Peg pressure (peg weighting)

Peg pressure, or peg weighting, means using your feet to put weight on one or both footpegs. Because your weight then acts low on the bike rather than through the seat or handlebar, it is a powerful way to influence balance and direction.

Pressing on the inside peg helps the bike lean into a turn; pressing on the outside peg keeps the tyres loaded on off-camber ground or in loose corners. Even pressure on both pegs while standing lets the bike move freely underneath you over bumps, while the handlebar stays light.

Practise at low speed on gravel: stand up, grip the bike with your knees, keep arms relaxed and steer by weighting the pegs. It is a core skill on enduro and adventure training courses.