for some reason my memory is telling me its a focus not a pinnqacle… agreed that its more people out riding 😀

cookeaa i’m not worried about what others think.. i wear DH gear and ride a carrera from halfords 😆 suppose its just me being a bit reflective and wondering if there’s any beginners specific places as the riding gods do sometimes like to make it appear like us beginners aren’t welcome (hence me making sure the group rides i’ve organised are as welcoming as possible)

mol – yeah riding in wet weather… always ride straight through as not to widen the trails like a good boy (plus its more fun)

great reading but a valid point, i am in my 3rd season, realised very early on that i am not the 14yr old on a BMX any more. MTB is a skill that needs time to develop as well as fitness…so for me the the big mistake as a n00bz was to think I was Steav Peat….Hard lesson when I am licking the soil after knocking myself out at the top of Spooky Woods…..

IMHO

The biggest noob error is charging about all over the place with a big grin on your face as if you’ve just discovered the best thing in the world. FFS, you’re a grown man riding a bike around in the woods – get over it.

The biggest error experienced riders make is to ride around with a look on your face as if you’ve just been slapped about by a kid from the year below you at school and his mates (sorry – m8s) are going to be waiting for you after the dinner bell. FFS; you’re riding a bike around in the woods and your mum isn’t going to tell you off for going home with ripped and muddy jeans – how cool is that!

the riding gods do sometimes like to make it appear like us beginners aren’t welcome

I actually think the real ‘riding gods’ are the most welcoming and encouraging riders, it’s the wannabees who can be a bit up themselves…..

Just ride

i think tis very easy for beginners to get defensive and react to advice given (usually) with the best intentions… but because we’re beginners and the majority probably aren’t involved in trail building/maintenance we see it as “riding gods not putting up with people new to the sport”

it’d be easy to post on a load of threads “oh so you started off as a riding hero? never a beginner then? why do bike have back brakes?!” and have been tempted to do so in the past when i’ve read something that’s been poorly worded or has been written by someone who’s had their trail ruined by beginners… but that doesnt help anyone and just furthers the negative stereotypes.

i’d hope we’d all agree that its good to encourage new riders and get more people into the sport? i hope the people who are out there putting in the man-hours building and maintaining the infrastructure we all enjoy understand that as beginners we do want to get better and dream of being able to clear sections without touching the brakes!

I also hope that beginners also try and keep in mind how much blood and sweat people put into keeping the sport alive and creating an environment that everyone can enjoy.

An actual tip?

Either ride it or get off.

Up hill sort of shuffling with both feet on the ground is a pain. Dabing downhill can be a disaster. I’ve seen people put a foot down whilst braking, unwaiting the rear which then lifts off the ground throwing them off. Once you comitted keep your speed down but keep going don’t try and get off until you’ve stopped.

I’m assuming that your on a trail that can be ridden not heading for a cliff edge

Every seems to play in the mud at Woburn where I assume people are friendly and welcoming, maybe I’m not good at reading them

Chicksands is friendly too

Don’t let anybody try and embarrass you into trying Spd’s too early.

Get a quick release for your saddle and use it.

Get some advice on setting up your controls.

Hardtails are not inferior. But a good FS will definetly make most things easier. I have really found my FS has helped my confidence but as I have improved I ride my Hardtail more.

Explore every snicket or sliver of singletrack in your area.

Be polite to other trail users no matter how arsey they are..

@TSY, he’s a beginner, can’t be awesome unless he’s name’s Mat.
Otherwise:

Hmmm…

*should I tell him?*

😆

Either ride it or get off.

yup 🙂

I’m assuming that your on a trail that can be ridden not heading for a cliff edge

yup 🙂

Every seems to play in the mud at Woburn where I assume people are friendly and welcoming, maybe I’m not good at reading them

Chicksands is friendly too

most people i’ve met on the trails are friendly… there are of course the moody grumpy riders out there but there’s no point letting them get in the way of a good time… its online that people tend to come across as unwelcoming to beginners.

Don’t let anybody try and embarrass you into trying Spd’s too early.

i don’t think i ever want to be attached to the bike other than my action man grip! flats for me and perfectly happy with them 🙂

Get a quick release for your saddle and use it.

definitely going to play with saddle height more, yeti/torm if you’re reading this remind me when we’re out playing!

Get some advice on setting up your controls.

advice taken and noted… set up at a good angle now with brakes/shifter positioned so i can use one-finger-braking

Hardtails are not inferior. But a good FS will definetly make most things easier. I have really found my FS has helped my confidence but as I have improved I ride my Hardtail more.

made a promise to myself i wouldn’t move to FS until i’ve learnt how to ride properly 🙂 i know i’d think less about my line choice if i was on a FS for example.

Explore every snicket or sliver of singletrack in your area.

that’s what i’m doing

Be polite to other trail users no matter how arsey they are..

always 🙂

I do try and be a good beginner and stuff!

Three things that I’ve seen alot are people not looking far enough ahead, not in control of their speed so over cook corners and trying stuff they shouldn’t really because they have been egged on by people who should know better. However more unforgivable is the bike shop who didn’t bother to set up or even explain what the suspension was for on what looked like a very expensive Lapierre for a guy I met on Sunday.

Phil… if you go out on the bike tonight… lower your saddle for descents!

Most established ‘bikers can spot a noob from a mile off like the Fremen in Dune can an outsider. Whether you like it or not, we are a modern tribe and all the subtleties of setup that have come from necessity differentiate new people.
It’s like those scenes in war movies where the green bloke has all his unnecessary kit stripped off him when he meets his new platoon; they’ve been there and know what’s what.

As far as the OP’s question goes, the thing I mostly find myself yelling to noobs is “pedals level, keep rolling”

Posting during term time.

Thinking that spd’s are the only choice of pedals.

I’ve seen Woburn/Chicksands mentioned – want to meet up there some time for a ride but most importantly having a play around with the cameras? 🙂

riding in the mud
using the back brake at times on singletrack
using winter tyres when the suns out
organising group rides that increase the trail erosion by extra traffic

EDIT – i’m not talking about the silly rules like road riders aren’t allowed peaks on their helmets or being struck down by lightning if they wear baggy shorts.

Just to clarify, those first four are also silly rules.

If I were trying to stop newbies making daft mistakes I’d suggest keeping it cheap, keeping it relaxed, don’t listen to any rules that people may tell you and just have a good time. There’s plenty of time to become a miserable, anal, tyre pressure gauge carrying killjoy once you’ve got experienced.

Yeah.. concentrate on setting up your bike correctly (not upgrading it) and then riding fast through singletrack.

don’t listen to any rules that people may tell you and just have a good time. There’s plenty of time to become a miserable, anal, tyre pressure gauge carrying killjoy once you’ve got experienced.

i’ve been riding for nearly 20 years and i didn’t know there were rules till i started using this forum!
now i know there are rules i ignore them 😉

I thought this thread was about tips, not rules; there are no rules. Be helpful.

Phil – biggest mistake is worrying about bein a n00b!

We should go play somewhere and we’ll make you Awesome in no time!!

Thinking everyone else is Awesome … when they clearly aren’t. 😉

had a silly off on my ride this evening…

rode a bit of singletrack i haven’t touched since summer last year and completely forgot the way down, took a corner too wide/too fast and clip my handlebars on a tree (wasnt looking far enough ahead nearly all evening and as a result had many silly balance moments).

managed to hit the tree with enough force to shift my handlebars around so correcting them at light speed did nothing apart from bed the front wheel in hard and spin me and the bike around resulting in a delicious and seemingly slow motion crash.

feel very much like a beginner this evening! although on a positive note i covered about 16 miles in the same amount of time i’d normally cover 10 so less stopping and faster average speed despite what felt like a painful aching ride back (via some new bits of singletrack of course)

tom – it wasnt me that mentioned those places… have no idea where they are?! still some time messing around filming and riding new places sounds good 🙂

Yeti – i need to recover and see if my backs ok before getting back on the bike 🙁 was planning on riding thursday and both days of the weekend but the crash may have knocked that possibility out of me

C’mon, let’s get to the point.

What mistakes do noobs make?

Being shit.

Turning their bikes upside down to put the wheels in.

Caring what anyone else thinks

Caring what anyone else thinks

and we have a winner!

Best tip is just to ride the dam thing! Its only a bike after all! two wheels and a saddle. It should be as simple as that! Best bet is to stick two fingers up to this forum in regard to what you should and should not do. Cycling as become far too much of an image thing. As long as you don’t work in IT then thats all that matters.

listening to people on here who have nothing to offer except bull****

Pretty much exactly what I was going to say, but someone else beat me to it!

Seriously, we all learnt somehow… You may think it a bit of a luxury having super fast internet in 2011 to ask a wealth of questions, but in a way, when I was starting off MTBing as a boy not yet into his teens in the early 90’s, there was a total innocence about everything and it did not matter. I found out my own way over time and through trial and error about what tyres worked for me, what kind of riding I preferred, whether or not (and when) clipless pedals worked for me etc etc…

Take note of the following though if you want some actual advice…

-As someone who’s not been riding long, now is the perfect time to get some coaching. You’re a relative blank canvas, you shouldn’t have too many bad habits (unlike myself) to break, so it would be money well spent.
-Some decent padded cycling shorts (worn under baggies normally) are a life saver. I spent years riding in just my boxers and jeans/shorts. Finally getting over the stigma of lycra being for girls I realised just how useful decent padded shorts are!
-It’s better to be overprepared than underprepared. I’m not saying take the kitchen sink, but some basic tools, a spare tube or 2, a mini pump and a small first aid kit all live in my Camelbak permanently, and all have been used on rides too! I always carry an energy bar too, but I suffer from low blood sugar levels.
-Look as far ahead down the trail as you can. Your front wheel will go where you’re looking, if your eyes are looking only 2 feet in front of your front wheel, you won’t be very stable!
-Outside foot down when going round corners, and try to weight the pedals as much as possible, hence giving the bike more traction in the corners.
-Drop your wrists and heels over the rough stuff, you won’t need to hang onto the bars anywhere near as hard as you think, and you will get a lot more control by relaxing and letting the bike do some of the work underneath you rather than your forearms and your legs taking a pummeling.
-Variety is the spice of life, get out and ride new places when possible, it will only fuel the fire of your enthusiasm!

😀

-Some decent padded cycling shorts (worn under baggies normally) are a life saver. I spent years riding in just my boxers and jeans/shorts. Finally getting over the stigma of lycra being for girls I realised just how useful decent padded shorts are!

definitely this! why sit on the floor when you can sit on the sofa? wear them under baggies and no one is any the wiser.

my tip is dont underestimate what your bike is capable of. a cheap 100mm hardtail can do so much more than people think. Maybe not a fast as other things, but you dont need the most expensive, 6″ either end all singing all dancing ferrari of bikes to do your local trails.

i can remember thinking i was going to break my gt avalanche when i started riding in wales 😆

what’s wrong with turning the bike upside down to remove/insert the wheel? 😳

The biggest mistake a noob can make is taking too much notice of what is or isn’t fashionable or comfortable for them. Put bar ends on risers if you want to, put your brakes and shifters where they feel best to you, take trail obstacles at a pace that suits you and learn new skills at the pace that suits you.

Cycling is meant to be fun first and foremost, the pressure to do things in a certain way or to progress at a certain pace can be very off-putting to people new to the sport.

what’s wrong with turning the bike upside down to remove/insert the wheel?

Absolutely nothing; in fact, I would call it best practice. Just remember to put something (like your gloves*) under the brake levers to stop them getting scratched.

*more noob advice: wear full-fingered gloves.

I’d also add that a basic skills course can be a very sound investment. There are many, many bad habits to pick up and it’s much easier to correct them before they’re embedded than it is when they’re a few seasons old. A good foundation will make it so much easier to “just have fun!” as you’ll actually have a clue what you’re doing.

Learn to fix your own bike.

apart from the turning bike upside down bit i think nearly every bit of advice i’ve read and thought “yup, already do that :D”

and those that have met me will know my enthusiasm for riding isnt hindered in anyway by other people’s opinions 😆

a lot of my comments in earlier posts on this thread are a subtle attempt at paraphrasing various threads i’ve seen and comments made to me by beginners… i’m constantly encouraging new people into mtb and the massive group rides i’ve organised have a huge push to be as beginner friendly as possible… lots of people who have come to those rides make a point of telling me it’s nice to feel welcome instead of out of place…

the abundance of helpful tips on this thread goes to show that even on the internet where its easier to be an arse as you’re not saying things face to face (easier to type “you’re shit… get out my way!” on a forum thread than say it to someone in real life) it still echoes my experiences in real life that the majority of people you’ll meet enjoying the same sport will take some time to be welcoming and helpful 🙂

philconsequence – Member
what’s wrong with turning the bike upside down to remove/insert the wheel?

Nothing, it’s what noobz do! 😉

I do that and my brakes are scratched to buggery. Meh.

my bikes scratched to buggery

i like it… evidence i’ve been out in the woods actually using it for fun

apart from the fork stanchions (sp?) which i try to ensure i dont scratch!

Learn the 1,2,3,4,5 of bike crashing

1 Wiggle your fingers
2 Twiddle your toes
3 Throw your shoulders about
4 Fix your bike
5 Forget about the crash

I taught my gopdson that when he was 6. Mainly so when he crashed he had to repeat it and by the time he had finished he had got over the crash but it is useful to make sure nothing is broken.

Everybody gets that massive excited buzz when they first start to and then decide they really enjoy off road cycling and you just want to share that feeling (as your obviously enthusiastic) . Learn as you go, listen to good advice and remember WE WERE ALL NOOBIES once, it was along time ago for some of us 😥

Get out there, ride and you enjoy it my son it just gets better and better…….