• Get loose. Prepare to carve around tight corners and ride over obstacles such as roots and rocks by standing on your pedals, lifting your butt slightly above the seat, and keeping your elbows and knees bent and low to absorb any impacts
• Trust in Momentum. On a mountain bike, momentum makes everything easier. Climbs feel shorter and rocks seem smaller. Try to maintain at least a fast walking pace, then speed up – rather than slow down – before a challenging move.
• Move your body. Before a steep climb, drop your elbows toward your hips and lower your chin over the handlebars for extra balance. On descents, you need stability: Level your pedals, move your elbows out, and slide your butt behind your saddle.
• Shift, a lot. Zoom into the elevation profile of a mountain bike trail and it might look like an EKG readout – you’ll need to shift frequently to keep a good pace. Prepare for rapid undulations by keeping your fingers close to your shifters, and change gears prior to dips and spikes in the terrain.
• Heads up. As you ride, try to look at least 6 metres up the trail. This will give you time to choose the best path around (or over) hazards, shift if you need to, and get your body in the right position to tackle any obstacle.
• Support yourself. There are no convenience stores in the forest, and cell service can be rar – leaving amenities behind is one of mountain biking’s appeals. But be prepared: Carry at least a spare tube, pump, multi-tool, food and water.

It’s OK to…

• Try an obstacle again if you battle the first time. If you don’t make it after three tries, come back another day.
• Skip a tough section of trail. Better to walk through a rocky field than to suffer needlessly.
• Take a break. Even half an hour of riding can leave you exhausted. Stop, eat a snack, take in the scenery, and reset.
• Use your brakes! The front brake offers more stopping power (60% of your total braking ability), so squeeze it a little harder than the rear. Just be careful: Using only your front brake can send you over the bar.

Do I Need It?

• Clip-In Pedals If you’re new to mountain biking, riding with flat pedals can be a great way to instil confidence without the pressure of ‘clipping in. But there is no doubt that mastering clip in pedals will make for more efficient riding, better control and, surprisingly, safer riding.
• Dual Suspension Bike Dual suspension bikes are wonderful things, but a hardtail mountain bike, with front suspension, can be more than adequate on most trails and singletracks. Add a dropper post to your hardtail MTB, and there are many who believe that full suspension bikes are just overkill. Hard tails also tend to be more responsive on long climbs.