Essential Mountain Biking Safety Tips
From beginners to experts, mountain bike enthusiasts are concerned about safety. Riders respect the terrain, other riders, and the wildlife they may encounter while enjoying the trail. Mountain biking safety tips range from “duh” to “hmm, good point” to “wish I’d thought of that before I wiped out.”
Wear a Helmet
At the top of the list in the “duh” category, we have, “wear a helmet.” Helmets should fit squarely on top of your head and not slip around. The chinstraps aren’t supposed to choke you, but they are supposed to hold the helmet in place, and when you open your mouth, you should feel the helmet press down on your head a bit. Choose a MIPS helmet (“multi-directional impact protection system”) and wear it every time, all the time, when you go for a ride. If you’re not sure you have adjusted or fit your helmet correctly, check with an expert at your bike shop to evaluate the fit for you.
Don’t Ride Above Your Skill Level
Second on the “duh” list is to know your limits and stay well within them. Don’t let your buddies push you to try something when you know you’re not ready. It’s dangerous to get in the way of an expert a trail that’s above your ability. While walking and carrying the bike are fine—and expected—to get over or around obstacles on many trails, no one is going to give you a medal for being where you shouldn’t be and turning yourself into a human obstacle for other riders.
Know the Trail
Speaking of preparing for the trail, you should know the trail before you ride it. If you’re on a trail marked for your skill level, walk the dicey parts the first few times until you’re sure you can anticipate corners, rocks, and other obstacles. Remember that trail conditions change with weather and traffic, so the trail you rode last week might not be exactly the same this week. Look ahead, pick your line, and stay in control.
Check Your Bike
Before every ride, run your bike through a safety checklist. Be sure you’ve kept up with appropriate maintenance and that all the essential parts are working as they should be. If anything feels or sounds off, take the bike in to your local expert bike shop and have them take a look. Don’t find out your brakes are sticking mid-air as you perform an unintentional flip over the handlebars.
The best safety device is common sense. Be a grown-up about the trail—wear your helmet, follow the rules, and respect other riders, and you’ll give yourself the best chance of returning to ride another day.
