I am thinking to get into the sport. Any safety tips for beginners Looking for suggestion on bike too. Also, is it actually as dangerous as they say? Edit: I am in North Cal (Bay Area)
Where are you located? I’m an insanely passionate enthusiast in this sport, and race downhill and enduro. You should absolutely get into it, and I would strongly advise working with a coach — depending on where you live, I can recommend a few.
Thank! I am in Mountain View.
Rad. I think the Ninja Bikes school operates in Santa Cruz, they’re great and you’ll get a good foundation. I would also recommend traveling to Whistler and doing classes — it’s pricey but it’s the best place in the world for it. You can get a great sense of the culture. Riding in California can be tricky, many of the best trails are unsanctioned. But the flow trails at Soquel Demo Forest are awesome and the UC Santa Cruz campus trails are brilliant.
It is insanely fun and a very good workout, I love it. I had never heard anyone say mountain biking was dangerous before I took it up, but yes, it ranges from mildly dangerous to very dangerous. Certainly more sketchy than skiing or snowboarding.
Get a carbon fiber dual suspension bike. Get a hitch on your car and a nice rack. The Santa Cruz Mountains have some nice trails. Before you buy any gear, take the intro class from REI to see if you like it.
Join Walmart, move to Northwest Arkansas. Mountain bike capital of the US
I still haven’t ridden there! Looks so awesome, and if I understand correctly it’s tied in closely with the community right?
It’s as dangerous as you want to make it.
OP: dm me. I've been mountain biking for almost 40 years. I've won some races and am part owner of a bike shop. It's the best sport going in the Bay Area. Yes it's dangerous but it's also f***ing awesome.
How do I get over my trepidation of going down hill? Beyond a certain speed I’m scared that I could crash anytime and it isn’t much in my control.
First step is you need to look up and ahead, in the direction you want to go. All of us have a tendency to look more down, either at the wheel or what’s right in front of us. Second, counterintuitively, you need to be more forward on the bike. Beyond that, the best option is to get coaching, DM me and I can advise based on your location.
See you op with broken legs🫡
It's best to wait until you are into the sport before buying the bike. Most trails have shops that offer rentals and they are pretty okay for someone starting out. I prefer full suspension over front suspension bikes. Stick to blue trails for the first few times and then you can move to red but don't go too fast.
What state do you live in? Some areas have more forgiving trails for beginners.
I am in Mountain View, CA