Mountain Biking - a couple questions from a new mnt. biker.

I went for my first rough trail mountain bike ride. It was on a trail in the Palos district in Illinois, a recommended biking area. I had no idea of how the trail was going to be, i found out it was a little too much for me. My first clue was that we were the only bikers there without helmets. The hard part about the trail was it was quite gravely and a couple areas had 6" -8" rocks covering the trail. so i ended up walking my bike through some of the more rough areas due to the risk of wiping out and not having a helmet or gloves. We turned back after about 2 or 2-1/2 miles as i was getting real tired.

I probably had no business riding on that trail but I decided i'm going to get a helmet and beat it. It seems like once you've gone through it a couple of times and get to know how it goes, it should be easier.

My questions are how do you keep from fishtailing in gravel? and when going down a hill, do you brake alot and take it slow or just ride it down?
thanks.

First of all, welcome to the forums. You will find a lot of info here, some good some bad but always fun.

Helmets and gloves are a good idea, especially for novice riders. Yes, you will fall, it's part of the thrill and most of the attraction of the sport. Not the falling, but the risk that you can fall!

As a novice, it's a good idea to not ride over your head, don't be ashamed to walk something that's beyond your ability. Just tell yourself, I will one day. But sounds like thats already part of you psyche.

Fishtailing? Front tire washing out or back tire moving back and forth? Either way, try to keep your speed under control and lean back a bit. This will lighten up the front tire and help it float and keep from digging in. It will also give you better traction on your rear wheel while pedaling. We don't ride a lot of gravel, but we have sugar sand and the method is similar.

Downhills, I suggest braking a lot and taking it slow until you get better. When descending, use about 60% FRONT brake and 40% back brake. I know that sounds scary, but the front brake gives you more control and prevents you from skidding out. Use enough to slow you down, but obviously not so much that you go over the bars. The 60-40 is a general quideline.

Another tip: You actually have more control the faster you go. Your forward momentum will keep you more upright! That's another scary thing! Sometimes, if you're going through a really tricky section, it's better to let go of the brakes, lean way back, and roll through it! Once again, use caution and let your common sense dictate what's too much for you.

Hope this helps!
L8R G8R

Great advice above..may I too welcome you to the forums Slewie!

As you get better and more confident at riding technical trails, you'll naturally pick up alot of the skills needed.

Try not to worry too much, or think about what you're doing..my experience is that the bike will guide you through the trails, and the rough stuff...a good saying that I stick to is "How can you expect to get better if you don't fall off every now and again".

Have fun out there!

Rich :)

When your tryin that 60-40 thing be xtra careful at first... believe me im new at biking and have had my fare share of wipes...
u should see my bike!
-One thing I have problems with is pedaling hard through soft sand, i guess I could just not peddle that hard but whatever.

When going through loose ground such as gravel and sand, just keep pedalling hard through it if its flat or uphill, you can also bounce your front wheel up and down, and that will get you through long sections of sand and loose stuff. Dont put alot of weight on your front wheel. And also try to keep going straight, if you jerk the wheel to the side, it will throw you off. Use the back brake first when going downhill, and then if you need to slow down for more control, use the front one. Hope this helps a little :)

thx man!
that'll come in handy

hehe:)

Practice doing wheelies for obstacles such as logs and rocks.
Downhill rides means leaning back and putting your belly above the seat,not your butt, use the brakes, and dont use clipless pedals until you are ready(normal pedals are cheap).

Good-luck

X

One more tip splurge for the 40 bill and buy a helmet;) I hear ones head is very important and beginners and rocks dont mix well:D Dont be hesitant either momentum is a great thing. You must also learn how to fall. I ride 5 times a week and probably fall atleast 5 times a week. You will get better at it(i race sport but fall expert).
Good luck, this is the hardest part once you get past this trust me its much more fun.

Thanks for all the great advice everybody!!

If the rear wheek breaks out, it may be because you are applying too much force for the conditions. Think of the ground as a series of layers, held together loosly. If you apply sideways (shear) force, eventually, one layer will slide against another.
Traction is a limitted resource on a bike, you can use it for braking, or steering, or forward motion, but when you run out, you slide.
Take note of the camber around corners. If the slope is down to the outside of the curve, your traction is severely reduced.

I ride a lot of technical trails on a road bike with 28mm tyres. You have to use finesse instead of brute force.

I am alot like slewie because I am also new to the sport. I just got a new bike and have only rode it on the trail twice. I think the toughest thing I've experienced so far on the trail is having enough confidence to ride through the difficult parts with speed, so as to keep enough momentum to stay upright.
I think when my helmet comes in next week that will be a good confidence boost there. I don't want to bring home my brain in a doggy bag.
I have two questions...
1. I have straps to keep my feet on my pedals, as a novice should I avoid using these for safety purposes? It seems easy enough to pull my feet out of them quickly, but how fast is fast enough?

2.Any tips on falling down would be good. (soon enough I'll be connecting the purple and green dots I'm sure)

Thanks...

Personally I would ditch the toe-clips. I'd kill myself with them. I know I couldn't get out fast enough. Get used to riding trails and then get some clipless pedals. DG

Diligum, as a novice rider, I'd go ahead and take the straps off your pedals when riding trails. You can leave the clips on if you want, but slide the staps off. Put the straps on when riding around the neighborhood untill you really get used to flipping the pedal up and sliding your foot in and out. You've got enough to worry about w/o your feet giving you trouble.

I suggest that you eventually (after your comfortable with your bike handling skills) upgrade to clipless pedals. They improve your pedalling efficiency and will give you more power.
L8R G8R:D