The excitement in mountain biking is in the thrill of successfully managing each terrain and trail surfaces and conditions you run into. You ride through ascents and descents, dirt roads, deep dust, mud, rocky trails, hardpack, slippery roots, and sand.

Riding on loose sand is one of the most challenging scenarios a mountain biker can experience. Many riders get really nervous when they encounter a sandy strip trail and would avoid it if they could.

With the right skills and techniques, you can enjoy riding in the sand as you do with other trail surfaces. Following these tricks will let you be able to ride on the sand with speed and control.

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1. Relax

Loose sand makes for a bumpy ride. When riding on a sandy trail, staying relaxed and loose is absolutely key. As soon as you see the sand, don’t be overcome by nervousness. Instead, tell yourself to relax and loosen up. Keep your eyes forward, drop your shoulder, loosen your grip slightly and loosen your body, and flow with the bike.

2. Avoid shifting gears or braking.

Avoid shifting gears or braking while riding through the sand. Pedal with consistent force. Don’t pedal in a short uneven burst. The change in speed may cause your rear wheel to slip and dig into the sand.

3. Ride slower.

Ride slower than you normally would. When you burst in speed in the sand, the tire is pushed down more into the sand. This causes more area of the wheel in contact with the ground, increasing the friction between the wheel and ground. When this happens, you will need to apply more effort to oppose the extra friction making the ride more difficult.

4. Lean back slightly.

Resist the urge to lean forward to unweight the front wheel. Too much weight in your front wheel will cause it to dig into the sand burying you or keeping you off-course. Instead, keep your weight in the saddle and keep your weight centered. When pedaling, slide back on the seat an inch or two or push your hip to the rear to lighten the front wheel.

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5. Widen your corner exits.

When exiting sandy corners, do so with a widening arc to avoid dragging or jack-knifing the front wheel.

6. Keep loose over the bike.

Whether you’re lifting the front wheel, rolling, or pedaling through, everything must be smooth and flowing. Rigidity and uneven movements when riding such as stiff arms, sudden turns, pedal stop, or pushing hard will dig the wheels in and bury you. Keep your body loose and light on and off the saddle. Open your legs a little to keep the back rim wobbling.

You can now practice the tricks you’ve learned in riding on sand. And what better place to practice your sand riding skills than at the nearest beach in your area where there’s lots of sand.

Riding on loose sand is quite a bit of fun. There’s a thrill blasting through it and making it to the other end of the trail. You’ll find satisfaction in conquering the sand that tries its best to wobble you off your bike and bury you in it.

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