5 Mountain Biking Tips To Learn From Mountain Bike Reviews Australia

It’s easy to get carried away right after buying your mountain bike. After all, when you start this hobby, you’re highly motivated to ride fast like the wind, quickly climb over the hill, and smoothly descend near-vertical areas.

5 Mountain Biking Tips To Learn From Mountain Bike Reviews Australia

But before you get to do all this, you need to become familiar first with the mountain biking tips from the more experienced cyclists.

Understanding mountain biking tips will help you learn essential bike handling skills. After that, you’ll be a lot more confident hence have a much better bike-riding experience.

Let’s get started and take a look at some useful mountain biking tips you should remember.

1. Always Concentrate on Where You’re Going

After buying your mountain bike from Beastie Bikes, you’ll most likely be too excited and end up forgetting that mountain biking can also be dangerous if you’re not careful.

To ensure this isn’t the case, train yourself to always focus on where you’re headed since your mind controls your body.

This means you ought to gaze further down the trail rather than focus on an obstacle or hazard, as this increases the chances of you hitting it.

Staring at a potential hazard or obstacle along your way is referred to as target fixation and leads to an accident because your body naturally follows your gaze.

Therefore, you should shift your focus to the whole trail, and this will help you avoid fixating on the possible hazard since you’ve already passed them in your head.

It also helps you take proactive measures to avoid oncoming sections better because you have a more comprehensive picture of your surrounding environment.

    SUBSCRIBE TO BIKE HACKS NEWS

    Want the best cycling experience?
    Sign up for the latest bikes, gear, and accessories reviews out there.


    By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy
    and European users agree to the data transfer policy

    2. Set up Your Suspension

    Many mountain bikes today feature a rear shock absorber and a front suspension fork. The shock absorber and suspension play the essential role of reducing shock impacts and ensuring your tires remain grounded while riding.

    This way, you’re guaranteed optimal control and grip to smooth out your ride regardless of the obstacles along the trail.

    However, you’ll need to set the suspensions to active positions for them to work. This means making sure it’s well-balanced and not too soft, as this increases the chances of it bottoming out.

    You also need to confirm that the suspension isn’t too hard because this makes it feel excessively bouncy. To avoid this, ensure that the suspension is balanced, as this will keep your bike’s tires grounded while riding over the rough terrain.

    Before setting up the suspension, you need to first learn how to set your rebound and sag, which is usually determined by your weight. Sag refers to how much suspension is being used by your mountain bike while it’s sitting stationary.

    Ensuring the suspension has the right sag is crucial to ensure it can function at its peak, with a sag of 30% a good starting point.

    3. Monitor Your Tire Pressure

    Tires act as the point of contact between your bike and the rocky terrain you’re riding over. Therefore, you’ll need to set aside some time to set up your mountain bike’s tire pressure, as this significantly impacts your riding experience.

    This is a mistake many novice mountain bike riders make and one you should do your best to avoid.

    If your mountain bike’s tire pressure is too low, the wheel is easily susceptible to damage after hitting roots and rocks. It also increases the chances of your bike having a puncture.

    In contrast, too much pressure makes controlling your bike a lot harder and a lot more difficult to gain traction.

    Nonetheless, deciding on a suitable tire pressure can be challenging as there’s no exact answer to this question. Usually, the recommended tire pressure should be between 20 psi to 28 psi, depending on factors such as your weight and trail conditions.

    Ideally, an excellent starting point for the front tire is 25 psi to ensure it retains its control and grip when cornering and braking.

    The pressure for the rear tire should be higher, preferably 28 psi, as it’s exposed to greater impacts and is a lot more susceptible to damage.

    4. Maintain Your Bike

    Carrying out routine maintenance is needed to ensure your mountain bike is in optimal condition. Cleaning your bike regularly, more so key parts such as the dropper post, seals, and gears, even when it isn’t showing any dirt, is an excellent way to do this.

    If you don’t have bike-specific cleaner and degreaser, feel free to use the normal household dish soap, which is equally effective. Always apply lube to the bike’s chain once you’re done cleaning it or whenever the chain feels dry.

    Cleaning your bike also gives you the chance to examine it and check whether there’s any damage. This is important as some damages might happen and go unnoticed.

    If your bike produces any strange noises, basic maintenance will help you figure out the issue within minutes. This way, you’ll be able to detect whether anything is broken, cracked, or worn out.

    Therefore, you won’t be caught off-guard while out riding and be involved in an accident or take a long walk home after your bike breaks down.

    5. Wear the Appropriate Gear

    Mountain biking can be quite dangerous as you’ll be riding over uneven terrain. Because of this, having proper safety gear is crucial to safeguard your wellbeing because the last thing you want is to get an injury while cycling.

    Here are some safety gears you need to get;

    • Gloves: This gear helps keep your hands moisture-free for protection and to improve your grip.
    • Mountain bike shorts: They need to be flexible and comfortable and made from a thick material to withstand the jagged terrain.
    • Mountain biking-specific shoes: These shoes give you maximum control by improving your grip over the pedals.
    • Knee pads: You should ensure your knees have sufficient protection from hard knocks and graze, which will happen when out mountain biking.
    • Helmet: This safeguards your head from getting severely injured after a crash.

    Takeaway

    Learning about mountain biking habits is essential as it helps you avoid hiccups and hurdles while simultaneously having a more exhilarating experience. This guide has highlighted the important tips you need to know to ensure your mountain biking adventures are exciting.

    After all, mountain biking is a demanding sport, and you can enjoy it to the maximum not unless you understand its basics. This guide has taken you through these important tips you’ll need to learn to ensure you fully realize the entire benefits of mountain biking and guarantee your safety.

    _________________________________________________________________________

    Some other articles you might find of interest:

    See how bike riding makes its mark among other outdoor activities:

    How Bike Riding Compares to Other Popular Outdoor Activities

    https://www.bikehacks.com/bike-riding/

     Make a bike stand on your own with these tips:

    How to Easily Build a Bike Stand – 3 Methods Compares

    https://www.bikehacks.com/how-to-build-a-bike-stand/

     Ride bike comfortably and safely with these tips:

    Best Tips for a Safer Summer Bike Rides: Ways to Stay Healthy and Clothing to Wear

     https://www.bikehacks.com/best-tips-for-a-safer-summer-bike-rides/

    About the author
    5 Mountain Biking Tips To Learn From Mountain Bike Reviews Australia — Bike Hacks