Sep 17, 2010
Is mountain biking new to you or have you been riding for years without being able to improve your skills or overcome your fears? You may find you have to slow down on corners, hate climbing those hills and no matter how much you ride, you don’t notice much improvement. That’s where finding the right information or training program can really help you master those trails a lot quicker.
Not only will you learn the secrets of using the gears properly, which brake you should be using and when, how to pull wheelies, do bunny hops and jumps and also how to ride over technical surfaces but some guides also include bike maintenance to save you money explain the different components of a bike to make buying one easier and even how to do temporary repairs should you get caught out on a trail.
Following a guide or program can give you a comprehensive learning system and eliminate the frustration of endlessly surfing the internet sifting through all the rubbish to try to find out what you want to really make a difference.
So here’s a few mountain biking tips to get you started. You can practice these beginner skills at your local park, around your house or on a hill.
1. Learning to clip in and release your shoes from the pedals takes a bit of practice to start with so get a feel for the pedals first before you head out onto the trails.
2. Get into the right position while pedaling. Your arms should be slightly bent which helps to absorb bumps. To get your correct seat height, at the bottom of each pedal stroke, your leg should be 70-90% extended on the pedal. Relax your body and there should never be a position where you have your knees and elbows locked straight.
3. You can also practice just coasting along while you are standing on your pedals, without actually sitting on the seat. Keep your arms bent but don’t lock your knees. Experiment with shifting your body position towards the rear end of the bike.
4. Whilst riding around your house or the park, spend some time pedaling while standing on your bike. Try lifting yourself off the seat while standing on the pedals, then pedal them around. It’s good to try this in higher gears on level ground then another time in lower gears while on a hill.
5. Curb dropping is another skill to practice. Find a curb which you can easily get onto the upper portion of it. Practice at a moderate speed, standing and coasting right off the curb from the upper level to the lower level.
After you practice these basic skills, you will be able to tackle the tracks feeling more comfortable on your bike. But there are many more skills to master too so make sure you visit my website and find out if the”Mastering Mountain Bike Skills” guide is for you.
