Flow. That’s what we are all chasing right? The feeling of control and composure as we float through corners and over technical features. It may not feel achievable to you, but I’m here to say otherwise!
With the 2023 FNB Wines2Whales SWITCHBACK events, renowned for their trails, coming in hot at the end of October, we’re breaking down the 3 notable types of terrain that you’ll find on the route and how to ride them best! Because let’s face it, riding is just more fun when you’re doing it properly.
In this article and video we are unlocking the flow!
Let’s get into it.
Finding the flow at Wines2Whales | Looking ahead
Probably the most important factor of flow is being pre-emptive of what is coming up on the trail. To do this we need to keep our eyes up looking ahead for what is next so that we can plan the best path. This takes time to become natural but the benefits are instant. You can start working on it from your next ride!
Finding the flow | Braking skills
The next key to unlocking flow is braking properly. Dragging brakes is a no no for flow.
Now that you are looking ahead, pay attention to what features or corners you’ll need to scrub speed for and do it early so that when you start the corners or technical section, you can let off the brakes and have your wheels flow freely (literally free speed). This sensation takes a bit of getting used to so practice practice practice! When you get it right, you’ll be a superhero on the trails!
Finding the flow | Cornering
Some of you may remember a clip from 2021 of a certain switchback that took many victims!
The biggest error here for many was not entering the corner wide enough.
It can be tempting to take the shorter line through all the corners but this often makes them very tight and greatly reduces our exit speed, which is pretty much what flow is all about.
With your eyes up scanning ahead, look for the widest reasonable entry to the corner and nail that line. This allows you to get off the brakes before the apex and fly out the other side down the trail. It takes discipline, I’m also still getting it wrong more often than I’d like, but it pays dividends every time you commit to it!
Will we see you there in October?
Stage 2 is Play Day, the route here is densely populated with amazing trails where the opportunity to find flow is in high supply! That being said, if you put these tips into practice you’ll be flowing like a river from Hermanus, through Oak valley to Lourensford!
There are 3 Wines2Whales events running from 20-29 October. It is a SWITCHBACK year and will include a bunch of new sections to keep the GEES levels high!
Get all the info you need about the event and nab an entry before they’re gone here: https://www.epic-series.com/wines2whales
You can also find more skills resources here to help you to unlock more flow!
We’ll see you there!
