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.

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