Mountain Biking Tips for Advanced Bikers

Mountain biking is an adventure sport that has become extremely popular over the years. It is an adrenalin filled sport which costs very little and is ideal for a wide range of fitness levels. Advanced mountain biking requires a great deal of skill and yet does not have the level of maintenence costs of many similar sports. Bicycle touring has also become very popular, many individuals like to travel long distances on bikes requiring endurance.

Although mountain biking is accessible to almost everyone, advanced mountain biking requires high levels of fitness and skill. You need to make sure that while your ride is exciting, it is also safe. Make sure when going mountain biking off road, you have carefully planned your trip in advance. Carefully study a map to locate existing trails and do not stray from them. Also consider the weather and season when planning the difficulty of your trip. For example, in the summer look for trails that are shaded and avoid biking midday, try to ride in the early morning or late afternoon to avoid intense heat.

There are some general tips to follow when advanced mountain biking. It is important to keep a loose grip on the handlebars. Also make sure your shoulders are loose and your elbows are bent. This will help you to absorb shock and will mean you will tire slower.

When riding make sure you keep looking ahead, not down at your wheel. You need to be alert to obstacles in order to keep safe. Don`t only look at the immediate obstacle but potential obstacles further up the trail. If you are in mud, water or a similar soft surface you should change to an easier gear and shift back in your seat. This will allow you to glide through across the surface.

It is vitally important to ensure you have a top quality bike for advanced mountain biking. Your bike should be of a high quality and kept in top condition. One of the most highly regarded mountain bikes of this year is the Trek Fuel EX 8. This is a high end specialised bike that has a light alloy frame. Other top bikes include the Scott Genius 10, Raleigh XXIX Pro, Santa Cruz Blue LT and the Cannondale Rize 3.

As well as a high quality bike, advanced mountain bikers require the correct biking gear. Make sure you have a good quality waterproof jacket for insulation and for keeping dry, vital for any trip. A waterproof jacket is particularly vital for winter, do not skimp on this item. You should buy waterproof jackets from recognised adventure sport brands such as Cannondale, Rip Curl, roxy clothing and O’Shea. Make sure you also have suitable gloves and in the winter, wear a base layer. You can find a whole range of accessories from many extreme sports brands and retailers.

Basic Mountain Biking Techniques

Mountain biking techniques are important and differ from the skills you learn’t when riding a bike as a kid. This is because the terrain you will be traveling over on a mountain bike is completely different from the sidewalks and paved roads you rode over as a kid. You will encounter obstacles and speeds that need a different set of skills. The basics of mountain biking techniques will help to keep you safe and avoid accidents.

The posture you have when on your mountain bike is very important. Knowing how to sit in the saddle and how much weight you should put on your seat are very important. First of all you need to have focus. When mountain biking, concentrate on what you are doing. Push all the worries and problems you have away, you can’t be worrying about your mortgage or the fight you had with your wife, because thoughts like that will have you flying off your bike when you don’t see that rock or patch of gravel.

Think ahead, your line of vision should be a meter or two in front of you. Never focus on the rider ahead of you or just the front wheel of your bike. Keeping your vision ahead is one of the mountain biking techniques that will help you from colliding with anything or anyone. This will prevent you from hesitating when you come across obstacles, because you have already seen them from some distance and can deal with them.

It may seem trivial but making sure that your thumb is not above the handlebar is one of the basic mountain biking techniques that will also keep you safe. When your thumb is above the handle bar you can loose your grip very easily, this means that any unexpected bump in the road will make you let go of the handlebars and result in a messy spill. Gripping the handlebars too tightly is not a good idea. This will tire you out, as your upper body will be tensed throughout your ride, but at the same time you don’t want your grip to be too loose.

When you are going downhill you want your weight to be towards the back of your bike, not the front. This means sliding back in the saddle rather than leaning forward, no matter how tempting that may be. This gives you more time to deal with obstacles that crop up and inevitably do on downhill rides and any path that slopes down, no matter how gentle. This is one of those mountain biking techniques that will prevent you from having a bad fall. Think about the difference of falling backwards off your bike and flying forwards.

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