Beginner Mountain Bike Skills
Mountain biking is an exciting sport that can be
enjoyed by anyone who knows how to ride a bike.
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.
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.
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.
Shifting gears
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.
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.
Dropping down a curb
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.
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Mountain Bike Skills You Need Before You Attempt Mountain Biking
Anyone who knows how to ride a bicycle can enjoy mountain biking. There are some dangers to mountain biking, when it is compared to the standard bike ride. It is for this reason that mastering the following beginner mountain bike skills is a necessity prior to taking off for your mountain bike excursion.
These skills can all be practiced by heading to any school, local park, around your house, or on a bike path. The key to the right location is if it has a steep hill for you to practice on.
The pedals are an important part of a mountain bike. You can practice getting a feel for the pedals by doing the following:
Sit on your bike
Place one foot on the ground
Release and Replace your foot while pedaling around
Note: If you have clipless foot pedals or toe clips, you will want to practice this quite a bit.
Sit and Spin for position with the following:
Adjust the seat height so that the leg is a minimum of 70% extended at the bottom of each pedal cycle
Bend arms slightly
Keep the body as relaxed as possible; a position should never occur that requires you to lock your elbows or knees.
Sit on the Mountain bike and pedal
Practice shifting gears with the following:
Make sure you know the differences in gears on your bike
Try a high gear-It is hard to pedal, but rides at a faster speed
Try a low gear-Easier to pedal, particularly useful while on hills
Try shifting prior to reaching the hill-This is important because it is easy to overcome a shift before the hill than it is while on the hill.
Practice coasting with the following:
Practice this while standing on the pedals, not sitting on the bike seat
Do not lock your knees
Keep arms slightly bent
Attempt coasting while shifting the body towards the rear of the mountain bike
Practice pedaling while standing with the following:
This is important in mountain biking
Try pedaling standing up in two different ways, once you have become comfortable with standing on the pedals.
First, pedal while standing in a high gear on flatter grounds.
Then, pedal while standing in a low gear on hills.
Practice dropping down a curb with the following:
Locate a curb in the area; it should be easily accessible in regards to the upper portion
Using a moderate speed, practice coasting and standing off the curb to the lower level from the upper level.
Continue this at different speeds until you are comfortable with it and it is like second nature
The above practicing techniques are important because they will give you the feel of the mountain bike trail, without having to be on one while you are training.
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