Total Posts: 134
10.1 Months Ago

I just started mountain biking almost a year ago, and although I love it, my boyfriend has picked it up sooo much faster than I have, and has more confidence. Any tips for building confidence, and also for tight, twisty switchbacks with obstacles (roots, rocks)? I have trouble doing tight corners at high and low speed...

Thanks

Total Posts: 2
9.6 Months Ago

My wife is looking over my shoulder as I right this, and her comments are to not compare yourself to any other rider. Some folks it comes easy to, some it doesn't. I have good balance on a bike, but can't snow ski or roller blade worth a flip.

The best advice I can give you may sound counter intuitive, but "speed is your friend" in all things mountain biking. It's subjective when it comes to speed, but going very slow on a mountain bike, like spinning in the smallest chainring (if you have three chain rings on your bike up front where your feet are) will make things so much harder. Except in crazy steep terrain, that smallest chainring near your pedals is your enemy. If you don't have the leg strength yet to stay out of the small chainring, just keep riding and it will come.

My comments may be so subjective they may not help. We have a great female mountain bike club in our area, and that's what really helped my wife. Me giving her advice was somewhat helpful, but advice coming from another women/girl seems to just go so much farther than from a guy. We're so bad about just saying things like "I don't know exactly how to tell you how to do this part of the trail, I just do it". That's no help at all.

Good luck and don't give up.

Total Posts: 134
9.6 Months Ago

Thanks for that advice, I really appreciate any help =)

It's a pity there are no female MTB clubs around where I live. I will just have to try to increase the frequency with which I ride, and maybe practice tricky parts (on non-busy days) a few times to get a feel for it.

Thanks once again!

Total Posts: 10
9.5 Months Ago

I have today off and just did 17mi of single track here. While I do well climbing, I have a hard time with the tight bumpy stuff. I also haven't been on my MTB other than once, for a year. Too much road bike. So, now is the off season and time for something else.

I see large rocks/roots and think I have to go around them, which causes you to loose speed and confidence. Remember, the bike can handle the big bumps and they won't feel as bad as they look. Just pull back/up on the bars just before hitting them to get the front wheel to go up and over. The back will just follow. Keep as smooth of a pedal stroke as possible. The jerky stroke slows you down and makes you work harder when you hit the rocks!

Just keep at it and post questions/comments.

Dennis

Total Posts: 134
9.5 Months Ago

Yeah, I have been trying to pull up on the handlebars, but I can only seem to get it to raise about 10cm. I'm practicing that part too.

I suppose the most important thing is to keep riding. We went on an MTB weekend at Easter this year, and rode every day (sometimes twice a day) for about 4 days, and I noticed by the end of that, it had really helped my confidence and skills- maybe I should take some time off work to go riding!

Thanks for the advice Dennis- much appreciated!

Total Posts: 2
9.5 Months Ago

Something else that may sound counter intuitive, is that the faster you go over roots the less bumpy they'll feel. There's an old saying that if you can get enough speed you're riding over top of the roots vs. just getting beat up by them.

Just keep riding, pretend like you're a kid again, have fun, and all the rest will come.

Total Posts: 134
9.5 Months Ago