It’s one of those days… You’re on a multi-day trip, the trails have been dusty as flip, and then all of a sudden it rains overnight. Is it going to be still dry, or muddy? All of a sudden you’re out on the trail and it is absolutely prime conditions. Tacky dirt, blue skies, and no matter what you do, you can’t seem to lose grip. Welcome to hero dirt!
Hero dirt days are few and far between – especially in Australia. In the Alps of Europe and the ranges of North America, you can experience hero dirt on any given day as conditions change rapidly. But in Australia, it doesn’t seem to occur all that often due to our environment. So when it does, you’ve just got to make the most of it!
As Jordan and I went out to shoot this, I was stoked to experience the joy of hero traction. It reminded me of my World Cup racing days in the Alps in the afternoon, when the trail dried up and – for a certain period – the track was absolutely prime. In a race situation, this is the ultimate leveller – everyone has all the grip in the world. On a regular trail day, it’s a great time to have some fun, get up to speed, and experiment with some tighter lines. Here’s how to rail some corners and have fun on those hero dirt days.
Step 1 – Setting Up
As you come into a corner, there’s really no need to worry too much about your line, as the whole trail is going to be grippy and you’ll be able to carry speed out no matter what. This makes it a great opportunity to experiment with inside lines. In a race situation, if traction is no issue, the inside line is shorter and therefore faster. Have a look at where you want to go, and pay attention to your braking point. Mentally remind yourself that you can let off the brakes earlier because the traction is optimal.
Step 2 – Commit
As you enter the corner, now is the time to commit. When the trail is super grippy, you need to make the conscious decision early that you’re going to hit the corner hard, dig in, and make the most of the conditions. As always, spot your exit line early and look ahead as far as you’re comfortable with.
Step 3 – Dig Deep
As you hit the corner, use your body to weight the bike as much as you can. Keep your centre of gravity low and centred, and focus on pushing as much weight as you can through your legs. In hero dirt conditions, the more you push, the more you’ll grip, so it’s really important to dig deep, let off the brakes, and have confidence in your bike and the conditions.
Step 4 – Be Solid on Your Bike
As you roll through the corner, be as solid as you can on your bike. Be strong and hold your position, as any lateral movement will throw you that way with all the grip available. It’s almost like tensing up completely when you’re at peak traction and everything is digging in. Once you feel the bite into the trail, look up and hold that position – and your line – to the exit.
Step 5 – Pop Out
This is one of the best parts about hero dirt – your exit speed. You should always judge how well you’ve hit a corner by your exit speed, and when it’s super grippy, I like to ‘pop’ out of the corner. It’s almost like a little bunny hop as you exit and unweight your bike. The unweighting movement produces a little extra pop and speed as you exit, and it’s an amazing feeling. Look up to what’s ahead, set up for your next corner, and enjoy it while it lasts!
