Three Tips for Mountain Biking as a Newbie

Now, it had been over a decade since I’d last ridden a bike. Despite the long break from bike riding, I did eventually get the hang of gear changes again… Since summer I have successfully ridden a mountain bike outside on the trails a fair few times this year. Now getting into or back into riding can be scary, so I thought I’d share this post with some tips for anyone else thinking of hitting the trails for the first time in a while or ever!

#1 You don’t need to rush out to buy a bike

you might just be trying for the first time ever, so why would you buy a bike just yet?! I’m not in the position to buy a bike yet either, so I have been hiring bikes for the day. Most centres will give you a helmet and puncture repair kits to borrow for the day as well with your hire. You can spend anything from £30 for the day for a basic hardtail or a bit more for something fancier. I did hire an e-bike in Dorset and that was super fun! After cycling a few times though, I have invested in my own helmet and knee pads – safety first!

#2 Head to a specialist trail centre

Obviously hiring a bike kinda ties you into this. But maybe you do have a bike but haven’t been out for ages. The joy of a trail centre is that it’s always fairly easy to get back to the start, there’s usually a cafe (cake is a MUST when riding) and well signed trails. We live near to the Forest of Dean, so this is somewhere we head to quite a bit. Not only is there the family cycle route, which is about 10 miles of fairly smooth cycling. They also have marked trail runs – blue, red and more advanced trails. You can often also seek tuition at these trail centres, if you’re looking to level up your skills.

#3 Take your time

Not ridden in ages and the slightest downhill looks terrifying? Or maybe out of puff on a hill? Don’t worry, take your time. Take in the surroundings and enjoy yourself. We like to have a mid way snack point on our long rides, which are quite nice for taking stock of what you’ve done and having a little rest. Everyone has to start somewhere, so don’t worry about these breaks!