Newb looking for how-tos and advice

TankerX · Feb 11, 2005

hey dude, the helmet u have will do just fine. As long as ya having fun, you'll be aight and who cares what helmet you'll be wearing as long as ya cranium is protected. A buddy of mine last year almost died b/c he wasn't wearing a helmet; he had brain surgery that cost $150,000.00 and weeks of headaches. Luckily his insurance paid and he's aight now.

GumbaFish · Feb 13, 2005

If you are at university I am sure there are a group of kids there who mountain bike. Try and hook up with them so maybe they can give you some pointers and tell you some good places to ride. You can read about this kind of stuff, but you won't really learn it untill you go out and try for yourself. So go out and have some fun hitting the trails, and remember don't be worried about trying to do things to the level of people who have been biking for a while. Just have fun with it and the rest will come later.

sanjuro · Feb 13, 2005

First step is getting out and riding, no matter what. Looking a fool is in your mind. You have a bike and a helmet and that is all that matters.

If you are worried about looking like a newbie, well there is no way around it but getting more experience by riding.

There are plenty of obstacles just riding around. Practice going off curbs and down small staircases (be sure to wear that helmet). Go up that big hill you have been avoiding.

Finally, most mountain bikers are friendly enough. I took a friend riding at China Camp for the first time, and he had a blast, even though he didn't eat breakfast, bring any food, and followed another rider on a Yeti DH bike down the hardest section on the backside. He didn't complain or whine and that is important too.

blue · Feb 13, 2005

www.utahmountainbiking.com

rpk1988 · Feb 13, 2005

Riding without a helmet is very dangerous. I always where my helment...even if i look funny. Just get a helmet with good colors. haha

motomike · Feb 13, 2005

Try not to look like a tree riding a bike.

You know, try to be relaxed and loose, and you'll look fine. :thumb:

ioscope · Feb 13, 2005

When going down hill, stand up.

Here's a mini-lesson:

On some trails you will encounter steep drop-off sections that require a special technique.

Practice riding off of a curb, and pulling up on the handlebars so that your wheels both land at once.

Now try to land back wheel first.

You should rarely land front wheel first on anything.

Now when you ride off of a root and the ground drops out, you know what to do.

I say this because xcers are always falling on the most ridiculously small dropoffs.

Kornphlake · Feb 14, 2005

www.go-ride.com has some excellent advice, although it's geared more toward advanced riders, it certainly applies to beginners as well.

As far as terminology, it's all a matter of opinion, in the end its all cycling. Generally riding on the road is 'road' riding. Riding on or around man made features that are not flat (stairs, planter boxes, drainage ditches, etc) is 'street' or 'urban'. Riding offroad on trails that are a blend of flat, uphill, and downhill is 'cross country' or if your bike has 5" of suspension it's called 'trail riding' for whatever reason, some say 'trail riding' means riding 30-50 miles offroad where 'cross country' (XC for short) is riding shorter distances but really riding as fast as you can, especially up hills. 'Downhill' is just what it sounds like, this can be either as a 'shuttle' where you park one vehicle at the bottom of a hill and drive a second vehicle to the top, or 'lift assisted' which is primarily at mountain resorts that allow bikers to use the ski lifts during the summer. Freeride is kind of ambiguous, it can be 'street' or 'urban', 'downhill' agressive 'trail riding' or a blend, generally freeriding involves riding over and off of large technical features such as a 10' cliff or jumping over a flight of stairs and landing on another. 'Dirt jumping' is exactly what it sounds like, riding on jumps made out of dirt.

Now that you know all that, just get out and ride and don't worry so much about what kind of riding you're doing, or if your riding the right bike for the type of riding your doing. As a beginner the most important thing you should be focusing on is your fitness level and getting comfortable on the bike.

MikeD · Feb 14, 2005

ioscope said:
When going down hill, stand up.

Here's a mini-lesson...

I say this because xcers are always falling on the most ridiculously small dropoffs.

Umm, we have a few things to cover before drops...not that it's bad advice. I teach people curb-dropping, too, at first...learning to control which wheel hits first is a really valuable skill.

There's a LOT to cover, probably more than we can really tell you. It's also hard for lots of us to convey technique, because so much of it is really feel. (The most frustrating part of both learning and teaching mountain biking...) Fortunately, we can cover some things pretty easily here, and there are also books you can read.

Go to a bookstore and find a mountain biking for dummies (actually, I think it's just "Cycling for Dummies," covering road and mtb) or some other basic book...I bought one that was published by Mountain Biking magazine, and was already outdated in 1999 in some respects, but gave a good basic foundation.

Also get a repair manual of some kind; I think the Dummies books give good maintenance instructions, but a more complete manual is nice, too. Try to get one that's modern enough to cover disc brakes and at least an idea of what's involved with a suspension fork, if not a dual-suspension bike.

So, first advice is:

1) Look where you want to go, not where you don't. Don't look at the cliff you don't want to fall off...look at the trail that keeps you from falling off the cliff. Don't look at the rock, look at the path around/over it. Look through the turn, not at the ground right in front of you.

2) Know how your gearing works and what's most efficient in a given situation. (more on this later)

3) Learn to stay loose on the bike, and don't sit down when you're on anything other than smooth surfaces. Ride crouched, knees bent, pedals level, elbows bent, ready to take up shock as needed. Control the bike, don't merely hang on. (Although when I teach people, sometimes I make them do something that they don't think they can do, but the bike will easily conquer while they just hang on--but that's just to illustrate a point!)

4) MOMENTUM IS YOUR FRIEND. Slow means you feel/get snagged by everything; adding a bit of speed can make it rougher and worse...but when you go really fast, things smooth out and obstacles become easier. It takes confidence and control, and is best learned under controlled conditions with little consequence (like a slightly rough section of familiar trail).

5) Spend time goofing around and learning to do wheelies and whatnot. Ride in the park, ride to the store, whatever...lots of suburban landscape can imitate trail obstacles.

6) DON'T get involved in 'mtb fashion' or neccessarily wanting to be a downhill rider or super crosscountry racer immediately. Try lots of different kinds of riding and see what suits you, and specialize gradually. Don't spend too much time trying to extensively modify. lighten, or trick out your bike, beyond altering your body position, tires (the most important and least expensive thing on your bike), and pedals/seat. It's a good day, though, when you finally sort out what are the bike's shortcomings/characteristics from your own riding style/shortcomings. Then you know you're progressing. It's normally cheaper and more successful in the end to get a specialized sort of bike than to try and force your all-round basic MTB into being something it's not.

Please, please don't be influenced by downhill/"drop" culture, especially online, which focuses on jumps/drops and their relative size as a test of man/womanhood and biking ability. That stuff is NOT important, and this is a downhiller telling you this. Biking is about fun, so have it, and don't worry about classifications or numbers or what people say online about how cool they are. If you like jumps/drops, definitely do them; if not, don't worry about it. If you hate them, but hate the fact that you hate them, learn to conquer your fears and work up gradually, or just accept the fact and don't worry about it...again...it's fun, not torture.

7) DO get someone who knows a lot about biking to assess your body position and bike setup. (in terms of ergonomics and adjustments, and certain basic components...but you're not looking to get advice on new stuff to buy, but how to make the bike fit and handle better with regard to position and certain adjustments.) A good trustworthy bike shop can be invaluable, but you can do it all alone...I did.

8) I also recommend clipless pedals (the kind that attach to your shoe like a ski binding) to new riders. Learn to ride on them; it will remove your propensity to put your feet down, improve your control, and be just as safe or safer than flat pedals once you're good at them. They also help you generate power when you'd otherwise be stuck at a standstill in technical stuff or boggy areas.

DON'T use straps or clips (the plastic shells that go around your toe; it's confusing terminology, since "clipless" pedals are what you "clip into" and real "toe clips" are just a kind of strap)...they're dangerous. Flat, spiky pedals are better if you don't want clipless. I recommend learning on these types of flat pedals once you're used to clipless...they'll help your bike control even more, because you won't be able to muscle the bike around with your feet.

9) Ride with other people. MTBers love to show newbies the way; get over embarassment at being a newb and just get with someone else or a group. One-on-one instructional rides rock, but group rides are a good place to test these skills without having to make a production about it. Ride with other newbs for support, and with faster riders to make silent observations. Shops have group rides for all skill levels.

10) Personally, I think knee/shin leg pads ("armor") are awesome for all riding styles and conditions. Elbow/forearms aren't a bad idea, either. Helps your confidence and encourages you to try harder. A helmet is a literal no-brainer, but the knee and leg stuff is really a good way to avoid abrasions and bruises that would be a physical and mental hinderance to further riding and learning. You can increase your learning if you're not as scared to be injured or scraped up, especially if you're trying something for a second time. Timidity can hurt on a bike...pads help you be more committed.

Edit: here's 11) Braking. You may have been taught to be scared of your front brake. Don't be. It's the brake that really matters, and it WON'T flip you over, even on steep stuff, IF you learn to position your body appropriately. (you'll soon learn that you're always moving your body on a mountain bike; DON'T stay static with your ass on the seat!!) Move your bodyweight back when you hit the front brake, especially on a downslope. The rear brake onlyprovides about 20% of your total braking power.

Squeeze brakes hard, but not so suddenly and hard that the wheel locks up. You need to find the point where braking slows the wheel without skidding. Skidding, either in front or rear, is bad for you (can't steer, can easily crash) and horrible for your trails. Practice braking hard without skidding on various surfaces...dirt parking lots are excellent. Don't drag your brakes, even on long downhills...apply them pretty hard, for smaller amounts of time.

You can use the rear brake to lock up the wheel and change direction with appropriate body English, but this isn't something you should do on normal trails...only groomed racecourses, and you're not going to be riding those yet, nor is it a good technique for beginners (and really, probably not the best for advanced riders to rely on...) (end edit.)

And that's all I have for now, but there's plenty more to say. I'll also paste in some advice I wrote to someone a week or so ago concerning hill climbing, which was daunting him...

--------

MikeD said:
Well, for hills, and I assume you're talking about the areobic/physical difficulty and not the bike-handling/tehcnical part:

(please don't feel offended if I'm telling you **** you already know...)

1. Have your seat set at a proper height. When your leg is on the downstroke, it should reach a still-bent-but-nearly-fully-extended position, with your toe perhaps slightly down. This will give you the most power and endurance climbing.

2. Know when to sit and when to stand. Sitting allows you to spin easier gears faster; standing lets you crank harder gears slower (using your body weight to help on the down-pedal). Sitting is more efficient overall; standing is useful for shorter, sprinting climbs, or for just briefly getting a different body position/using different muscles on those long, tiring grinds.

3. Know body positioning...keep weight on the front end, especially in small gears. If you crank on a small gear, the front end begins to lift (torque wheelie), so be prepared to counteract it. On a climb, this is even more pronounced.

Yet, if you don't weight the rear end enough, your wheel will spin on the ground (break free) and not propel you anywhere...you'll lose traction and do a slow topple-over if you're not careful. If you need to, on really steep climbs, slide forward on the saddle, putting the nose uncomfortably close to your bunghole, to keep traction through the frame on the rear wheel while letting you get your upper body over the front.

It's a finely balanced dance to keep the front end down and the back tire propelling you, especially on steep, loose surfaces with a hardtail. Suspension bikes track the ground better, even though they're not quite as efficient.

4. Know how to use your gears. Be familiar with the effects of front and rear changes. Be aware that there are redundant gear combos in all chainrings. Shift before you actually need to; otherwise, you transmission will have a hard time shifting under the strain of the pedaling. Use a gear that allows 70-80 RPM when you're seated; shift to a harder gear before you stand to climb. A cyclocomputer is helpful with this.

5. Have a mechanic or biking friend check your bike setup, with regard to bar height, stem extension, seatpost layback, etc. You might be having a hard time ascending because of a tall stem with riser bars and spacers on your steertube. Conversely, setting your bike up optimized for climbing compromises the downhill handling, so just get a comfortable and neutral position, and adjust it as you gain experience and knowledge.

Welcome to the biking family, and welcome to Ridemonkey. Enjoy the sport and the community and what can be a way of life...

MD

MikeD · Feb 14, 2005

Hey, mods (if anyone in the Beginner forum is listening...), maybe we should sticky this thread? Seems like this forum re-treads a lot of advice...people are relating great all-round riding tips for newbs in this thread, from genre definitions to riding techniques...

biggins · Feb 14, 2005

you should get some full finger length gloves in addition to your helmet not only will they protect your hands some in a fall but a nicely padded pair will decrease pain on your arm joints and hands by dampening the vibrations coming through the front end of your bike.

d-sop · Feb 14, 2005

buy a maintainance book specifically written for mountain bikes.

Pau11y · Feb 16, 2005

pixelpusher said:
All this advice!! You all are a fabulous, friendly bunch - 'preciate it!
My husband and I are going to be checking out the "mountain bike club" through the university tonight- they apparently do an "urban ride" every Tue around the school. I am seriously looking forward to this - from what ya'll are saying, I think we both prolly can learn alot from them.

I did end up picking up a pair of gloves, thanks for that. I just got the super-cheepie $15 FOX ones, with the meshy stuff on the back, if I feel the need someday to upgrade, I guess I will..

OH and -I think even *I* the newb herself have something to add for fellow newbs...
You may want to do some back muscle exercises - even if you think you are a pretty strong guy/girl. (I went riding around on Sunday and my upper back muscles are still a little sore, I guess they are learning that biking is not a butt-in-seat-and-hold-on sport, hehe)

Also, this phrase applies very well to learning any sport: Monkey see monkey do. Go ride w/ ppl who are willing to spend a bit of time with you on technique. Words will never do what action will as far as giving you a really good idea on what's to be done. Also, don't rush things as there's muscle memory involved which takes time. If you need to, go thru the motions off the bike, then try it on the bike. A lot of top athletes use this method which I think is called "visualization." I know I did this when I was competing in moguls (freestyle skiing), especially taking air in the middle of a field of bumps.
Above all advice you'll receive, having fun is key. If you don't catch on to something, let it go and do something else (ie. nose pivot around a hairpin turn - a pretty advanced move, especially when the hill you're on drops away from the trail). Just don't beat yourself up about it.

Stinky Boy · Feb 18, 2005

When I first started downhilling, I quickly learned who the best rider was then whenever I had the chance I did the best I could to get behind him going down the hill. I learned a ton.
Good luck!

BigStonz · Feb 24, 2005

And that rider would be?....Bruce or Lance?
Seriously, the tip above is the fastest way to improve. Choose a rider that is slightly more skillful than you and try to keep up. Once you can catch him/her, pick another rabbit. You will improve much faster than riding by yourself.

dogdude · Apr 3, 2005

to make a short answer.... well, short. yes your helmet is fine.

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