19 Sneaky Speed Secrets

1.      Drop your wheel weight: taking weight off your bike is the quickest way to ride faster, and rotating mass is the best weight to remove. More rotating mass means more energy expended.

2.      Use faster tires than you think you need:  tire technology is better than ever. You can mismatch tires, opting for a fast-rolling tire in the rear and a grippier, knobbier one in front.

3.      Try a short stem and wide bars: the shorter stem results in quicker handling, and the wider bar offers more control. We’ve seen some riders go overboard, though.

4.      Take time to experiment with new suspension setups: knowing your riding style is critical here. That said, we’ve had very good luck with some bikes set up with as much as 40 percent sag, as well as lightly tuned, fast rebound settings and firm compression settings. It’s always good to head back to your default settings if your changes don’t work out.

5.      Lose the excess weight: items like light mounts, Presta valve covers and unused water bottle cages all add tiny amounts of weight to your bike. If you have enough accessories bolted to your bike, it adds up. Remove the unused bits to save weight.

6.      Tune your bike the night before: never rely on the morning of a big ride for tuning.

7.      Steer with your hips, not your hands: bikes are best steered with weight transfer and core strength, not by simply turning the bars.

8.      No wasted energy, no matter how small: white-knuckling the handlebar is a waste of energy.

9.      Look farther down the trail than you think you should: looking down at your front wheel, it’s blurry, right? The farther you look down the trail, the faster your “normal” speed will be.

10.  Pump your way to speed: you can ride a pump track without pedaling, and that’s because emphasizing the downward force propels you forward.

11.  Learn to ride with your “switch” foot: most, if not all, riders have a “chocolate foot.” That’s the one that you ride with in the forward position most often.

12.  Be efficient! Especially early in a ride: if you’re on a ride that you know is going to push your limits, save the bravado for the end of the ride.

13.  Drop the water weight: it’s never a good idea to pack too little water, but know your hydration limits. Most riders should plan to have roughly one water bottle of fluid per hour of riding.

14.  Pack enough food for your ride: Nothing tastes better than “real” food on a long ride.

15.  Eat a good breakfast: Starting the ride with a full tank makes a big difference.

16.  Dress to feel faster: brightly colored jerseys are faster, but black and gray ones blend in.

17.  Ball bearing in the handlebar: you can sabotage a fellow rider if you have access to his bike preride.

18.  Tighten the buckles on your shoes before a big climb: this little intimidation tactic can make your riding friends shake in their cleats.

19.  Pick the lightweight bike if you have a choice: rides, even if they’re not races, are usually won on the climbs and not the descents. Picking a lightweight bike rather than a big and burly long-travel machine will give you a serious advantage on the uphills and will save energy for the descents. Very few riders have ever “won” a long trail ride on a downhill bike, and that’s because the lighter and shorter-travel machines are simply more efficient.