How does one get into mountain biking?

Dave Rocks said:
Get air or go home.
Click to expand...

Bullshit.

I've had the privilege of bringing up 3 mtb riding kids and introducing heaps of friends to the sport. Airtime is the least important skill I teach. Learn the basics - good bike control, how to pump and flow and reading the trail - there are online courses that teach these skills well, but nothing beats a sensible graduated learning curve.

My older daughter started at 13 yo, at 14 yo -she had no interest in air but was already faster than me

D4ED269C-5742-4863-8146-EBCAD2835E99.jpeg



By 16 she can clear most doubles, but has already recognised flow beats show. She will tackle most black runs but has the sense to look before leaping on double black diamonds. Absolutely no interest in showing off in the carpark on formed jumps.

B3EEBB8A-9396-4C1C-AB20-84BE5F58F6E1.jpeg
 
indianajo said:
We are not all 16. In fact almost none of us are 16. Going home leads to death for seniors.
I wore out a mountain bike, bought age 38, without ever getting air. I got 100 km from start once, 27 miles usually. I only fell off that bike once, as a result of LBS not tightening the stem bolt sufficiently at assembly. 8 stitches. I wear long sleeve dickies now.
Click to expand...
There are old MTBers and there are bold MTBers, but there are no old, bold MTBers.
 
1st you could get hurt on or off road. I don't mean that in negative or a deterring way it is just a fact so wear a helmet. So while I don't think there is a age limit one must make sure they are steady and familiar with there bike and if anything there bike is a little small. Start slow and easy and safety gear may not be a bad idea and riding with someone as well. Those are just a few things to consider..
 
Take it from me, learning from someone who is more experienced and who knows the local trails well will reap benefits to lessen the learning curve. I rode rigid MTBs in my youth but needed a lot of help to get back in the saddle on a FS e-MTB. As others have stated, your Allant is a great bike but if you find out later on that your skill set has improved to a point where you want to tackle more moderately difficult terrain, you may want to consider a FS machine. I now am in the habit of donning knee/elbow pads as standard protection for my outings. At our age, it’s more important to pay attention to our more fragile bodies rather than look cool on the trails. More than likely, it’s the other way around now. ;) Also, know your limitations well and don’t feel pressured to take on a trail that might be beyond your abilities regardless of what others do or say.

@steve mercier - You mean like this ? He got air and went home.

I didn’t notice this video link until it was too late and posted it in new thread. :oops:
 
I like your name/handle TrailSeeker. First time I saw it I thought, Ah, that's what we do. Sounds like an interesting journey moving toward "mountain biking". On the way to that there is a lot of fun and pleasure to be had riding trails with eMTB's.
 
PDoz said:
Bullshit.

I've had the privilege of bringing up 3 mtb riding kids and introducing heaps of friends to the sport. Airtime is the least important skill I teach. Learn the basics - good bike control, how to pump and flow and reading the trail - there are online courses that teach these skills well, but nothing beats a sensible graduated learning curve.

My older daughter started at 13 yo, at 14 yo -she had no interest in air but was already faster than me

View attachment 97295


By 16 she can clear most doubles, but has already recognised flow beats show. She will tackle most black runs but has the sense to look before leaping on double black diamonds. Absolutely no interest in showing off in the carpark on formed jumps.

View attachment 97296
Click to expand...
Dang, that rocky trail looks awesome! I would love to do that someday! Also, Congratulations on bringing up 3 outstanding kids
 
I went down in the Appalachian Mountains 2 summers ago. Riding slow and I thought controlled; the trail was rocky with large roots. It took just a moment loss of concentration when I hit a root, the bars were wrenched out of my hands and I went down. Left arm was cut up and very bloody, left leg was torn up very bad. No cell phone coverage there and 15 miles from the car. I was very fortunate to have a real good first aid kit and so did my riding partner that day. I'm reminded everytime I see all the scars on my leg.

Last year the township was working on the rural road in front of my house. They ground up the old surface and widened it about 18 inches on both sides. The widened area was just stone in preparation of paving.

The road there is 18% grade and cyclists train on the hill, both up and down. Early Sunday morning I was having coffee on the front porch with my dog. A road biker came bombing down the hill, did not take the best line and he hit the soft new shoulder. Stopped him instantly, he went flying over the bars. He was fortunate that someone saw him, as this is a very rural area. He had a compound fracture in his shoulder, bone sticking straight through his jersey. Blood everywhere. I loaded him and his bike in my pickup truck and ran him to help. He was very concerned I'd take his 13 pound bike to his house.

Both of these were rider error. I consider myself experienced and I know the other guy was as well. Accidents happen to anyone. It takes me a lot longer to heal these days. Even a deep cut can take a long time to heal. It hurts to fall down🤔

😁
 
J.R. said:
I went down in the Appalachian Mountains 2 summers ago. Riding slow and I thought controlled; the trail was rocky with large roots. It took just a moment loss of concentration when I hit a root, the bars were wrenched out of my hands and I went down. Left arm was cut up and very bloody, left leg was torn up very bad. No cell phone coverage there and 15 miles from the car. I was very fortunate to have a real good first aid kit and so did my riding partner that day. I'm reminded everytime I see all the scars on my leg.

Last year the township was working on the rural road in front of my house. They ground up the old surface and widened it about 18 inches on both sides. The widened area was just stone in preparation of paving.

The road there is 18% grade and cyclists train on the hill, both up and down. Early Sunday morning I was having coffee on the front porch with my dog. A road biker came bombing down the hill, did not take the best line and he hit the soft new shoulder. Stopped him instantly, he went flying over the bars. He was fortunate that someone saw him, as this is a very rural area. He had a compound fracture in his shoulder, bone sticking straight through his jersey. Blood everywhere. I loaded him and his bike in my pickup truck and ran him to help. He was very concerned I'd take his 13 pound bike to his house.

Both of these were rider error. I consider myself experienced and I know the other guy was as well. Accidents happen to anyone. It takes me a lot longer to heal these days. Even a deep cut can take a long time to heal. It hurts to fall down🤔

😁
Click to expand...
Yeah, roots can really get you as they’re slipperier!
 
Prairie Dog said:
Take it from me, learning from someone who is more experienced and who knows the local trails well will reap benefits to lessen the learning curve. I rode rigid MTBs in my youth but needed a lot of help to get back in the saddle on a FS e-MTB. As others have stated, your Allant is a great bike but if you find out later on that your skill set has improved to a point where you want to tackle more moderately difficult terrain, you may want to consider a FS machine. I now am in the habit of donning knee/elbow pads as standard protection for my outings. At our age, it’s more important to pay attention to our more fragile bodies rather than look cool on the trails. More than likely, it’s the other way around now. ;) Also, know your limitations well and don’t feel pressured to take on a trail that might be beyond your abilities regardless of what others do or say.

@steve mercier - You mean like this ? He got air and went home.

I didn’t notice this video link until it was too late and posted it in new thread. :oops:
Click to expand...
I do that all the time (-:
 
J.R. said:
I went down in the Appalachian Mountains 2 summers ago. Riding slow and I thought controlled; the trail was rocky with large roots. It took just a moment loss of concentration when I hit a root, the bars were wrenched out of my hands and I went down. Left arm was cut up and very bloody, left leg was torn up very bad. No cell phone coverage there and 15 miles from the car. I was very fortunate to have a real good first aid kit and so did my riding partner that day. I'm reminded everytime I see all the scars on my leg.

Last year the township was working on the rural road in front of my house. They ground up the old surface and widened it about 18 inches on both sides. The widened area was just stone in preparation of paving.

The road there is 18% grade and cyclists train on the hill, both up and down. Early Sunday morning I was having coffee on the front porch with my dog. A road biker came bombing down the hill, did not take the best line and he hit the soft new shoulder. Stopped him instantly, he went flying over the bars. He was fortunate that someone saw him, as this is a very rural area. He had a compound fracture in his shoulder, bone sticking straight through his jersey. Blood everywhere. I loaded him and his bike in my pickup truck and ran him to help. He was very concerned I'd take his 13 pound bike to his house.

Both of these were rider error. I consider myself experienced and I know the other guy was as well. Accidents happen to anyone. It takes me a lot longer to heal these days. Even a deep cut can take a long time to heal. It hurts to fall down🤔

😁
Click to expand...
Great you were able to help him physically and mentally - by taking care of his bike.

Anyone who wants to be prepared for blood flow injuries may want to know that military blood stopper materials are redily available and affordable.

Sometimes called Israeli Bandages with a self contained gauze wrap or Quick Clot that you pore over the wound as powder and it clots blood quickly.
 
Last edited:
PDoz said:
Bullshit.

I've had the privilege of bringing up 3 mtb riding kids and introducing heaps of friends to the sport. Airtime is the least important skill I teach. Learn the basics - good bike control, how to pump and flow and reading the trail - there are online courses that teach these skills well, but nothing beats a sensible graduated learning curve.

My older daughter started at 13 yo, at 14 yo -she had no interest in air but was already faster than me

View attachment 97295


By 16 she can clear most doubles, but has already recognised flow beats show. She will tackle most black runs but has the sense to look before leaping on double black diamonds. Absolutely no interest in showing off in the carpark on formed jumps.

View attachment 97296
Click to expand...
Can you talk about some of the protection she’s wearing for her knees/elbows?
 
J.R. said:
I went down in the Appalachian Mountains 2 summers ago. Riding slow and I thought controlled; the trail was rocky with large roots. It took just a moment loss of concentration when I hit a root, the bars were wrenched out of my hands and I went down. Left arm was cut up and very bloody, left leg was torn up very bad. No cell phone coverage there and 15 miles from the car. I was very fortunate to have a real good first aid kit and so did my riding partner that day. I'm reminded everytime I see all the scars on my leg.

Last year the township was working on the rural road in front of my house. They ground up the old surface and widened it about 18 inches on both sides. The widened area was just stone in preparation of paving.

The road there is 18% grade and cyclists train on the hill, both up and down. Early Sunday morning I was having coffee on the front porch with my dog. A road biker came bombing down the hill, did not take the best line and he hit the soft new shoulder. Stopped him instantly, he went flying over the bars. He was fortunate that someone saw him, as this is a very rural area. He had a compound fracture in his shoulder, bone sticking straight through his jersey. Blood everywhere. I loaded him and his bike in my pickup truck and ran him to help. He was very concerned I'd take his 13 pound bike to his house.

Both of these were rider error. I consider myself experienced and I know the other guy was as well. Accidents happen to anyone. It takes me a lot longer to heal these days. Even a deep cut can take a long time to heal. It hurts to fall down🤔

😁
Click to expand...
Like the the message not the getting hurt part know a little about that
 
A little late to the party, but here are a few thoughts.

Look at mtbproject.com and/or trailforks.com. They will show you local mountain bike trails, rated for difficulty.
Don't go to a hiking trail and expect to ride a bike. It might not be allowed, and it will probably mean getting off the bike and carrying it over lots of obstacles. Go to bike trails developed with mountain biking in mind.
Try to find someone willing to ride with you once you've developed basic skills. Most riders want to ride at their own pace but are willing to sometimes show a newbie the local trails. If you go to the same local trail a lot, stick around and chat with other riders. Trade phone numbers. Try to fit in with their usual riding schedule so that you don't inconvenience them. I am willing to ride by myself, but its more fun when you are with friends. Or, ask around at your local bike shop in case they do group rides.
If you are riding trails developed for mountain bikes, you will probably end up owning a dual suspension bike. Particularly if you are over the age of 20. A hardtail just beats you up too much.
I just watched the video in the link above. I agreed with everything he had to say. It looks like it is was filmed in the NW. Trails in North Carolina don't look like that. We catch way less air than in the video. Personally, I try not to catch air - my wheels stay on the ground 99% of the time.
If you let your local bike shop set up your new bike's suspension, expect it to be set up for the way THEY like to ride. The fork will probably be too stiff, as well as the rear shock if you have one, because they are probably expert riders who expect to catch six feet of air as often as possible. YOU may not ride that way, and may want to soften the suspension to YOUR liking. Same goes for tire pressure. If you are rolling across a million roots and rocks but never catch air, you probably want softer suspension and tires.
I did not start riding until I was about 34. Took a five year break and picked it back up in my mid 50's. My skills are still good and the bike is better than anything I'd ridden in the 90' and 2000's. With the ebike, hill climbing (which used to be my forte') is not an issue either. So don't worry about your age.
Try not to ride much above your skill level. As has been noted, old bodies don't heal as well. Plus, they get out of shape faster when you are at home, healing.
In any case, I hope you have fun and stay safe.
 
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