Beginners Riding Tips

  Here's a few things that point out a beginner, or Yahoo as affectionately known. They are to be avoided.

1. Bike lock attached to your bike, or anything else for that matter including a kickstand or odometer. (If you ride hard, it'll snag and rip right off)
2. Steer Horns or Bar Ends sticking straight up. They are for leverage on a hill climb, not so you don't have to bend over to reach the handlebar.
3. Knees pointing outward, when pedaling. (knees should be tightly tucked towards the inside of your body)
4. Helmet strap on loosely, or helmet sitting back on your head. Better mountain bikers know the hazards, and don't mess with their heads. It can be a very, very, dangerous sport if proper care isn't taken, even by the best of us.
5. Tires on backwards. Your bike tires rotate in a specific direction for the proper grip. There's usually an arrow to show you, you just have to check them. Better riders can tell just by looking at them, even at a distance. Yep, they be snickerin'.
6. Crappy department store bikes. Sorry, they are cheaper, but they also fall apart when beaten. If you're going to ride in the city, or on paved cycling paths (urgggh), that's one thing, but if you're here, you'd better get a better bike than that. We try to list the best bikes we can find from our sponsors in our store, so check them out.