Mountain biking is becoming an increasingly popular sport, filled with action and adrenaline-pumping excitement. However, it is a dangerous activity, and you should have at least a cursory background knowledge of the topic before you launch headfirst down a mountain.
First things first: before you can bike, you need a bike. If you're serious about getting into mountain biking, a mid-range bike will be best. The materials and parts are of high quality, and the whole thing is lighter than a low-range bicycle. They usually come with 24 speeds, which enable you to adjust your pedaling to the landscape. If you're already an experienced rider and are looking for something a bit more advanced, mountain racing bikes are the way to go. These high-end machines feature special materials that make your bike hard, tough, and lightweight. Mongoose, Cannondale, Rocky Mountain, and Schwinn are good, trustworthy brands. Prices range between $150 to even $4000, depending on what kind of bike you're after.
Bikes come in different sizes and are built for different types of terrain, so before you buy, make sure that you've got both those things nailed down.
Unlike other forms of biking, mountain biking is very physically taxing, and you can't expect to jump on your bike and ride all day without experiencing some pains the next day. Getting fit and staying fit are key to enjoying mountain biking. Start out biking on the street, going up and down hills, or try rock climbing. Keep in mind while training that cycling uses your entire body, not just your legs.
Another big part of riding is keeping the correct form. It will be a lot harder to climb a hill if you're slouched in your seat. Some tips for the right posture while riding: keep your weight distributed evenly over both wheels. Make sure your elbows are never locked; you want to keep them bent to absorb shock. Keep your head up, rather than watching the terrain pass below your wheels. When you grip your handlebars, use a loose grip, but not lazy—just enough to feel as though you have control. Back and neck straight, eyes forward, and be alert.
Exercise caution when turning corners. This is one of the most dangerous parts of mountain biking, where a lot of people lose control and fall. While going around wide corners or low-speed turns, keep your eyes peeled for slippery patches and a loose grip on your handlebars so you can brake when you need to. On sharp or high-speed turns, try to slow down before you take the corner, and still try to take as wide a turn as possible. Keep your outside leg extended for balance and to prevent skidding. While going through the corner, don't pull on your brakes: this will make you lose control. Lean into the corner instead, scary as it may seem.
While climbing hills, you need to keep up your momentum so you don't start to slide backwards down the mountain. Some people find it helpful to stand up in their seat, but while this makes it to pedal, it does use a lot of energy and different muscles than regular pedaling.
When on the trail, you'll encounter different obstacles such as roots, rocks, mud, and water. There are different ways to approach each of these and more, but one this is sure: decide before you overcome an obstacle if you want to do so; you can't double back and have a redo.
The best way to overcome roots and logs is to compress your body and pull up on the handlebars so the top wheel lifts up—and don't look down! When you feel your front wheel land and the back hit the log, lean forward and keep going. Make sure your knees and elbow are bent, as always, so you can best absorb shock. While going over rocks keep your bottom off the seat and relax. You want your bike to go over the rocks as smoothly as possible and for your to keep your private parts as un-bruised as possible.
When you spot mud, sit back in your saddle so you won't go over the handlebars and do a front wheel lift right before you enter the mud. Keep pedaling once you're in—you're bound to get stuck if you don't keep up the momentum. Lunge over your handlebars to get to dry land as soon as possible. The technique of getting through water is much the same: Shift into a lower gear so you can pedal faster and keep moving forward!
In addition to the basics t, there is what is called extreme mountain biking as well. This involves a lot of fast downhill racing, dirt jumping (also known as BMX), and cross country mountain biking. These different flavors of mountain biking are more complicated and require a good deal of confidence and patience to master.
These forms of biking are real adrenaline-pumpers, and have an increased element of danger. It is suggested that you do not attempt this version of the sport until you're very well-acquainted with normal mountain biking.