Looks like I was a little too eager…got any tips for a struggling beginner ??
Here’s my first post in this sub. Enjoy if you want to embark on this adventure with me for a second time. 😭🤣
I’m a literal noob. I picked up mountain biking a little bit a couple years ago but didn’t stick with it. Got back into it this summer, have been working out like crazy and getting in shape, upping my endurance and just getting used to being on a bike again via normal riding through my area. I went to a MTB trail area near me and did a beginner .3 mile loop a few times, and thought, okay.. I can do this. Then I set in on a 6 mile Phase 1 trail from hell. Wrong. Choice. 😃
The narrow turns, massive roots, drops, features. Omg. I was screwed the second my feet hit the pedals to enter the trail. I fell 3 times and truly I’m so lucky, as it could have been so much worse. Halfway through I took an evac route and got to the trailhead, blood all down my leg, covered in mud and my face red as could be. I asked a kind man for some napkins if he had any so I could attempt to clean myself up. We chatted for a bit and he informed me of a 1.8 mile beginner trail across the way (FML, how did I not know that), said to do that for a while to build up my skills to then take on Phase 1. I felt so defeated and I have no idea how you all avoid death because it felt like at any minute my reflexes (albeit, not very strong to begin with) could fail me or I’d hit a rock wrong and I’d go head first into a tree at 15 mph or fly over the handlebars into orbit. How do you guys do this?!?! I’d love some insight and beginner tips or anyone who can even just
relate. It may have been rough and made me think I’ll never go back to a trail again, but at least I burned 945 cals. 😉
by fight_thealchemy
48 Comments
Practice practice practice. Consistency is key. If there are group rides in your area it’s a great way to learn from fellow riders. Have fun!
Dont fall off
Seems like quite the story! I kind of just started easy and working my way up. Albeit I’ve been thrown over the handlebars enough to know when it’s going to happen. Eventually it’ll be second nature to do drops and things similar. I also found it helped to watch videos of other people going down hills just to see how they navigate other types of trails. Then I kind of just send it and hope I don’t die.
there’s some previous post with good general advice and resources that cover the topic similar to or same to your post, highly recommend you read through them.
[post 1](https://www.reddit.com/r/MTB/comments/1h3jckr/advice_you_wish_you_were_told_as_a_beginner/)
[post 2](https://www.reddit.com/r/MTB/comments/u0wljs/mtb_tips_for_beginners/)
[general search result of “beginner skill” in r/mtb](https://www.google.com/search?q=beginer+skill+r%2Fmtb+site%3Awww.reddit.com&client=firefox-b-1-m&sca_esv=0c2e3acf227f4533&biw=158&bih=312&sxsrf=AE3TifPVj9xbbuKf6LW2mefYEtA8rvxSjA%3A1753569412214&ei=hFiFaL7rDIyf5NoP4Jb34AQ&oq=beginer+skill+r%2Fmtb+site%3Awww.reddit.com&gs_lp=EhNtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1zZXJwIidiZWdpbmVyIHNraWxsIHIvbXRiIHNpdGU6d3d3LnJlZGRpdC5jb21Ilg1Q7wtY7wtwAHgAkAEAmAGcAaABrgKqAQMwLjK4AQPIAQD4AQGYAgCgAgCYAwDiAwUSATEgQIgGAZIHAKAHWrIHALgHAMIHAMgHAA&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-serp)
Start small, simple. Gain confidence. Mechanics first. Stay within your ability. Don’t listen to anyone. Learn to trust your gut. Challenge yourself slowly.
Get some knee pads that have some shin protection (for the inevitable pedal shin strikes), and some elbow pads. It’s a lot easier to get back up and keep going if you aren’t bleeding after every fall.
I recognize that trail….!
Progress at a comfortable pace….
Get good at risk assessment, but once you have decided to take a risk never second doubt your decision to do something— This causes people to get hurt. 100% commit, or just don’t do it.
Also don’t underestimate smaller features once you become experienced, and always wear a helmet. Doesn’t matter if you are doing wheelies around the neighbourhood or shredding Whistler, you have to wear a helmet.
Finally, get good at parking lot skills, gym training and wrenching on your bike. These skills will help with your riding a lot.
Use trailforks or MTB Project to check routes. Build routes around green trails. Check out fluidride on YouTube to start doing drills and building skills/confidence. Make sure your suspension is set up correctly for your weight and riding style. Knee pads!
https://youtube.com/@fluidride?si=vah2hnDJSkX0t-vC
Pedal pedal coast!!
Go slow and have fun
What you are experiencing is totally jornal. I went through the exact same thing when I started. A few things over time helped to make the experience better. At first I used to go so slow over roots and rocks that it made staying on the bike and in control really difficult. I’ve learned that a moderate amount of speed is your friend. Also, stay as loose as possible so your body is not bracing for every little impact constantly, as it will make you tire quickly, leading you to have fatigue quicker and ride more poorly.
mountain biking can be fun….at a lift access bike park (for me personally) climbing and local tech trails make me hate mtbing, you just have to figure out what you like. I like flowtrails, free ride, down hill.
Pop wheelies! 100%!! Even if you don’t know what you’re doing, wheelies are cool and the other riders will like you
Watch skills with Phil on you tube to get the theory. Then after that it’s just practice, go with friends. Also have to build up your confidence to be a step or two up from your skill level. Like being scared is good because it keeps you safe. But like kids on a playground you go to learn to do the dangerous thing safely. Just remember the bike wants to stay up with speed. But have to control the speed. It’s not about where you are but where your going to be. Stay safe and have fun.
Enrol in a beginners mountain bike course in your area!! They will teach you all the skills you need and prevent bad habits from forming. Also quite fun to bike with a bunch of people the same level as you!
Seems like a long shot – is the Solitude trail? If yes – one of my favorites!
I don’t know a single mountain biker who hasn’t crashed. My worst crashes were dumb in retrospect. I guess not dumb but ignorant rather. Seems like most beginner falls are from two things
1. Braking too hard with front brakes
2. Body weight too far forward
3. (honorable mention) low pedal catching an unseen rock or root
Enjoy the ride! Now in my 50s – Mountain biking and playing music are the best forms of dopamine I’ve ever found. Well, there’s one more but no need to go there.
Also – most trails have bail routes that go around the more technical spots. That’s a beauty of the sport – the mountains generally accommodate all skill levels and thrill thresholds.
I would suggest a group ride, you can usually find them on Facebook pages that are local to your go into a bike shop and ask. Make sure it’s a “no drop” ride. Some rides are people that really know what’s up and they don’t look back. Which means you are yourself the whole time. Boo!! No drop rides make sure no one is left behind , they often help out new riders with tips and advice. Sometimes it’s the little things … like when not pedaling I keep my pedals parallel to the ground so they don’t hit anything , when going down hill I always stand up and move my butt back towards the rear tire. Feels weird at first , but you will get used to it. The more you ride, the more you learn. Also, I usually sit on the seat when pedaling uphill. Learn how to make your gears work for you , it’s a trial and error thing. Last but not least …drum roll please lol…. Don’t compare yourself to the next person!!! We all ride different , some are better some are not, when I was able to ride with the homies , I always had the last spot. I knew I couldn’t hang with em , so I went at my pace and enjoyed myself!! I started riding a lot of years after they did , so they have the skills, stamina and knowledge to go fast and all that stuff lol. Good luck!!
I had my first fall this morning. I was riding on a “beginner” trail, and it was a lot more than I expected.
No blood, but my bike and I ended up covered in caked on mud! No bathroom or any place to clean up so I drove home looking like I spent the morning rolling in the mud 😂
Nonetheless, I am excited about going back out next weekend!
Take it easy. Enjoy the ride.
2 weeks of consistent riding…2 or 3 days a week will fix that endurance. Don’t get discouraged. Ride the same trails and learn them… then beat your previous time. Trailforks or strava apps are good for this.
Find someone better than you willing to ride with you to take you out. I always ride better when I’m pushed by someone else.
Wear a helmet, trust the bike, watch a lot of YouTube videos, make some friends who don’t mind helping you that you can follow their lines on green trails, definitely learn how to feather the front brake, download the MTB Project app so you can read descriptions and reviews of trails and know what difficulty level they are!
What bike are you riding?
Buy a hydration pack on amazon for 20
Take bug spray – one with a cap so it doesnt go off in your backpack
Pack zip ties, ziploc bags in case it rains (phone, action camera)
Dont overthink it
Oil chain once or twice a month
Pre hydrate, dont just drink plain water while riding, drink both. Like a liter bottle of electrolytes and plain in the backpack. Your tongue will tell you which you need. It’s essential to hydrate an hour before you get on the bike. I do 1800mg sodium, 500mg potassium, 200mg magnesium, in a 710ml bottle. I sip that over an hour before riding, it makes me crazy thirsty and so right before leaving I chug 1200ml plain water to stop that thirst. Im 250lbs, adjust accordingly. 1800mg sodium is half my minimum daily intake, and it is a lot. I bring a 710ml of electrolytes and 1200ml plain with me. It’s just enough for a 2.5 hour ride. Stop if you’re feeling the headache coming on. Once it takes hold it will stay for hours. And it can be prevented by drinking a crazy amount of sodium and water. Lite salt from walmart is a 50/50 sodium to potassium. Magnesium biglysinate is in 200mg capsules – 200mg for biking, 400 for sleep relaxation. When finished riding hydrate more then too. I combine sea salt and lite salt, a teaspoon of sugar for flavour.
Those roots are nothing for a bike with even a coil fork. That’s basically just flat ground.
When going up hill pedal with your toe tips while sitting, but youll use less lung power by standing to climb (Dont use toe tips while standing)
Watch for pedal scapes. Be methodical in choosing your line.
Go to a parking lot and make a little area to practice
Learn that you don’t have to be rigid. Move the bike around independently from your body. Learn when to lean back, forward.
Practice popping the front tire over logs or up city curbs.
Learn when not to touch the brakes when descending
Watch crash videos to see how things go wrong
Everything will be intimidating…. and then it won’t. It’s always the same.
Be prepared when riding over sand. That’s where people lose the front.
Have the bike be properly sized and sprung for your weight if it has suspension.
Tell people where youre going
Bring extra water
Get gloves, knee pads, glasses or eye protection, mtb shoes. Helmet minimum. Properly sized grips.
Dont go to stop and not plan out where your feet are gonna touch down and fall further cuz it was a bad spot to put your foot
Be in the right gear/speed before you hit a feature like with rolling hills. Ill often have to pedal up to a thing in 4th, gear up to 7th to roll into something with speed, gear down to 4th for a climb and back into 7th etc.
STAND UP
Ride with better riders
Take breaks. Trying to even wheelie when youre out of breathe is a challenge.
Do multiple green trails
Diet helps a bunch. I recommend a calculated mix of fat, protein and carbs. I try to avoid carbs because im fat, but they offer quick-release energy like sugar and aid in hydration. Protein for muscle regeneration. Fat …. Idk, maybe not so much fat as its harder to digest IF you’re not fat-adapted. Before riding ill eat eggs and toast, avoiding crap like noodles or chips. I avoid sugar (like actual sugar) like soda to avoid a blood sugar crash. You can also put in a teaspoon of sugar into electrolytes and it actually helps with absorption. Just avoid soda-amounts of sugar, or bacon-amounts of fat.
Prioritize a really good sleep, for 8 hours. Sleep in the cold. Sleep with the sun cycles.
Check weather lol
Consider better tires when those show considerable wear. 2.35″, 2.4″ or 2.5″ width or a mix between, bigger on the front. Bigger tires roll slower but offer much better traction. Most do like a 2.4″ rear, 2.5″ front.
I don’t know if this will be to helpful for a beginner because it comes with confidence, but in a way try to stay more loose on your bike, don’t be afraid of it doing its own thing under you as long as you stay up, obviously still have structure but for example if there is a rather rocky / root filled section, you want to have the bike be able to move in its own path that doesn’t throw your body.
If this doesn’t make sense I can elaborate on a specific part but as I said it is confidence based so difficult to understand if you haven’t been in the scenario
It’s all balance. You’ll be moving your body around the bike to always be balanced over the center of it. For that I find parking lot practice to be great. Skills with Phil had a good YouTube video.
https://youtu.be/1UuqWeJqOTk?si=4AULWwRqfcd7vS9K
But making the smallest circles possible, tight turn left, then right, riding on and off a curb, wheelie over a painted line…. All that stuff builds skills and can be done in 15 minutes after diner (doesn’t require much time).
Send it!!
k a few things.
bike setup – run like high teens / low 20s psi in your tires for grip. really helps confidence. if it has suspension pay a shop to help w seyup – psi in fork / shock and rebound / compression baswline. makes a huge difference. you can get close w youtube vids.
a few technique tips – elbows up and out. ass way back and low over tech stuff. attack position. a little momentum in your friend. look AHEAD not DOWN. dont watch the front tire. watch at least 10′ out. this slows everything down and gives you time to react.
when cornering, lower the outside pedal and weight it. lean the bike not your body.
watch a bunch of yt videos. work on 1-2 things at a time. good luck!
Twinsies! I have the same purple PNW grips. They are the best
Tire pressure and seat height are critical. Without a dropper post, you need to have the seat slightly lower so that you’re able to get up off the seat and move your body position around. View tires as a part of suspension. Practice having your outside pedal down in turns, pressing your weight down through that outside pedal and into the tires. Keep your eyes up, scanning as the trail far ahead to calculate the line of least resistance or get ready to shift/brake ahead of time. Most people start looking down right in front of the front wheel when they’re smoked which compounds issues. Other than that, slow progression will garner confidence. Ride the 1.8 until you can loop it twice back to back. You’ll go further/faster each ride if you stick with it, it’s extremely rewarding. Metro Park gravel rides between weekend MTB sessions helped my endurance a ton.
Get comfortable going fast. Speed is your friend once things get more technical
Ahh, man. I’m a beginner too but I have a few months of experience and I do this multiple times a week.
What is “phase 1” difficulty wise?Is that a blue trail? If you’re brand new and falling just keep doing the beginner trail for a few months before beginning the harder stuff.
Also how the heck does someone burn 945 cals?!? I’ve never done that much and i consistently do over 10 miles!
One valuable lesson that I learned, the HARD way, is…
If you see a tree, MOVE!
Take a beginner lesson, you will learn so much!
I’m going out on a limb here but since I’m fairly certain this is my backyard:
AC Phase 2 is much better maintained than Phase 1 & IMO is much easier. Another good beginner loop in the area is Academy Park. That’s much better to learn at. John Bryan out by Dayton is a XC course that is very beginner friendly (when it’s not rained out).
Drink plenty of water and try to let the bike work for you. Weight shift where you can to let suspension eat some of the bumps, pump the downs to reduce the need to muscle through the up, and other than that just keep on putting in the hours.
Ride within your limits and have fun.
Always drop the seat when going down and never stay on the saddle when going down . Major risk of flying over the handlebars when you do . Have fun don’t be cheap on helmet and safety gear
As a beginner myself, I quickly learned that body position, braking and confidence is very important.
The Zen of Mountain Biking
Look where you want to go, not where you are
Momentum is your friend. Keep spinning.
Trust the big ol’ 29ers,they’ll roll over more than you think.
Smooth is fast. Fast is smooth.
Brake less. Flow more.
Eyes up. Body loose. Let the bike move beneath you.
When in doubt, pedal it out.
The trail rewards commitment, not hesitation.
Shift early. Don’t grind late.
What climbs must descend, enjoy both.
Roots and rocks don’t care about your ego. Respect them.
Stay light on the bars, heavy on the pedals.
Let the suspension do its job.
Ride what’s in front of you, not what’s in your head.
Every crash is a story. Wear it well.
You never regret the ride you finish.
Find a coach. It’s helped me a lot.
If you have a dropper post, use it on your down hills. Lean back and let that front for eat the bumps on the way down.
Learn to lean the bike; bike body separation. Drop your outer foot/pedal when going through flatter turns. Learn to brake before a corner and only use back brakes through a corner if necessary. Don’t use front brakes while cornering. Keep your elbows out, and bend your knees and drop your heels a bit when descending. Practice moving the bike beneath you while staying centered.
Check your air pressure. I thought I was losing my nerve and it turned out that tubeless tires can get leaky valve stems. So make sure you check your valve stems.
Some great perspective to read this. There is in fact a lot of potential danger, so many things to pay attention to, and skills to master in mountain biking. But the good news is there is no “have to” for any of it! It’s about the experience you make of it.
Since you are primarily hung up on technique-based anxiety and potential injury, something like a 2-3 hour skills course would benefit you a lot I think. I know various REIs offer them in the summer, but you may have a more local MTB group or organization that does as well. You don’t have to master all the skills they’re teaching in order to have fun, but being aware of some basics can really relieve anxiety and it also gives you the opportunity to ask questions.
I always struggled focusing on the miles. If you focus on the skills, the exercise comes as part of it. Before you know it, you’re tired out just from practicing some turns and skids all afternoon.
My biggest tip: learn to crash! Whenever you feel like a “oh sh*t moment” comes, learn to push the bike away from you and learn to roll. Best thing I’ve learned! I don’t ever wanna crash but it happens to all of us.
Phase1 is old and the roots are rough there. Phase2 is a little newer and less rough. Also chestnut is nice but a bit more of a drive. John Bryan is really flat and pleasant. Have fun out there!
Send it…
Phase 1… like Alum Creek? Last time I rode there in April I went OtB into a ravine and sprained my wrist (very lucky it was just that), so you’re doing better than me
I would try to find some easier trails to start on. I haven’t ridden enough trails here to have any suggestions, but Phase 1 and especially Phase 2 are not super beginner friendly. John Bryan State Park is flat and easy but a little outside of town. The best thing you can do is ride a bunch of easier trails over and over until you get better and more confident. Confidence is super important because if you are afraid of features, you will go too slow and it’s much easier to crash on a lot of features if you’re going slower