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Beginner Mountain Biker Mistakes to Avoid

Cole Hranicky

· Mountain Biker
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Cole Hranicky is a former lifeguard at Sandalwood Lake, Houston, and a finance major at Texas Tech University, Lubbock, both in Texas. In his free time, Cole Hranicky enjoys skiing, golfing, hiking, and mountain biking.

When trying to learn mountain biking, there are mistakes the rookie biker needs to avoid. The first is to assume all kinds of bikes are suitable for mountain biking. Cruisers, city bikes, and road bikes are not ideal for riding dirt singletrack trails. Consider getting a proper mountain bike. Otherwise, someone can experience constant falls when riding off-road.

Several riders pump their tires till they are too hard, causing them to bounce more on bumps, leading to an increase in the ride's roughness. Ignoring the front brake and instead opting to depend on stopping with the rear brake in a steep descent is someone of the grave mistakes novice bikers make as it wears down the tire and can quickly upend the biker.

Another avoidable mistake is sitting on the saddle excessively. For mountain biking to be more enjoyable, the biker doesn't need to sit down. It's more effective because the legs absorb the shock of the ride.

Finally, riding through water may be fun for mountain bikers, but its effect on the bike could be disastrous as it affects both the bike's saddle and chains.