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Beginners 411
by Jay deBellonia & Matt
Essentials for the cycling:
Safety & Gear:
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Helmet: It does not matter what you cycling discipline is, please wear a helmet. In most parks it's a rule. Please be a responsible rider, people who ride
without helmets jeopardize trail availability for all. If you see somebody without
a helmet, be a friend and remind him or her to get one.
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Gloves: Gloves can really help remove some of the stress placed on you palms and protect
your hands in the event of a crash.
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Shorts, Shirts, & Shoes: There are so many choices it is hard to decide, this is really a personal preference
issue, some love to look the part, some like the style, some don't. Do yourself
a huge favor and make sure that you feel comfortable in whatever you choose, and
make sure you are dressed for the conditions outside!
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Hydration & Snacks: Very important! Be sure to have water bottles or hydration packs. It is very
disheartening to be caught out in the woods thirsty and without beverage, not
to mention possible deadly in summers heat. Always carry a little something like
a candy bar, cookies, or energy bars to help put if you bonk on a trail.
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Basic Tool Kit: At minimum you should have some basic tools that you know fit the nuts &
bolts of your fit your bike. Multitools are "bike specific" tools that are fairly
cheap and usually combined all the needed tools in one useful tool. Ala "SwissArmyKnife"
of cycling.
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Other carry alongs: Spare Tube and/or Patch kit, Tire Levers, & Mini-Pump.
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Try to always ride with a buddy, but if you can not, it is a good idea to bring a cell phone, or at least let
somebody know where you are and when you'll be back.
Group Riding and trail Etiquette
Group riding tips
A few tips concerning trail and riding etiquette. These are not rules, but suggestions.
1. Have fun.
2. Keep a reasonable distance between you and the rider in front of you. This allows
them room to make mistakes and dabs, plus you're not running into them. This is
especially true when riding on obstacles, stunts or difficult climbs.
3. It's not rude to ask to go ahead or ask to be passed. A group will find it's
natural speed and you will feel more comfortable knowing your not holding someone
up or slowing yourself down.
4. When you fall on an obstacle, make every effort to clear the area for the next
rider and allow them the opportunity to try it as well.
5. Don't stop in the middle of the trail if you can help it.
6. Always say hi to other riders not in your group. It's common to announce how
many more riders are in your group that still need to pass.
7. Always ask riders with mechanical issues if they need a hand.
8. Don't widen the trail or take short cuts. Respect the trail design.
9. Don't stand in landing zones for hucks and jumps. No telling where the rider
will land sometimes and you don't want to be hit.
10. Warn riders behind you of hidden obstacles or trouble.
11. Make sure you come out of the woods with everyone you started with. It's common
to regroup at trail intersections.
12. If your going to stop, stop at the top of the hill, not the bottom.
13. Be patient.
14. Be encouraging to other riders, respect others skills, abilities and learning
curves.
15. Big Groups might consider yielding to smaller groups or singles. Let them pass
in opposite direction, or "play through" if they are faster than your group.
16. Designate a sweeper to ride last if there are beginners or riders of varying
skill level on the ride.
General Tips:
Ride preparation is one of the single most important and easy things you can do to help ensure
a fun ride.
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Know your scheduled maintenance by reading the owners manuals for your bike and
the components.
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Keep all your cycling equipment in one place so leaving home without some thing
is hard to do. I keep my CamelBak, helmets, gloves, and, tools general cycling
tools all in one large bag so I can just grab and go.
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Try to plan a ride in advance so you can organize gear & ride buddies in
advance.
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Eat before riding, there is nothing worst than getting 5 or 10 miles down a trail
and bonking.
Look over your bike before and after each ride.
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Check tire pressures, chain tension & lube chain, look for wearing and cracks
in your cables & brake lines.
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I like to clean my bike after each ride, this usually means using "Honda Polish"
(mc polish, similar to furniture polish for bikes) or good old mild soap &
water. This really helps you look over your bike well. When drying off, look
for paint chips, stress cracks, and cracks in the welds of your frame.
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with others.
Ride with people who are of different skill level than yourself. The more experienced riders
will teach you, and you can help teach those less experienced than you. This can
be tremendously helpful to those less experienced and you will gain confidence as
you share the skills you have learned.
Have patience: Do not try to ride above and beyond your skill level, you will always see someone
better, and only saddle time will get you there. Sometimes walking a new trail
first can give you more of an idea of what to expect then just riding it.
A friend of the site Quick Tips, Points, & Opinions page.
2 sayings I love:
"When in doubt, bail out!"
"There is always tomorrow."
Links that we have found useful for riders of all levels:
General
mtbr.com (Great all around site, with trail reviews, product reviews and multiple forums)
Sheldon Brown's (How-to, bike & component explanations & more..)
Club & Information (Stock pile of collected sites)
Repair
Park Tools (Park Tool Specific, but still very helpful with explanation & repair)
Funny
Bike Slang (MTB Glossary, and funny too.)
And of course, if you don't find it here, do a search. There is SO MUCH info
on the web.
Good Dirt!
Night Riding
by Tim Broyer
Night riding your favorite trail will bring a whole new "light" to the experience.
I actually find it funny because I can clear things on a night ride that give
me trouble in the day. Night riding brings more focus to the trail, so if you
consider yourself confident with your bike handling skills, certainly give night
riding a shot. Night riding usually happens more in the Late Fall/Winter/Early
Spring because of the earlier sunsets. Here are a few things we recommend:
 1. A decent light set. You need at least one 10 watt light system that will run for 2 hours. This gives
you a good ride over an hour with some fudge factor time. When it comes to lights,
you get what you pay for. Shop around and get one good light versus a couple cheap
ones. There is serious debate about bar versus helmet lights. There is no set
rule, do what you want. I suggest buying a light set that comes with both mounts
because eventually, you will want to run one of each. If you have more questions
about which lights to purchase, just ask around. There are quite a few good lights
out there that won't break your bank, while other expensive lights really do not
work so well.
2.
 Two lights are better. A bar mounted light is my first recommendation. Use it in conjunction with a
head lamp style and you are ready to seriously roll. The bar mount light will
keep you focused and let you know which way your tire is rolling. The head lamp
allows you to scan ahead for changes in the trail and duck under branches.
3. Bring a spare. I pack a small Mag light in my pack in case my lights quit. I can at least get
out of the woods. I have seen some folks tape the light to their handle bar in
an emergency. It is also handy for trail side repairs instead of wasting your
bike light battery.
4. Bring a friend. Don't ride alone at night, especially your first time out. Night riding is a
great way for a group ride and it is cool seeing other lights zip through the
woods. Check with CyclingCentralVa.org or Pocahontas Night Rides for posted night rides. It is quite popular in the winter time. Many times after
a night ride, we get together for good eats!
5. Ride a trail you know. Certainly not a golden rule, but it will be a less intimidating experience if
you have an idea about what is behind the next corner.
6. Relax and just ride. It is a great time and brings a whole new experience to riding. Use your instincts,
relax and follow the trail. No one gets left back on night rides, actually many parks that allow night riding request riders stay in one group.
It's a blast, so come on out and join us!
Riding in Storms:
During the summer months thunderstorms creep up fast, if you can hear the thunder,
you can get hit by lightning! Our region is filled with "Isolated" and "Scattered
T-Storms" so just be aware and if you see or hear a storm approaching, get out
of the woods. A common misconception that I still hear a lot of people saying
that rubber tires protect a passenger from lightning. This is completely Untrue!
The reason that an automobile is safe in a lightning storm is that it has a conductive
metal shell not from its tires, and your bike tires won't help you either.
Here are a few pages that can explain in more detail if you are interested.
- submitted by Will, 7/2003
From one Rider to another. A little advice for beginner riders from a veteran
rider.
by Tim Broyer, 5/2004
First and foremost, welcome to the sport of mountain biking. If you are reading
this, it means you found this great site and have started to dig in. You've most
likely just gotten a new bike or recently re-entered the sport. Mountain biking
can be loads of fun and it can also come off as hard, frustrating and disappointing.
Here are several tips and pointers for the beginner rider from one rider to another.
These points aren't the technical or advice type, but more the general type for
moving around the mountain bike world and making the right first steps into mountain
biking while out on the trail.
- Have fun. Sounds simple doesn't it? Sometimes it can be a little tough to remember that
you are having fun, riding your bike in the woods. Falling down, mechanicals and
scraped knees are par for the course. It's an old cliché, but it's true. A lousy
day of mountain biking beats a good day at work anytime.
- Don't stop in the middle of the trail. The biggest reason to not stop in the middle of the trail is to avoid collisions
with other riders. If you have to stop for over a few seconds, just pull off to
the side allowing other riders a clear path.
- Slide, don't glide. One of the golden rules for keeping trails in good shape. Trails just don't
appear. They are built and maintained by volunteers and park staff who take great
pride in them. Skidding your back tire was cool when you were 7, but it's not
cool on that sweet descent at New Light. Having a skid contest in the gravel parking
lot is a whole different story!
- Stay on the trail. Sounds pretty simple, but it's important. There will be times when you lose
control of your bike and pile off into the bushes. That is fun and sometimes those
bushes are saving you from a trip to the ER. Staying on the trail in this context
means not creating shortcuts or straightening the trail. The trail has twists,
turns and logs for a reason. Please don't alter a trail unless it's for safety
reasons or something huge is completely blocking the trail. All the trails in
our area are cared for by someone or a group. If you see something that you think
needs attention, post it on the message boards and the builders will read it.
Most trails have bail-out options on the harder log stacks and obstacles. Leave
the challenges for the experienced riders to enjoy and there is no shame in walking
over or around them.
- Ride dry trails. Nothing damages a trail more than riding in sloppy mud and wet conditions. With
experience, you will learn which trails hold up better and dry the quickest but
it's a safe rule to wait 24 hours after a good rain fall for the trail to dry
out a bit. In the winter, some of our trails are not able to ride for weeks at
a time. If you find yourself on a wet trail, walk around or avoid the wet areas
and try not to make the puddles any bigger.
- Trailside maintenance ad hoc. If you come across some dead limbs or debris on the trail that impedes your
path, take 30 seconds out of your ride and clear it out if possible. If you can't
move it, don't sweat it. Maybe post something on the boards that you noticed a
tree down on the trail. Some puddles of water can be drained out by scraping a
little drainage ditch out the lowest side. This can be done with a limb or the
heel of your shoe.
- Yield to other trail users. Always yield to hikers. It's the neighborly thing to do. When approaching horses,
always yield and try to make eye contact with the rider. It's not a bad idea to
say something, since the horse is familiar with human voices.
- Be an ambassador of the sport. This can be as simple as saying hello to passing riders or driving to the trail
head responsibly. Unfortunately, mountain bikers aren't seen as welcome guests
by some folks and a large part of that is due to our own actions. Speeding to
the trail head with a bike on your rack is like waving a red flag at a bull ring.
Slow down and respect the small side streets and neighborhoods your favorite trails
reside in.
Ultimately, mountain bike riding is about having fun. You don't have to get caught
up in any 'proper' way to ride your bike or a certain style. If you're riding
your bike and having fun than you've got it figured out.
"The ride that can be finished is not the perfect ride.
The frame that can be broken is not the perfect frame.
The ride is the beginning of sky and dirt."
- Corvus Corvax
A big thanks to Tim & Matt of Trianglemtb.com for use of material for this page. |