Mountain Bikes

[ScottyB]

Bought a bike. Fell on my first ride very gracefully. I have no idea what I'm doing. Still learning. Will get better. ???

• awesome!
• don't worry falling is an art.  aim for the pine straw and put your shoulder into it
• it doesn't matter as long as your having fun.  its a lot like racing - pick your lines, look ahead, be smooth, momentum, gear down before the hill, don't grab front brake in the middle of a turn, weight distribution.  you'll be a natural in no time
• been good with bike handling for probably 20 years (although my cardio is a joke currently) and i still am too
• only if you keep riding.  there is absolutely no substitute for miles.  dont' give any F's about certain distance, average speeds, powerbars or whatever nonsense right now.  ride for fun, call it a day when you get tired.  you'll get fast and then its gets even more fun because the hills become a challenge not a punishment.

don't do stupid stuff alone (i can clear that gap jump! i can rail that high log feature instead of taking the ride-around) at least not right now.  def don't ride alone at night (for injury, not safety really).  never try to turn/horse a bike around on wet roots or especially a wet wooden bridge (heard of a guy that broke his neck fatally when he lowsided on a wet bridge and put his face into a support).  don't try to be fast when you're seriously beat, that's when mistakes happen...all my worst falls were when i was trying to keep a mile 4 pace at mile 14 but my brain was basically falling asleep from exhaustion.

find guys to ride with.  its even more fun, they'll push you, show you the trails, help you fix busted stuff, and its safer if you get hurt.  my absolute biggest skill and stamina gains were when i was doing a 2-nights-a-week ride with a local group of about a dozen guys back in 2011.  i was on a shitty dept store bike (flat pedals with tennis shoes, an 80mm front fork, rim brakes, 1.9 width tires, i looked like a joke) and after a summer i was hanging with the top guys and picking my way through rock gardens that the full suspension noobs couldn't clear.  great times.

edit:  here is said POS bike.  run what you brung, have fun, get filthy