Our younger kids are starting to get into mountain biking and we are hoping to make this activity a more positive experience for our whole family. With parental amateur skills in mountain biking, we hope to develop the whole family to be more confident on the trail and discover a new avenue to see the outdoors and build memorable experience. We wanted to share some helpful guidelines and tips.
- Start Slow- You don’t have to ride the entire trail.
- Practice on the lawn and grab small objects to practice riding over.
- Practice tight turns using cones or other objects.
- Start riding off-road , dirt trail, or small pump track.
- Let your kid take the lead. Go at their speed and it’s OK if they walk
- Be Patient
- Encourage
- Celebrate milestones
- Ride together
- Solve obstacles instead of finding fault. Help them understand different ways to ride through different obstacles
HELPFUL BIKING TIPS
Downhill Body Position Tips
- Drop your heels. Bracing your feet against the pedals helps your body maintain stability and resist the forces that downhill braking puts on your body.
- Keep your arms and legs bent. When your arms or legs are locked out, you aren’t able to react to the terrain. Maintaining a bend in your elbows and knees will allow your joints to act like extra suspension on rough descents.
- Shift your hips back slightly. Your range of motion will depend on the steepness of the descent. Small body position adjustments go a long way!
- Chin over stem. Lower your chest and hips to build traction and stability. Keeping your chin over your stem while descending ensures your weight stays balanced and you don’t unweight your front wheel!
- Ease the squeeze. Stay in control by having a strong stance on the bike and feathering your front and rear brakes, being careful not to lock your wheels which could cause you to skid.
- Scan the trail. Move your gaze between the now and then next to scan the trail for places of traction and momentum blockers!
Uphill Body Position Tips
- Scan the trail. It’s important to not get stuck on where your front wheel is now, keep your gaze shifting upward to the next as you climb.
- Keep your hands light, drop your wrists. Don’t pull on the bar as you climb, it could cause your front wheel to move unintentionally!
- Boobs over bars! Move your chest forward and down slightly to build traction over the front wheel.
- Shift your hips forward in the saddle. Your range of motion will depend on the steepness of the incline.
- Chin over stem. If your body weight moves too far forward, you may lose traction with the rear wheel.
- Keep your momentum moving forward. Maintain a steady cadence, lighten up on your pedal stroke if you need to shift into an easier or harder gear on a climb.
MOUNTAIN BIKE TRAILS FOR FAMILIES
If started from Little Dell, the ride is 5.4 miles each way; from the roadside parking, 3.5; from Affleck Park, 2.5. The first half of the ride is in the canyon bottom in box elder, maple, and oak. This part can get a bit warm on a hot summer day, as the trees raise the humidity and block the breeze. It will actually feel cooler when you reach the exposed hillside and start climbing in earnest. Grind your way up the switchbacks.
