What Mountain Biking Skills Should You Master Before Riding on Trails?

If you know how to ride a bike, then you can join in on the exciting experience of mountain biking. Mountain biking is a little riskier than regular bike riding. Before you hit the trails, you should have some basic mountain bike riding skills mastered.

You can practice your basic skills anywhere. Some suggestions would be at a nearby park, a bike path, a nearby school, or around your own neighborhood. Mainly, what you are looking for, in a good practice location, is somewhere which has a steep hill.

Practice your footwork on the pedals

Once you find an ideal location, you are going to want to focus on your footwork. You are going to practice moving your foot off the pedal. Initially, you're going to want to do this while sitting on the bike and have the other foot placed on the ground. After you get a good feel for this, pedal around and practice taking your foot off the pedal, then putting it back on again. This skill may take you longer to master if your bike is equipped with a toe clip, or clipless type foot pedals.

Make sure you are properly aligned

Next, you are going to want to make sure that you are in the best possible position on your mountain bike, for maximum performance. Ride around on your mountain bike and take note of your positioning. Your arms should be slightly bent. The seat height needs to be properly adjusted if it isn't. You know the seat is at the right height when you have 70-90 percent extension of your leg at the end of every push of the pedal. You should always keep your body relaxed. Never lock your knees or elbows. If you find that you have to lock your knees or elbows, you need to adjust your position or seat height.

Gear shifting

The next mountain bike skill you need to master is shifting gears. The higher the gear, the harder it will be to push the pedals, but higher gears allow for better acceleration. The lower the gear, the easier it is to pedal. The lower gears will assist you when you have to climb a hill. When you are approaching a steep hill, it is better to shift into a lower gear before you get to the hill, instead of waiting until you are on the hill.

Learning to coast

You will also want to learn how to coast on your mountain bike. You can master this skill by standing on up on your pedals, with your butt off the seat. Remember to keep your arms bent, and to not lock your knees. Once you're comfortable doing this, you want to practice shifting your weight toward the rear end of the mountain bike

Learning to pedal while standing

Pedaling, while standing up, is an essential mountain biking skill. First, lift yourself up off the seat. Next, stand up on the pedals. Last, you're going to just crank them around full revolutions. The best way to practice this skill is to use higher gears on flat ground and lower gears while on a hill.

Using curbs

When mountain biking, you will constantly be going from one level of terrain to the next. The best way to learn how to make a smooth transition, from the different heights, is to use a curb. While going a reasonable speed; stand up and coast from the upper level of the curb to the lower level. Once you are comfortable doing this, keep repeating it at different speeds. You want to keep practicing until it becomes an automatic, effortless, motion.

After you practice all these skills, you'll be able to hit the mountain bike trails more expertly. You'll be more confident in your riding and less likely to injure yourself. These skills may take a bit of time to perfect. However, once you perfect them, they will become second nature to you. Remember, whether just practicing, or on the trails, you should always wear a bike helmet.