Mountain biking is a great way to get outside, get some exercise, and have a blast while doing so. While this sport definitely has a learning curve for new riders, this post will walk through 8 beginner mountain biking tips that will help the beginner mountain biker have fun and become a better rider from their very first ride.
Tip 1 – Bike setup
For new mountain bikers, riding a bike you are comfortable on and that is set up to fit your size and personal preference can make all the difference. Here are some things to keep in mind for your mountain bike setup.
Seat height
For less experienced riders it is best to keep the saddle of the mountain bike low. The reason for this is to be able to quickly put your foot down should you go off line or get off balance, which is much easier with a lower seat position.
Another reason to keep your seat height low as a beginner mountain biker is that it allows your center of gravity to stay low, which can help you to prevent the most catastrophic of falls, going over the handlebars (OTB).
Tire pressure
Tire pressure is a matter of personal preference for all riders, and the same goes for beginner mountain bikers. Running lower air pressure in your mountain bike tires helps your bike to ride more smoothly, especially over rocks, roots and rougher terrain. Another benefit of lower pressure is better traction.
The downside to running lower pressure is that you are more likely to get a flat tire from a pinch flat. Running tubeless tires allow you to run lower tire pressures without having to worry about pinch flats, but these are more complex to set up.
You can get away with running lower pressure on your front tire versus your rear tire, as the rear tire holds more of your weight.
If you ride very aggressively and have a lot of high impacts on your tires, you will want to ensure your tire pressure is high enough to protect your bike components such as your rims, and to avoid flat tires when possible.
Typically riders will run tire pressures in the range of 18 PSI to 24 PSI in the front, and 20 PSI to 27 PSI in the rear, but again, this all comes down to rider preference. Just remember, lower tire pressures will typically give you a smoother ride and more traction, but increase the risk of flat tires and damaged components if you are riding more technical terrain that can include sharp rocks and roots.
Pedals
Mountain biking with the right pedals for you can make all the difference. For beginners it is usually best to use flat pedals, as you can hop off your bike mid ride very easily if you find yourself in a sketchy situation.
Tip 2 – Look where you want to go
This sounds like a no brainer for someone who is mountain biking, but you would be surprised at the amount of newer riders that get too focused on the part of the trail they are directly on top of, and lose focus on what is to come up ahead. This slows riders down as they are not able to follow the best line on the trail when they are not looking and planning ahead.
Looking ahead to where you want to go, rather than focusing on where you are, is a key to keep in mind no matter what trails and terrain you encounter on your mountain bike rides. You can use your peripheral vision to keep track of the section of trail you are currently on, while keeping your eyes forward on what is to come. Whether you are riding through a sharp turn or berm on the trail, or even if you are encountering more technical trail obstacles like drops, rocks and roots, keeping your eyes forward at what is to come can greatly improve your bike handling skills.
Tip 3 – Distributing your weight properly
How you distribute your weight on your mountain bike can be an important factor in how well you ride.
As a rule of thumb, it is a good idea to keep your weight more over your rear wheel on descents, and more over your front wheel on climbs.
Another thing to keep in mind with your weight while mountain biking is maintaining a low center of gravity. Keeping your weight low will help to maintain momentum while riding over bumpy sections of trail, and will help to prevent those horrible over the bar crashes.
De-weighting the front wheel prior to hitting obstacles like rocks and roots can also be helpful to smooth out the ride.
Tip 4 – Getting the correct body position
This tip goes hand in hand with distributing your weight properly.
One of the best ways this can be explained is to try to keep your legs going straight up and down in relation to flat ground, not the slope of the trail you are on. This doesn’t mean keeping your legs stiff or totally straight, you should still have your knees bent and should stay as loose as you can.
By getting your weight over your rear wheel on descents, your legs will go from being in a position that is leaning forward down the hill, to more straight up and down.
Along the same lines, by moving your weight towards your front wheel on climbs, your legs will go from being in a position that would be leaning back down the hill, to more straight up and down in relation to flat ground.
Tip 5 – Shifting gears
Shifting your gears properly is a way to make your ride smoother and more efficient. The keys to good gear shifting are timing and execution.
Timing
If you are riding mountain bike trails that include steep climbs, you will want to make sure you shift early, before you are actually on the climb. This will help to keep your shifting smooth, as trying to shift gears while already climbing can cause the shift to be less predictable.
Execution
You want to shift gears while you are still able to make a pedal stroke without too much effort. If you try to shift gears while putting a lot of pressure on the pedals, the gear change will tend to be abrupt and jerky. Ideally you will shift when your pedal stroke is light and controlled. If you have shifted before a climb but still need an easier gear, you should try to reduce the amount of pressure on your pedals before doing so. Reducing pressure can be done by giving a few hard pedal strokes to gain some momentum in your pedaling just before shifting.
Tip 6 – Handling technical sections
As a beginner at mountain biking, you probably won’t be seeking out too many technical sections, but sometimes your local trails will make them unavoidable.
Technical sections of a mountain biking trail can include things like rock gardens, large rock rolls, roots and otherwise rough sections of trails. These can be some of the more fun and rewarding sections of trail to learn to ride.
One main key to handling technical parts of trails is to keep your body loose and maintain a relaxed athletic stance with level pedals on your bike. Keep in mind that modern mountain bikes are designed to handle this kind of terrain.
It is best to stand up out of the saddle while encountering rough, technical sections of trail. This will allow you to shift your weight and position your body properly, as discussed in tips 3 and 4. Technical trails and technical sections of trail are often downhill oriented, meaning you will want to keep your weight low, and the steeper the section you are on, the further back you want to shift your weight.
Remember to keep your body positioned in a way that keeps your legs straight up and down in relation to flat ground, while maintaining knee bend. You want your legs to be perpendicular to flat ground, not to the slope of the trail. When done properly, this will de-weight your front wheel on descents.
While the new mountain biker is not likely to spend too much time on technical terrain, it is good to have an idea of what it involves so you are prepared when you encounter something that might push your limits.
Tip 7 – Braking
Braking well with two wheels is an important and underrated aspect of mountain biking that can actually speed up your runs and allow you to be more efficient. Thankfully, most mountain bikes come equipped with disk brakes that perform better than a typical road bike.
When going downhill or at a high rate of speed, it is best to use your rear brake primarily, while using the front brake a little more sparingly as support for the rear brake. You need to be careful to not squeeze the front brake too hard when going fast or downhill, as it has the potential to throw you over the bars.
When going slower on sections that have sharp turns, you can use your front brake more often and with less caution as the risk of you going over the bars is much less in these situations. Using the brake on the front wheel can help you to be more precise on these types and sections of trails.
Tip 8 – Ride with better riders
Riding with someone who has more experience and is better at mountain biking than you is a great way to learn. Some of the benefits can include pushing yourself to ride faster to keep up, getting explanations on how to approach certain sections of trail, and getting to watch how the better riders handle technical features and sections. It is even a good way to try out new mountain bikes if your friends don’t mind sharing.
After watching a better rider hit a technical feature like a small drop or jump, you may wish to give it a try too, and you might even realize that a feature doesn’t seem as scary as you thought it did before seeing someone else do it. If you want to give a small feature a try, you can even follow a more experienced rider into the feature and this can help you to gauge the correct speed.
Riding with better riders a great way to push yourself to get better at mountain biking, and riding with others is always more fun than riding alone.
Conclusion
Hopefully if you are new to mountain biking you will find these tips helpful for when you get out on the trails. Getting better control and improving on your fundamentals can make you faster and smoother on your rides, and will allow you to have more confidence and more fun at the same time. One of the most rewarding aspects of mountain biking is always having another level you can push yourself to.