10 tips for taking a new rider out mountain biking
If you're showing a friend your local trails for the first time, here is how to make sure everyone has a good time
One positive silver lining of this weird year has been a sharp rise in new people riding bikes. As summer rolls in and trails open up, some of those new riders are going to want to venture into the woods.
Here are a few tips to help make a friend’s first off-road experience high in fun factor, and low in fear factor.
1. Mountain biking is hard
If you’ve been riding off-road for years, it’s easy to forget how daunting even basic features can be, and how much fitness it takes to get up hills. On the other hand, taking time to show a friend the simplest trails you can find, the ones that you used to get hung up on, is a great reminder of just how much you’ve improved in your own riding. Nice work!
2. Ride easy trails
This isn’t the time to show off your favourite new double black diamond trail. Or even blue square one. Pick trails that are easy enough that you can learn basic techniques and get comfortable on the bike. Sure, it might not be a challenging ride for you, but this ride isn’t about you. It’s about making sure your friend has so much fun they come back for more.
3. Features can be frightening
Big roots, little drops, even steeper sections of trail are all features that require extra skill. They’re also part of the trail that can be easy to forget when you’ve ridden a trail 10, 15 or 50 times. When you’re plotting out a route, try to remember all the small features you ride without thinking about, but might catch out a new rider. Riding is more fun than walking. The more time your buddy spends on the bike, the more likely they are to come back for a second ride.
4. Scale back your expectations
You’re probably not going to do an epic 20 km loop. It’s better to start small and do a second lap if everything goes well than to have a crash or just get frustrated far from home. The extra time spent learning, adjusting to a new bike, maybe walking, plus the different fitness levels and slower speed of a new rider all should be considered when you’re thinking of your loop, and assessing how long it will take.
5. Offer help, but don’t coach
It is helpful to explain some very basic things before you start the ride if your friend has never been on a mountain bike, but it’s no fun having someone bark instructions at you every five feet of trail. Tell your friend you’re willing to help if they ask, but don’t assume. Learning for yourself is part of the fun for some riders.
Depending on how experienced the rider is with bikes, some basic tips include: which brake is the front brake, how to shift and when to shift down before hills, body position on the bike, looking ahead down the trail.
6. Modern bikes are weird
Make sure they know how to use things like derailleurs, dropper posts, and suspension if their bike has them. No one is expecting their bike seat to automatically go up and down – maybe explain why it does that.
7. Underbike
One way to adjust your own expectations of what is rideable is to make the route challenging for yourself by underbiking. It’s easy to ride anything on that big enduro bike of yours. But would you ride the same line at the same speed on an xc hardtail? Or a cyclocross bike? If the answer is “no” – your friend probably won’t appreciate being taken down that line, either.
9) For new riders, suggest people to follow on social
If your friend is completely new to biking, suggesting a few people to follow on social media can help them feel more part of the sport. Instagram doesn’t all have to be about looking/acting perfect and making perfect sourdough bread. There’s a bunch of pros that are super helpful and inspiring to follow. Whether its riding/training tips or just being great, there’s a whole group of Canadian pros (and others) that are really relatable and open online.
10 ) It’s all about fun
Equipment doesn’t matter. Dressing the part doesn’t matter. Jeans and a cotton shirt works just fine for short first rides. The only thing that matters is riding your bike and having fun. (which, really, is a reminder most of us “experienced” riders could use, too)
