Have you grown passionate about riding a mountain bike for beginners but don’t know where to start? Don’t sweat it; we will provide a detailed account of how to ride a mountain bike for beginners. If you are a beginner, you must know how mountain biking is distinct from regular road biking. Road bikes are not compatible with mountains as the mountainous path is bumpy, rough, and inclined. Mountain biking might be tricky because you aren’t riding on a steady path. You will face stones and rocks, grass and mud, twigs, trees, streams, and whatnot.
How to Ride a Mountain Bike Like a Pro
If you want to be good at it, you will have to invest time. Before getting into the game, you need to know your mountain bike. The design of a mountain bike is technically distinct from the road bike. They are made for riding on mountains; hence they have different features than a road bike. Mountain bikes come with wide tires that have a lot of ridges that allow for great traction. They provide substantial traction to prevent slipping from the surface. Moreover, these tires are soft, have more volume, and have less tire pressure. Let’s see how to ride a mountain bike for beginners in the following account.
Maintain Your Bike
The first thing you will remember is the maintenance of your bike. Remember, you will experience many jolts and jumps, which might loosen a lot of screws. Every time you go on a mountain ride, give your bike a thorough check. Tighten the loose screws and check the tires for punctures. You don’t want to end up falling during the ride and having a bad experience overall. In addition to that, you should also adjust the bike according to your comfort so you may have a comfortable ride all along.
Let Your Bike do the Job
Remember, the list of hurdles that come in your path while you are mountain biking isn’t a short one. The mountain path is extremely bumpy and uneven. So you have to make sure you rise above the seat so that you don’t hurt yourself in any way. In addition to that, let your bike take the full command to move along the path as it should. Keep your body loose so that your bike can move freely along the rough and bumpy track. On a descending path, you need to drop your heels and move backward on the saddle. Remember, you have to give your body to the disposal of your bike so that it can descend freely.
Maintain Body Position
You will need to shift your position from neutral to ready positions all along your mountain ride. When you are riding on less technical terrain, you should keep your body in a neutral position. A neutral position makes it easy for you to move on less technical paths and makes you ready for harder paths. This position includes leveled pedals, slightly bent knees, and elbows. Moreover, your back needs to bend slightly, your fingers on the break, and your eyes straight on the path.
Now, when you hit the technical terrain, shift from neutral to a ready position. The ready position will improve your aerodynamics and allow you to move along tough paths with convenience and efficiency. Ready position includes deeply bent knees with pedals leveled and equally weighted. Your elbows also need to be bent deeper. Moreover, you should move back further on the seat and bend your back to the point that it becomes parallel to the ground. This position increases aerodynamics for better movement and increased speed. In addition to that, your index finger should be on the breaks and two fingers on the brim breaks at all times. Lastly, you need to be focused and keep your eyes on the trail at all times.
Seat Position
Your seat position plays a vital role in your comfortable and efficient mountain ride. If you are a beginner, you need to properly learn to adjust the seat position according to the terrain. For climbing, you should raise your seat so that you can pedal with efficiency. Adjust your seat in such a way that your knee should be bent slightly when the pedal goes down. As for descending, your seat should drop down about 2 or 3 inches from the position you have adjusted for the climbing. This position will give you more control and cause the bike to go free due to the shift of gravity. Lastly, you may also adjust the seating position as you feel comfortable.
How and When to Apply Break
Mountain riding requires uniform and controlled braking due to the harsh path. The braking shouldn’t be harsh and abrupt, so you need to put light pressure on the brakes. You also need to change your position while applying brakes. For that matter, what you need to do is move your body backward and bend your knees and elbow a little. Dropping your heels will allow for more controlled braking.
Make you maintain momentum throughout the ride for a comfortable and steady ride. Maintaining your momentum will also give you full control over the bike during the ride. You need to apply the brake before the turn; if you keep momentum, it will take you along the turn even after applying the brakes. Controlled momentum will also help you apply brakes on a highly bumpy trail, as it will smoothly carry you along the trail.
Gear Shifting
As you know, gears provide a steady and comfortable ride regardless of the terrain type. Changing your gear will not only provide a comfortable ride but will also protect certain parts of your bike from abrasion. For instance, changing gear will protect your tires and chain. If you are a beginner, you need to learn to change gears more frequently. Also, you should shift the appropriate gear just before going on different terrain.
Related Guides: Working of Mountain Bikes | Building your Own Mountain Bike | Biking Uphill
FAQs
Is it hard to ride a mountain bike?
Mountain bikes are harder to ride than road bikes because they are meant to be ridden on technical terrains. You have to be very well calculated about your body position and controlling the bike. Although they are hard to ride, the plus point is once you get to learn them perfectly, you can ride them on multiple terrains.
What skills do you need for mountain biking?
There are few skills that you need to learn and perfect for your mountain biking adventure. Make sure you learn all the body positions that will help you ride with efficiency when you are climbing and ascending. Moreover, you need to practice applying proper braking. Lastly, you also need to learn climbing, ascending, and cornering for good mountain biking.
How do I prepare for mountain biking?
Mountain biking requires great muscle strength and energy. Before going on a mountain biking adventure, make sure you have good muscle strength so that you don’t end up getting muscle fatigue at the end. Make sure you have great endurance so that you may remain active throughout.
What are the good mountain bikes for beginners?
Multiple brands manufacture remarkable bikes for beginners. Some of the best mountain bikes for beginners are as follows. Max4out Mountain Bike 21 Speed, Diamondback Bicycles Overdrive 27.5 Hardtail Mountain Bike, and SAVADECK DECK300 Carbon Fiber Mountain Bike.
Bottom Line
In a nutshell, it takes time to perfect your mountain biking skills. Once you have, you can unravel the unlimited joys and thrills of mountain biking. For that matter, you have to have full command of correct body positioning. Moreover, maintaining a steady and proper momentum is the key to have an efficient mountain biking. Proper braking also plays its crucial role and helps you carry out a good mountain ride. We hope this article helped you get some idea about the basic skills you need to learn to ride a mountain bike for beginners.
