Mountain Biking Tips

| July 25th, 2010 | Posted in Mountain Biking Tips

Mountain Biking Tips

Learn how to improve your mountain biking skills and improve your riding dramatically by following the “How to Master Mountain Biking” guide

If you are a beginner, by practising some of the following skills, will get you started. Try these mountain biking tips at a local park, school, bike path, or simply around your house. If you can, try to find a location with a steep hill.

Get a feel for your pedals

Practice moving your foot away from the pedal, first while sitting on your bike with one foot on the ground. Next, move on to releasing and replacing your foot while pedaling around for a bit. Those with toe clip and clipless type foot pedals will want to spend a bit more time practicing.

Sit and spin for position

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

Coasting

You should spend a bit of time coasting while standing on your pedals, without actually sitting on the seat. Keep your arms bent but don’t lock your knees. Now, try experimenting with shifting your body towards the rear end of the bike.

Pedal 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.

Once you have got some basics you’ll want to master more mountain bike skills.

To learn how to:

Make hillclimbs easier
How to fly down hills safely
Be able to corner at speed
Glide over tree roots and obstacles
Gearing tricks
How to brake correctly
How to use gravity to thrust yourself around corners
How to master wheelies, bunny hops and jumps
The 4 Phase, Power-Pedaling Technique That Eliminates the Zero Torque Point
Learn How To Use Your Bodyweight and Gravity to Seize Control of Your Bike
What to look for when buying a bike
How to get fit and stay fit the easy way
How to maintain your bike and save money

and much more, check out “How to Master Mountain Biking” and see if it is right for you.

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Your Essential Bike Buying Guide

| December 29th, 2011 | Posted in Mountain Biking Tips

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Extreme Mountain Biking

| February 4th, 2011 | Posted in Mountain Biking Tips

Extreme Mountain Biking

Mountain biking is one of the many sports that does not cease to innovate and develop even further. It is a known fact that there are at least four known disciplines of mountain biking.

Each discipline is requires long hours of training to make sure that the riders are able to perform the stunts perfectly well. Likewise, each variation of mountain biking has its own rules that all mountain biking enthusiasts must follow.

MB is truly getting the nod of many sports lovers because it never fails to give the excitement and the anticipation that all the riders are looking for. Just the thought of jumping off from the cliff is enough to send shiver down the mountain bikers’ spines.

Riding on the edge and doing daredevil stunts are what makes mountain biking totally different from the rest of outdoor activities and sports, thus extreme MB is the name.

Difficult stunts and unpredictable course to follow are just some of the things that mountain bike riders have to hurdle in extreme MB. True enough, the skills required in extreme mountain biking will certainly take years for anyone to master.

That means that aside from the basic skill that all riders should get familiar with, they should also learn the difficult techniques required in extreme MB.

Since extreme MB is a difficult sport to master, getting the right training material is becoming a necessity. One of the ways to learn is to watch videos about MB executed by those riding on the extremes.

With the availability of modern technologies like the Internet, these videos are easily downloadable. There are many Internet sites that provide streaming videos for free. MB shops also merchandise extreme mountain biking videos on DVD format.

Another way of learning the stunts in an extreme mountain bike ride is to read magazines and books or better yet scour the Internet for good literature about the training of extreme mountain bike riders.

Perhaps the best way to master in to learn by doing. Yes, this principle in learning is one of the most tested and is tested to give the best result. In short riders should apply immediately what they have learned. This can only be possible if mountain bikers will join a group.

Yes, joining a group is the best way to learn even the most difficult stunts because they can get feedbacks right after they perform each stunt.

So if mountain biking is getting you to the extreme, it is a good sign that you are in an exciting ride of your life. All you have to do is to enjoy the ride and have some fun.

If you want to get more information please visit my blog at http://my-personal-dreams.blogspot.com

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Why The Mountain Biking Phenomenon Is Growing In Popularity

| January 25th, 2011 | Posted in Mountain Biking Tips

Why The Mountain Biking Phenomenon Is Growing In Popularity

Mountain biking has taken the cycling world by storm. It wasn’t all that long ago when the phrase “mountain bike” would’ve elicited blank stares. Now you see them everywhere. Mountain bikes are made to handle almost every terrain imaginable, and that’s why they’ve become so popular. Just like SUV’s, most people who use them don’t have a need for their full range of functions, but it’s good to no the capability is there “just in case”.

Mountain bikes are nice even for the urban rider because they eliminate the worries one might have when encountering potholes, gravel, and bad road conditions. Mountain bike riders utilize their bikes for a wide range of activities and competitions. A number of races and competitions have sprung up to make use of the mountain bike’s many capabilities.

One such extreme mountain bike competition is known as cross-country (or XC) races. Cross-country mountain bike races usually cover about 30 miles and cover a variety of terrains. These races feature a mass start with all the riders taking off at the same time much like a marathon.

If cross-country races are too short for you, there’s always endurance (or enduro) racing. These races cover in excess of 70 miles and climb to elevations of 8000 feet and more.

For the real maniacs out there, the only way to go is downhill racing. Downhill races typically have staggered starts to try to minimize crashing, but as you can imagine, crashes are a regular part of such events. The racers fly down the hill at breakneck speeds, the key being to have the fastest time down the slope. Many of these races are held on ski slopes during the warmer months. Such competitions demand that the riders have the utmost skill and experience as it can be an extremely dangerous endeavor. These races aren’t for novices.

A competition rapidly growing in popularity is dirt jumping. This will be familiar to BMX enthusiasts as it’s essentially the same sort of competition. Such events aren’t races, of course. They’re judged events wherein riders compete to accomplish the biggest, most amazing jumps involving spinning the bike in the air, doing flips, and even completely letting go of the bike and getting back on before it lands.

Another form of extreme mountain bike competition is bike trials. These events involve navigating unbelievable difficult terrain without touching your feet to the ground. Bike trials require riders to balance their mountain bikes on rails, boulders, posts, tree stumps, and any number of seemingly impossible obstacles. The goal is to finish the course quickly and without having to put your feet down.

If any of these extreme mountain biking competitions appeal to you, start practicing and getting into shape. These events are for skilled and experienced riders only. They’re physically demanding and fairly dangerous. They are not for novices. Remember to wear a helmet and pads when attempting crazy stunts on your bike, and take care of yourself if you’re going to attempt extremely arduous long-distance rides.

Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Beach, Florida. Find more about this as well as cycling training at http://www.cyclinggearplus.com

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Girls Mountain Biking

| January 20th, 2011 | Posted in Mountain Biking Tips

Girls Mountain Biking

Mountain biking is one sport that is for both sexes. This is one thing that can truly unite one of the world’s Great Divides.

MB is a sport for all ages for both men and women and for boys and girls too. Gone are the day when mountain biking was dominated by boys and men because more than ever women and girls are also conquering the world of MB in the same fashion that the sport has conquered the world by storm.

True enough there are now more girls who are making a big name in MB. If there are women mountain biking there is also the equally famous girls mountain biking.

When girls learn to ride the mountain bikes and mastered the necessary skills like most of the boys do, they were just simply unstoppable. In fact there are now more girls MB teams that are formed at school level.

One of the prominent girls mountain biking teams is the one from Harbor High in Santa Cruz, California. A lone girl who actually made the team successfully running for a year now heading for their second year courageously spearheaded the team.

With this maiden success, the team has provided an impetus for more girls MB teams to follow suit. Soon enough the sport will truly not just exclusively for the so- called stronger sex, because the girls may just as well the a new age group to reckon with as more and more girls are getting interested to learn and master the sport of mountain biking.

Today there are now more mountain biking clinic programs intended for girls. These cool girls mountain biking clinic programs are geared toward the acquisition of new skills both basic and advance. These will help enhance their bike maneuver dexterity.

Some of the activities include riding mountain bikes over logs, racing down a hill especially the steep ones, techniques that are deemed necessary for cross-country racing, high-endurance and short course racing, and the fundamentals of repair and maintenance of mountain bikes.

Other lessons also include advocacy for mountain biking, protection and preservation of the trail and the environment, upgrading the next level of mountain biking, and looking sponsorship.

The clinics will help their boost their confidence in an individual action-packed sport like MB. Hence girls are treated in the same way boy are taught, which truly make the sport fit for both sexes.

For this reason, girls are no longer confined to reading books or playing with dolls because they too can now take a more physically demanding sport. With mountain biking everyone is truly treated equally. Right girls?

If you want to get more information please visit my blog at http://how-i-lost-my-weight.blogspot.com

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Top Safety Tips For Mountain Biking Holidays

| January 15th, 2011 | Posted in Mountain Biking Tips

Top Safety Tips For Mountain Biking Holidays

Going mountain biking is one of my favourite ways of keeping fit and keeping my weekends busy. In particular mountain biking down hills and nature parks is my favourite pastime. When riding down trails in wooded areas, one must always be cautious of their own safety and become accustomed to wearing the right gear for when doing the trails. As much as they may seem exciting and wild to be involved with, it makes sense to be prepared to protect yourself.

Mountain biking holidays are simply breaks away and trying out their trails. Some places can be as exotic as Andalucia, Spain or South Africa. These offer great views, good trails and plenty of bikes to hire (unless you decide to take your own). People do not generally need a lot of experience to take part in these kinds of holidays; however, it helps to have some off-road biking experience and some trail riding experience.

Without knowing how to ride down hills and bumpy surfaces, you may find it difficult when going abroad to mountain bike. These can very often be fun if you have full control of your own bike, but would prove to be a difficult adventure for those who are under confident in their riding skills. Mountain biking holidays are aimed at providing people a unique experience as a holiday break, but also allowing them to see the joys of mountain biking in a different climate.

For those going for the first time and have a little bit of experience with riding bikes on rocky hills, they will need to take heed of a few safety tips before embarking on this adventure. The first most important piece of safety equipment to take is a good helmet, which should fit perfectly round your head. The ones to look out for are the ones that sit just above your eyebrows, are snug round your head (so they do not slip forward or backward) and have an adjustable strap. They should also be strong enough to protect your head and are not too heavy on your head.

You may find that some mountain biking holidays will offer safety equipment for hire; however, it is advisable to take your own, as this way you can use one without worrying about how it will fit.

Make sure you buy gloves (fully fitted or cut off), to protect them from any knocks or scratches. It is highly recommended that you also buy arm and shin guards, so if you were to fall you can protect your arms from any nasty cuts and bruises. People with mountain biking experience on hills will have experienced falling and may have sustained some injuries. With this experience comes the knowledge of how best to avoid injuries by falling the ‘right’ way e.g. rolling onto the front of your arms protecting the face. This way you will just roll on the ground rather than land onto something that may break.

The next thing you must make sure is whether you are physically fit enough to take on such an active holiday. There is no point in taking part in mountain biking holidays in Italy, created for expert riders unless you are not afraid of putting yourself at risk. It is also not recommended to try out steep mountain trails if you have a very bad sense of balance. The best thing to do is to pick out the holidays, which are tailored towards beginners or intermediate levels. This way you will enjoy easier trails and have a guide to help you on your way.

You should also consider the kind of bike you are going to take. This has to be a strong bike, which is maintained well and does not have a loose chain to hinder your riding skills. Depending on the type of biking you are into, a good mountain bike usually has good front suspension, good quality trail tyres, wide handlebars, good gear shifters and a lightweight frame. This makes for an easier and smooth ride. Personally, back suspension just does not cut it for me, but could be good for people trying out jumps and stunts.

Finally, when trailing on your bike, remember to enjoy yourself. This is a good experience and makes for one of the best active holidays around.

Anna Stenning is an expert on mountain biking holidays, having been on many active holidays as part of her healthy living.

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Tips on Buying a Full Suspension Mountain Bike

| December 31st, 2010 | Posted in Mountain Biking Tips

Tips on Buying a Full Suspension Mountain Bike

Every year bicycle manufacturers make better, lighter and cheaper mountain bikes which make them more attractive to consumers. Do you want to buy a full suspension mountain bike? If you do below is a list of items that you might want to considered before buying a new mountain bike.

One of the most important questions to ask yourself is what type of terrain will you be riding on? If you are going to be riding cross country maybe a full suspension mountain bike is not warranted and a hardtail will better suit your needs. However if you are going to be riding downhill or on rough terrain a full suspension bike might be right up your alley.

Determine your budget and stick to it. Consider buying the best bike you can afford within your budget. Many riders suggest that if you have less then 0 to spend on a bike you might want to consider a hardtail because full suspension bikes are more costly. However you could consider buying a used full suspension bike at a good price on a mountain bike classifieds site.

If you determine that a full suspension mountain bike is what you need and want then consider the different frame designs. Single-pivot, sweet-spot and horst-link are a few popular designs and each has their advantages and disadvantages. The best way to truly understand the difference is to go to a few bike stores and test ride the different designs. The bike store guy will be more then happy to explain and point out the pros and cons of each design.

Remember that full suspension bikes are heavier then hardtail bikes. Full suspension frames are a little heavier and they carry more parts then hardtails so be prepared to pedal around a little more weight on the trail.

Read some of the online forums to determine what other riders like and don’t like about their bikes. You can learn a lot from other rider’s opinions.

Do not forget to factor in your maintenance costs into the equation. Full suspension bikes require a little more maintenance and for the do it yourself type you will need a few extra tools.

Finally, test ride as many bikes as you can before buying. Also do not forget to test ride a full suspension mountain bike with the front and or rear shock locked out.

See you on the trail

Experience with full suspension and hardtail mountain bikes, bike parts and organizing race events for mountain biking.

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Mountain Biking Forums: Global Gathering Places

| December 16th, 2010 | Posted in Mountain Biking Tips

Mountain Biking Forums: Global Gathering Places

One of the underlying factors accounting for the rapidly growing popularity of mountain biking is, undoubtedly, the wide availability of mountain biking forums.

Mountain biking forums allow mountain bikers, of all ages and level of experience from all over the globe, to gather and share their enthusiasm for their sport. Every biker with Internet access has a huge community of fellow biking lovers waiting to share tips and stories of biking adventures available with a couple of mouse clicks.

Thanks to the Internet, the world is smaller than ever, and those who have shared interests can communicate regardless of their geographical locations. Mountain biking forums have sprung up as cyberspace meeting places where mountain bikers can discuss whatever they like, but what they usually want to discuss is their sport. Mountain biking forums are the best places to find information everything from the latest riding techniques to information on local mountain biking events.

What Mountain Biking Forums Offer

Mountain biking forums allow people who may never meet personally to share advice, secrets to competing successfully, and photographs of themselves and their favorite mountain biking terrain. After a short time communicating in forums, many mountain bikers feel as if they were lifelong friends with people whom they are never likely to encounter face-to-face.

Mountain biking forums offer biking novices the ideal way to get advice on how to improve their biking skills as quickly as they can, and the best equipment and biking trails for their skill levels. The forums are also great bulletin boards for those wishing to find, or post, the latest news or information about mountain biking events in their areas.

Most mountain biking forums allow their members to enter into discussions on various topics, just as they would if they were having conversations in person. You don’t have to spend much time viewing any of these forums to get an idea of the sense of community they create among bikers.

There are currently more than one hundred online mountain biking forums which you can visit, and while they are occasionally invaded by those who do not like bikers or biking, most of those posting in them are truly enthusiastic about the sport. Most of the time you will be greeted warmly, and invited to share your mountain biking experiences.

Having the Internet mountain biking forums available to the mountain biking community the world over has given the sport an enormous boost, and it’s all because of the bikers being able to share their passion!

A mountain biker must have the ability to cope with whatever emergencies arise on the trail, by knowing how to repair the various parts of a bike and to make sure that he or she will have the necessary tools along to do it.

Mountain biking ahs been categorized into several classifications, depending on the terrain, obstacles, and skills involved. The categories include trail or street riding, dirt jumping, freeriding, cross country, and downhill.

You can also find more info on All About Mountain Biking and Freeride Mountain Biking.
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Are You Ready to Mountain Bike

| December 11th, 2010 | Posted in Mountain Biking Tips

Are You Ready to Mountain Bike

If you have been bicycling for years and want to take the sport to the next level, you should try mountain biking. Mountain biking is considered an extreme sport because of the skills required, and the challenge presented. Where are a normal bike ride through town may include some run-ins with dogs, mountain biking includes careening over unknown terrain which may be dangerous and is most definitely unknown. You will encounter rocky, mountainous roads, loose silt, streams or other small bodies of water and steep inclines that will require your full attention and skills.

It is important to learn and practice these skills before you are faced with the challenges on the road. Make sure that you are wearing appropriate safety gear and find a safe place to practice. You can practice anywhere that has an open lot such as a shopping mall (while it’s closed), a park, or a school. If you can find a place with a hill, that will be even better. The following are some skills that you should practice before heading out on a mountain trail.

Start by just riding your bike. Get used to the feel of it and determine what position is most comfortable for your body. You will want to remain relaxed at all times and never lock your arms or legs. While you are mountain biking, you may have to temporarily take your feet off the pedals to stabilize yourself on rocky terrain. In order to become comfortable with this, practice removing your feet from the pedals and then returning them. The more comfortable with this you are now, the easier it will be when you are on the trail.

Mountain bikes contain gears like those of a car. The higher gears will be used when less energy is required to move the bike. The lower gears will be utilized when trekking up mountains. You must learn how to shift between these gears in order to climb the trails. You can also use curbs (make sure the street is empty) to simulate sudden drops in the trail. Increase the speed with which you approach the curb as you gain better control of your bike.

As a mountain biker, you will spend a great deal of your time standing. Some of this time will be spent pedaling and the rest will be spent standing without moving your feet. Practice both of these so you are more comfortable once you get onto the trail. Remember to stay relaxed and not tighten your body. This will make riding much easier and more enjoyable. Spend a good amount of time practicing these skills, they will ensure that your mountain biking experience is a good one. You should also begin working up to the physical stamina and strength necessary to mountain bike. You will be biking for longer periods of time and engaging more muscles then regular biking so you may have to build up to it. Biking a few hours each day should do the trick in just a few short weeks time.

Mike Dire is an avid cyclist and sports enthusiast. He is also a partner in an online bike rack store.

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Have You Got the Mindset to Take on a Mountain Bike Epic?

| December 6th, 2010 | Posted in Mountain Biking Tips

Have You Got the Mindset to Take on a Mountain Bike Epic?

Sure, a day of singletrack mountain biking at the weekend will sharpen your bike skills . . .But view it more as a means to an end.

What if your ride gave you the chance to take on Mother Nature head-on, in her own back yard!

“Epic is more than just a route or a race, it is a growing experience. It isn’t just about pedalling for a few minutes, seconds or beating a competitor. . .

It’s about the journey and all that it entails, learning about yourself, making friends, being helped, and of course, helping others along the way”

There’s an Epic route or Race on every Continent, some well known and some yet to be discovered.

From prepared singletrack to outback routes. From the 7 Staines in Scotland to Nepal’s high altitude routes, with the Alps and Rockies thrown in for good measure. The jury is still out on Urals and of course the Sleeping Dragon – China.

With interest for these multi-stage Epics growing, more quality now appear on the calender. The Canadian BC Bike Race is a relative new comer, promising to challenge the established hard-core classics, the TransAlps and the Trans Rockies Challenges, the Cape Epic, and the Mother of all Epics, La Ruta de los Conquistadores.

However, majestic scenery, fantastic mountain biking, and successful teamwork comes at a price. Mountain bike skills, personal physical and mental toughness and teamwork need to be sharpened beyond that of your average weekend warrior.

Training, guts and determination are a must if you stand any hope of staying the course.

Sure, a day of singletrack at the weekend will sharpen your bike skills . . . but have you got what it takes to take on an Epic?

Nick Mutter is the driving force and creator of epic-mountain-bike.com Biking Routes and Races that will raise your game and “Tackle Mother Nature head-on!” For the Info the Race Pros don’t want you to know about get the free E-zine now at: ==> http://www.epic-mountain-bike.com/embe-zine.html

Nick Mutter is the driving force and creator of epic-mountain-bike.com Biking Routes and Races that will raise your game and “Tackle Mother Nature head-on!” For the Info the Race Pros don’t want you to know about get the free E-zine now at: ==> http://www.epic-mountain-bike.com/embe-zine.html

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Mountain Bike Skills – How to Ride off Camber Roots

| December 1st, 2010 | Posted in Mountain Biking Tips

Mountain Bike Skills – How to Ride off Camber Roots

Off camber roots can look pretty formidable. But the ability to get over a rooty section with a bit of speed can open up a whole new dimension to the choice of lines available to you, or simply make you faster through a tricky bit.

The trick is to be confident and the following guide will take you through how to hit roots and clear them safely. A confident rider will succeed time and time again – the key is not to hesitate because that is when you can take a flyer.

THE RIGHT APPROACH

Your first task is to get your approach line right. Too tight and the second you hit the roots you’ll be fighting for grip. With an off-camber, a great trick is to try to start low and finish high. So, try to find a grippy part of the trail before the roots to turn against, pushing you upwards though the section and over the roots. If you come in too high, the likelihood is that you’ll spend the next few seconds sliding down the roots.

LOOK, LOOK, LOOK AGAIN

Once you’re on the right line, lookup. The further you can look through the section the better. It can sometimes help to look slightly higher than you know you’ll end up.

Remember, you go where you look. Watch some of your mates – the ones who panic and look to where they don’t want to be, will be the ones who end up there.

SPEED IS YOUR FRIEND

You should now be able to quickly scan the section and make a decision on how fast to hit it. If you need to drop some speed, do it before you hit the roots. Any braking on the camber will lose the limited grip you might have had. Some times speed can be your friend. The slower you go the longer you’ll be hanging around on the roots. Experience will help you judge your speed in the future, but to begin with, just remember not to brake too hard.

RELAX (LIKE FRANKIE SAID)

Once you’re on the roots, keep the bike straight and your body relaxed. Let the bike move freely underneath you, like you are hovering over it. If you’re too tense in your arms and legs, you’ll force the bike to slide. Try to imagine your torso as a stable platform that doesn’t move. Instead, your elbows and knees should take all the shocks and keep the bike smoothly on terra firma. Keep your elbows out to maximise how much movement you can get without moving your shoulders.

SLIDE ON THROUGH

By now you’ll be pretty much at the end of the section. If the surface is wet or the speeds low, a little rear wheel slip might still happen. Don’t panic. Any tension will only increase the likelihood of a crash. Once your front wheel is on the other side, you’re home and dry. Stay relaxed and let the rear wheel do its thing. It’s sure to find grip soon enough and catch up with the rest of you.

TOP TIP

The steeper the camber, the more weight you should shift to your downhill leg.

World of Dirt is the place to come if you want riding tips, how to articles, product reviews and training advice. Want to improve your riding and mountain bike knowledge? Of cause you do! For handy tips, advice and ideas sign up to our FREE NEWSLETTER at http://www.bdccycles.com/wod

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Mountain Bike Skills – How to Ride Steep Mountain Switchbacks

| November 26th, 2010 | Posted in Mountain Biking Tips

Mountain Bike Skills – How to Ride Steep Mountain Switchbacks

Steep switchbacks are an increasingly common occurrence on our trails.

Dictated by the steep terrain they’re built on, switchbacks often seem pretty intimidating obstacles, with narrow exits and precipitous drops on one side. Although it’s not usually too difficult to negotiate them slowly, carrying speed and staying in balance is often a real challenge. A lack of rider confidence is often the biggest mistake. So, these five steps will show you a few simple tips to use next time you’re tackling one head-on.

THE APPROACH

This is the part you really want to get right. Keep your head up and have a look at the trail ahead. In our sequence, you can see the right hand turn looks quite far away. But by spotting it from a few metres back, you should be able to get yourself over to the outside of the trail, ready for the corner. This is the opposite side to what you might think! Most of your braking should be done now.

GETTING HIGH

Now that you are on the outside, you can start your switchback. To get up the bank easily, think of it as an off camber section. It’s always easier to go up rather than along an off-camber, and by starting on the outside of the trail, you’re in the perfect place to look left and head straight up. If the bank is steep, drop your outside (downhill) foot to get more pressure on the edge of the lyres.

LEAD FROM THE FRONT

Your front wheel will lead the way. A great tip at this point is to allow your front wheel to go higher or wider than the back. On steep switchbacks, your back wheel may not even leave the main line, but as long as the front is wide you’ll be able to get around even the tightest of bends. Speed can also dictate this part. If you’re coming in really slow, there won’t be enough speed to get your whole bike onto the high line. So just let the front go for it and relax.

GETTING GRIPPY

Once your front wheel is sufficiently wide, look down into the corner, let go of the brakes and start transferring your weight on to the other leg. In this case, the weight goes from the right leg to the left. As the bike starts to accelerate off the bank, put more weight onto your outside pedal (don’t brake!) to keep the grip coming. You’ll probably find that the steeper and tighter the corner is, the further down your outside foot is.

LOOK TO THE FINISH

With the boost in speed you’ll have, keep looking to the exit. The exit is the point where things often go wrong. Don’t worry about the drop off the edge of the trail. Instead, focus your attention on where you want to end up. Just by looking where you want to go, and not over the edge, you’ll probably find that your confidence to stay off the brakes and keep all that speed you just made wi1l grow.

TOP TIP

Practice steep switchbacks with firmer suspension up front to build your confidence.

World of Dirt is the place to come if you want riding tips, how to

articles, product reviews and training advice. Want to improve your riding and mountain bike knowledge? Of cause you do! For handy tips, advice and ideas sign up to our FREE NEWSLETTER at http://www.bdccycles.com/wod

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Mountain Bike Skills For Beginners

| November 21st, 2010 | Posted in Mountain Biking Tips

Mountain Bike Skills For Beginners

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

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

Get a feel for shifting gears with your bike. The higher gears are harder to pedal and will go faster while the lower gears are easier to pedal and will help you ascend hills. As you get to steeper hills, its best to shift before you get to the hill rather than while your on it.

Try finding a curb where you can easily get to 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. Try this at different speeds until it becomes second nature.

Once you practice these techniques and 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.

Amanda is very passionate of sharing and writing articles that help others. She is also very loved watching TV Shows and Movies. While on spare time, she loves to read many books and she loves cooking very much.

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