Mountain Biking Tips and Techniques
Have you taken up the sport of Mountain biking? There are a few Mountain Biking Tips and Techniques needed to master the sport, and these basic tips below will get you started on your path to Mountain Biking success.
Firstly you need to have the correct equipment. No point riding a road bike on mountain trails. Make sure you have a purpose built mountain bike which is heavier and sturdier than your average road bike. You will need to have a good helmet, gloves, padded pants for comfort, and a water bottle. These are the basics, and as you get more into the sport, you will probably add other things like a tool kit, riding shirt and glasses.
Although a bit daunting to start, once you have begun your journey it is so much fun. The basic skills needed in all cycling apply to mountain biking as well. You will need to know how to use your gears, how to brake correctly, how to ride standing and sitting, how to drop down from and climb up over obstacles, and how to ride through all different surfaces like gravel, sand, mud and creeks. The following are some basic Mountain Biking Tips and Techniques to get you started.
Gearing - mountain bikes have anywhere from 18 to 27 speeds. Basically, remember that the smaller gears are used for getting uphill and the larger gears are used on the flat or downhill. To get used to using your gears, practice on some easier tracks with hills and flats. Try to change gears before placing too much pressure on the cogs eg; when approaching a hill, change to a lower gear before you start the climb.
Braking - mastering your breaking technique is very important in mountain biking. By keeping 2 fingers on the brake levers, you are prepared for almost anything. The front brakes are the stronger brakes and if braking downhill, if you apply too much pressure you will end up going over the handlebars. If you apply too much pressure on the back brake, your bike will skid so try to use a combination of both front and back brakes in most situations.
Riding - in mountain biking, it is a good idea to know how to ride both sitting and standing. Most riding will be done sitting down but when going over rough terrain it is best to lift slightly off the seat to absorb the impact. Try going up hills sitting and using your gears as standing uses more energy and makes you tire more easily.
Techniques for getting over obstacles -approach the obstacle straight on, give one or two hard pedals for some power while lifting your front wheel up and over the obstacle. Keep pedalling and the momentum will guide your back wheel over. If dropping down from an obstacle, once again keep your front wheel straight, slowly pedal forward and gently apply the rear brake.
Riding on different surfaces -
- Loose gravel - keep your weight off the front wheel, stay in the highest gear possible and guide your bike rather than trying to steer
- Sand - here you want to try and just skim over the surface so don't go too slowly, keep your body loose and let your bike move about underneath you. Only attempt short sand patches, if it is a longer stretch you will probably just sink and lose control, so it's probably best to carry your bike over the sand
- Mud - take a straight line, stay seated to keep your weight over the rear wheel as this will help with traction, maintain a smooth pedal stroke and avoid making any sudden movements
- Creeks - keep a steady speed and avoid the bigger rocks
This is just a very basic set of techniques. If you would like to learn more Mountain Biking Tips and Techniques including maintenance and training programmes then I recommend "How To Master Mountain Biking"
Firstly you need to have the correct equipment. No point riding a road bike on mountain trails. Make sure you have a purpose built mountain bike which is heavier and sturdier than your average road bike. You will need to have a good helmet, gloves, padded pants for comfort, and a water bottle. These are the basics, and as you get more into the sport, you will probably add other things like a tool kit, riding shirt and glasses.
Although a bit daunting to start, once you have begun your journey it is so much fun. The basic skills needed in all cycling apply to mountain biking as well. You will need to know how to use your gears, how to brake correctly, how to ride standing and sitting, how to drop down from and climb up over obstacles, and how to ride through all different surfaces like gravel, sand, mud and creeks. The following are some basic Mountain Biking Tips and Techniques to get you started.
Gearing - mountain bikes have anywhere from 18 to 27 speeds. Basically, remember that the smaller gears are used for getting uphill and the larger gears are used on the flat or downhill. To get used to using your gears, practice on some easier tracks with hills and flats. Try to change gears before placing too much pressure on the cogs eg; when approaching a hill, change to a lower gear before you start the climb.
Braking - mastering your breaking technique is very important in mountain biking. By keeping 2 fingers on the brake levers, you are prepared for almost anything. The front brakes are the stronger brakes and if braking downhill, if you apply too much pressure you will end up going over the handlebars. If you apply too much pressure on the back brake, your bike will skid so try to use a combination of both front and back brakes in most situations.
Riding - in mountain biking, it is a good idea to know how to ride both sitting and standing. Most riding will be done sitting down but when going over rough terrain it is best to lift slightly off the seat to absorb the impact. Try going up hills sitting and using your gears as standing uses more energy and makes you tire more easily.
Techniques for getting over obstacles -approach the obstacle straight on, give one or two hard pedals for some power while lifting your front wheel up and over the obstacle. Keep pedalling and the momentum will guide your back wheel over. If dropping down from an obstacle, once again keep your front wheel straight, slowly pedal forward and gently apply the rear brake.
Riding on different surfaces -
- Loose gravel - keep your weight off the front wheel, stay in the highest gear possible and guide your bike rather than trying to steer
- Sand - here you want to try and just skim over the surface so don't go too slowly, keep your body loose and let your bike move about underneath you. Only attempt short sand patches, if it is a longer stretch you will probably just sink and lose control, so it's probably best to carry your bike over the sand
- Mud - take a straight line, stay seated to keep your weight over the rear wheel as this will help with traction, maintain a smooth pedal stroke and avoid making any sudden movements
- Creeks - keep a steady speed and avoid the bigger rocks
This is just a very basic set of techniques. If you would like to learn more Mountain Biking Tips and Techniques including maintenance and training programmes then I recommend "How To Master Mountain Biking"
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