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.