Sometimes it’s hard to know where to start when learning something new. It’s easy to get a new bike – they’re everywhere.
There are no classes, no learning materials, and nobody can expect you to pick up on it just by watching someone else ride. If this sounds like you, then it’s time to take some tips from the pros and try riding your bike more often.
So today, I’m going to share 5 tips that help me become a better bike rider. Let’s get into it.
Tips For Becoming A Better Bike Rider – Improving Your Riding Skills
One of the best methods for learning how to become a better bike rider is by doing. The more time you spend practicing your skills, the more comfortable you’ll feel and the more efficient your body will be able to ride.
Drop The Lead Heel
The first, most important, and surprising thing that’s helped me so far is learning to drop my lead heel. This helped me get more power out of the pedal stroke and made pedaling smoother.
I think it’s a good idea for all of us to try this. It’s a habit that needs to be practiced but will make you pedal faster and more efficiently.
Equal Braking
The second most helpful thing is equal braking. I quickly learned the most beneficial tip of similar braking with the front and rear brake. And that helped me ride down the trails more safely.
When you started riding more challenging trails, you’d get in situations without confidence. If you use too much rear brake and would drag the rear wheel, you gain more speed.
So you’ve to learn the other way and not use too much of a break in situations where you aren’t confident. Using equal braking made you feel much more confident on the trail.
Practicing Patience
The third most helpful thing is practicing patience. I think this has been the most significant factor in progression. When I first started riding, my timing was all off because I’d be too impatient and pop too early on jumps.
This would result in me not getting enough lift or getting sketchy in the air. Once I started working on my patients, my timing got way better on jumps. And I’ve been more confident than ever.
Since patience has also been another huge factor in my bunny hops and other skills, it’s hard to be patient and not rush it when you’re scared to do something. But I’ve found that focusing on it has helped me overcome. And become more confident.
Session-ing – A Section
The fourth most helpful thing for me has been session-ing a section or a feature on a trail. When I first started riding, I rode trails from start to finish, only stopping to regroup or for me to catch my breath.
There are many times when I ride down a path and think about a particular section. The whole way down, anticipating it and hoping I would finally get it.
Only to ride by it or have to walk past it and shame once I started focusing on coaching and stopping to look at a section and work through it. I began progressing as a writer. So don’t be afraid to stop and session things.
Film Yourself
There have been so many times when I felt like I was doing something right. Luckily, I have footage to show an outsider’s perspective of the actual truth of what I was doing.
It’s eye-opening to see. Maybe you weren’t getting as far back as you thought; perhaps you weren’t dropping your heel or weren’t getting as high as you thought. It’s nice if you have someone to review the footage with.
I’ve done that a lot over when I’m practicing manuals or wheelies on my own. It might sometimes be embarrassing to take out the camera, but it’ll be so helpful for you.
How can I become a fitter and better cyclist?
The best way is to keep riding, get more experience from different people, and keep practicing independently. But the most important thing is finding a coach who knows what they’re doing.
What should I consider when learning to ride a bike?
The best thing is to start with a bicycle with handlebars for balance and minimal hindrances. Learning how to ride will make you feel comfortable riding on trails and objects harder.
What happens if you cycle every day for a month?
You’ll end up feeling more comfortable and confident. You’ll probably get used to it and get accustomed to the ride. It’ll feel natural, so you’ll want to keep doing it even after the month ends. So keep cycling a lot.
Conclusion
In the end, those are the top five things that have helped me become a better rider. If you’re starting, it’ll be a process. The progress you make will be slow. But if you implement the tips above, I guarantee it’ll make a big difference. Get ready to ride!
And as always, thank you very much for reading.
I am Ryan Ford, a mountain biking enthusiast who loves to explore the outdoors. I also like to go on adventures with friends and anything else that involves being outside. I love my bike because it gets me out of the house and gives me an opportunity to enjoy nature.
