| Mountain biking is an exciting sport that can | | | | gofaster while the lower gears are easier to |
| beenjoyed by anyone who knows how to ride a | | | | pedaland will help you ascend hills. As you |
| bike. | | | | get tosteeper hills, its best to shift before |
| | | | you getto the hill rather than while your on |
| Compared to the average bike ride, it does | | | | it. |
| presentsome danger. Therefore, you should | | | | |
| master thesebasic skills before you hit the | | | | Coasting |
| trails or thedirt. | | | | |
| | | | You should spend a bit of time coasting |
| You can practice these beginning skills at a | | | | whilestanding on your pedals, without |
| localpark, school, bike path, or simply | | | | actually sittingon the seat. Keep your arms |
| around yourhouse. If you can, try to find a | | | | bent but don't lockyour knees. Now, try |
| location witha steep hill. | | | | experimenting with shiftingyour body towards |
| | | | the rear end of the bike. |
| Get a feel for your pedals | | | | |
| | | | Pedal while standing |
| Practice moving your foot away from the | | | | |
| pedal,first while sitting on your bike with | | | | You should get as comfortable as you can |
| one foot onthe ground. Next, move on to | | | | withpedaling while standing on your bike. |
| releasing andreplacing your foot while | | | | Try liftingyourself off the seat while |
| pedaling around for abit. Those with toe | | | | standing on the pedals,then crank them |
| clip and clipless type footpedals will want | | | | around. You should try this inhigher gears |
| to spend a bit more timepracticing. | | | | on flat ground then again in lowergears while |
| | | | on a hill. |
| Sit and spin for position | | | | |
| | | | Dropping down a curb |
| Simply sit on your bike and pedal around. | | | | |
| Youshould keep your arms slightly bent. You | | | | Try finding a curb where you can easily get |
| shouldalso adjust your seat height so your | | | | to theupper portion of it. Practice at a |
| leg is 70 to | | | | moderate speed,standing and coasting right |
| | | | off the curb from theupper level to the lower |
| 90 percent extended at the bottom of every | | | | level. Try this atdifferent speeds until it |
| strokeon the pedal. Keep your body relaxed, | | | | becomes second nature. |
| as therewill never be a position where you | | | | |
| should haveeither your knees or your elbows | | | | Once you practice these techniques and get |
| locked. | | | | thehang of them, you'll be able to hit the |
| | | | trails feelingcomfortable on your mountain |
| Shifting gears | | | | bike. Even though itmay take some getting |
| | | | used to, it'll become secondnature before you |
| Get a feel for shifting gears with your bike. | | | | know it. |
| Thehigher gears are harder to pedal and will | | | | |