Tip! The Haro mountain bike range also offers the V3, a basic, bare-bones hardtail model for the beginner biker to get a first experience of the mountains, or even to commute across town.

Anyone who knows how to ride a bike can enjoy the
exciting sport of mountain biking. It does have
some danger though, compared to the average bike
ride. That is why it is important to learn some
basic sills before you hit the dirt or trails.

These beginning skills can be practiced around your
home, school, park, or bike path. If possible, you
need to find a location that has a steep hill.

Getting a feel for your pedals
While first sitting on your bike, keep one foot on the
ground and practice moving your foot away from the
pedal. Next you can move to releasing and replacing
your foot while pedaling around a little. The bicycles
with toe clip and the clipless type pedals, will want
to spend a little time extra practicing.

Sit and spin for position
Sit on your bike and pedal around with your arms slightly
bent. You also want to adjust your seat height so that
your leg is 70-90 percent extended at the bottom of every
stroke with the pedal. Relax your body, because your
body should never be in a position where your knees or
your elbows are locked.

Tip! A case in point is the Haro Mountain Bike Extreme. With its hydro-formed top tube to support big-hit forks, as well as 5-6 inches of adjustable travel and aggressive disc brakes, the Extreme is a very stout machine.

Gear shifting
Shift gears with your bike and get a feel for it.
Higher gears may be more difficult to pedal and will go
faster, while the lower gears are simpler to pedal and
will allow you to go up hills more quickly. When you
go up steeper hills, it is best to shift before reaching
the hill, rather than while you are on the hill.

Coasting
Without actually sitting on the seat, you should
spend some time coasting while standing up on your
pedals. Bend your arms and don’t lock your knees.
Now you will want to practice shifting your body
toward the rear of your bike.

Tip! There are many versions of the folding mountain bike. They vary from heavier and less portable, to lightweight and tough.

Standing and pedaling
Get comfortable with pedaling while in a standing
position on your bike. Lift yourself off the seat while
standing up on the pedals and then crank the pedals
around. Try this in the higher gears on level ground
and then in the lower gears when you are on a hill.

Dropping down a curb
Find a curb where you can easily get to the upper part
of it. At a moderate speed, practice standing and
coasting right off the curb from the upper to bottom
level. Practice this at different speeds until you
become completely comfortable with it.

After your practice these different techniques and
become comfortable with them you will find that you can
hit the trails and dirt completely comfortable on your
mountain bike. Although it may take some time to get
used to, you will find that it becomes as comfortable
as riding down the road after a while.

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