Improve your riding

DON’T FOCUS ON YOUR FRONT WHEEL

As a new(ish) rider, it’s common to stare at your front wheel, because you’re not trusting what it’s going to do. You’re worried it might slide out, which is an understandable concern. Trust in the grip of your front tyre will develop naturally over time, but to speed that process up, practise keeping your focus on the section of trail coming up ahead. That way, things won’t spring themselves on you so suddenly, and you’ll be able to plan your line and where to use the brakes to slow down. Trust in your front wheel will also increase if you keep your body further forward and your arms bent. An improved body position will help to stop you from looking at the front wheel.

MISTAKES TO AVOID

PUMP ROLLERS, DON’T JUMP THEM

Getting air off single rollers can be super fun, but as those who’ve tried it will know, the landing isn’t always the most comfortable! As a beginner, if you’re wanting to get some airtime, we’d advise practising on a tabletop jump instead of single rollers. Use the rollers as a chance to improve your squashing and pumping instead, so you can start to pick up speed and efficiency down the trail.

BLUE TRAIL SKILLS

SLOW DOWN

This one sits within the “passion and drive” behaviour mentioned earlier. Gritting your teeth and going for it is certainly one way to learn to ride bikes, but it has its limits. We’d advise slowing down and working hard to improve your technique, instead of just throwing yourself in at the deep end. When you go for a ride, try to keep a calm frame of mind, and you’ll see how much easier riding becomes, as well as how much more time you have to anticipate and process what’s coming next.

DON’T HANG OFF THE BACK

This is by far the most common beginner mistake and usually happens due to human instinct telling you not to ride down a hill head first. We’re going to have to break it to you – riding down a hill head first is safer, even if it doesn’t feel like it! Modern bikes are a lot longer than they used to be, so they work best when your weight is close to the central point of the bike. When L-plated riders find that central point, they always say that the trail feels smoother and they have more control of the front wheel than when they hang off the back.

CHECK YOUR FOOTING

If there’s one ‘how to’ tip that everyone in the mountain biking world has heard, it’s to drop your outside foot in corners. While this can be correct for the right corner, the biggest beginner mistake I notice is riders dropping their outside foot before they’ve even reached the corner. If you think of the basic process of entering a corner, it’s about getting on your line, braking, then cornering. If you drop your outside foot while trying to brake, you’ll have very little stability when you need it most.