Mountain Bike Basics 101 (New riders)

[Cefn]

that first picture the guy is milking his own prostate with that saddle! my pro tip: if your going anywhere off road, lower that saddle! Youll be pissing blood otherwise

[HealthyNactive]

@Cefn, in the photo, the rider is standing on the pedals in a horizontal position and is not sitting.

[Cefn]

@HealthyNactive yes and when he sits he has all of 3 mm to go, what happens when hes goign downhill over a bumpy section and that saddle forces him over the handle bars? dont try and be a smart arse ive ridden for years

[spyderLAJ]

@Cefn Who sits down going downhill? While it's true that you need to lower your seat when going downhill, that first picture looks more like it's showing the rider with his seat in that position for a more uphill drive. 3mm? I strongly doubt that's the only clearance he has.

[wardez100]

@Cefn Your comment made me laugh like fuck

[fourpointohh]

I just picked up a kona entry level mt. bike... and i must know, why are the seats so long!? it pokes my tea bag (lmfao)

[HealthyNactive]

@fourpointohh, check out another seat in the bike store! Gotta protect that tea bag! ! ! ! FTW!

[Marinemiketobe]

I watched your video and then watched some extreme downhill mountain biking. I got to say, "you are absolutely right." Thanks for the tips.

[HealthyNactive]

@Marinemiketobe, glad you found it informative. I made these for novice mtb'ers, but the fundamentals can be applied to all mtb'ing disciplines. Just be careful out there!

[han131han]

wait I thought going down a hill your body should be more to the back otherwise it would be easier to topple over??!

[HealthyNactive]

@han131han, when your going downhill, you need to use your judgment. If it is steep, you will usually sit behind your seat to prevent yourself from going OTB's. If it is a general downhill single track or fireroad, you need to weight the front tire more so you can turn without it sliding. (Which will cause you to wipe out)

[seaotterpup]

Great video, with clear instructions and examples.

[HealthyNactive]

@seaotterpup & helloworlder, glad you like the vid and gained some insight to enhance your mtb skills..

[helloworlder]

I think this is the best video intro to mountain biking I've seen! Definitely helps newbies like me. Even better than some stuff I paid for lol. Thanks for your videos!

[HealthyNactive]

@helloworlder, Hi hellow,,,, glad you enjoyed it and helped you out... Keep riding!

[Devcon707]

First picture is at the Flume trail at Tahoe?

[HealthyNactive]

@Devcon707, yes...

[lrb662003]

Thankyou, I have just recently got a bike and will take these tips into consideration when I start going to the trails.

[HealthyNactive]

@lrb662003, Hi lrb, glad you enjoyed them so far. Take it slow until you know the trail, then speed up as you feel more comfortable on the trail. Mtb'ing is pretty dangerous, especially to new people to the sport.

[B0dyB0y]

pretty helpfull

[HealthyNactive]

Hi desy, you got it right, cut the speed and pick the smoothest line. We also have roots here in N.Cal and they are really slippery when wet!

[desy2478]

Ok thanks. Looks like you've got some amazing trails over there.

[desy2478]

That's really useful. Many of the natural trails I ride in Scotland are very slippery with mud, roots and rock so I'm fearful of the front end suddenly washing. Should I use a different cornering technique in such conditions or just cut the speed and pick the smoothest line?

[HealthyNactive]

Hey Andrew, glad you found it helpful. Just keep reminding yourself to stay in the attack position especially when going downhill. Over time, it will become more natural and you will not need to think about it.

[andrewlace]

very informative on attack position

[andrewlace]

HI there haven't watched the video yet. Noticed a hum on the audio. Having solved that problem before it's worth looking at your audio connections. I've seen XLR leads going into mono/stereo 6.35mm plugs. Without a matching transformer with switchable earth on it this did not work and there was a noticable hum on it. We used that and switched the earth off and voila clear audio. Also worth checking your leads a bad connection/earth will also cause that.

[elbertc]

thank you for making this. This is very helpful.

[HealthyNactive]

Glad to help you. Mtb'ing is a 'tough' sport and the more you know about the fundamentals of riding, the less chances of wiping out. Most people learn the hard way, but you can avoid those nasty spills by learning the basics...

[zipking]

nice it was very good explained and the examples were also good nice.