Ten Top Tips for aspiring female off-road riders

 

As a casual, female, cyclist I always harboured a curiosity for off-road riding.  Being away from the traffic, in amongst the trees, and adventuring through the trails was undeniably appealing.  Like many women I found myself being taken off-road by my partner who is an avid mountain biker.  By no means an expert off-road rider myself there are, however, ten crucial tips I have learned that have helped me improve exponentially:
 

 

1. Look where you want to go

 

This seems blindingly obvious but was a revelation when it was pointed out.  As a relative novice I was fixated on the obstacle in the trail that I was actually trying to avoid.  Your body naturally goes where you look; hence looking at the very thing you are trying to avoid leads you straight into it.  Although slightly counter-intuitive you must ignore the obstacle and concentrate on the path around it.  Believe me.  It works.

 

2. Keep pedals level

 

This is another that seems really obvious but there are so many riders that don’t do it.  The reasons we do this are numerous, such as when tired riders tend to straighten a leg and lean on it to give the muscles a rest.  Keeping your pedals level keeps them clear of ground obstacles and puts your whole body into the right position for confident descending.

 

3. Stay loose

 

Descending can, at times, be frightening.  It’s one of the thrills of off-road riding.  This can lead us to tense up on the bike.  Being tense on the bike means we cannot soak up the varying terrain with our arms and legs.  These are, after all, some of the best forms of suspension available to us.  Loosen up on the bike and you’ll find yourself riding far more fluidly and, as a by-product, saving lots of energy.

 

4. Relax in the soft stuff

 

There are times when steering your bike is just not much of an option.  When the trails turn either sandy, mega gravelly or super slick then excessive bar input is only going to lead to one thing, and that’s an untimely end to your speed in the form of a crash.  When these types of trail conditions arise it is best to relax and make any input you do have to apply as subtle as possible.

 

5. Lift the front wheel

 

You may have a nice big tyre on the front and also some shiny suspension forks but these should not be used as a crutch for tackling obstacles.  They are there as an assistance.  Ploughing into rocks and expecting the bike to do the work for you does work for the smaller obstacles and will also work for the medium obstacles but it is poor riding and ultimately slows you down.  When approaching a medium sized obstacle, anticipate and lift the front wheel and you will find yourself riding smoother and faster then ever before.

 

6. Roots: hit them square

 

Roots can be the root of all evil – if you let them.  Especially when wet.  They can be the downfall of so many riders but if tackled correctly you will find them a breeze.  The golden rule is to try and kit them as squarely as possible.  A wet root hit at an angle is an open invite to Calamity Central.  If you approach roots squarely you will barely have to touch the brakes and they will become part of the fun and not part of the pain.

 

7. Weight the front wheel

 

When mountain biking, it is instinctive to lean back so as to avoid being catapulted over the handlebars.  Although there is a lot of truth in this it is important to remember that it is your front wheel that steers you.  Having all your weight on the back wheel means the front is not able to guide you round the turns.  This is still something I am getting used to by slowly shifting my weight forwards as I practice, but my cornering is getting faster all the time.

 

8. Anticipate gear changes

 

Avoid those situations where you find yourself in either a ridiculously small gear or, even worse, a monstrously hard gear at the wrong moment.  By reading the trail ahead and anticipating what gear you may need you will avoid most of those scenarios and the net benefit is being able to ride smoother and having more energy at the end of your ride.

 

9. Saddle - women’s!

 

Forget those skinny little excuses for saddles that come on men’s bikes.  Women need women’s saddles.  There is a reason they look different.  It’s because we’re shaped differently with different requirements.  Invest in one and you’ll enjoy biking far more.  Of course, where possible, having a women’s specific bike will help no end and will be specced with a decent saddle already.

 

10. Padded gloves

 

This could have come under the saddle header but the saddle is so important it needed its own paragraph.  I have also found that handlebar diameters are designed around men’s hands, often making the grips too large for smaller female hands.  Investing in some decent padded gloves and possibly thin grips will alleviate much of the pain coming through your hands.

 

Bearing all that in mind, I hope to see you out on the trails riding harder, faster and with more confidence.  Sharon x