So You Want To Learn About Mountain Biking

Here are your "Beginner Mountain Bike Skills"

If you know how to ride a bike then you too can enjoy this exciting sport known as "Mountain biking".

Compared to the average bike ride, it does present some danger. Therefore, you should master these basic skills before you hit the trails or the dirt.

Try to find a location with a steep hill if you can. You should practice these beginning skills at a local park, school, bike path, or simply around your house.

Start practicing by moving your foot away from the pedal. First while sitting on your bike with one foot on the ground. Then move on to releasing and replacing your foot while pedaling around for a while. If your bike is equipped with toe clips and clipless type foot pedals will want to spend a little more time practicing this skill. Get a feel for your pedals so you wont have to think about them or even look at them.

Find your correct and comfortable sitting position. Simply sit on your bike and pedal around. You should adjust your seat height so your leg is 70 to 90 percent extended at the bottom of every stroke on the pedal. Also you should keep your arms slightly bent. Keep your body relaxed, as there will never be a position where you should have either your knees or your elbows locked.

Peddle around and practice shifting gears. Get a feel for shifting gears on your bike while peddling. The higher gears are harder to pedal and you will go faster while the lower gears are easier to pedal and will help you ascend hills. Its best to shift to the lower gears before you get to the steeper hills, rather than when your already on it.

You should also practice the art of coasting without actually sitting on the seat but while standing on your pedals. Keep your arms bent and don't lock your knees. Now, try experimenting with shifting your body towards the rear end of the bike to see how the bike feels.

Practice pedaling while standing. You should get as comfortable as you can with pedaling while standing on your bike. Try lifting yourself off the seat while standing on the pedals, then crank them around. You should try this in higher gears on flat ground then again in lower gears while on a hill.

Next find yourself a curb. Try finding a curb where you can easily get to the upper portion of it. Practice, first at a moderate speed, standing and coasting right off the curb from the upper level to the lower level. Then try this at different speeds until it becomes second nature.

With a little practice on the above techniques you will get the hang of them. You'll be able to hit the trails feeling comfortable on your mountain bike. Even though it may take some getting used to, it'll become second nature before you know it. You will ride better, safer, and with more confidence.

You will find that the sport of mountain biking is and can be a lot of fun. The bike you choose will depend on your style. If you are still looking for the best style for you, all you have to do is try out several bikes and see which one suites you the best.

If you want to do cross country riding then almost any mountain bike will allow you to do this. Mountain bikes designed for “Cross Country” are light weight, making them easy to ride over most terrains, even up and down hills. This is the most common mountain bike and it can be used with ease, for riding on a path or even commuting.

Now if you want to do "Trail" riding then you will probably want to 'build' your own bike as generally these bikes are very light and very strong which you can't get from an "off the shelf" bike. Your local bike shop can help you with doing this. This type of ridding requires riders to have a lot of skill and balance. Trail mountain biking is classified as the precision riding of the sport.

Now if "Downhill or Racing" is your thing then you will definitely want to "build your own" bike. Downhill ridding / racing is for the serious mountain biker who craves the ultimate adventure. Downhill bikes have front and rear suspension, strong parts, and disc brakes. Rarely are these types of bikes available off the shelf, most riders like to custom build their own.

What ever you do:

JUST GET OUT THERE - GO RIDDING