Mountain Bike Beginner Tips

June 7, 2016

Moun­tain bik­ing is a great sport for begin­ners — pri­mar­i­ly because oth­er moun­tain bik­ers are hap­py to share their pas­sion with any­one they can! Tell a moun­tain bik­er that you would like to get into the sport and they will most like­ly find a bike and hel­met for you with­in the day. Whether you are look­ing to go bik­ing for the very first time or you are an advanced rid­er, you will need to make cer­tain prepa­ra­tions before you hit the trail.

Here are some tips to help you tackle the trail:

1. Get In shape

Don’t get dis­cour­aged if you’re huff­ing and puff­ing on your first ride. We have all been there. Moun­tain bik­ing is a chal­lenge and it requires strength and endurance. Focus on short­er rides to begin and slow­ly increase your time out on the trail to build sta­mi­na and strength. Take time to prac­tice and improve your skills off the trail as well. Hik­ing, swim­ming, run­ning and work­ing out reg­u­lar­ly will make those steep climbs eas­i­er once you’re back on the bike.  Focus on your over­all fit­ness, be patient and  and keep spinning!

2. pick a trail

Pick a trail that’s right for your skill lev­el. There is noth­ing worse than hav­ing to walk your bike, more than you ride it! Talk to your local bike shop for rec­om­men­da­tions and tell them your skill lev­el. As a first time moun­tain bik­er, try to pick a trail with good sig­nage and find a friend to bike with — it may result in an adven­tur­ous sto­ry, but it’s nev­er a great feel­ing get­ting lost on a trail!

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3. map is a must

Car­ry a map! Singletracks.com and Trailforks.com are a great resource for first time moun­tain bik­ers. Down­load the apps to your phone and then hit the trails.

4. gear up

Don’t get dis­cour­aged if your first ride results in a few bumps and bruis­es, the best moun­tain bik­ers usu­al­ly come off the trail a lit­tle banged up. Be smart and invest in the prop­er gear to pro­tect your­self. Padded shorts, knee and elbow pads, gloves and weath­er appro­pri­ate clothes will keep you hap­py out on the trail. Throw some gra­nola bars and a water bot­tle in a small pack, there is noth­ing scari­er than meet­ing a hun­gry moun­tain bik­ers out on the trail!

5. Be prepared

Car­ry extra sup­plies. An extra tube, mul­ti-tool, allen keys and a small first aid kit can go a long way in the woods. If you’re bik­ing alone, remem­ber to tell a friend or fam­i­ly mem­ber where you’re going and what time you expect to be home.

6. enjoy the ride

Last­ly, enjoy the ride! Learn­ing to moun­tain bike is chal­leng­ing and reward­ing. Flow­ing through beau­ti­ful sin­gle­track in a green for­est is good for the soul. Take it all in and don’t for­get to breathe.

About the Author: Amber Clark is a blog­ger who loves trav­el­ing to far off places when­ev­er her pock­et and time allow. She loves to vis­it places that are full of adven­ture, nat­ur­al beau­ty and his­to­ry. Amber finds inspi­ra­tion along the west coast of the Unit­ed States, Cal­i­for­nia through San Fran­cis­co Pri­vate Tours.