Beginner Mountain Bike Skills

 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.

Maryjane Angelo

Cross Country Mountain Biking

  
Cross country mountain biking is cross country at
its finest.  Where free riders and downhill bikers
use four wheel bikes and ski lifts to get them to
their destination, cross country bikers get to 
the top of the mountain by the ride.  Though free
riding is very popular, the life vein of the sport
has always been cross country biking.

Just as cross country riders are a different breed,
the bikes they ride are as well.  The cross country
bike is completely different in many ways from other
types of mountain riding bikes.  The premise for 
cross country riders is speed.  Everything about
their bikes revolve with the idea of making the
bikes faster and faster.

Bikes used in cross country mountain biking can
be fully rigid frame, hardtails, or even full
suspension frames.  Through the years, the cross
over to full suspension has become very popular.

The weight difference between free ride bikes and
cross country bikes are considerable.  You'll be
extremely hard pressed to find a bike that weighs 
more than 24 pounds, and even that weight can be
heavy.  Free ride bkes weigh close to 40 pounds,
which makes the difference in weight pretty close.

If you've never tried cross country mountain biking,
you'll probably find it to be a break from the
ordinary.  Even though this type of biking involves
trails, it's normally the type of terrain that 
beginners wouldn't want to ride.  Involving hills
and rough terrain, cross country biking offers 
quite the rush.

For mountain bikers everywhere, cross country is
the way to go.  It offers you a new assortment of
bikes, new areas to bike, and a new twist to 
mountain biking as you know it.  If you've been
looking for a mountain biking rush, cross country 
mountain biking is what you need to be experiencing.

Maryjane Angelo

9 Types Of Mountain Biking

Mountain Biking

As a sport or a hobby, mountain biking can be split

into 9 different categories.  These categories are

very versed in what they offer.  They are:

1. BMX

BMX is a style where the bikes offer 20 inch wheels.

These bikes are commonly used at skate parks or

with dirt jumps.  Because of their smaller wheels

and shorter wheel bases, BMX bikes are much easier

to perform tricks and stunts with.

2. Cross country

This type of mountain biking involves riding your

bike up and down hills.  Although it's the least

extreme form of mountain biking, most cross country

riders are very fit and go on long rides. 

3. Cyclo cross

This is a cross between road and mountain biking.

These riders have to go over obstacles, cross through

rivers, and race on and off the course.

4. Dirt jumping

Dirt jumping involves jumping the bike over large

man made dirt jumps then doing tricks while they

are in the air.These jumps are normally close

together so riders can go over six or more jumps

in one run, gaining a flow to give them more 

speed for bigger jumps.

5. Downhill

Downhill mountain biking involves racing downhill

as fast as possible.This type of riding is very

intense and extreme, offering riders the chance 

for ultimate thrills and excitement.

6. Freeride

Free riding involves finding the perfect line down

the mountain using all of the terrain to express

yourself.These competitions are very popular, 

as riders can express themselves any way they see fit.

7. Single speed

No to be confused with fixed gears, this is a form

of cross country biking that's done using a bike

with only one gear and fewer components.The idea with single speed is simplicity.

The straight chain line will provide efficient pedaling, and the lack of components mean less

mechanical problems and a lighter bike.

8. Street and urban

This type of riding involves riding in urban areas,

ledges, and other types of man made obstacles.  

Riders of street and urban biking will do tricks

as well, such as stalls and grinds.

9. Trails 

Trials are considered an aspect of mountain biking, 

although the bikes used look nothing like mountain bikes. 

They use 20 or 26 inch wheels and sport 

small, low frames.  Trail riders will hop and 

jump their bikes over obstacles, which requires

an extreme amount of balance and concentration.

Maryjane Angelo