Offroad Bike Safety

Mountain bikers experience numerous injuries every year on North American biking trails. Getting injured is no fun at all. A lot of cyclists have found trail riding to be a lot of fun. Some describe it like a rollercoaster ride that they are in control of. They are having fun because they are having a thrilling time and still following important safety principles that will help them reduce the likelihood of becoming injured. Listed below are tips and principles for safe trail riding.

No Matter what the terrain, every cyclist should always wear a helmet and keep their bike tuned up so they'll have optimal performance.

Mountain bike trails differ with the terrain including anywhere from easy flat double track to tough technical steep single track. Ride within your level. If you are a beginner to mountain biking, stay on the easier trails.

Like the bumper sticker says, “If your not a hemorrhoid, GET OFF MY BUTT”. In driver’s education learning to drive a car, we were taught to keep one car length for every ten miles per hour between my car, and the car in front. The same principle is applied when cycling, have a safe distance between your bike and the cyclist in front of you. Just as in a car crash you don’t want to rear end the guy in front of you if he suddenly jams on the brakes and stops.

A key principle to downhill safety is your body position. When riding downhill get up off your seat, shift your weight back and bend your knees. This position will help your bike’s rear wheel traction, and will also help prevent you from flipping over the handlebars. Keep a tight grip on your handlebars. Keeping your body relaxed will help you adjust as the terrain changes.

While riding on the road your tire pressure is usually around 60 PSI, a good pressure for riding over cement and asphalt. Loose terrain such as dirt and sand requires a lower tire pressure to get traction. A good tire pressure for off road trail riding is between 35 and 40 PSI.

Those of you who have been riding the basic trails and want to advance to more technical and steeper trails will need to develop necessary technical skills. These skills include: bunny hopping, riding on slippery surfaces, climbing log piles and wooden bridges. Before you go out on advanced trails, practice these skills in a controlled environment, like an empty parking lot. Once you feel confident in your skills then hit those advanced trails.