Mountain Biking Safety Tips

As with any sport, safety is a main concern when you go mountain biking. One of the most important safety tips is to wear a helmet.

The second most important step is to always ride in control of your mountain bike. By riding in control you will not only prevent crashes, but you will also keep others on the trail safe. When you ride out of control, you lose the ability to adjust to the terrain as you ride over it. This can — and usually does — result in serious injury to yourself and others.

Follow these helpful guidelines and you’ll remain safe when riding your mountain bike.

• Gear
  As already mentioned, alway wear a helmet, as well as other necessary safety gear for the conditions that you plan to ride in.

• Never ride beyond your control
  There is never any shame in walking the areas of the trail that you don’t feel comfortable riding — and you should never let anyone else tell you that there is.

• Keep your speed under control
  Always make sure you keep your speed at a level where you can quickly adjust to any obstacles or change in the trail.

• Know your trail
  Never push the limits on trails that you aren’t familiar with. Take trails you aren’t familiar with at slow speeds until you learn them better.

• Slow down around blind corners
  If you can’t see past a corner, always slow down. You never know who or what might be on the trail on the other side.

• Start small, then go big
  Work your way up to stunts or obstacles. Practice in less difficult or dangerous situations before you move up to something more dangerous.

• Play it smart
  If you start to question what you’re doing, you probably shouldn’t be doing it. Go with your instincts.

Buying a Mountain Bike

Buying a mountain bike can be time consuming — even frustrating — if you don’t know what you’re looking for. Listed below are some tips and things to be aware of before you lay down your cash on a mountain bike.

• Determine your price
  There is really no limit on how much money you can spend on a new mountain bike. That’s why it’s important to figure out what your price range is and how much your willing to pay for a new bike before you go shopping. Avoid buying your mountain bike from mass merchant stores, such as Wal-Mart. Instead, support your local bike shop. You’ll get a much better bike and much better service, not to mention good advice.

• Find your style
  All mountain bikes are designed with several different riding styles and terrain types in mind. You’ll need to figure out what type of riding you will be doing the most. Will you be doing smooth riding, cross country racing, mountain cruising, or lift-accessed downhill? This is an important step in making your selection. The bike you select needs to fit your personal style and not that of the sale’s staff.

• Full suspension or hard tail
  If you can afford it, a full suspension mountain bike is always worth the purchase. A hard tail, without rear suspension, is much lighter weight and pedals more efficiently, but full suspensions offer more comfort and overall better control. You’ll want to make your decision based on your price range, riding style, and the type of terrain you’ll be riding on the most.

• Find your favorite
  Comparing mountain bikes component to component is nearly impossible, as there are far too many combinations available. The best way to go about doing this is finding a few components that are the most important to you and making sure the rest or the minimums fall within your price range. You can start with the fork then look at the wheels and rear derailleur.

• Sales and seasons
  During the year, prices of mountain bikes can fluctuate quite a bit. Spring through summer is the main buying season. If you can wait, you will probably get a better price in the fall or winter — and may even save as much as a couple hundred dollars. Many bike shops will also offer discounts or other accessories if you buy from them. 

• Find a good dealer
  Finding a good bike dealer is more important than finding the best price.  Make sure the dealer is interested in selling you a great bike that’s suited for you — not just a high-priced one. Also, a good dealer will have a clean repair shop.  If you get the impression you can really trust the dealer, you probably can.

• Test ride
  Test ride as many bikes as you can within your price range and riding style. You’ll find that some bikes will feel right, while others won’t. The more bikes you can test drive, you better you’ll understand what works for you and what doesn’t.

• Do the research
  Product reviews and bike reviews are some of the best ways to find out about a mountain bike’s reliability and overall performance. Always look at what other owners have to say about a bike before you make that final purchase.

Mountain Biking for Beginners

Mountain biking is an exciting sport that can be enjoyed by anyone who knows how to ride a bike. However, it is not the same as your average bike ride. There can be danger involved, so you should master a few basic skills before you hit the trails or dirt.

There are several places where you can practice these beginning skills — a local park, school, bike path, or simply around your house. Better yet, if you can find a location with a steep hill, you’ll be one step ahead of the game.

1. 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.

2. Sit and spin for position

Simply sit on your bike and pedal around. You should keep your arms slightly bent. 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.

3. 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 go up hills.  As you get to steeper hills, its best to shift before you get to the hill rather than while you’re on it.

4. Coasting

Spend a bit of time coasting while standing up on your pedals. Keep your arms bent but don’t lock your knees. Try experimenting with shifting your body towards the rear end of the bike.

5. Pedal while standing

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. Do this in higher gears on flat ground, then again in lower gears while on a hill.

6. 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.