21 Simple Tips for Mountain Bikes Beginners

Mountain biking is an awesome recreational activity for the young and the old. Mountain biking is both challenging and relaxing. This is what makes it the perfect sporting activity for people who want to stay active all year round. There is no feeling that can be compared to riding a mountain bike in the great outdoors for miles on end. A mountain bike and a specified route is all you need to embark on your mountain biking adventure. Mountain biking veterans have over the years experienced various biking experiences that they would want to share with mountain biking beginners. Here are 21 simple tips for mountain beginners from all over the world.

#1 Mountain Biking Was Not Invented In a Single Day
Just like Rome was not built in a single day, mountain biking did not become a sport within a short duration of time. It took years of mountain biking expeditions and experiences to come up with this comprehensive sport that is recognized and appreciated all over the world. A beginner rider has to undergo a lot of trials and hurdles before they can be deemed worthy of the title of a true mountain biker.

#2 Don’t Worry So Much About The Gears
Bikes come with gears and they can be quite helpful at times but when it comes to adventurous mountain biking, gears do not really make a lot of difference. The main objective is to enjoy a wide range of mountain biking adventures without making use of gears unless its truly necessary.

#3 Body Posture and Position
Your body posture while cycling on your mountain bike is really important maintaining a straight and correct posture at all times is crucial to you maneuvering both easy and rough terrains.

#4 Always Keep Your Pedals Level
Beginner mountain bikers have the tendency of keeping one leg down when pedaling. This is not recommended as you use as more energy to recover from a previous position than from a neutral position.

#5 Stay Off The Paddle If You Are Not Pedaling
It is very crucial that you stay off the paddle whenever you are pedaling. This allows you to stay in an active position as you enjoy all the ups and downs of the terrain.

#6 Eat and Drink When You Can
Mountain Biking is a demanding sport that requires you to be in the best shape possible. This is why you should always rejuvenate yourself and replenish your energy reserves any chance you can.

#7 Carry Bike Spares
As mentioned above, mountain biking is a tough and demanding sporting activity. This means that you should always be ready for anything including accidents and maintenance checks. You should always have a pump and patch kit with you whenever you go mountain biking.

#8 Learn A Few Bike Fixing and Troubleshooting Techniques
If you are planning on going on long mountain bikes, you should have proper knowledge on how to fix simple problems that may arise wit your bike. This means that you have to be self reliant and proactive at all times.

#9 Love Your Bike
This may be the single most important advice for beginner mountain bikers out there today. You need to know your bike of choice, get familiar with it and love it with all your heart. This is the only way you will enjoy all your mountain biking adventures.

#10 Always Push Yourself Further Each Ride
Every time you go out riding, you must aim at pushing yourself harder and trying something new. If you did something the last time you went riding then you should build on it and also try something new to improve your biking skills.

#11 Don’t Be Afraid To Fall
Biking is an adventure and any adventure out there today has to have its share of failures and downfalls. The secret to embrace your shortcomings and learn from your mistakes.

#12 Stay Calm and Relaxed On Your Bike
Mountain biking is all about having fun. This is why it is important for beginner mountain bikers to stay relaxed and calm as they maneuver through the various terrains and landscapes that they come across.

#13 Always Stay Positive
Mountain biking is a sport that requires a lot of enthusiasm, optimizing and positivism. There is no room for negative thoughts or pessimistic ambitions.

#14 Never Take It Too Seriously
Biking is supposed to be fun and enjoyable. It is a really cool way to escape the struggles of day to day life so never take it too seriously.

#15 Adopt Your Own Biking Personality
Mountain bikers are diverse in their own nature. They are unique in that they handle terrains and weather conditions in different ways and this is what makes the sport enjoyable.

#16 It Is Not A Bad Idea To Stay Fit
Mountain biking is not for the lighthearted. Even though some people may take it up as a means of losing weight, true mountain biking requires that the individuals participating be fit and strong enough to engage in the activity. You should also be well shaved on the day you ride. This Wahl Micro Groomsman Personal Pen Trimmer & Detailer for Hygienic Grooming with Rinseable, Interchangeable Heads for Eyebrows, Neckline, Nose, Ears, & Other Detailing – Model 5640-600 is what I use and is great!

#17 Gravity Is Your Friend
This is a very obvious point. You do not need to pedal as you go downhill. It is as simple as that.

#18 Learn From The Experts
Beginners can learn a lot from professional mountain bikers if they take invest the right amount of time and effort. Professional bikers always have a lot to share with beginners in the mountain biking sport.

#19 Wear Sunglasses If You Can
Biking involves a lot of movements that can interrupt or endanger the normal functioning of your eyes. This is why it is very important to wear sunglasses especially if you are touring through terrain that has a lot of trees, bushes or harsh winds.

#20 Go At Your Own Pace
At first, it may seem that competition is stiff especially in group mountain biking expeditions but all you have to do is to stick to your strategy and go at your own pace.

#21 Do Not Overuse Your Breaks
The key thing when it comes to casual riding is to keep your fingers on the handles and not on the break handles. Most beginners will keep their fingers on the breaks and will this tend to break more often than necessary.