Riding tips for riders that are just starting out and that have been riding for years.
For many riders that are new to the sport or just new to a different area…you are going to try to find a way to get involved and meet other riders. Local events and races are the perfect way to get involved and meet people in the community.
The idea behind sessioning is that we are not perfect riders…none of us are. How can we expect to ride every trail perfectly the first time? We can’t…so most times, we mess up and move on. Sessioning is the art of trying it again.
Rock gardens provide an incredible rush and a challenge during a ride. There is something about blasting over a section of trail that you never thought you would be able to ride. The feel of the suspension soaking up every bump as you wonder if that next rock is going to throw you OTB or off your line is exhilarating.
Everyone has their local trail that they have grown to love and know like the back of their hand. Here in lies the major flaw with becoming a better rider on your local trails…YOU KNOW IT LIKE THE BACK OF YOUR HAND! This is great when you are looking for a quick ride or one where you don’t have to think.
Congratulations on choosing mountain biking from a wide variety of summer sports! It is among the fastest-paced, fun-filled, and rewarding of athletic challenges. You might be so excited about digging those new treads into dirt that reading up on a lot of guidelines doesn’t seem important.
Are you getting the new bike “I wants?” Everyone gets these from time to time and some of us get it more than others! It is a natural occurrence with cyclists as new products come to the market with the promise of being the next great design that will make you that great rider you have always wanted to be.
As mountain bikers, we often pride ourselves as being ‘green’ outdoors-folks; individuals who would rather spend a day outside sweating and grunting up a mountain, than sitting inside and watching the PGA Tour. We tend to be more of the trash-recycling, organic Whole-Foods eating, micro-brew drinking, free-trade coffee sipping and earth-loving crowd.
Lucky you. After years of agonizing bachelordom you finally found a great girl. She understands your need to control the universe of the remote. She doesn’t nag you about the toilet seat. She’s a gourmet cook. Maybe she even enjoys SportsCenter. She’s athletic and beautiful and sexy and she loves you.
I have been mountain biking for almost 13 years and seriously for the last 5 years. I began leading a beginners mountain bike group from work, and knowing that I was them a few years back which really put things in perspective for me. I wouldn’t even attempt a creek crossing, and if I did, my heart would be in my throat just waiting on my front wheel to buckle.
When I began riding, I knew that some days were better rides than others. There were some days that I felt good and the ride just flowed. There were other days that my stomach killed me. I had trouble catching my breath and thinking about hydrating just made me want to hurl.