How to Improve Mountain Biking Skills

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We all desire to ride our mountain bikes at its highest capacity. No one can deny the fact. Obviously, it can be done. However, to be able to reach that level you need to get some things correct at first. Because it isn’t only about reaching the top speed but also to make sure you come out safe doing so. And in mountain biking, it is even more critical as you’re off the usual track most of the times. So, with some regular practice and a little bit of patience you can improve those required mountain bike skills and get on to the next level.

 

  • Balance:  Balance is a decisive element while riding a two wheeler. Especially a mountain biker needs to have the perfect balance to tackle the difficult and winding trails. Your expertise to maintain the balance on the bike can be crucial to complete a track or trail. Practice hard to master the art of “Trackstand”. With enough practice, you can balance momentarily. This is a sign of getting better.
  • Train with better riders: If you aren’t training harder than you aren’t getting better. Training alone is helpful, but if you train with others, then you will find out your shortcomings. So, train with stronger and faster riders. This will motivate you to improve yourself as a rider. Besides that, you will also get the opportunity to pick up tips from your partners which might help you to develop as a cyclist.
  • Instinct: When you’re in a particularly rocky road, predicting the road forward is a make or break game. Your knowledge of finding the best places where to change the weight, use the pedals and press the brakes shows your character as a rider. Looking forward while riding marks the crucial difference between amateurs and professionals mountain bikers. While amateurs are trying to look for the rocks on the roads to not to get hit, champions look forward to reaching the goal. Also, they tend to get less hit too unlike the riders looking for the rough corners.
  • Relax: If you are riding a comfortable bike with full suspension, then you would hardly think about getting some rest. But that is one of the things every inexperienced rider does wrong. Giving a proper amount of rest to your legs is crucial. Also, don’t be so uptight with your grip and body position on the bike. Be as comfortable as you can while riding so that fatigue won’t get you that easily.
  • Weight change: Learning to use your body to maintain weight inside and outside of the wheels is important. For proper balance, you need to have the intuition to change your weight on the fly. Only with practice, one can learn the skill of weight changing. It is somehow a tricky business so practice on a soft lawn. This is one of the most important one. Mountain biking technical skills is something which will come in handy all along.
  • Train hard and smart: Exercise as hard as you can. A technic which most mountain bikers neglect. They prefer normal training sessions for a longer hour rather than going all out. Sometimes high-intensity work is great for riders as they can find out their endurance level and also get the sense of how fast their strength restores. The combination of very hard interval training and basic exercise with low intensity makes you a faster mountain biker.
  • Practice on the track: The best exercise to improve your mountain biking ability is to spend time on the track. Skills are naturally developed when you are middle of the actual situation. So try to practice on your local mountain areas as often as possible. Mountain biking is not a sport that you can learn in a day, but the time you spend in the rough terrains will translate directly to better technical knowledge and a safer overall experience.

Conclusion

The tips mentioned above and mtb skills won’t seem that much in naked eyes to many. But actually, these can really boost your level as a rider. Most of the cyclists will neglect them for sure. But if your end goal is to become a better rider, then you will start to follow the above 7 tips of becoming a pro mountain biker from right now. Check our guide on best mountain bike under 1000 dollars and compare them.

 

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About the Author Donny Minchillo

Hey everyone, by day I'm a developer, but my mind is always outside. I spend as much time as possible discovering new trails and mountain biking through the Costa Rican jungle!