However old you are, it’s impossible not to grin as you guide your bike into a huge puddle, or blast through a stream or bog.  But if you want to keep that grin it’s important to keep your weight in the right place, and absorb the sudden deceleration correctly.

TWC’s Favourite Mountain Biking Kit 2014

As the bike surges into the mud it slows down, but you’re still rushing ahead.  You need to be sure that you are up out of the saddle with your weight back, cranks level and feet angled so toes point upwards.  This allows you to absorb the force of your body pushing into the bike through your legs, rather than your arms.  It pushes the bike forward from the bottom instead of the top, and that means it’s less likely to pivot over the front wheel and send you off.