Just do it! Just go ride that trail and have fun. When you get tired turn around and go home. drink plenty of water and stretch after your rides so you don't get too sore. Keep at it and you will get better. One day you will suprise yourself.
MTB 101 Training
Hey fellas,
I am new to the site and to the sport. I bought a 2007 Trek 3700 to tackle some bike paths, commuting and weekend dirt, and possible single track trails. What I want to know is—is there sort of a training or conditioning I need to do before I actually hit the trails. I haven't been on a bike for more than 20 years and am know only getting back into it. I try to ride every night so I can build some endurance so when I do get up on the trail I'd be ready for it. Any sorta advice would be great.
I am new to the site and to the sport. I bought a 2007 Trek 3700 to tackle some bike paths, commuting and weekend dirt, and possible single track trails. What I want to know is—is there sort of a training or conditioning I need to do before I actually hit the trails. I haven't been on a bike for more than 20 years and am know only getting back into it. I try to ride every night so I can build some endurance so when I do get up on the trail I'd be ready for it. Any sorta advice would be great.
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And have any of you ever felt your hands numbing. I notice that after a while my hands numb up, is this normal?
Just ride
For fun or when there is someplace you want to go to.
Learn to cope with some obstacles, for starters something like getting up and down a curb without beating yourself and your bike to death.
If (when) you have a flat or your gear cables needs adjusting, are you prepared?
For fun or when there is someplace you want to go to.
Learn to cope with some obstacles, for starters something like getting up and down a curb without beating yourself and your bike to death.
If (when) you have a flat or your gear cables needs adjusting, are you prepared?
I had some numbing or soreness in my hands when starting out. I made some small adjustments to the seat position and kept riding, and the pain disappeared. Not sure what really helped but I suppose it could be at least partly a similar thing to the pain in the backside that most starters have.normdzn said:And have any of you ever felt your hands numbing. I notice that after a while my hands numb up, is this normal?
Get some books on bike set-up.
The objective is no pain no numbness every thing good.
Get some books on biking technique.
Practise and ride
The objective is no pain no numbness every thing good.
Get some books on biking technique.
Practise and ride
You probably have too much weight on your arms, try moving the seat front or back a half inch each time you ride and see if you can find a position that works.
Start with your seat level to the ground or maybe 2-3 degrees nose down. Nosing down will increase weight on your hands, nose up will increase back strain.
Your seat front-back is dictated by your knee being over the ball of your foot with pedal forward (roughly)
relax your hands. On flat smooth ground open your fingers. You can also turn your elbows in and out a little. Your elbows should be roughly by your sides but too far in will tweek your wrists
Your seat front-back is dictated by your knee being over the ball of your foot with pedal forward (roughly)
relax your hands. On flat smooth ground open your fingers. You can also turn your elbows in and out a little. Your elbows should be roughly by your sides but too far in will tweek your wrists
There really is no better conditioning training for riding singletrack, than riding singletrack. Visit your LBS (local bike shop) and let them know you are just getting back on the bike again and ask them to point you in the direction of suitable newbie-friendly trails. You might also learn about group rides that the LBS sponsors. Many LBS even cater certain rides to beginner level.
While you are at the LBS you can mention that you have been experiencing some hand/wrist numbness after rides. They should be able to help get your cockpit dialed in to alleviate some (if not all) of that pain.
I am not sure if you are using cycling gloves or not, but they actually do help quite a bit. Especially the ones with the palm gel inserts. They are not really that expensive ($20-40) and you will definitely get your moneys worth out of them.
But back to singletrack... Just find a spot and go. Make sure you bring at the very least plenty of water. Spare tube (or patch kit), tire levers, mini-pump, and multi-tool are nice to have, but not mandatory...they just save you from potentially walking to the car if something goes wrong.
And, oh yeah, Welcome back!
While you are at the LBS you can mention that you have been experiencing some hand/wrist numbness after rides. They should be able to help get your cockpit dialed in to alleviate some (if not all) of that pain.
I am not sure if you are using cycling gloves or not, but they actually do help quite a bit. Especially the ones with the palm gel inserts. They are not really that expensive ($20-40) and you will definitely get your moneys worth out of them.
But back to singletrack... Just find a spot and go. Make sure you bring at the very least plenty of water. Spare tube (or patch kit), tire levers, mini-pump, and multi-tool are nice to have, but not mandatory...they just save you from potentially walking to the car if something goes wrong.
And, oh yeah, Welcome back!
Just go out and ride. Nothing to huge, stay within your reasonable limits. Push yourself a little bit more each time you go out, makes it more fun that way. That's what i try to do anyway
Hey Y'all, I think that was it, I moved the seat back as far as I could and went for a ride. It wasn't a long ride but did not feel the same type of numbness with the hands. And I usually have my seat just a tad higher than the handlebars, maybe that had some to do with it too. Thanks for all the great advice, I am planning to set out this saturday morning on a local trail-solo though-I'd probably stick with some dirt road trails as supposed to singletrack.karpiel666 said:You probably have too much weight on your arms, try moving the seat front or back a half inch each time you ride and see if you can find a position that works.
I am still new enough to remember many pieces of trail that I found impossible or near impossible to ride. Now I just cannot remember what the problem was... There's still a plenty of places where I stumble or have not tried yet 
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