While the likelihood of crashing at slow speeds is indeed reduced, what happens if someone is riding fast down the same trail, comes round the corner and crashes into you? You need to wear a helmet at all times. Some people remove it when riding uphill because they think they will not crash. If you are on your bike there is no reason not to have a helmet on.
You do not have to spend a fortune on clothing as there are budget items on offer. Mountain bike shoes interact properly with the pedals and offer protection from objects at the side of the trail or in a crash. With the padding otherwise known as “chamois”, you will be able to ride for many hours in greater comfort in comparison to normal underwear. It is highly advisable to invest in a good pair of padded MTB shorts. Shirts, Shoes & ShortsĪ good jersey will help keep you cool and wick away sweat and mountain bike shorts are cut just right for pedaling. Mountain bike specific clothing may seem expensive but it will absolutely increase your comfort on the bike. Mountain biking is not different from other sports in the fact that it has specialty clothing. As your skills progress you will at some point realize that you could do with a stronger bike with more travel. To get started, look for something with 100mm or 120mm of suspension. There is no point in spending huge amounts on a medium or long travel bike (140mm or more rear suspension) at first as you will not have the skills to use the bike for what it is intended.
#Tips for starting a successful mtb ride full#
If you can afford it, then by all means go for a full suspension bike. You may even be able to buy a used or ex rental bike but it is advisable to do so with someone who has experience of mountain bikes to avoid getting a bad deal or seriously damaged bike.
Then once you have decided to invest, a hardtail is the cheapest option to get a capable mountain bike. The cheapest way to try out mountain biking is to rent a bike for a few rides and decide whether you really like it or not. In the 2017 downhill world cup 29” wheels were used in this genre of the sport for the first time and they are also popular with some enduro racers.Īfter all the arguing about what is fastest, the industry and opinionated forum users are slowly realizing that it comes down to rider height and preference. Then someone came up with 27.5” wheels as a compromise and this took off in a huge way. The downside was more wheel flex and sloweer steering. The bigger wheel rolls easier over obstacles and moves the bike further per pedal stroke. One of the original klunkerz and pioneers of the sport Gary Fischer pushed the use of 29” wheels and these became popular with cross country racers. Traditionally mountain bikes had 26” wheels and this was the norm for many years. There are three main sizes of wheels (diameter) used in mountain biking. Full suspension bikes cost more due to the more complex frames and cost of the shock. There are various different frame designs. These bikes have a suspension fork and shock at the rear. No rear suspension means maximum power transfer.
Mountain bikes can be divided into two general types: HardtailĪs the name suggests, hardtails do not have suspension at the back but will often have a suspension fork up front. If you are a fan of nature and the wilderness and want to get into a multifaceted sport that has more places to practice it than you can ever ride, then mountain biking is guaranteed to make you happy! Getting Your First Mountain Bike The Two Types of Mountain Bikes Over the years, mountain bikes have evolved to look more like off road machines capable of riding at speed up and down rough terrain. Soon after, the first mountain bikes were produced and looked a lot like road bikes with bigger tyres. Back then fearless riders would hurtle down fire roads on junkyard bikes named “klunkerz” after the sound they made. Mountain biking has come a long way since it was born in California in the 70’s.