No one biker is the same. Some of us like to dawdle along dirt tracks while others pride themselves on how fast they can climb. Loads of us like to fly down technical, flowy trails, while a few of us are more than happy to take it at a much easier pace.
Nevertheless, we all want to be master of our domain with complete control over our bikes and knowing exactly where our limits are. Well, here’s five great tips to help you along your way:
Tips to Improve Your Mountain Biking
#1 At Your Pace, Don’t Race – how often have you crashed and burned because you were riding well out of your comfort zone in order to race a friend? If you’re anything like us, the answer is a lot. You’ll never improve if you keep falling off, take things at your own pace and learn core skills. Do this and the speed will follow.
#2 Take a Break – having a little rest is essential on long rides or after a hard climb. If you just keep going then you’ll find all your energy will be depleted. Take a moment after a slog to rest, catch your breath and get some food in you. Don’t stick around too long though or you’ll be aching getting back on the bike!
#3 Maintain your Bike – we like to joke that a dirty bike is faster, but having a bike that is well maintained is absolutely key. If you’re constantly struggling to get into the gear you need or if your brakes are faulty then this will seriously hinder your riding. Give your bike some TLC and it will definitely pay you back.
#4 Ride with People who are Better – this may sound as though it goes against #1, but it doesn’t. Don’t go out there trying to beat people who are better at MTB than you, just try to hold pace. This should give you the little push you need to improve your skills, as well as taking you out on harder or longer rides.
#5 Ride New Trails – how better to improve the way you react on a bike than riding a trail you don’t know? This will improve your reaction times much faster than riding the same trails over and over will. New trails also give you a chance to work on new skills by letting you work on things you wouldn’t have in your local trails.
#6 Play around with your bike – your bike should be an extension of your body, following your every twist and turn. If it doesn’t then have a play around with it, tweak the contact points, change the gear ratios your running or maybe even upgrade your MTB. Don’t be afraid to try new things, sometimes it really is the bike that’s holding you back.
#7 Take pictures – aside from having lovely memories to look back on with lots of pictures to show your friends, having these documented mountain bike trips will give you inspiration. Pictures from the views at the top of a mountain may just be the thing that encourages you to slog it out to the top rather than cut in halfway up!
#8 Just do it - when it comes to improving, the best thing you can really do it just get out there and ride. The more you ride the better you will get as you’ll get fitter and much more used to riding. If you struggle to get out during the day then try night riding, a good set of bike lights will let you get out and riding in the dark massively increases your skill levels.
You don’t have to throw thousands at a new bike and new kit and bike holidays to the Alps. Work with what you’ve got and you may just be surprised with how much you can do. Always remember -
“It’s not the bike you’ve got, it’s what you do with it that matters.”
- Grinding Gears 2014
