When you first start mountain biking, it can be overwhelming. For most of us, riding a bike is second nature, but there are certain elements in mountain biking that can be intimidating. Mountain bikes have different components and not every mountain bike is the same. Understanding your specific bike is important. In addition to steep climbs, different obstacles and trail conditions await you on the trail. You can avoid these 10 mistakes to make your mountain biking experience more enjoyable at the beginning by navigating these elements like a pro.

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1. Gripping the Bike Too Tensely

New mountain bikers instinctively tense up when approaching steep drops on the trail but keep your body loose and flexible for easy maneuvering.

This tip is easy to give, but not so easy to execute. After a long time of riding down steep, tough terrain, you’ll finally feel comfortable. Slowly you’ll realize that staying relaxed and focused is the way to go, and soon you’re able to handle tough spots with ease.

2. Keeping the Toes on the Tip of the Pedals

If your feet are bouncing off the pedals, your feet are in the wrong position. Keep the balls of your feet centered on the pedal and your toes should be neutral.

3. Locking The Hips Down On the Saddle

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Your legs are great shock absorbers so separating yourself from the bike by standing up can give you better balance and make it easier to shift your weight.

4. Forgetting to Look Far Ahead

Don’t lock your vision on the current trail and never get distracted by the surroundings. Instead, always plan ahead on the next gears and techniques to use.

5. Moving to New Trails too Soon

Evaluate your skills and capacity as a mountain biker and only go on a new trail when you are truly ready for it.

6. Not Bringing Enough Nutrition

Mountain biking is exhausting so don’t forget to bring snack bars and power drinks to fuel you throughout the ride and ensure that you finish it.

7. Braking too Often and too Hard

It’s a newbie’s instinct to tense up and brake too hard when the trail gets overwhelming causing them to slide or go over the bars. Feather your brakes on and off when first riding to practice the pressure you apply on it.

8. Neglecting to Check the Components

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Practice doing a quick overall check-up on your bike before and after your ride to ensure there aren’t any loose bolts and gears on your bike.

9. Bad Foundation of the Fundamentals

Instead of focusing on tricks, make sure you got the basics down and that you have a rock-solid foundation of it like it’s your second nature.

10. Not Avoiding Technical Sections

Try your best to avoid technical sections but if you can’t, pedal as few times as possible and let the bike do its job.

You can handle more advanced trails if you practice your mountain biking skills over time. We recommend that a beginner starts with some beginner trails so that they can become familiar with riding. After you are comfortable on the easy trails, move on to the intermediate trails, and finally, you will be ready for the steep advanced trails.

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