Presentation ByMountain Bike Gallery

Top 5 Beginning Mountain Biker Needs

You do not wear underwear under your spandex shorts

I thought I was the only person who had ever done this.  It turns out that several other people that I know tried the same thing.  Nope.  No undies.  Just the shorts. Trust me: you’ll be much more comfortable this way.

Get some.  You can find it at any bike shop and probably even at your local pharmacy (although Vaseline will work too).  Use this before long rides, or even short rides if you’re just starting out.  Just use it around your nether-regions to prevent chafing.

There’s this stuff called Chamois butter

This (above) is uncomfortable and looks like you don’t know what you’re doing. Plus, you’ll discover it’s very difficult to start pedaling like this, or stop and rest like this for long

Don’t try to get on the seat before you pedal, or try to rest with your butt on the seat

Keep your fingers on your handlebars–not your brake levers

If you keep your fingers out like this (and I know it’s easy to do because we all get nervous and want to be able to slow down immediately), you’ll go over a tiny tiny drop and flinch. When you do, you’ll end up grabbing your front brake and fly right over your handlebars.

Nobody else is thinking about the fact that you’re: going slow, walking, or examining a drop

I know it seems like everyone is. All those strangers riding that drop as you carefully walk around it? They don’t care that you’re walking it. Probably they all walked things at some point in their bike lives. We all have. I still do. There’s no shame in it

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