Next time your at your local track take note of how quickly you make up time on a slower rider, or how quickly a rider makes up time behind you. This is even more extreme over a section of jumps that only one of you are doing. Look for opportunities to make clean passes and avoid race tactics unless you are actually racing! Alternatively arrange your practice sessions so you are riding with other people with a similiar level of skill and speed.

One of the keys to riding quickly and smoothly is looking ahead and anticipating the road or track that lies infront of you. If you are going to enter a section of ra’ce track fast, you have to look well ahead so that you know just what to expect.

We all should have experienced the phenomenon, you become drawn to what you are looking at.
“Don’t look down”. “Keep your eyes on the road”. The same thing happens on a dirt bike when your riding on a motocross track. If you look at the ruts when your on top of them, you will end up on the edge or go cross rutted. If your concentrating on a nasty bump, or a rock guess where you’ll go?

What you need to do is choose your lines before you get to them and then focus on the next corner or obstacle. This is very important when corning the more you look beyond the corner, the less you focus on the ruts and bumps and the smoother and quicker you will become. You should never let yourself get caught staring at the ground just in front of your front wheel. You will go where you look!

The next time you’re at the track, do yourself a favour and purposely look farther ahead than you are used to.

Lighly exercise your hands, wrists and forearms when you aren’t riding to increase blood flow, but don’t do any weight lifting, tight muscles will only add to the problem. An exercise you can do is to hold your hands up about chin level, shoulder width and out a little, facing away from your face. Start with the tips of your fingers touching the tips of your thumbs then quickly push your fingers out straight, then touch the tips of your fingers on your thumbs again, repeat for about 1 minute.

Rider fitness is also important, the more time you spend on the bike the better. Also eat healthy and do cardiovascular exercises.

Stay relaxed when you are riding, if you tense on the bike then this will translate into arm pump sooner. The looser you are, the less you will suffer. Think relaxing thoughts, breathe deeply. If you can relax your arms while in the air over jumps then take the opportunity to relax your forearms.

Sometimes getting the right grip can help to. Make sure your grip has sufficient padding to cushion your hand from the handlebars. The padding will reduce the vibration transferred from the bike to your hands.

Taking Aspirin may help as it thins your blood. Also eat a banana or two the day of a race or ride and drink an energy drink like gatorade.

Don’t forget your bike setup, make sure your suspension is tuned to suit your size, weight and ability. A steering damper may also help. Make sure your levers are in a comfortable position when you are in the attack position, standing with knees slightly bent, not to low or to high.