While they may look unusual and intimidating to newer mountain bikers, berms, or banked turns, actually allow you to ride faster and carry more speed around a turn – if you know what you’re doing. Read on to find out how to rip through berms with both speed and control, and impress your riding buddies your next time out.
1. Start slow
If you’re just learning to ride berms on your mountain bike, you’ll want to start off at low speed. Brake before you get to the berm, and go slower than you think you need to.
By starting off slow, you will be able to get a good feel for the berm at low speed, and start to figure out what to do with your weight and body position, and get an idea of what the best line to take around the berm is.
Even once you’re used to riding berms, its best to approach them at a speed which allows you to not brake while actually riding the berm. You want your momentum, body position and the slope of the berm to carry you through to the berm’s exit with speed.
2. Line choice
The proper line choice when riding berms is important if you want to be able to rip through them quickly.
High to low
The most efficient, fastest line to take on any normal berm is the “high to low” line. This means entering the berm on a high line, near the upper part of the berm, and exiting from the lower part of the berm.
So if the berm turns to the left, you will want to enter the berm at the upper part of the slope on the right, and exit the berm from near the bottom of its slope to the left. By doing this, you take the most direct route through the berm, which lets you to turn less sharply.
This also allows you to take advantage of the slope of the berm, as you’ll be going downhill more (from high to low). If executed properly, this allows you to exit the berm carrying just as much speed as you enter it with.
3. Weight and body position
When turning your bike, whether its on a berm or a flat corner, your weight and body position act as counterbalances for each other.
On a berm, you’ll want to lean into the turn, and your lean angle will be greater than it would be on flat corners. The angle of the berm allows you to lean more into the turn.
As you enter and ride through the berm, you’ll want to keep your weight towards the outside pedal. This helps to keep you from overdoing it and leaning too much, but it also helps to improve traction, preventing the tires on your mountain bike from slipping out.
Whether its on berms or regular turns, you don’t want to overdo either leaning your bike into the turn, which can cause you to slip out, or put too much weight on the outside pedal, which can mess with your control. You should aim to have around 60 to 70 percent of your weight on your outside pedal while you ride berms.
4. Look where you want to go
This might seem self explanatory, but looking where you want your mountain bike to go is of the utmost importance when you’re mountain biking, and nowhere is this more true than when you ride berms.
There is an almost surprising connection between where your eyes look and where your tires track. Look at the things you don’t want to hit? You’re more likely, not less, to hit those very things.
Instead, narrow your focus. Look at where you want your bike to exit the berm as you’re entering it (on a high line, of course!). Let the connection between your mind and mountain bike do the rest.
5. Gradually add speed
Once you start getting more comfortable with entering the berm at a controlled speed, picking a good line through the berm from high to low, leaning your bike into the turn while weighting the outside pedal, and looking where you want your bike to go, its time to gradually add speed as you approach the berm.
You want to carry speed into the berm, but not too much speed. Being gradual with adding speed as you approach the berm is key.
The best way to get a feel for how much speed you can hit a berm with while still maintaining control is to ride the berm repeatedly, just a little bit faster each time. To do this, try to get a consistent starting point before the berm, and pedal just a little bit more on each attempt.
As you add speed, you’ll notice how line choice suddenly becomes more important, The most direct route through the berm, with the least sharp turn required, will be the high to low line.
Other things to consider
Tight berms
Tight berms, which are smaller but still turn just as much as larger berms, require even more precision in terms of line choice and correct speed, and they are less forgiving of rider mistakes.
You should be able to hit a tight berm with lots of speed if its well built, but you will have to know what you’re doing.
The same principles apply to tight berms, and are even more important. Make sure you’re looking where you want to go (the berm’s exit) as you enter the berm, get the right amount of lean angle on your mountain bike, and weight the outside pedal.
Also, if you’ve only ever ridden larger, more forgiving berms, remember to start slow and gradually add speed as you become more comfortable.
Practice berms going both ways
Make sure you don’t ride berms that only turn to the left, or only turn to the right. You should practice on a variety of berms that turn both ways, so that you can be confident no matter which way the berm turns.
Most mountain bikers will have one way they turn a little more comfortably, either to the right or the left. If you’re more comfortable riding berms that turn to the left, try to emphasize practicing more on berms that turn to the right. Turn those weaknesses into strengths!
Understand the conditions you’re riding
This is key for any mountain biking you do, but especially if you’re learning how to ride berms. You need to understand the conditions you’re riding in to understand what you can and can’t get away with.
If its really dusty and dry, traction will be reduced. If there is loose dirt, rocks or sand on the berm, you’re more likely to slip and should ride with more caution.
Alternatively, if its wet, that can make conditions, including on berms, slippery and unpredictable. Make sure you take things slower until you get a feel for how much traction you have.
Think ahead
Once you’ve got the basics of how to ride berms figured out, you should be hitting MTB trails that incorporate berms into them.
While remembering and executing the keys of hitting a berm is important, you still need to ride the trail and be ready for what lies ahead.
Think ahead to what is coming up after the berm – is it another berm or tight turn you need to prepare for? A steep drop? Jumps? Or maybe a climb?
No matter what comes next, you should be thinking ahead and riding the berm with that in mind. Both so you can be mentally prepared and so you can match your speed and body position to the next section of trail.
Frequently asked questions
Berms are the word used in mountain biking for banked turns. By being banked, berms allows riders to execute turns with more speed than they otherwise could.
Yes, berms are easier to ride and can be ridden with more speed than regular turns.
While berms seem different from regular turns and that can be intimidating for newer riders, the truth is that the slope from berms allow riders who know how to ride berms to lean in to their turns more and carry more speed through the turn than they otherwise would be able to.
Conclusion
Next time you ride a berm on your mountain bike, remember to pick a good line entering at the high side of the berm and exiting from the low side, lean your bike into the turn, weight your outer pedal, and spot your exit. You’re sure to improve your riding ability on berms if you master these keys. Got any other tips that have helped you to ride berms better? Let’s hear them in the comments!