Are you interested in learning how to start mountain biking? I totally agree with you. It’s my absolute favorite thing in the world, and I am confident that you will love it too. Mountain biking enables you to explore amazing and beautiful places, have a blast on the trails with friends, gain confidence on and off your bike (for real, mountain biking is good for real life too! ), get in shape, and so much more. The mountain biking world can be intimidating, however. After all, I’ve been there! Nevertheless, don’t let the uncertainty stop you. The learning curve in any sport will be steep at times, but when you commit to learning and stepping out of your comfort zone, that’s when the real fun begins.
Are You Sure This Is What You Want?
It was in California in the 1980s that mountain biking first gained popularity in the US when adrenaline-seekers strove to ride steep fire roads and illegal trails on rickety short-travel bikes. Watching some of the early videos, you’ll wonder why anyone ever thought this would be fun.
Mountain biking clothing, as well as mountain bikes, have come a long way over the past few decades. Flow trails and mountain bikes with modern geometry that make going uphill and downhill fun are available today, as are lift-served bike parks and e-bikes! Now is a great time to learn how to get started in mountain biking, since the world of mountain biking has exploded.
Learn the Basics
Several basic skills can make the first ride easier and more enjoyable when it comes to mountain biking. Basically, turning tight is called cornering. It’s a singletrack technique. For trails of other types, it is best to carve turns. Still, cornering is still a valuable skill with which every rider should become more proficient.
This refers to your bike’s ability to traverse roots, stumps, ruts, rocks, and drops. So long as your floating technique is improved, advanced tires and bike suspension are capable of handling anything the trail throws at them. You should keep in mind how much momentum you have when braking during a normal ride. Breaks are also generally pretty strong and sensitive. All of this is to say that breaking lightly will avoid you from getting hurt or falling.
BRAKING
Take it easy on the brakes. Especially as a beginner, brake with a very light touch when using them since they are very powerful. Do not pull them (especially the front).As you ride more, you will improve. Be bold and don’t be afraid to push yourself outside of your comfort zone, but remember to be safe and have fun!
Consider Your Weight
Mountain biking requires controlling your weight to overcome even the most impossible of obstacles. Weight distribution and shifting are crucial to mastering your bike. A good rule of thumb is to move your body as far back as you can on your seat when going downhill quickly, shifting your weight behind, to stop flying forward. On the other hand, cycling uphill requires you to lean towards the hill.
ALL-MOUNTAIN / ENDURO MOUNTAIN BIKES
Trail mountain bikes and downhill mountain bikes blur together in these bikes. A mountain bike is built for more challenging terrain than a trail bike, but it will also likely weigh more. This makes them ideal for Enduro races. Timed downhills are included in endurance races, but untimed uphills are not. The person with the best downhill time wins the race. Imagine the speed of these bikes downhill!
The sizes of mountain bikes cover a wide range of body shapes. A bike shop is the best place to get help finding the appropriate mountain bike size for beginner mountain bikers. Reputable bike shops also offer demo bikes for testing. Buying the correct bike for your needs is critical. Once you’ve found the bike of your dreams, it’s time to ride it!
Choose the Right Kind of Bike
A mountain bike can be used for a variety of different types of rides.No matter what type of mountain bike you choose, choosing high quality is imperative. There are many different types of bikes you can choose from, such as cross country, trail, enduro, dirt jump, e-mountain, hardtail, and dual suspension. It is important to research each and choose the one that fits your needs best. They are suited to different trails and have specific needs, so make sure to choose one based on your research. Prepare yourself by thinking about the types of trails you’ll ride and what your overall goal is with mountain biking. Additionally, it’s always a good idea to start with a bike that’s easy, so you can build confidence. As a result, you might give up mountain biking entirely.
FLOATING
It is often astonishing how much a new mountain biker can travel over and through. The modern suspension and tire technology on mountain bikes can handle rocks, ruts, roots, drops, and stumps. In any case, you need a good technique to get through obstacles, otherwise, you might end up walking your bike or worse, crashing.
- As you approach an obstacle, keep your body loose.
- Make a plan for how you will overcome the obstacle: ride over, pop your wheels over, jump it, ride around it.
- Keep your butt at least a few centimeters off the saddle as you ride over the obstacle. Overcoming an obstacle should be absorbed by the bike and your loose arms and legs. It shouldn’t stop you and cause you to fall over, so make sure you have enough speed going over it.
- As you ride over root and rock gardens, you will need to trust your suspension and tires and simply hold on to your bike as you ride. Keep your eyes open and focused on your goals, don’t fear: grip it and rip it!
Does Mountain Biking Pose a Risk?
No lie, mountain biking has some serious consequences and there is a 100% probability that you will crash at least once, especially when you are just starting out. The good news is that you’ll become better and more confident the more you ride, and the fewer times you’ll get stuck in the dirt. Even though I ride harder and faster now as an experienced mountain biker, I crash a lot less than when I was just starting out. You aren’t required to ride any rowdy, terrifying rides. For you, mountain biking might mean exploring the backcountry on cross-country trails. Those trails aren’t necessary to ride. You might also find that you really enjoy downhill riding and it becomes less scary as you do more! The only way to find out is to try it. I’ll cover body armor below in the gear section, but I recommend wearing it regardless.
