A cyclist who’s always cruised sidewalks or highways is unlikely to want to try out the mountain spirals. The reason for this is the absence of relevant skills. Nevertheless, riding on specific terrains will allow you to better master your biking skills. Before going to the mountains, consider a couple of valuable tips.
- Get used to pedaling standing up, as you will have to overcome difficult uphill and downhill slopes. City cyclists usually sit in their saddle. A tough slope or the need for strong acceleration may, though, force them to pedal standing up.
- Don’t stop pedaling. According to bikesbros, many cyclists often prefer to make jerks to stop pedaling for two or three seconds while they are in steep terrain – this is not how it works. So stop doing that if you did if you don’t want to get tired fast.
- Shift your body weight during steep climbs. When you ride along steep paths or a road filled with loose sand, stones, and dirt, you need to move your body weight forward. This is done to keep the rear wheel of the bike in contact with the ground, ensuring optimum traction. If you move your body weight too far forward, you will lose traction. If you shift too far back, the front wheel may come off the ground.
- Shift back when going down steep slopes. The saddle may even be in front of you.
- Your bike should be tough. Mountain bikes are specifically designed to overcome various obstacles on the road, as the suspension absorbs most of the impact from the unevenness. Even during jumps, the frame and other parts will remain intact. Do not try to go to the mountains on a cruiser or city bike.
- Get ready for scratches and other cosmetic problems. Road bike owners can keep their iron stallions in perfect condition for years. When off-road, you should not think that the paintwork will remain intact. Given the specific terrain, that’s almost impossible.
- Sometimes it is better to ride on the stones than to bypass them. An MTB owner sees the stone as a natural obstacle. Sometimes, the best solution is to ride through rather than try to avoid them.
- Sometimes it is better to walk. Even expert riders can jump off their bicycle from time to time to overcome very difficult sections on foot. Do not think that each section of the track can be confidently ridden on your bike. In fact, in a number of situations, walking allows you to save more energy and time to overcome very difficult areas.
- Get ready for uncomfortable situations. While in the saddle of an MTB, it is necessary to feel the moment when the wheel slides on gravel, rocks, dirt, tree roots. Unlike asphalt, the ground often sags and moves under the cyclist. If you can, relax and stay upright when you feel the bike is slipping. Excessive nerves and fear will make you tenser which may cause an accident.
- Think and observe with your eyes front. It is extremely important to think in advance about the nearest obstacle and make the right decision. Evaluate the next 20 meters of the path, thus, you will get the opportunity to confidently cope with all the possible difficulties. Look ahead, choose the most correct path for the route, and then make sure that the bike can go through the problem area. Also, check whether you can make the necessary adjustments directly during the overcoming of obstacles.
- Take experienced cyclists with you. This is for your comfort. The first time you need to go to the mountains (it has to be the area/route they know really good) is with people who can wait until you get comfortable. It must be suitable for beginners. The constant transition from small obstacles to more technical ones will provide fundamental knowledge of proper behavior. This will also minimize the likelihood that at one point you won’t like an MTB and decide to never go for a mountain ride again.
Biking benefits
- Improved sleep. Riding a bike early in the morning helps you wake up faster. Duh. But, you may not know that thanks to regular cycling, your sleep gets healthier, which means you will wake up rested. Regular cycling removes cortisol (stress hormone) which may prevent you from falling asleep from the body. Thus, cycling helps you get rid of insomnia.
- Improved digestion. Cycling improves metabolism. This increases appetite and improves food digestion. Remember how hungry you are after a bike ride? Appetite is a sign of active metabolism.
- Increased stamina. Thanks to regular cycling, you increase the overall endurance of the body, feel more energetic, more active and stronger, it is easier to carry the burden during working days, and your emotional background is stabilized.
- Weight loss. A bicycle is very useful for those who want to lose extra pounds. During a bike ride, a large number of calories are burned, and unwanted deposits in the hips are reduced. At the same time, your body burns fat not only during the trip but also for several hours after. And those who travel fast, but for short distances, burn several times more fat than those who travel long, but slowly.
- Increased muscle tone. Regular cycling helps you train the muscles of your legs, chest, back, arms. Thanks to this, their shape improves and muscle endurance increases.
- Stress reduction. Cycling is the easiest and fastest way to get a dose of “happy” hormones. Riding a bicycle, like other cyclic sports, is a great way to escape from unpleasant thoughts. Try to drive at least a couple of miles – everything superfluous will fly out of your head right away. Monotonous movements, measured breathing – all this automatically puts thoughts and feelings on the right shelves
- Strong nervous system. Cycling has a beneficial effect on the overall emotional state, helps strengthen the nervous system – your mood and overall health improve, you get a huge boost of vigor. A bicycle is the best way to let off steam after a hard day at work.
- Improved mental abilities. Cycling increases the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain which activates and restores receptors, contributes to the creation of new brain cells in the hippocampus (the area responsible for our memory). In addition, writers, musicians, artists, executives, and many other professionals use bike rides to stimulate creative thinking. Indeed, due to the increased influx of oxygen into the brain, neural activity is activated.
- Strong cardiovascular system. Biking cardio helps to strengthen the heart muscle, increase vascular tone, reduce the level of “bad” and increase the level of “good” cholesterol. Due to this, the risk of heart disease is significantly reduced.
- Oxygen enrichment. While cycling, your blood is intensively enriched with oxygen which, together with other nutrients, enters the cells of the brain and other vital organs of your body. Thanks to cycling, blood circulation in the pelvic organs improves which is especially important for men as a preventative measure for such an insidious disease as adenoma.
- Improvement of sight. Cycling is very useful for your eyes. Think about it – wherever your route runs – forest paths or sidewalks – you have to keep a close eye on the road. Your gaze is constantly focused and switched from one subject to another. Such training of the eye muscles reduces the risk of myopia and improves your sight.
- Saved time and money. When it comes to riding in the city, bikes are faster than other vehicles, since they can use various routes and, thus, reach certain destinations faster. A bike will pass where the car will not pass. Moreover, it is easy to park since it takes up significantly less space than a car. The prices are quite affordable. Also, bicycles are usually unpretentious when it comes to maintenance. If you bought a bicycle, you do not need to refuel it daily, pay taxes and insurance, if something breaks, it will not require a lot of money.
- New friends. In addition to good health, a bicycle has a positive effect on the social side of your life. Cycling is a great way to meet like-minded people who are very likely to become your new friends since you already have one common interest.
- Strong relationships. Joint cycling promotes the release of hormones of good mood so that all minor conflicts and irritations disappear without a trace. In addition, traveling on a bike is a good opportunity to talk about something romantic.