Mountain Biking 101: Safety Tips Before Hitting The Trail For The First Time
Your first mountain bike adventure can be one of the most unforgettable experiences for life. Whether it’s a good kind of unforgettable or not, it ultimately depends on how you plan and prepare yourself for the challenge ahead. Mountain biking can be as dangerous as it is fun, so remember these safety tips so that your first-ever mountain bike adventure is a pleasant experience for you.
Always Have Your Helmet On
This is a no-brainer. Study after study has proven that wearing a helmet reduces a rider’s risk of getting head injuries. If you are a novice rider, making mistakes and falling on your first trip are inevitable. Wearing a helmet can save you from sustaining a serious injury from a single fall.
When choosing a helmet, consider your mountain-bike riding style, the terrain or trail, and skill level. Mountain bike helmets come in different styles:
Half-shell helmet
Open-face helmet
Full-face helmet
Convertible helmet
A particular style can be more suitable for a specific type of mountain biking. For example, a half-shell helmet is best worn for easier trails where there are fewer challenging and possibly dangerous obstacles.
Whatever helmet you pick, make sure to get a high-quality, well-fitting mountain bike helmet that offers the best protection for your head.
Prepare Your Gear
After the helmet, your gear is your most important protection against various elements in the outdoors. The basic gear for mountain bikers includes the following:
Gloves. Scrapes and blisters are common in mountain biking. Wearing proper mountain-biking gloves will protect your hands from severe injuries and help you maintain a firm hold on the handlebars when your palms get sweaty.
Jersey. Wear a well-fitting, long-sleeved jersey to protect your body, especially your arms, against the sun and accidental scrapes. Mountain biking is an intense exercise, so you want your jersey to be lightweight too for more ventilation. Of course, the material should also be durable and fast-drying.
Shorts. Choose shorts that offer you the most protection, mobility, and comfort. You can go for baggy shorts that give you more coverage and snag resistance or form-fitting shorts that provide more movement and ventilation.
Shoes. The shoes you wear should offer a lot of traction to help get a firm grip on the pedals. They should also provide excellent ventilation, water resistance, and shock absorption. Mountain-biking shoes should be durable, lightweight, and flexible, offering the highest level of protection, mobility, and comfort to the rider.
Hydration pack. This is where you’ll store your essentials, including water, food, clothing, and tools. Hydration packs are different from your ordinary backpacks because they’re designed with the sport in mind. Bags for mountain biking are designed to create as little disruption to the rider as possible.
Other than the basic gear, you also need to bring essentials, including a repair kit and spare tube tires. You’ll also need your cycling gadgets and accessories, like your GPS navigator, power meter, and fitness tracker, to find your way and get insights on your ride performance. Finally, you mustn’t forget your first aid kit and survival kit.
Check Your Bike
Checking and test-riding your bike before your trip are a must. You’ll likely be far from civilization and help if your bike breaks down, so make sure your ride is in perfect condition before leaving.
If you are on to electric ones, then there are quite a few electric bikes come in under a thousand dollars and are available online. You can check as per your preference.
Hop on your bike, and go on a ride around your neighborhood. Test the brakes, the pedals, and the handlebars. As you ride, get a feel of the bike and check for changes or issues that may disrupt your flow.
Check the pressure of each tire and oil the chains. Look for loose or broken parts too. Basically, do a thorough check and maintenance before leaving on your adventure.
Get to Your Trail and Terrain
Mountain-biking trails are classified according to levels (e.g., beginner, intermediate, expert, and double expert), depending on the skill and fitness needed to overcome the terrain. Before leaving on your mountain biking adventure, know the trail as if it were the back of your hand.
Study the map of the trail, catalog the obstacles, and mark your exit routes. Familiarizing your path will help prepare you for the unexpected and save yourself from possible danger.
Don’t Bite Off More Than You Can Chew
Overestimating yourself is one of the biggest mistakes you can make as a mountain biker. Everyone has their own limits, and there’s no shame in admitting to yours.
As a rider, you must be clear about what you can and cannot do. Sure, you need to get out of your comfort zone to improve, but tackling a trail that’s way beyond your level is simply endangering your life.
Take baby steps. Practice and hone your riding skills on easier routes before moving to more difficult ones, and learn basic mountain-biking techniques and skills. You also need to build up your strength and stamina to take on longer and tougher rides.