I’ve never tried downhill mountain biking but wouldn’t mind attempting it

[Keys2Ski]

So, as I sit here in flat land of the florida keys watching downhill mountain bike racing on YouTube…I think to myself. That looks like fun!! Even my lazy non skiing husband said so.

any recommendations to newbies who might try this sport out?

 

[scott43]

Well downhill isn't much different than plain old mountain biking other than the rig you're on. And you don't actually ride uphill because of the rig you're on .. Go on vacation to a place that rents mtbs and give it a whirl. I will warn you that going fast downhill is harder than it looks with considerable pain a possibility! You may want to try plain old XC first and get a handle on riding on sketchy surfaces.

 

[Philpug]

So, as I sit here in flat land of the florida keys watching downhill mountain bike racing on YouTube…I think to myself. That looks like fun!! Even my lazy non skiing husband said so.

any recommendations to newbies who might try this sport out?

Paging @Tricia to the SkiTalk Courtesy Phone

 

[Keys2Ski]

Well downhill isn't much different than plain old mountain biking other than the rig you're on. And you don't actually ride uphill because of the rig you're on .. Go on vacation to a place that rents mtbs and give it a whirl. I will warn you that going fast downhill is harder than it looks with considerable pain a possibility! You may want to try plain old XC first and get a handle on riding on sketchy surfaces.

Yea, I would obviously start on a bunny hill. Only hills we have here are the bridges, and you would never catch me on a bike out there!!
Any place you suggest?

 

[martyg]

Well downhill isn't much different than plain old mountain biking other than the rig you're on. And you don't actually ride uphill because of the rig you're on .. Go on vacation to a place that rents mtbs and give it a whirl. I will warn you that going fast downhill is harder than it looks with considerable pain a possibility! You may want to try plain old XC first and get a handle on riding on sketchy surfaces.

I second what Scott said, but would highly advise lessons / coaching. So much about mtn biking us very counter-intuative, much like skiing. Could you jump in a rental bike and fail down a trail? Sure. However you will be developing really inefficient movement patterns that will haunt your ability to progress.

I race a bit, and work with a highly credentialed coach for technique. I'll never be dropping sketchy stuff. It does develop my understanding if what is really going on, how to tackle more technical terrain, boosts confidence, and cuts time on technical terain.

 

[AmyPJ]

So, as I sit here in flat land of the florida keys watching downhill mountain bike racing on YouTube…I think to myself. That looks like fun!! Even my lazy non skiing husband said so.

any recommendations to newbies who might try this sport out?

Do you have any basic bike skills? I know newbie riders who struggle to shift properly. If you can drive a manual transmission, you're already ahead of the game. I know newbie riders who have poor balance and timing, and I'm not sure they'll ever develop it. It's not an easy sport, and doing only downhill to me would just be a recipe for a newbie to get hurt...a lot.

 

[Philpug]

Northstar does it. They rent the bikes and all of the armor you need. We can take you there.

 

[scott43]

I second what Scott said, but would highly advise lessons / coaching. So much about mtn biking us very counter-intuative, much like skiing. Could you jump in a rental bike and fail down a trail? Sure. However you will be developing really inefficient movement patterns that will haunt your ability to progress.

I race a bit, and work with a highly credentialed coach for technique. I'll never be dropping sketchy stuff. It does develop my understanding if what is really going on, how to tackle more technical terrain, boosts confidence, and cuts time on technical terain.

These are good points. Many many people can't do a bunny-hop or even get over a curb. These are fundamental sorts of skills you should have or develop. If you haven't done it at as a kid it's harder to learn when you're older. People "lock-up" and can't make the required dynamic movements to monkey the bike around. It's kinda like skiing..the top half is calm and steady, the bottom half is doing all the work.

I saw this the other day and it's interesting to watch how much the bike is moving relative to the camera. This guy is a pro, but it's the kind of movement that makes mtb fun.

 

[Tricia]

Paging @Tricia to the SkiTalk Courtesy Phone

I took the Downhill 101 course at Northstar. It was fun.

You can see the whole album here.

Facebook

www.facebook.com

@AmyPJ
I'm not sure what you mean when you say this.

doing only downhill to me would just be a recipe for a newbie to get hurt...a lot.

They teach a ton of basic skills before taking you on the actual beginner course.
I found it extremely informative and helpful.

 

[Lauren]

Any place you suggest?

I would choose someplace you want to go visit along with learning to mountain bike…if you’re new to it, it’s not like skiing where you’re going to want to ride for 7 days straight.

For east coast, Snowshoe in West Virginia is supposed to be pretty awesome. If you want to head northeast, Plattekill in NY, Thunder Mountain in MA, Killington for VT (Burke if you want trail riding as well) and Highland for NH are a few. West coast…I’ve heard pretty amazing things about Deer Valley for UT and Winter Park for CO, but I’ll refer to the west coasters here for more detail and first hand experience. Whistler is known as the cream of the crop. A full comprehensive list can be found here: mtbparks.com

As others have mentioned, pick someplace that has a good lesson/rental program, and have fun with it!

 

[Keys2Ski]

I would definitely invest in lessons from the beginning.

 

[Keys2Ski]

I’ve done a couple of mini triathlons. Nothing special. Rode my 2002 trek fuel 80 back then. Hurricane Irma destroyed that bike, and sadly I’ve replaced it with a much more leisurely trek that hasn’t seen much use lately.

 

[Keys2Ski]

I would think it would be a day lesson, then off to something else. Maybe do it again in a day or two depending on how I feel.

 

[Philpug]

It really depends how agro you want to be..."Downhill" mountain biking is not for the timid/meek.

 

[Ken_R]

So, as I sit here in flat land of the florida keys watching downhill mountain bike racing on YouTube…I think to myself. That looks like fun!! Even my lazy non skiing husband said so.

any recommendations to newbies who might try this sport out?

It is fun. Its not lazy, It will still tax your fitness just in a different way than climbing.

 

[Keys2Ski]

I purchased a Felt road bike about 10 years ago thinking I would do more tri’s. As I was getting bored with just running 1/2 marathons. But it’s a euro handlebar and I’m small and our roads are scary in a car let alone a bike. So the road bike is hanging from the rafters rotting away. .
I’m really just looking to have fun, introduce a sport where my husband could join in. He’s no longer willing to visit the snow/cold weather. I would love to go out west in the summertime (besides visiting my mom in Phoenix) and just play in some less humid climate. Come mid august-mid October we stick close to home in case we need to pack up for a hurricane.
I would never enter one of these killer downhill races, but playing on a trail is right up my alley.

 

[Keys2Ski]

It really depends how agro you want to be..."Downhill" mountain biking is not for the timid/meek.

Could I do it on a tricycle? Hahha
Maybe we would just do trail riding then….

 

[scott43]

Your mom is in Phoenix? Go to Sedona...

Sedona Mountain Bike Academy

Sedona Mountain Bike Lessons & Clinics. The Sedona Mountain Bike Academy is a team of local certified coaches with a passion for riding. Whether it’s your first time on a mountain bike or you are an advanced rider, SMBA has an adventure for you.

www.sedonamountainbikeacademy.com

 

[Tom K.]

Do a beginner 3-day (minimum) camp/clinic/whatever at a lift-assisted (or motor-shuttled) bike park.

This place is a RIOT, with easy starting trails available.

Clinics & Lessons | Jug Mountain Ranch

jugmountainranch.com

Really off the beaten track, though.

 

[Erik Timmerman]

Yea, I would obviously start on a bunny hill. Only hills we have here are the bridges, and you would never catch me on a bike out there!!
Any place you suggest?

You are obviously going to have to go to a destination of some kind. I'd suggest you got Highland Mountain Bike Park in New Hampshire. Downhill MTB is their only business and they have been at it for almost twenty years now. They are really big on lesson programs, rentals, etc., and have built a bike park that lets a new rider (or any rider) progress to the next level.