the front end likes to let go if you don’t time it right or turn too quickly at speed. I’ve found that paying attention to a few key things goes a long way:

• Commit to the turn, keep your head pointed where you want to go
• Use your body’s twisting momentum to throw you into the turn; wind up like a spring and then release in one smooth but explosive movement
• Don’t rely too much on bouncing the suspension – settle into the rear shock but rely on leaning your body forward and modulating the front brake to get the rear wheel off the ground

I started working on these 180 pivot turns late last year, took a long break due to winter here in Maine, and got several sessions in so far this year. I’m pretty darn close but need to work on consistency and really locking in the muscle memory. Practice, practice, practice!