Mountain Bike Gear Basics
Mountain bike riding is just one big journey of self development.
Mountain bike gear basics. Put all of this into practice and learn the basics. Shift the chain between the front chainrings for big changes then use the rear cogs to fine tune your gear setting. The following tips apply to a conventional bike with more than one front chainring. See more mountain bike tips or find mountain bike rides near you.
On a mountain bike gear selection is dictated by the terrain you re riding. Before hitting the trails it s important to understand proper trail etiquette. You ll want to understand the basics of mountain biking and apply these tips to your daily rides. The need to know basics.
Let s start out by examining the anatomy of mountain bike gears. To simplify gear shifting and minimize stress on your drivetrain don t shift both the front and rear shifters at the same time remember. Find the full 22 gear shifting do s and don t. Mountain bike fitting basics you don t need mountains to go mountain biking.
Sometimes the best way to ride your mtb better is to go right the way back to basics. Fig 1 below shows the front part of the mountain bike gear mechanisms. This will give you have a clear understanding of what all the different parts are. The best way to get a hang of what your gears feel like is to take your bike to a safe place away from traffic like an empty parking lot and shift through all the gears in the front and rear to.
Most importantly make sure you have the protective equipment that fits you well helmet durable clothing and the basic tools for trailside maintenance multi tool hand pump and spare tube. It s the key to advancing to more technical skills later on. Try to borrow gear and a bike before going all in i don t recommend borrowing a helmet though. Front mountain bike gear parts.
Here are five often neglected basic yet essential skills that every mountain biker should work on. That is avoid those gear combinations that put your chain at a severe angle smallest inside front chain ring smallest outside back freewheel cog and largest outside front chain ring largest inside back freewheel cog. Learn how to shift gears on a mountain bike better with these on the trail gear shifting tips and techniques. Use one shifter at a time.