I'm a female new to mountain biking

[cashton]

I am brand new to mountain biking and I need some tips, pointers, etc. Also, I need to buy a bike. Any advice?

[rockyrider]

Welcome to the forum and the sport. What sort of riding do you want to do and what corner of the continent do you ride in?

Those will be the first two questions to consider to select a bike.

[OTBSkinloss]

And how much do you intend to spend?

Welcome

[cashton]

Welcome to the forum and the sport. What sort of riding do you want to do and what corner of the continent do you ride in?

Those will be the first two questions to consider to select a bike.

I reside in Eastern PA. I want to start out doing trail riding.

[davkatreb]

Gears are over rated. Squish is more trouble than it's worth. Beer is good. More beer is better.

That's all I got.

hopethishelps

[Rock Star]

Welcome to the forum!

The people here are always willing to provide tips and advice. I'm going to suggest you take a trip to a few local bike shops to take a look at what they have for hardtail bikes. Hardtails have a front suspension fork and are the most affordable and practical bikes to start trail riding on.
Specialized and Trek are the two biggest brands that are usually available at the local bike shops in most areas.
I ride a Specialized hardtail and I love it. I'm in Massachusetts, so my trails might (or might not) be similar to yours.

Lets us know if you have any other questions!

[K-Man]

Dirt Rag ran an article in Issue #134 titled: A (Real) Bike Buyer's Guide. Read it online here (http://www.dirtragmag.com/print/article.php?ID=1099&category=features).

[Spalls]

Welcome! You are well on your way to pegging the Funmeter! Just remember - what you spend on beer you won't be able to spend on bikes and bike stuff, so judge accordingly. After six or eight weeks of checking in on the Forum you will be well versed in all things bike.

[longhaultruker2]

Dirt Rag ran an article in Issue #134 titled: A (Real) Bike Buyer's Guide. Read it online here (http://www.dirtragmag.com/print/article.php?ID=1099&category=features).

that's what i wuz gunna suggest,wuz a good,informative artical.

welcome to both the forums and the trails!:)

[john_mcdonough]

The article mentioned by KMan and longhaultrucker is a great place to start.

My suggestions (and some are mentioned in the aforementioned article):

1) Research, research and research. Not months of research, but a couple of weeks. The more you know the better. This site along with MTBR.com are excellent. Also, go to the local bike shops (lbs) and ask questions, not just of the sales people, but the customers who do ride.

2) Figure out your budget (see the article) and make sure to include additional equipment along with the bike.

3) Get comfortable with a good bike shop. They can be a great benefit.

4) I think the most important thing purchasing a bike is that it fits right. The key part is reach, meaning when you are seated, how far you have to reach to grab the handle bars. A good bike shop will help you with this.

5) Test ride. And I mean really test ride. I paid a lbs $30 to try out a rigid 29" (wheel size) single speed mtn bike on trails that I normally ride. It turns out I loved it and I got an idea of what size I would need. $30 well spent.

6) There are a lot of good bikes out there, so don't worry too much about making the wrong choice. I just recently bought a new bike and the one I bought was not on my original list of about 8 bikes. It turned out it fit right and was a good deal.

7) Most important, have fun. It is a great sport.

[bomberbarnes]

Welcome to the wonderful world of mountain bikes!

What is said above covers it pretty much. Size is everything. If the bike doesn't fit you'll be uncomfortable on it. Don't buy based on your height alone, this is nothing like accurate enough. Frankly, your body measurements alone aren't good enough, as personal preferences come into play. The only way to make sure the bike fits you is to ride it, ideally for at least 1/2 an hour but around the carpark outside the bike shop is better than nothing. Good local bike shops should offer you unbiased decent advice. If you're feeling like they're pressuring you, just walk down the road to the next one. You have to live with the bike so make sure you get one that suits you.

My wife is a biker and we're looking for a new bike for her at the moment. We're trying out as many different sizes and combinations as possible, concentrating first on very long and very short reach frames so that she can see how they feel (her current frame is slightly longer than average I suppose), then zooming in on something in between the 2 to get the right fit for her.

Don't get too distracted by the "lady's" frames which are all the rage at the moment. Typically they come with a slightly shorter reach (top tube length) compared to height (seat tube length, often referred to as "size") but the difference is not something that you couldn't correct with a different stem or sliding the saddle forwards a few mm. All I mean by this is that if you get the idea that, being a lady you need a lady's frame, then you will restrict your choice when you don't need to do. If you are on the short side (my wife is 5'1') then the ladies' frames can offer something as they often have an XS size slightly smaller than the smallest "men's" frames.

If your trails are not too steep, do consider a singlespeed. less (did I say less, I meant no) maintenance and all your mates will be in awe of you (when they say crazy, they actually mean awesome).

[Cogratchet]

As far as riding in eastern PA goes I love the Blue Marsh trail system. I live about 200 yards from the trail and it's always a good time. 30 miles of trail around the lake with everything from smooth open field trail to steep rocky/rooty downhills with some manmade bridges over creeks about 10-20 feet off the ground. Something for everybody here.

I've heard French Creek is also a must ride. I still haven't made time to get myself down there though.

Both of these are in (or very near, I think French Creek might be just outside of) Berks County, PA. If you need/want directions you can check out their websites or send me a message on here.

Good luck on the bike search, and welcome.

[RacerK]

Welcome!

Sometimes women's-specific bikes do give an advantage, depending on your particular measurements/preferences/etc. (of course you might not have preferences yet, but you will.)

How tall are you and what's your inseam measurement? These will help you figure out a good frame size range.

[Marticus]

Welcome! I ride in eastern PA as well -- lots of rocky, rooty and occasionally fast stuff. I'd agree with pretty much everything above (except possibly davkatreb -- I'm not sure if you want to start with singlespeed. That might be best kept for progression later on.) One thing to consider in this area: it's rooty and rocky and quite often wet most places you'll go, so as you're first learning, you might want to use some shin and elbow pads.

But this is a great area to ride and to learn! Good luck, and once again, welcome!

[Marticus]

As far as riding in eastern PA goes I love the Blue Marsh trail system. I live about 200 yards from the trail and it's always a good time. 30 miles of trail around the lake with everything from smooth open field trail to steep rocky/rooty downhills with some manmade bridges over creeks about 10-20 feet off the ground. Something for everybody here.

I've heard French Creek is also a must ride. I still haven't made time to get myself down there though.

Both of these are in (or very near, I think French Creek might be just outside of) Berks County, PA. If you need/want directions you can check out their websites or send me a message on here.

Good luck on the bike search, and welcome.


French Creek is much rockier than Blue Marsh, but worth a trip. Very fast in some sections, and across the road has one of the nicest deep woods trails I've ever ridden (but be warned -- if you cross the main road near the Furnace, you'll have a lot of fun goin down, but will pay for it on the way back with a crazy and evry long slog uphill.) Other close by trails are, of course, Valley Green in Philly, Dotson Street up near Bethlehem, South Mountian in the Lehigh Valley, and, right near University of Delaware on the Maryland border, Fair Hill.

[Katie Mae]

Welcome to the forums and the MTB'ing community! :D

Having been new to the MTB'ing scene just last year in April, I know how intimidating it might be just getting started.
There is a lot of lingo, parts, brands, and things to consider when getting started.
Heres a list of helpful things.. and if you have any further questions, feel free to send me a PM and I can elaborate for you.

1. Find a friend or local biking club. As a female its always smart to ride with someone else, but also just smart incase you wreck and are incapable of getting the hell out of the trail. If you find the ambassador to the biking group, having them go to a bike shop with you might be a good idea.

2. If you can find maps to the trails and maps of the trails that would be a great idea. Take the map and go walk through the trails. What kind of material is on the ground, what kind of obstacles does it have? If you find lots of root and rocks, getting a full suspension bike would be a great idea. As much mantinence as they might have, you can always drop it off at the bike shop to get help setting it up or fixxing something. If most of the trails are just solid ground with little to no technical rocky spots, I'd suggest a good ole fashion hard tail.

3.Sizing for your bicycle is VERY IMPORTANT. To give you an idea, I am 5'4", I generally ride a size 15 to 16 bike which is almost always a size small. If you are shorter and have issues feeling comfortable on the bike, you might consider getting a shorter stem and possibly a shorter handle bar. For most women, smaller grips are better. Big burly guys tend to like the massively huge grips but its not so much the same for the smaller hands of a woman. As far as saddles go, getting something comfortable, especially if you plan on being in it a long time, its worth the weight of the saddle.

4.Protection is also key. I'd suggest shin/knee guards as well as arm guards, and full fingered gloves. The helmet is a MUST. Most Giro helmets can be bought under $35.00 at Dicks Sporting Goods, local bike shops and something other sporting shops. You're going to get banged up a lot first starting out so it best to try and save your skin as much as possible. Its better to look goofy in a bunch of armor than to be in an intense amount of pain for not wearing it.

5. Trek, Cannondale, and Specialized will be your best bet for a first bike. Specialized can tend to be the most expensive but if you look at www.craigslist.com you can normally find cheap bikes in your area to start out on. Once you've gotten a hang of riding different bikes, then thats the time to put a hefty amount of cash down for a good durable bike. Now if you have the cash to spend, a Specialized Stumpjumper FSR is a great and reliable buy. Its light, takes a beating and is smooth like butter on the trail. Cannondale carries Caffienes which are fun bikes I've heard and even some of their f400s and so on are great bikes. It just all depends on budget and what you like.
My first bike was a cheap Ironhorse Pumari Hardtail, I loved it. A great first bike to learning the basics on being on a trail.

6. Once you do get on a trail, a good thing to remember is always get off your seat and move your butt back when going down a hill. This takes the weight off the front wheel, so you don't endo headfirst into the ground.
When going up hill, stay level in your seat to keep pressure on your back wheel but try to push down a little on your handlebars to keep the front wheel from comming off the ground and throwing off backwards.

7. Another protection is bug spray. Try to get something with more than 40% Deet. You don't want to be gitten by ticks, mosquitos or chiggers. Always double check your body after a ride for ticks. Even if you stayed on the trail, you are at risks for those suckers to have crawled on you from out of nowhere.

8. I'm not sure which bike magazine had a list but there is a list out there with common words used by MTBers that will help you to understand exactly what the hell they are talking about :D MTBing lingo can sound a lot like guys talking about cars. It never hurts to do a little research.

9. Clothing is also important. Try to start out with some shorts that have padding in the crotch. Trust me. This will be the most important buy. If you haven't rode bikes in a long time... you'll thank yourself for having gotten the shorts. Try to find an atheletic shirt that will keep the sweat off you. Don't ride in cotton, you WILL regret it, especially on a very hot day.
Make sure you drink plenty of water, wether it be from a camelbak or a water bottle.

10. Have fun! This is the best sport known to mankind (imo). There are great people out there to ride with and I hope you can find a club.
Remember safety first, have fun, and always keep your trails clean!

[minus9]

I reside in Eastern PA. I want to start out doing trail riding.

Where about in Eastern PA?

Philly? Lehigh Valley? Poconos?

There are a number of mountain bike clubs around the area. It may be helpful to meet up with some supportive folks who can help steer you in the right path as far as bike choice, local trails, and get you started on some good beginner group rides.

[WVMTNBIKER]

Hello and welcome to the club. This really is a special place to gather information regarding all things mountain biking.:p I don't think I can add much other than follow the advice given in this forum. Mountain bikers are a special breed and helping each other is a positive trait amongst us all. I might mention that the best part of riding is riding with friends. The miles go easier and faster when you are riding in a group. Plus, you get to talk about everything under the sun and then some. Start out easy according to your physical condition so you don't burn yourself out and get disgusted b/c your behind hurts or your legs burn. And whatever you buy, buy good equipment i.e. helmet, gloves, shorts, top, shoes, and of course the bike itself. Walmart specials are a big No-No unless you want to get stranded or have something fall off while riding.:eek: So have fun shopping, try everything, learn all you can from your local lbs(local bike shop, new term you will learn quickly). Good luck. Keep us updated. Rail trails are great places to get started riding and learning the in's and out's of cycling. Morgantown, WV has some great rail trail riding that actually goes right into PA. Check it out.:)

[MauiRockHopper]

Finally, another female bicyclist! It seems like a male-dominated sport and I started realizing why. It's a dirty and painful sport, not very glamorous! I am an avid kitesurfer and just started training for a cycling tour in Portugal (kitesurfing seems way less dangerous!). I got clip on shoes at the insistence of my local bike shop. Boy am I nursing some serious skinned elbows but I won't give the shoes up. It's a challenge to master but the efficiency is way better.

I have a Specialized Rock Hopper for women and I didn't realize when I bought it in 2002 that the bike really isn't a perfect fit for me until now. I never rode the bike more than 2 miles before but now I am realizing the handle bars are too short for me. It makes my neck and wrists hurt after 10 miles.

This mis-fitting could also be because of the size or angle of the frame weren't exactly suitable for my body. But ordered a different handle bar and stem which should increase comfort. When you try out a bike you may not be aware of all these little nuances so try to have the bike shop really help you. They need to work for their money! I paid $450 for my bike.