10 tips for starting downhill mountain biking

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Some keys before starting downhill mountain biking

Are you tired of riding your bike on the road? The Manawa Blog has thought of you and has chosen to give you some advice to help you start downhill biking in the best way possible... A demanding discipline, which requires control and precision but which will bring you a lot of pleasure and thrills! Are you ready to take on the role of Myriam Nicole, and for you gentlemen, the best riders of the Red Bull Rampage? Or maybe you'd rather play it cool and try this sport in the forest for example?

So follow the guide, here are our tips to start downhill mountain biking, and feel free, alive and comfortable with this new discipline...

Choosing the right spot

If you've ever set foot on a surfboard, you'll agree with us: there's no way you're going to do your first session in Teahupoo or Jaws, without any experience or training, unless you're a total kamikaze...

Well, in downhill mountain biking, it's the same thing: the choice of the first spot is going to be primordial for the continuation. Taking log after log is clearly not a good idea, it will disgust you more than anything else from MTB Downhill (as we say in English).

In fact, starting out in a bike park can be a good option. The green and blue downhill mountain bike trails can help you learn the right reflexes and trajectories, while building up your confidence, which is important for your next sessions. If you quickly master the right technique, you will have taken a big step in your DH mountain biking education.

We also invite you to check out our Top spots in the world for downhill biking, it will give you some good ideas on where to go next!

Mountain bike Mont Ventoux
Mountain bike Mont Ventoux

Choose the right bike!

In Downhill mountain biking, the aim of the game is to ride down a rough track as fast as possible, managing all the obstacles and jumps that will be presented to you. Riding technique is important, but the choice of bike is just as important as the choice of spot.

Choose a bike that is light, strong and has effective suspension, ideally front and rear. This will contribute to your comfort and performance, but above all to your safety. If you are a beginner, a rigid frame is best, as this will limit your speed on descents and should prevent you from getting into a few nasty spills! Beware, however, that a bike with a rigid frame will be less easy to handle. You should also opt for hydraulic disc brakes, for efficient and progressive braking.

The size of the bike will depend on your stature, so don't hesitate to ask for advice in specialised shops (especially concerning the settings), especially as this type of mountain bike represents a substantial investment.

MTB Downhill Gets
MTB Downhill Gets

Protecting yourself well

As you can see, downhill mountain biking is a very technical discipline, in which you will easily exceed your limits. However, this constant commitment could also result in a few falls, unless you are a gifted DH rider! It is therefore necessary to be fully equipped to protect your body.

So remember to buy: a full-body downhill card, a mask, knee and elbow pads, back protection, long gloves, protection for the forearms, shoulders, shins and neck, a breathable t-shirt under the protective waistcoat, a jersey, thick, sturdy shorts, good shoes...

You'll look like Robocop, but you'll be safe from physical pain, ideal for faster progress!

Downhill mountain biking Alpe d'Huez
Downhill mountain biking Alpe d'Huez

Keeping a cool head

In downhill mountain biking, as in all extreme and outdoor sports, you should never put your brain down before starting your session! Listen carefully to the instructions given to you by your instructors or friends, and take the time to check the settings on your bike. But above all, keep a cool head and avoid getting carried away by the speed, the thrills and your potential riding ability. You will need to acquire a lot of technical knowledge when you start riding and you should not over-rev it, as this can lead to serious crashes.

So don't try to go fast when you start! The objective will be to control your speed, even if it means stopping in front of obstacles that you don't feel. Prudence is the mother of safety...

Mountain bike Chamonix
Mountain bike Chamonix

Analyse the track

As a beginner, you may have a tendency, once on the track, to try to avoid obstacles at all costs, to the detriment of everything else. The challenge is actually to learn to read the track, to focus on a line, a trajectory and to stick to it. Look far ahead, in the direction you want to go, memorising the obstacles and impacts to come and preparing for them. There is nothing worse than an obstacle suffered at the last moment, without anticipation.... So remember, look far ahead, success is at hand!

Downhill MTB Les 2 Alpes
Downhill MTB Les 2 Alpes

Dosing the braking

The quality of braking is very important in downhill biking. Good braking will allow you to control your speed, to manage obstacles while controlling the trajectory of the mountain bike, in short to increase your pleasure tenfold! Think about anticipating the moments when you will have to brake, and measure out your braking strokes. If you use the front brake too hard, you could go overboard...

In an emergency, it is generally recommended that 60% of braking be done at the front and 40% at the rear. Don't forget to stand with your buttocks far back, almost on the rear wheel and your heels down for optimal braking.

Remember to keep two fingers on the brakes at all times to be ready to react as quickly as possible!

Downhill MTB Morzine Avoriaz
Downhill MTB Morzine Avoriaz

Have a good balance

Falling over your handlebars and getting sunburned is the fear of many beginner mountain bikers, especially when riding downhill! But don't worry, the Manawa Blog is here to help you avoid falling...

As we said, bad braking can clearly send you over the edge, so it's important to manage your obstacle passages with an effective braking technique.

But it is not only the braking that is responsible for the "sun". The position on your bike is also important: if you stand too far back, you risk eating the dust...

When you encounter an obstacle, remember to be centred on the bike, keeping your feet firmly planted on the pedals and your hands light. This will prevent you from going over the front!

Remember: your body should be relaxed, but your support to control the bike should be firm...

Downhill MTB Porto Vecchio
Downhill MTB Porto Vecchio

Be flexible

Being flexible in mountain biking does not really require the same prerequisites as in climbing, for example. But it is clearly important if you want to ride in comfort and control! Think of keeping your body as close to the bike as possible, without clutching the handlebars like a madman. Shift your weight backwards to better absorb the impact.

Be mentally serene

Another piece of advice before your first downhill bike session: be relaxed! Riding with tension clearly increases the risk of falls, so let go, be vigilant on the different technical points (remember to control your speed) and trust yourself. Everything should go well, and we guarantee that you will only want to do it again.

Downhill MTB La Reunion
Downhill MTB La Reunion

Pro-fi-tez!

Like all outdoor activities, downhill mountain biking will allow you to ride through magnificent landscapes, while enjoying the thrill of the ride. In Les Gets, Morzine-Avoriaz, Alpe d'Huez or Chamonix Mont-Blanc, great sessions are waiting for you, so combine business with pleasure! Even if downhill biking requires intense concentration, use your moments of respite to look around and enjoy the beauty of the panorama... It would be a shame to miss out!

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Our 10 tips for a good start in Stand Up Paddle

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