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Hi guys,
My girlfriend's 14 year old daughter (who happens to be a serious athlete) has been pestering me to take her out. How do I teach a kid (who doesn't even have the right bike) how to mountain bike without killing her?
Just go for a ride. Stick to forestry roads and smooth tracks, kids just learn.
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If she can ride a bike, she'll be able to ride an MTB. Kids sharp learn by themselves and don't like being 'taught' to have fun (unless they ask for help!)
Bike park Wales 8)
Not a fan of a trail centres* but that is where I would start as everything has been made to be ridden and the technical level is less than natural* [ IMHO] and its more fun and has more of a range of what MTB offers
* really not trying to do that debate here
Yeah, i remember that I could do anything as a kid...Maybe she'll be ok.
I started to ride MTB when I was 23. I just bought a bike and went out into the woods by myself and had a blast. I hadn't even owned a working bicycle of any kind for the last five years or so prior to that.
I'm now 26 and last year I pestered a buddy of the same age and "history" to come along and ride off road with me, lent him a bike and off we went. He loved it from the word go and bought his own MTB a few weeks after that. Later that year we went to some bike parks and had a blast on the blue runs.
A 14 year old with someone to follow along with will have zero issues getting to grips with it.
Just basic tips to make it enjoyable help - how to weight on turns so the front tyre doesn't wash out, when to pedal, when to stand, that sort of thing, which way to shift gears..!
Next Manon Carpenter is on the way!
Get her some padded shorts first or she may not want to go out again. Scott ones are cheap from Start Cycles
^^ or Halfords have Gore ones for £15
I'm with Dezb on this... You do need to give most kids some basic tips, though thy pick up a lot just be watching. The most important thing IMO is to get them in the Ready Position if they are not pedalling or 'doing something'. So heels low, pedals level and head up. I'd also cover doing a little 'push' to get over obstacles... I see a lot of kids bounced out of their saddle and off their pedals on roots etc. All secondary to going somewhere fun and exciting of course.
I'll be doing this with some school kids on Saturday... should be exciting.
Bartimaeus + 1.
Simple tips, let them learn, let them crash and bounce off trees (ideally at slow speed), let them walk stuff, let them go back and try things again, but most importantly let them have fun.
Regular snack stops help together with a coffee stop at the end.
Enjoy!
Give her some good kit, the basics (pedals level, stand up, change gear) and head for a trail centre. Ride behind her and see how she gets on. I've taken kids who could barely ride a bike around Swinley. If you know the trail then you'll have some idea of what's coming.
If she's a natural athlete then she will already possess poise, fitness and balance. So she'll soon be out-riding you.
Good kit and a little patience are the most important.
That and the fact that she's 14. She will be fearless, prepare to be shown up!