Mountain Bike » Dirt

Beginner Mountain Bike Skills

Admin — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 18:19:42 +0000

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.

Mountain Biking is a Sport to Some

Admin — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 18:23:59 +0000

Regular bikes compared to mountain bikes may have a smoother ride and are slower and heavier but are great for riding on the street. You can find information about mountain biking online or in magazines; they are geared toward beginners or professionals. Mountain biking is not really thought of as exercising but it is a great way to burn many calories.

If your interested are off-road you will need bike that can handle the terrain so you will need some big treads and a good suspension to handle the bumps and holes so get a good mountain bike, if you are just riding for fun then a regular bike will do. There are so many different styles of mountain bikes so when you are looking to purchase one make sure it fits the terrain you will be taking it on and make sure it fits your riding style. If you are going to be rough on your bike and plan on going through gravel, dirt and jumping off hills you definitely need a mountain bike.

The chassis on a mountain bike is sometimes referred to as the skeleton, this is a term that refers to the fork, frame and suspension and is looked at as one unit. Mountain bikes are equipped with knobby tires, large number of gears and handle bars that are wider; they also include shocks and a much stronger suspension. You can choose from many different suspensions on your bike, make sure the suspension you choose is going to fit the type of cycling you intend for it. These used to be the most common kind of mountain bike but they are rapidly being replaced by the more comfortable models which feature some sort of suspension system. They have had front suspension on bikes for a while now; the rear suspensions have just come into the market place, it took longer because of all of the design complexities.

Of course, there are many other things to consider when purchasing a mountain bike, but for the beginner, it’s best to just narrow it down to how much you want to spend and what kind of suspension you’re going to want.

If you want to ride your mountain bikes look for trails that are suited for mountain bikes. If you don’t have any trails or jumps, you can build them.

When you first try the toe clip style of pedal you might want to spend some time getting use to it, it will take some practice. Getting a feel for your pedals while first sitting on your bike, keep one foot on the ground and practice moving your foot away from the pedal.

If you have clip less foot pedals or toe clips, you will want to practice this quite a bit. Turn your bike upside down, move the pedals and shift gears. The pedals can also use a regular application of lubricant.

The purchase of your helmet should be at least as important as buying your bike. About 90 percent of the people riding can reduce head trauma just by wearing a helmet. Cost shouldn’t be a factor as a good helmet can be acquired for around $25-$45.

By: David Marc Fishman

Mountain Biking Is Very Popular

Admin — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 17:52:00 +0000