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Just making sure here, but you've got a helmet right? It's nice to have a nice helmet, but use whatever you have. I find the basic Giro helmets to be plenty good enough, haven't gotten a concussion or anything yet. https://www.amazon.com/Giro-Fixture-Sport-Helmet-MATTE/dp/B075RN86Z7/ref=sr_1_15?dchild=1&qid=1574830300&refinements=p_89%3AGiro&s=outdoor-recreation&sr=1-15

Kneepads and gloves can be useful. I prefer riding without gloves, but have cut up my hands pretty bad on plants and the like when crashing. It's getting colder here though, so gloves are becoming less optional if I don't want frozen hands. I've also bashed the shit out of my knees before, I should really get some kneepads.

Do you have a way to carry water and your stuff when biking? I use a Camelback and love it https://www.camelbak.com/en/packs/bike . Don't worry about getting a fancy one, it's a backpack. An off brand one on amazon with decent reviews will do ya just fine.

5.10 's are the best shoes https://www.rei.com/product/872539/five-ten-freerider-mountain-bike-shoes-mens , but if you're just starting out a pair of tennis shoes/trainers is fine. Vans are also really good shoes, they stick to the pedals but aren't stiff like the 5.10's are. Way better than tennis shoes though, and some people prefer them to 5.10's because they bend.

A good pair of pedals isn't a bad idea. This one is all personal opinion, I run these bad boys https://www.raceface.com/products/details/chester-pedals . There's also a knockoff of them on Amazon for $20, and they work great. https://www.amazon.com/FOOKER-Composite-Mountain-High-Strength-Bikesflat/dp/B07L5RF5CW

Does the bike come with a dropper post? Cause those are awesome.

That's all I can think of. You're probably going to want to learn to fix your bike and buy the tools you need as things break. A multitool for bikes is a good starting point. The Allen keys on the tool let you adjust all sorts of stuff on the bike. You're going to need some kind of pump to keep the tires inflated. Some people are probably going to disagree with me here, but I really like doing all the work on a broken bike myself. Saves a good chunk of change.

That's all I can think of. Good luck and send it.

I'm not a tire expert, and haven't ridden the tires in question, so take this with a grain of salt. But a wider tire, inflated to the same pressure, will have a greater volume of air than a narrower tire, and should feel firmer and support more weight. So I wouldn't look solely at max psi, but compare it with the width of the tire. The Komforts I linked are 700x40c, around 40mm or ~1.5" wide, whereas the Hookworms are 29x2.5", around 63.5mm wide. I would expect the Hookworms to give you a more solid ride between the two, but either one would be an improvement over the stock 29x2.0" Bontrager tires at 50psi. As for the knobs on the Komforts, the overall profile of the tire is still fairly round and solid, so they wouldn't impact rolling resistance as much. There may be a little squirm in the knobs that could increase rolling resistance slightly, but I would expect the tires to be made of a pretty firm rubber so that shouldn't impact you too much (the product description doesn't mention the TPI rating, but since they're intended for durability it's likely towards the thicker and harder end of the spectrum). From what others have said, and from looking at the specs, I would lean towards the Hookworms. Make sure you measure your front and rear tire clearance though, 2.0" to 2.5" is a fairly big jump. If those won't fit, I've heard good things about the Schwable Big One and Big Apple tires as well. Both come in 29x2.35", which I'm fairly certain would fit. The Big One is lighter and likely a little faster, while the Big Apple would be much more durable.

I definitely think some padded cycling shorts will help you out with the soreness. There are some budget options out there, like these, these, or these, though if you're going to be riding a lot, it would be worth investing in a quality pair of shorts. Bib shorts typically run more expensive than regular shorts, but they also tend to stay in place better and ensure the padding is where you need it. It could also be worthwhile to swing by a bike shop and try out some different saddles. The width and shape of the saddle should fit your individual anatomy, and a poor match will leave you sore or numb for sure. This can also be an investment, as a comfortable saddle can be moved to another bike should you pick up a hybrid or road bike at some point. Gloves would help with palm soreness (Nashbar has a big sale on their gloves right now), but if you're having wrist issues I would experiment with different grips, or with handlebar height and rotation. You've got the right idea with standing up and moving around to alleviate pressure and soreness, but that will only work for so long, as you've encountered. Bar ends would also give you additional hand and wrist positions to work with.

Yeah I wouldn't really bother with swapping the fork, I just wanted to point out the effect it may have on road riding. I'm not sure what would be causing the handling issues with the bike. Maybe work on some slow speed balance drills around the neighborhood? Unless your fork is backwards or something, it shouldn't be that unstable.

I raced a bunch up until about 2 years ago when college got too busy. I worked my way up from racing in the 12-13 year old age class to junior expert to expert 19-29 at nationals (combined with the pros at local events).

Fitness wise, circuit training is awesome, sounds like your upper body should be good to go. I never did any weight training during the race season, but a lot of guys do.

If you don't have a road bike, I'd definitely try to find a long gravel road or multi use trail to simulate road on and get in some long rides that will spare you the pounding of trails. The biggest gains in performance I had were when I added structured road training, including intervals, to my regimen. Check out Joel Friel's book, as it's a great introduction to what is known as periodic training.

There's really nothing like being in a race, but I'd try to simulate one before doing it- take your gear out to your favorite trail and go as hard as you can for the appropriate distance. Bike handling is way different from when you're just cruising to when you're at your limits.

Gear: I was too dumb to carry a spare tire for a long time, but then I got tubeless with Stan's and didn't have to worry about it. I would definitely carry one if you need it and practice changing it once or twice before the race.

I also carried a multi-tool (with tire lever) just in case and energy gel in my pockets, with one bottle on the bike. That's about it for the race itself. I also had a small toolbox with the essentials (pedal wrench, chain tool, screw drivers, tire and shock pumps). There will generally be mechanics on site (who may charge) for anything major.

Clothes: if I was traveling for the race, I made one bag for street clothes and one bag for race day gear. Shoes, helmet, jersey, bibs, socks, gloves, spare tire, tool, and gels go in here. That way I only had to worry about grabbing stuff for one bag on race day. Extra safety pins are never a bad idea.

Nutrition: I think it's more important to eat healthy the night before rather than trying to cram down a lot of pasta. Chicken, rice and veggies was my favorite. Start hydrating 2 or 3 days before. Eat a light breakfast (banana, bagel, yogurt- stuff you're used to)2-3 hours before the start time. If you have a friend/parent/SO going to the race with you, have them hand you bottles every lap. I liked water on the first lap, sports drink mixed half and half the second lap and flat Coke the third lap. On hot days, I'd ride by and my dad would hand me the bottle with one hand and dump cool water on me with the other. If you don't have anyone with you, see if the organizers are cool with setting your bottles on top of a cooler in the feed zone and grab them as you pass.

Post race: Cool down for about 10-15 minutes, then change into some fresh clothes. There will usually be a bathroom, but bring a towel you can change under if necessary. I always like to wipe down with something (wet wipes, a washcloth etc.). Eat a snack when your stomach has settled to start recovery as soon as possible, I usually go with ginger ale, a recovery drink and a PB&J.

General:

• Poop before you race. Seriously.
  
  
• Practice your starts and clipping in. I still screw this up, but there is no better feeling than nailing it and getting an extra stroke on your competitors.
  
  
• Let people know if you're passing. They're not obligated to move over, but most people will if they see a spot. If you can, practice bumping shoulder with someone to simulate the start and passing.
  
  
• Ride your own race as far as pacing goes. If you feel yourself trying too hard to keep up with someone, it's ok to back off. They're hurting too and will probably come back to you at some point. If you get tired, don't fall into the sprint-coast-sprint-coast trap. Steady and smooth is the fastest way around.
  
  I think that's about it- wall of text, sorry. Any other questions, please let me know.
  

Hello there, I'm relatively new as well but I can hopefully help! Firstly, on the sidebar is a very helpful book, Mastering Mountain Bike Skills This is the second edition, the first one is cheaper, I'm not sure how much has changed but it has a ton of helpful things, such as a few answers to your questions. They recommend deadlifts as a great exercise to build strength, I can imagine that would help a lot. Conditioning is also a big part of it, long rides focusing on pedal stroke and perfecting form to make sure there is no wasted effort.

As far as a trail bike, depends on how rough the trails are. I'm currently riding 2014 Giant Talon 4 and it's holding up fine on easy-moderate trails without too many large bumps or big rocks, I've done some pretty rough accidental off-roads and nothing has broken yet, so I'd say for your price range a hardtail would be the way to go, though for rougher trail a full suspension bike is recommended, though good ones of those start around $1600-$2000 range.

Also for what it's worth, I'm 220 pounds and ride with a 8-10ish pound backpack so I imagine you'd be a lot easier on the bike in that regard

I have a 2008 Gary Fisher Marlin Disc, which is similar to your bike in a number of ways, though most of your components are higher-end. Though I got the bike 6 or 7 years ago, I didn't really start riding much until recently. So I'm still a noob, but I'll let you know the handful of changes I've made, and why, in case it helps. I do XC riding in the PNW for what it's worth.

Pedals - the platforms that came with my bike were not great. Trek's specs for both bikes list "alloy pedals" so I assume they're the same. I recently switched to clipless pedals (SPD) and it made a huge difference for me since I'm not sliding all over the place. Better platforms and good shoes are a good choice too.

Tires - Trek's site says we have the same tires, assuming you haven't changed them. I'm still rocking the original tires since they do the job, but they don't get good traction in wet and muddy conditions. Others online say similar things (http://www.mtbr.com/cat/tires-and-wheels/tire/bontrager/jones-xr/prd_416565_151crx.aspx). So picking up a set of new tires that match your riding style and trail conditions may be good. I will probably do this when mine wear out (soon).

Drivetrain - All I've done is dump my largest chainring, since I never use it, and put a bash guard in its place to protect my legs and help roll over logs and such more easily.

edit: you know what, I may have misinterpreted your question. If you're looking more for how to improve your skills I found this to be very helpful: https://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Mountain-Bike-Skills-2nd/dp/0736083715. The tips in the threads toomuchdolphin linked are great resources as well.

Out of the list you have there, I think the most important ones are "tires" but I am also thinking he is asking for a new bike. Let me explain.

First, ask him why he wants clipless pedals. If it is because of the terrain is too rough and his feet are bouncing so much that he gets off the pedals, then that is the correct answer, If it is because everyone is using them, that is the wrong answer. You can always accommodate for this with technique. So for me, clipless pedals are just one more expense with not a lot of backing. There are downhill racers racing with flat pedals. I have personally avoided this expense and I prefer to get better in my technique of riding than solving the issues with clipless pedals. I have chosen to spend my money in other things like tubless tires and grips. BTW, the original pedals of this bike are terrible. If he is riding with those, then that's a must. I would change to flat pedals though... So ask him. (Chester flat pedals are affordable and great looking, plastic and can be reused in any other bike you get.)

https://www.amazon.com/RaceFace-Chester-Pedal-Turquoise-Size/dp/B06XKV7VH5/ref=asc_df_B06XKV7VH5/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312065280674&hvpos=1o2&hvnetw=g&hvrand=7548884091665632536&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9011905&hvtargid=aud-800703102928:pla-440833654491&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=62425943472&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=312065280674&hvpos=1o2&hvnetw=g&hvrand=7548884091665632536&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9011905&hvtargid=aud-800703102928:pla-440833654491

Second, "grips" grips are a good thing to get if you know about grips, like a lot. This can be one of the main things on that list and kind of cheap to get. That is because there are two point of contacts between your body and the bike, and that is pedals and grips. Grips come in first, that's how you handle the bike. again, ask him why grips, is it because he wants a nice color? or because his hands are slipping? is it sweat? is it that they are too big? or too small? Asses the issue and get those grips at a store where he can test them. I would think that gloves are more important since they protect your fingers (get full finger protection) and they enhance gripness and avoid slipping since sweat is mitigated. If it is size and diameter and his hands are getting off the grip, then the grip he has currently is too large.

"Tires": they are the one thing that makes the whole thing go. Depending on the terrain and how rough it is. They can make a ride in the woods where there are a lot of rocks and roots a pain in the butt if they don't have larger knots and spacing and dont grab a thing. again, ask him what is the problem with the tires, if it is the terrain he is riding, is it too soft, or too rooty? is he asking for speed tires? or grippy tires? (The original tires of this bike are not great, I've seen them and they have very little grip.) For me, tires are important because they can make you slip all the time in humid and rooty conditions and you can fall a lot. You might want to get tires with a lot of grip and allow the bike to advance without hesitating on "is it gonna grab or not?"

https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/us/en/maxxis-minion-dhf-mtb-tyre-exo-tr/rp-prod149555?gs=1&sku=sku545269&istCompanyId=64a3dd19-9b5e-411d-a4f3-46f21c06bfee&istFeedId=504a9a46-d791-4ab6-bde1-bd49b4b78bc6&istItemId=iwxxialaw&istBid=t&pgrid=53546199518&ptaid=pla-424288834263&utm_source=google&utm_term=&utm_campaign=PLA+All+Products&utm_medium=base&utm_content=mkwid|sv58zieAv_dc|pcrid|253668879799|pkw||pmt||prd|545269US&gclid=Cj0KCQjwgNXtBRC6ARIsAIPP7RsbvGDXWN5Z_gQMqPkpkkamCyorYg05zbvjGI_9Ai3UhDg2-27vrOoaAuWMEALw_wcB

Brakes: Brakes are usually not well adjusted. Check them. If they are hydraulic brakes, they need to be bleed. The pads might need to be changed and the rotors need to be cleaned with alcohol. (Be carefull when you oil the bike, if oil gets into the break system they stop working completely) Maintenance is usually number one with brakes. The original breaks of this bike are decent.

"Fork" If he is asking for a new fork, then he is getting better. That fork in that model if I am not mistaken is a coil fork. This fork offers very little adjustment possibilities. The fork should be fine for his weight and size but if after adjusting he still doesn't like it. Then I would say this is one major expense. Whatever you put in this bike, he is not gonna be happy. Once you feel the suspension is not working well for you, then you are most likely asking for a new bike... Sorry but that's what this is. Forks are too expensive. For me, personally, I would look into a new bike if I have to change the fork. This goes well with the answer to question number 1, clipless pedals. Usually when you start riding harder and going faster on rough terrains, the suspension does not react well, the rear is too bouncy (on short travel bikes and hard tails), and your feet are coming out of the pedals. These are all signs of "I need a new bike".

I am surprised he has not spoken about a dropper post. If he is running faster, going downhill faster and feeling the pain in his behind, he would be asking for a way to mitigate that problem. A dropper post is a must once you start riding harder...

My recommendation would be to talk to him and find out more about the issues he is having. Understand him more in how he is riding, conditions of the terrain and his personal experience. Then, from that point see what you can change. I am guessing tires would be the first thing, pedals second. Change the rear tire first. That is a $70 to $75 expense that might just do the trick (if you install them yourself).

I have a friend who bought a Marin 7, 6 months ago, and just last week he got a $2100 giant full suspension. He sold this marin. That is because he was riding harder and changing one or two things weren't' going to improve the whole thing... Sorry...

Look into Marin bikes. They are very affordable bikes... I would tell him to get a 27.5 instead of a 29er. He will have more control and enjoy more a 27.5. I am 200 pounds and 6'2" and I ride 27.5 on a XL frame. They are great and give me enough flexibility in the trail. I do not race so I leave 29er for people who race.

I hope this helps and I am sorry if my answer is not something you were expecting to hear.

Btw. Hydraulic forks run around $300 I believe. Half of the cost of the marin. Not worth it. instead look at full suspensions bikes like the ones below.

https://www.the-house.com/qgtve27504rd18zz-gt-bikes.html?utm_source=shopzilla&utm_medium=ppc&utm_campaign=shopcomparefeed&CAWELAID=600004150004501914

https://www.bikebling.com/Marin-Hawk-Hill-JR-Kids-Bike-p/marin19-hawkhill-jr.htm?gclid=Cj0KCQjwgNXtBRC6ARIsAIPP7Rt5lrqMivkRN6Emq_76ha_9bsDFLRutqcQADN1q08K4CqU5zvVum_saAolfEALw_wcB&Click=120514&utm_source=googlebase&utm_medium=shoppingengine

there is tons of stuff that a new rider should know, too much to list generally, but if you search for older new rider threads and browse through them, you'll pick up a ton of info from people who have been in your exact position.

beyond that, the best investment you can make is in this book:

http://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Mountain-Bike-Skills-Edition/dp/0736083715

it's huge but you don't have to read it all at once, just look up the relevant section when you start to wonder how you can do something specific better

also, this video is a bit long but it was and is still very helpful to me when it comes to basics

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiQGFX_RlW4

your brakes probably are a bit weak, as they were made to be that way so a beginner rider wouldn't fly over the handlebars if they braked too hard, but i wouldn't worry about them right now. at some point you may want to upgrade them, but i would focus on the basics for now.

your shifter might not be calibrated correctly which is causing the clicking- if you bought the bike at a shop, you could have them look at it.

as far as money to spend right now, assuming you already have a helmet (that's numbers 1 through 10 in priority) upgrade your contact points, the things that connect you to the bike-

better pedals like, say, these:

http://www.jensonusa.com/Deity-Compound-Pedals

and better grips like these:

http://www.jensonusa.com/ODI-Yeti-Lock-On-Grips

and gloves. i'm partial to these:

http://www.specialized.com/us/en/ftr/gloves/long-finger-gloves/enduro

and better shoes like fiveten mountain bike shoes

all these things will allow you to stick to the bike and spend less effort staying that way, which means more ability to just focus on the trail

There's a really good section on climbing in that stupid book I keep recommending.

Your height to weight ratio is fine, so don't worry about that. If you're a flabby 98, just keep riding and your body will get to where it needs to be. Don't worry about.

As for the climb, a couple things to remember are:

• Keep your weight over your bottom bracket
  
• If your rear wheel loses traction, try sitting down; the extra weight focused on your back wheel will keep it from spinning out.
  
• Pedal like a hummingbird: for really steep climbs, stay seated, shift to a low gear, lean forward (weight over the bottom bracket), and pedal with a fast, consistent cadence.
  
• Don't stop until you fall. I have friends who struggled with steep sections of trails for months, only to make them the first time I rode behind them and kept on them to not give up until they fell over.
  
  As for SPD (clipless) pedals, I love them, but it's mostly rider preference. Professional XC racers use them, and professional downhill racers don't, so you can use that as your guide. For me (XC racing with some freeride), I love riding clipless; you never have to worry about your foot position (which is great for climbs and rooty/rocky downhill sections), so all of your pedaling energy is focused where it should be.
  
  Of course, if you're a DH or DJ rider, clipping in will probably result in a broken collar bone. It really depends on how you ride.
  
  One quick note on terminology: "Clips" are the basket things you put your foot into. (It's short for "toe clip.") The pedals that attach to your specially made shoes don't have the basket (clip), so they're called "clipless," even though you clip into them. (So yes, you clip in to clipless pedals.) It's confusing if you don't know the history behind the terms, but pretty easy to remember once you do.
  
  Good luck!

That's terrific! Comfort her and be patient. Let her cry and be there for her. Sometimes it just has to get out. It sounds like you are already doing just what you should be.

Can I give you some advice for you and your girlfriend? Sorry but I'm long-winded :)

1. I can't tell you how many times I broke down crying on a hill. 100? 1,000? I remember the first "hill" I tried to tackle. It was pavement and at the time it was the steepest thing in the world to me. Today I'm up it effortlessly with two strong pedal strokes. I ran that damn hill for HOURS, for days, for weeks. I blew every shift. I would downshift too much and lose my pedals as they started to spin. I wouldn't downshift enough and I would fall over. I ran out of any strength or stamina halfway up the hill. It was humiliating, frustrating, dejecting, the whole nine. But I kept at it despite being at a point where I would rather die than even try it one more time. When I got up the hill the first time, it was a feeling I can't even describe. I had worked SO HARD for this, and I DID it. Keep at it. Keep trying. You will get there. It is a certainty.
   
   
2. Every ride is valuable. That ride where you failed every single thing you attempted? You fell over 15 times, ate shit coming down a hill, whatever? During that ride, if you come away still not having mastered whatever you were trying, you learned 10 approaches that didn't work. You have an opportunity to identify some of the things you are doing wrong, and that is a victory. You won't make the same mistakes again.
   
   
3. Celebrate all of the victories. Yesterday, I had to stop for a break at that tree over there. Today, I made it 50 yards farther. Two weeks ago, I had to stop 3 times on this trail for a break. Today, I only had to stop twice. Last time, I lifted my bike over that rock. Today, I got over it...or, just TRYING to get over it instead of lifting is a success. For you, as her mentor - enthusiastically point out the things she is doing right, no matter how basic. Her attack position just looked killer coming down that hill? Shout it out to her. She picked a perfect line? Tell her so. My boyfriend often calls out to me something as simple as "you look so comfortable on that bike right now." Even that makes me feel great.
   
   
4. For you - run drills with her. Not every outing has to be a ride. Find something she's struggling with, find somewhere perfect to practice it, and run it over and over. There was a point where I was terrified of going down even a relatively small decline or drop if it was rocky or otherwise not really flat. We found an area that had a great example, and I just practiced going down it for hours. By the end of that first outing, I had figured out where my weight needed to be on the bike, how far back my butt should be, etc. I never had any trouble at all with that again.
   
   
5. Teach her how to fall properly. It is so important that she understands to get away from the bike the millisecond she realizes there's no recovering from this. Tell her I said not to be afraid to fall. It's going to happen. The end. I usually consider it a good thing, in a way...every fall reminds me that falling isn't usually THAT bad, I've always managed to walk away from it, and keeping that in mind helps give me confidence when approaching something that makes me nervous. How many times have I eaten shit? What's one more? Teaching her how to do this will also reinforce the idea that EVERYONE FALLS. Everyone falls so much that there is an actual technique to doing it as safely as possible. A fall is not something to be embarrassed by, and I personally love my scrapes, cuts, and bruises. They remind me how strong and badass I am. My legs were never terribly pretty to begin with, but boy are they scarred up now. I rock that shit with pride - I earned every one of those scars by doing something difficult.
   
   
6. nakfoor's girlfriend...here are my #1 tips, the lessons that were the hardest and most valuable for me:
   
   -Speed is almost always your friend. Your instinct is to hit those brakes when you come up on something scary. Your bike WANTS to keep going. Your bike is literally designed to make it over that obstacle. If you hit it at speed, you've got a good chance of clearing it. If you run smack into it with nothing behind you, you're not gonna make it over. When in doubt...remember a high-speed crash is almost always preferable to a low-speed one.
   
   -Breaks are important. It took me so long (like, as in about 10 months ago) to get that in my brain. I always felt like stopping indicated I was weak, my boyfriend must be so bored stopping all the time, the objective is to complete the ride, etc. If you are tired, stop. Catch your breath. One of my favorite trails has two mega bitches of hills essentially right before a rock garden. I always wanted to keep going, and by the time I hit that rock garden, I was so tired my technique was sloppy and I struggled. If you stop ahead of that rock garden, hydrate and breathe, you'll hit it fresh and be much more successful.
   
   -You're gonna have days when it's just not happening. The most basic stuff you know how to do...you'll just blow it every time for some reason. Everything is gonna be a fail. It's okay. Everyone has those days, and it's completely normal and no reflection on you. Pack it up, have a beer, get over it, and look forward to next time.
   
   -Do not give up. Just don't do it. That moment you feel like you've got absolutely nothing left? Hang on for 2 more minutes and make sure it isn't your mind lying about your body. 99% of the time for me, that's my head giving out before my lungs and legs do. You're maxed out and have nowhere else to downshift going up that hill? When that happens to me, I reach deep inside and tell myself, "Your bike has gotten you this far. The rest is up to you." Then I hit it and every time I would downshift if I could, I press the shifter anyway and translate it to "I just shifted my own legs into that gear and I'm gonna get it."
   
   -Talk to yourself. You might feel stupid, but I promise it helps. When I've almost crested that hill and I'm about to lose it, I shout, "GET IT! YOU'VE GOT THIS! HIT IT!" When I'm dying trying to get over something, I'll just primal scream if I have to get that struggle out. It feels great and it is often that boost I need.
   
   One last thing...get this book. Mastering Mountain Bike Skills. This has been one of my best resources. Explanations are clear and concise, tons of pictures that help you see how you should be positioned, and covers every topic you could imagine. Best investment I made in my riding, and it was under 20 bucks.
   
   I hope you guys have a great experience together. Keep up what you're doing today and you will give her everything she needs :)
   
   
   
   

Looks like a lot of stuff has been covered already.

As far as pedals, I ride with these Faceoff 13's and they've treated me well. If you can afford a decent pair of riding shoes, you can't really go wrong with 5.10's. If you decide to go clipless later, you can get 5.10's that you can ride clipless or on flats (see the Hellcat's). I recommend a good shoe with a sturdy sole. I rode with Vans for a while and dabbed my foot to catch my balance and ended up dabbing it right into a rock. The Vans crumpled and my toe took the brunt of the force. Not fun. I couldn't walk very well for a while. Good riding socks are awesome, too just to keep your feet from getting really sweaty.

Someone mentioned the Camelbak MULE. That's what I ride with and highly recommend it.

As for a helmet, I've been riding with a Fox Flux this season and I've been really impressed with it. I wear a skullcap under it to help keep my head cool and keep sweat from dripping into my face. You'll want something well ventilated over the BMX helmet for sure.

I do highly recommend a good pair of riding shorts with a comfortable chamois. I have some shorts from Fox, Dakine and Pearl Izumi and the Fox shorts have the best chamois and fit most comfortably.

You'll definitely want to bring an extra tube or two, tire levers and a hand pump or CO2. As far as tools, I take this multi-tool. It's a bit heavy, but it's treated me well. I would also throw some zip ties in your bag as well. They're light, but when you need them, they're worth their weight in gold.

As far as position goes, you typically want to go "long and low" or "short and high." You can change your stem out for something longer/shorter and more/less rise, or you can swap out bars for something wider/narrower or more/less rise.

I'm pulling the following numbers and information from this book: If you're more XC and like to climb, you may want to go long (90-120mm) and low (0-10 degrees rise), but if you're more into descending and jumping, short (40-70mm) and high (10-15 degrees) may be better for you.

In addition to the stem, you can get a bar with rise if you'd like. For "long and low" XC, flat or 1" rise is good. For "short and high," 1.5" to 2.5" is better.

As far as bar width goes, it really depends on your build. If you have wide shoulders, you'll probably need wider bars. Basically, it should feel comfortable.

Since you say your frame is small, you'll probably need to go to the edges of the ranges above (e.g. if you like "long and low," you might try a 120mm stem rather than 90mm). I don't know enough to give you specifics for your bike, but it does sound a little small for you. Your LBS probably has hundreds of different stems in a drawer and could fit you pretty well.

Sucks to hear about your broken arm. I go crazy when I'm hurt and can't get out to do things. You've definitely got the heart and drive to progress on a bike. Best advice I can give you is:

1- don't give up! Mountain bikes really are fun a great way to exercise once you get a little fitness and skill built up.

2- You just jumped right into, maybe not the deep end, but at least the end of the mtb pool where your feet can't touch. Riding off even small drop takes practice and technical skills take a while to learn. While you're recovering check out Mastering Mountain Bike Skills by Brian Lopes and Lee McCormack. By far the best break down of how to learn technical bike skills out there.

3- Even the best of the best still crash. It's a good idea to work on learning to "tuck and roll grandma!". I think I'd have way more broken bones than I do now if I hadn't learned how to fall. I took some entry level judo classes when I was young that taught me, but there's plenty of info online on how to break your fall properly. In the words of Wade Simmons:
>I’ve always said this, you’ve gotta be a better crasher to be a better rider.

I checked out a copy of Joe Friel's Bible, read it cover-to-cover three times, and set up a comprehensive training plan including weight training, intervals, long efforts, and rest days. Then, just as he predicts, I completely abandoned the program when my life got in the way. It's a great book with a lot of helpful advice, but in reality it's impossible for a person with a full-time job and a social life to follow a training plan in the first year of trying.

I ended up cobbling together a basic plan of long rides on the weekends (6-8 hours a day) and a couple after-work rides every week (for a total of about 20 hours of riding weekly), and making sure every single ride included a substantial climb. I'm lucky because I live in Colorado, where every road and trail turns upward eventually and most of the rides are beautiful and fun. I did end up skipping a lot of parties to make those 8AM roll-outs on Saturdays, but it was worth it!

At the expense of feeling your pain over-and-over, I watched that sequence a few times to look for what you did wrong. I can't really see the jump from the quality/angle, but in terms of posture, your elbows looked pretty stiff as you went into that launch. As a result of this, I think you ended up distributing too much of your weight forward (putting weight on the bars, it looks like), which caused your front wheel to hit the ground at a non-preferential angle.

I'd suggest starting small: Find roots, moguls, dips, hell, even curbs. Manhole covers can also make a good small starting spot, but roots tend to be the best -- generally things that are only a few inches high.

Get yourself used to riding up to them and popping over them. Once that's comfortable, start learning how to launch off of them. Don't pull too hard on your bars, it should come fairly naturally once you're used to it -- you'll sort of loosen up your elbows, position yourself in 'attack position,' then naturally glide over the roots and get a few inches of air. It should feel reaaally natural once you're used to it, which is why I'm having a hard time explaining proper positioning. I'm sure someone can jump in with more technical advice.

As for how fast to go... that's a call that you'll have to make when there. It should sort of feel right when you're going a good speed - I can't really tell what the configuration of that huck is from the angle, though.

I learned everything I know from getting hurt ... a lot, but someone bought me this book last year and it taught me a lot. It's nothing revolutionary, but the book is loaded with timelapse photos that show exactly how a rider is positioned during corners, drops, hucks, jumps, etc. and should help you get started! Hope that helps!

Where was this, by the way?

Edit: I asked about 'how to fall' in this subreddit a while back. I found this video to be helpful, albeit tougher to do in a real scenario.

There are a couple different levels to this question.

1. Do you need a new bike, or is it just your technique holding you back? If your bike is similar to this one, you should be ok. Just work on your technique - GMBN on youtube is a good place to start, as well as this book. If it's more like this one, then you're on the right track looking for something new for off-road riding.
   
   
2. Should you get a fat bike? Personally, I'm not a huge fan. They're on the heavy side, the tires act as undamped suspension (meaning that you bounce a lot), they accelerate very slowly, and they require constant effort to keep moving (i.e. they don't coast well at all). However, I ride with a few guys that love them. The main benefit is traction. Because you have so much tire in contact with the ground and the tire is run at such a low pressure (often under 10 psi), you can ride up stuff that an ordinary 2.0-2.4" tire would slip out on. You can also ride on surfaces like sand and snow that are unrideable on skinnier tires - some of my fatbiking friends have ridden between towns by following the river and staying on the sandbars. In general, they seem to be popular among riders who are into mountain biking for the adventure aspect rather than the go-fast aspect. If that sounds like you, then a fat bike might be just what you need.
   
   
3. Should you get a mid-fat/plus bike? I don't have a ton of experience with them personally, but the few rides that I've had have been positive. They offer more traction than a standard tire without the weight penalty and less of the rolling resistance penalty of a fat bike tire. Currently, most plus tires are a little on the thin side, which makes them more prone to sidewall tears and pinch flats than a standard tire, especially when riding in very sharp rocks, and they can feel a bit vague under heavy cornering load (mostly an issue for very fast/aggressive riders), but I think they strike a nice balance for a beginner rider between rideability and capability.
   
   I would lean away from getting a full suspension given your budget, and would STRONGLY recommend riding several different options before buying. If your shop doesn't offer trail demos/rentals, look for factory demo tours from Trek, Specialized, Giant, etc. They're usually going around the US this time of year offering free bike demos at trails all over the country. You may not get to ride the exact bike you're looking at, but it should give you at least an idea of what to expect.

I recently picked up some SPD pedals (these specifically) and absolutely love them. Two things to make sure of from my experience:

1. Make sure you get shoes that fit you perfectly. It took me a few different types of shoes and a few sizes to find the ones that work well for me.
   
   
2. PRACTICE CLIPPING AND UNCLIPPING BEFORE YOU GO RIDING! It'll only take a few embarassing tip overs to figure out what you're doing, but you can save those by spending 10-15 minutes holding on to a fence post or something repeatedly clipping in and out.
   
   I love them, and I find that I'm more willing to take on sketchier terrain. Plus I feel like I could jump over a house now. So there's that.

I transitioned into working on my bikes almost entirely by myself (Wheel building/suspension service/bearings excluded) and this is the exact path I went down as well. Here is everything I bought from Amazon:

The same $50 tool kit

Torque wrench

Cable/housing/wire cutter

Chain/quick link pliers


Wet/Dry Chain lubes

Park Tool grease

Degreaser

Blue Loctite

Carbon grip paste

And some additional small things like cables, cable end caps, ferrules, zip ties, etc. A set of needle nose pliers can be handy to help push/pull stubborn cables/housings as well.

Also, to make working on the bike 10x easier, I recommend getting a stand. I use this one because I am space constrained and it folds up nice and small, but there are probably better ones out there.

It seems like a lot of $$ to lay out at first, but it pays for itself pretty quickly compared to taking the bike to a shop every time you need to do something to it. Basically everything you need to do can be found on YouTube as well.

I got 2 of these lights: http://www.amazon.com/Best-Rechargeable-Lumen-Bicycle-Light/dp/B00GJZ015Y/

Slightly more expensive at $40 each, but is one of the best reviewed "Magicshine 808 clones" on Amazon and the seller apparently has some of the best customer service (I haven't had to deal with issues yet, but they did send me 2 wide angle lens for FREE after I emailed them).

Real world test is probably nowhere up to claimed 1.2k lumens, closer to 800-900, which is enough for me now. I might grab another one so I can mount 2 on the handlebars side by side.

Note that many of the higher 1.6-3k lumen lights, even the $100-200 MagicShines, have heat issues when running on high for long periods of time, which could affect component lifespan.

I'm no expert mechanic but this is a really good book.

Regular maintenance mostly includes stuff like lubing your chain, keeping everything clean, checking bolt tightness, and making minor adjustments to keep your drivetrain and brakes working smoothly. Occasionally you'll need to do something more in-depth like bleed your hydraulic disc brakes or replace suspension seals - your local shop will be happy to do that stuff if you don't want to mess with it.

I've ordered six of these lights in the past. Three immediately went back because they didn't work out of the box. They are very cheaply made and are $20 for a reason.

They are also nowhere near 1000 lumens. That's the theoretical max of the LED, not how many actual lumens it pumps out. Realistically, it's about 600-700 at most. That's still awesome for $20, but it's nowhere near 1000 lumens.

This one: http://www.amazon.com/SecurityIng%C2%AE-Waterproof-Bicycle-Lighting-Flashlight/dp/B00C2MHNJK/ref=sr_1_4?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1414784449&sr=1-4&keywords=securitying is a much better made light. I have two of them and they have a better beam pattern and have lasted a lot longer than the single beam ones. It's nowhere near 2800 lumens though. Again, that's a marketing claim based on a theoretical max.

I use the dual beam on my helmet, and the single beam with a wide beam diffuser on the handlebars. It's a great combination. The use the same battery pack, so if one dies, like it did on my last ride, then you can just swap the battery pack to the helmet.

To narrow down your search: I purchased a Camelbak MULE last April along with a Topeak Alien II multitool. Both of these items were fantastic purchases, and I'm so glad I bought them.

If you're interested in gloves, I bought a pair of Fox Inclines a while back and am happy with that purchase as well.

Congratulations on your new bike! You are going to enjoy it.

Personally i like the M-530s better. Especially for a first time clipless rider. While they may be a tad heavier, they have more of a platform. This comes in super handy in many "oh shit" scenarios and in regular use. The 520s can flip over easily when trying to clip in, and especially getting started in a technical section or an uphill, that can be frustrating as hell. The outer platform of the 530s prevents them from rolling or flipping. Also if you, cant quite get your feet clipped in, at least you have something to stand on until you get a chance to clip in correctly. Also, when you just want to hop on your bike to go to the store, or test ride some new tweaks, in your regular shoes, you actually have a pedal and not a nubbin under your foot. Lastly, if you have weak shoes that dont have a stiff sole, you might feel a "hotspot" on your foot where the small 520 is. I had cheap flexy spd shoes and found my feet to be pretty sore after long descents.

The 520s are great but i definetely like the 530s way better for all around use. Espcially since they are under 40 bucks on amazon right now.

good luck!

Don't feel bad if you'd feel more confident riding flat pedals rather then clipless. I used to be a clipless snob but ride flat now. Its worth considering.

You might want to get off your bike and scope out the line you want to take before hand. You can also session the obstacle to get more practice.

When riding a step down slowly its important to keep your wheels rolling, especially your front wheel. Do the majority of your breaking before the drop.

When you near the drop, get off the front break entirely. You can feather the back break but don't lock it up. Higher end brakes modulate better.

You want to get your butt behind the seat and down. I recommend you get a dropper seat post. It will make these types of moves so much easier. Keep in mind that the further back you get your weight, the more likely your front wheel is to get light and possibly move around on you. You'll need to experiment with how far back you need to get on your bike. Start with too far back since you tend to go over the bars.

If you can seek out in person training from a coach with a good rep that will help.

Here's a book to consider.

https://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Mountain-Bike-Skills-2nd/dp/0736083715

You mentioned that your tubes have given out on you. Since they are cheap, replace these first. When replacing the tubes, run your finger along the inside side walls of the wheel. Do you feel any burrs or anything sticking out? If so, sand it down and get some rim tape. Bikes like these usually come with cheaper tires varying in quality. When the tire is off, check a couple things;

• The tire will be wire bead (you can easily google what this means). Check to see that the wire bead doesn't have any abnormalities (straight, nothing sticking out of the bead).
  
• Check for holes or sign of ware
  
• Check if anything somehow made it inside of the tire.
  
  Remember, if you replace the tire don't go crazy and buy tires that are 80$ each. Go with something like this;
  http://www.amazon.com/Geax-Goma-Enduro-Race-Tire/dp/B00J07F72K
  
  After this, if you're going to be doing any agressive mountain biking, I would highly recommend replacing the pedals with something that has metal pins. Once again, no need to go crazy! Something like this:
  http://www.amazon.com/Wellgo-Magnesium-Sealed-Platform-Pedal/dp/B00GDF87GU
  
  The two best upgrades in my opinion are:
  
  
• A pair of well fitting baggy cycling shorts. I highly recommend the company endura.
  
• A decent hydration pack that has room for a spare tube, a tire lever, and a general folding bike tool
  
  Do not patch these tubes. The tubes this bike came with are not great. Tubes are so cheap they aren't worth patching unless you're out and run out of tubes. Don't buy a tube from target or walmart, make sure you buy a tube from an actual bike shop as they are a much higher quality.

I considered buying one of those. They look awesome.

I got this since the Outbound lights were out of stock and planned on putting it on my helmet after the Outbound light came in. Instead I'm so happy with this Bright Eyes 1600 lumen that I'll just get a second one. It's plenty bright at highest and coverage was great too with the diffuser lens (included, you just have to pop it in).

The BrightEyes is $150 cheaper which helps. Two sample pics. The pics came out ever so slightly brighter than they were in real life due to a high ISO on my phone. The pics were taken on a 5 year old Nexus 6, so no fancy night shot from newer phones. It's pretty close to what I saw.

I got a couple of cheap Bright Eyes Headlamps off Amazon. They're not the best head-lamps in the world, but more than good enough for riding, and the price is right.

Night-riding is the best way to beat the heat, and also gives you a nice perspective on the trails that you ride. I really like it - it kind of strips away a lot of distractions, and leaves just you and the trail.

It keeps me riding through Australian summer, and through the heat in Houston.

I highly recommend the book in the side-bar it goes over lots of little tips like this about weight distribution, when to brake, lean, etc. The book is really a great help in learning to ride safely while pushing your abilities.

I picked up this Topeak Alien II but it doesn't have pliers or a knife but I do have an small leatherman which does. I figured a 26-function would cover most of things that could come up but I'm interested in what you dig up.

Edit: You're awesome. Thanks, man!

The feedback sports stand(s) get a lot of love.

But some friends and I have this Bikehand one from amazon. Pretty well reviewed and has worked fine for me over the past year:

https://www.amazon.com/Bikehand-Mechanic-Bicycle-Repair-Stand/dp/B00D9B7OKQ/

Luckily indeed. This is the first weekend it's getting about 50F. The ground has been frozen up until now. You'll definitely have a lot of time to improve. You'll find yourself getting better and better the more you ride. Also, if you want to look for more material on riding techniques I would check out: http://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Mountain-Bike-Skills-2nd/dp/0736083715/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1395620576&sr=1-1&keywords=mountain+biking

I've recently started making my own food. So far it's great. Easy enough to make and, most importantly, working very well for me out on rides.

I highly recommend this book, which is full of recipes for this exact thing.

http://www.amazon.com/Feed-Zone-Portables-On-Go/dp/1937715000

What's your budget? There's a ton of options all across the price range. The Park Tool stands are nice, but expensive. I've made a few DIY stands with varying results for a few dollars at the local home improvement store as well. This one on Amazon is $100 and gets good reviews, though I don't have any personal experience with it.

I only have two legs and I rarely fall over.

Seriously though, unless you're being careless they are plenty sturdy. I'd recommend this one:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00D9B7OKQ/ref=ya_aw_oh_bia_dp?ie=UTF8&psc=1

And I've heard good things about the Aldi stand if you want to go super cheap.

You should definitely get a torque wrench. I've been happy with the Nashbar branded one.

Just ordered my brand new Rocky Mountain Altitude 730. Il should have it in the next week. Thanks everyone for your help.

And I ordered Mastering Mountain Bike Skills to improve my technique and Magellan Echo Fit to see my progress via Runkeeper.

I'm ready for this summer!

You might be leaning forward and putting more weight on the front than the back. It's one of those things that your brain tells you to do, but is opposite of what you need to do. You want to keep yourself centered over the cranks and your weight on the pedals.

It sometimes helps you get out of the saddle in corners, put most of your weight on the outside pedal with it at the 6 o'clock position, and lean the bike while keeping yourself vertical.

Going downhill you want to keep most of your weight centered over both pedals only using the handlebars and seat as control points. Depending on the steepness of the trail your butt might be just over the back of the seat or completely behind it.

This book by Lee McCormack and Brian Lopes is a good read and they do a good job explaining the techniques. The point they constantly talk about is heavy feet, light hands.

Last week, I bought the XT Trail PD-M785, which is about half the price ($80 vs $161) of the XTR and only like 10 grams heavier (398 vs 408) and I absolutely adore them. I've been riding clipless for a couple years now and I've used Time's and Crank Brothers mostly and these Shimano's are in a whole different league.

The platform is big enough to give you something to stand on if you want to clip out going down some techy stuff or if you need to do an uphill start. The tension adjust is also a really nice feature so that you can leave them loose when you're just starting out and then tighten the engagement as needed. Those pedals and my dropping seatpost are absolutely the best upgrades I've done to my bike recently.

EDIT: If you're looking for something even more reasonably priced, there are the Shimano PD-M530, which is the same style of pedal, just $40. I'm looking into a pair of these for my girlfriend right now. I haven't ridden them personally, but people say really good things about them.

All good advice. I second the thought that buying from a shop is better than buying from Dicks or whatever for a lot of reasons, especially if you are a relatively new rider. And that Diamondback does not look that good for actual trailriding. The components on the Felt are just ok, but the Diamondback is not very good. If you are serious about riding I'd suggest trying to get something 1 notch above the Felt, but if that is the price limit that is okay too.

For bike maintenance one of the standard books is: Zinn and the Art of Mountain Bike Maintenance . Although I think you can get by for the most part with the internet these days, it is supposed to be a good book and the author is very knowledgable. For internet resources, there are many, but Park Tool's website has some very good guides available.

• I can't recommend this book enough: Zinn & the Art of Mountain Bike Maintenance. It taught me so much about bike maintenance and repair, and easily paid for itself the first time I trued wheels on my three bikes going by instructions from it (couldn't stop after just one pair, it was too much fun). So yeah, invest $16 and save lots money down the road.
  
  
• Try as many different kinds of riding as you can. Hit the local trails, go down to a skate park, check out local dirt jumps and the pump track, try yourself at some lighter DH sections. That Trek 3500 should carry you through most of it (I started with a crappy Walmart bike, then moved onto Trek 4300 which proved to be an excellent "real" starting point). I find that my dirt jumping and skatepark background helps immensely when it comes to "flowing" down trails, pumping, jumping over rooty/rocky sections, and overall confidence on the bike. These skills translate directly into freeride riding, DH, AM stuff. Basically, the more you ride, the better you'll get. Added variety speeds up this process quite a bit.

I don't have allergies but I do have sensitive digestion and am the queen of the trailside hurl from the wrong sort of snacks. My go to is potatoes -- a baked potato, cut into pieces and sprinkled with salt. Easy to digest carbs and it always stays down. I've been known to pack roasted potatoes, hash browns, etc., as well.

Another good portable "real food" snack is rice -- I cook sushi rice (the sticky kind), press it into a pan, then you can add whatever you want in the middle (fruit, Sun butter, bacon, bananas, whatever) and press more rice on top. Wrap in individual foil packets -- another easy-to-digest carby snack. I got the recipe from the Feed Zone Portables book (it has a lot of good "real food" trail snacks):

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1937715000/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

​

I posted this at r/cycling with no responses so I'll try here since it seems more active.

I am in need of a light (soon).

I am starting to ride my bike to work, and with winter setting in I'll be riding in the dark when it's not freezing out. I ran across these two lights on Amazon, are they any good?

1st choice: http://www.amazon.com/Best-Rechargeable-Lumen-Bicycle-Light/dp/B00GJZ015Y/ref=sr_1_1?s=cycling&ie=UTF8&qid=1410199224&sr=1-1

2nd choice: http://www.amazon.com/Rechargeable-LIFETIME-GUARANTEE-SHIPPING-INTENSITY/dp/B00GGR0XD0/ref=sr_1_3?s=cycling&ie=UTF8&qid=1410199224&sr=1-3

Those were the top two ranked so I'm not married to them, just trying to get a feel for what I should look at.

I'm riding on streets/frontage roads for 10 miles each way, about 40 minutes of ride time each way. I'm not opposed to an external battery pack. If it matters my bike is a Trek 3900 that is a few years old.

Thanks!

I'm sure you can get great advice here and there is always costly clinics. But I would definitely check out this book. Really well written, for anybody to understand.

http://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Mountain-Bike-Skills-2nd/dp/0736083715

I have several feedback sports products, but yeah unless you are transporting it a lot, the extra sturdiness isn't worth the cost. The bikehand stand i have was like $90 on Amazon, and has been going strong for 2 years of twice a week use now, and the clamp is superior to all but the most expensive FS stand, which are, what, triple the price?

>Cheap repair stands have crap adjustments, fold poorly (if at all), have weak and hard to adjust heads, and are generally not very stable, which is a serious issue when tuning a drivetrain for example

The bikehand stand definitely has none of these issues

Zinn & the Art of Mountain Bike Maintenance is a great resource. Also check out a picture like this and then google "How to install x". You'll find plenty of youtube videos that will help you along the way.

A friend told me that he has had good luck with these Bright Eyes when I asked him what he used. One on the bar and one on the helmet.

I use this on my handlebars:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00X90ZYJ0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

​

and this on my helmet:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01IHIMJRS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1

​

The Shenkey is great and you could honestly just get two for helmet/handlebars

Nod, when I read Joe Friel's Mountain Biker's Training Bible it said that if you haven't been riding for two years, that you shouldn't do anything in his book - but merely go out and ride. I'm looking forward to this next year for sure!

Going to go out today for a quick ride, tomorrow I've got another VQ prep ride planned, and then Sunday I'm going to see if I can clock 85 miles in on my MTB. Starting 2015 off strong!

These things will pertain more to riding on trails, but you might want:

• gloves for the trails (not so much for the commuting)
  
  
• pedals (only if you have plastic pedals you might want to upgrade.) I recently did and i feel so much more comfortable with my new, large, grippy, Wellgo MG-1's
  
  
• new shoes if you don't want to mess up your current shoes on the pedals.

I've been using some Wellgo MG-1s on my AM bike. Solid pedal. Even better price. Love it.

This book. Only $14 Kindle version. Written very well by professional mtb riders(Brian Lopes, anyone?). It will teach you from the beginning the basic and more advanced riding skills, so you can enjoy your rides even more. I'm reading it right now after 5 years of regular mtb'ing and still find a lot of new and insightful info.

All the answers you need are here:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Mountain-Bikers-Training-Bible/dp/1884737714

As /u/milliken says, having a structured training plan is definitely beneficial. I'm just now starting to develop my plan as I get back into racing after a long layoff, and I've found this book indispensable.

FWIW, I also recommend:

• http://www.amazon.com/Lactate-Threshold-Training-Peter-Janssen/dp/0736037551
  
• http://www.amazon.com/The-Cyclists-Training-Bible-Friel/dp/1934030201/ref=pd_sim_b_5?ie=UTF8&refRID=1BHJ1VR61WPGYDBP8TAC
  
• http://www.amazon.com/Training-Racing-Power-Meter-Hunter/dp/1934030554/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_y
  
• http://www.amazon.com/The-Power-Meter-Handbook-Triathletes/dp/1934030953/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_z
  
• http://www.amazon.com/Precision-Heart-Training-Edmund-Burke/dp/0880117702/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1427498205&sr=1-1
  
• http://www.amazon.com/Serious-Training-Endurance-Athletes-2nd/dp/0873226445/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1427498205&sr=1-5
  

You can get these RF Chester knock offs on Amazon for like half the cost. Just as good honestly if not better.

Ride more, and work on body positioning. Get the Mastering Mountain Bike Skills book and read it to learn a bunch of proper technique. Then, ride even more and practice.

One trick I like is to take a flat, easy piece of trail, and ride it without brakes. No matter how slow you have to go, ride it without brakes. This will give you a good feel for controlling the bike. Then you can bring the speed up more and more... Then eventually start using your brakes where it's really needed, which'll be far less than before.

Go on your own. Have fun. And read this at your own pace. https://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Mountain-Bike-Skills-3rd/dp/1492544493 Great book for all skill levels.

I'm gonna take some flak for this but I bought three of these guys ($20x3=$60) 1200 lumen is probably overrated a bit but not by too much. Maybe ~900:
http://www.amazon.com/RioRand-Bicycle-HeadLight-Flashlight-Headlamp/dp/B006QQX3C4


And then I bought one wide angle lens.
http://www.amazon.com/MagicShine-Gemini-Lights-Headlight-Includes/dp/B004WLCLQY

I am into my lights for $70ish bucks and have one unfocused beam, one trail sized focused beam and a spare light & battery. Nothing worse than getting stuck in the middle nowhere - in the dark.

So yeah, I took the cheap route. The bike specific brands do offer a stronger light but my light output matches or beats all of my riding buddies with brand name lights.

Worst thing I can say about the setup is that they are bound to the bars with a rubber strap. You have to tighten it down pretty well or it can slip on the bar. I didn't like helmet mounted because I blind my friends by looking at them when talking. So yeah probably not the most popular post but they work and they work well. They've lasted about 3 years already and no issues. One word of advice, some of the newer LEDs use a different battery connector so order yours at the same time so all of your lights & batteries are interchangeable.

Ahhh... Facepalm. Thanks for the note, post is fixed.

Good suggestion as well! There's apparently an aluminum version which is $10 more.

Been rocking mine for a year now, you'll love yours!

Do yourself a favor and grab a pair of Wellgo MG-1 Pedals, they're infinitely more durable and grippy than the plastic ones the bike comes with.

My setup.


Light, get 2: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GJZ015Y

Kit for helmet: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004QOVA00

Wide angle lens: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004WLCLQY

Put one on your helmet. Put the wide angle lens one on your bars, means when you turn it has less effect on what you can see.

I've had no problem with battery life, but my night rides do tend to be a bit shorter, in the 90 minute range. Use half strength during the climb, full strength on the down.

That bike looks like it was barely ridden! Great catch. Now just get out there and ride.

The only thing that I can't quite tell re: the bike is what kinda pedals it has. If those are the plastic pedals that came with it then I'd consider changing them out to something with more grip or you'll soon be slapping your in-between-naughty place with metal tubing. I've used these which aren't too expensive...

http://www.amazon.com/Diamondback-Bigfoot-Pedals-16Inch-Axle/dp/B002BVUGA0/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1404235658&sr=8-10&keywords=bike+pedal

http://www.amazon.com/Wellgo-Magnesium-Sealed-Platform-Pedal/dp/B00GDF87GU/ref=pd_sim_sg_12?ie=UTF8&refRID=0VH4A4CHB2K4V82PCXBN

This is basically a knock off of the magicshine. Works just as well for a lot cheaper. I have a magicshine mj-808 and my friend has one of these. It is almost identical. This particular one claims 1200 lumens too. So it might be even brighter than the mj-808.

http://www.amazon.com/Lumen-Bicycle-HeadLight-Flashlight-Headlamp/dp/B006QQX3C4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1367445162&sr=8-1&keywords=magicshine

If you want platform pedals welgo mg-1's are fantastic and affordable.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00E7UZ5OK/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483136257&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=wellgo+mg+1&dpPl=1&dpID=41MHClFiruL&ref=plSrch

If you want clipless you'll need pedals and special shoes

Topeak Alien II - Just got it a few weeks ago and it feels pretty sturdy and well made plus I like the fact that it breaks jn two plus comes with a carrying pouch. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000FIE4AE/

I bought this one from Amazon.
Venzo Pro Mechanic Bicycle/Bike Repair Rack Stand
Wanted something with a small footprint when setup. So far it has been working great for me but most of the time I've been clamping it on the top tube of my hard tail which is also the balance point. So haven't tested it out clamping other things, like the the seat post.

We used to recommend Wellgo MG1s around here. I have a set and I love them. Fairly cheap too.

Attack Position

When I first started riding, my friends kept giving that same tidbit about get your weight back as far as possible. No matter what. Drop? Weight back. Steep descent? Weight back. Rock garden? Weight back. I think it's one of those good intention mantras for mountain biking. But I prefer showing someone the proper attack position along with "heavy feet, light hands."

I picked up this book and quickly became one of the better riders in my group. A couple of them might climb faster than me, but they all let me go first on the descents. Highly recommend it.

I have two of these:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006QQX3C4/ref=oh_details_o05_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

One on the handlebars and one on my head. The batteries need a little modification to be waterproof, but besides that, they work great.

Honestly, the cheap Chinese options for shorts...

https://www.amazon.com/ARSUXEO-Outdoor-Sports-Cycling-Breathable/dp/B072555CK2/ref=mp_s_a_1_8?keywords=mountain+bike+shorts&qid=1558154748&s=gateway&sprefix=mountain+bike+&sr=8-8

And liners...
https://www.amazon.com/Ohuhu-Padded-Bicycle-Cycling-Underwear/dp/B00O0F3BIO/ref=mp_s_a_1_9?keywords=mountain+bike+padded+under+shorts&qid=1558154920&s=gateway&sprefix=mountain+bike+padded+&sr=8-9

...fox gloves


...and 5 10 shoes

You’ll be good to go!

I just got a Cree bike light to mount to my handlebar. I already have a Magicshine mounted on my helmet.

I'm surprised that the Cree is much brighter than my Magicshine which cost double the price, which still isn't much for good lights. I just ran the Cree at the lowest light setting so it blended better with my other light.

I just doubt that flashlights like the one shown in the picture here are bright compared to a real bike light. Plus, the battery lasts 3 hours which is more than enough time to cover 20mi on most trails.

I have these shoes with these pedals.

Excellent traction while walking and the pedals are great for the price. I also ride a fair amount of road and have no complaints so far.

Buy this. Get an older/used copy to save money if needed because this really does have a lot of useful info: Mastering Mountain Bike Skills 3rd Edition https://www.amazon.com/dp/1492544493/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_cnyKzb0K9MYZ1

Someone else suggested these MG-1 pedals to me when I was looking, they are pretty darn good for the price.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00E7UZ5OK/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1503847005&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=mg-1+pedals&dpPl=1&dpID=41MHClFiruL&ref=plSrch

I doubt it. I think they're about $50 USD usually. I don't think I've ever seen them below $40

I know my buddy runs a knock off pair on his hard tail and has had pretty good luck with them. I think they were called "Fooker" brand pedals. An amazon search shows they're $20 and appear to be an exact replica of RF Chesters. No idea how they will hold up to repeated abuse but might be worth a try if you can't do some extra stuff around the house to earn the extra credit with the parents.

Link: https://www.amazon.com/FOOKER-Composite-Mountain-High-Strength-Bikesflat/dp/B07L5RF5CW

My two favorite resources to learn better technique and habits that you can study while off the bike:

There is a really good skills video by Fabien Barel that is geared towards all mountain riding but really applies to any and all riding. Not sure the best place to download a new copy, I believe it was originally on a DVD that came with a magazine

The book "Mastering Mountain Biking Skills" by Brians Lopes and Lee McCormack.

A skills clinic can be expensive esp if you don't leave too close to a good one, but that is a quick way to learn a lot and get personalized coaching. It's probably on every mountain biker's wishlist

Here are a few good tutorial vids to shape up your technique:

How to climb

Techniques for drops

A lesson on riding downhill

And the always popular book, Mastering Mountain Bike Skills. I don't have this book personally, but I really want to get it. I can attest to its greatness because there was a sample on google book previews recently that featured 15 pages or so. Great stuff.

I submit Mastering Mountain Bike Skills as a complimentary book.

One book to keep your bike in shape and another to help you get the most out of it.

Crap, almost forgot about this. This book is your friend. My wife makes lots of these as well and when she does, they're way better than pre-packaged bars and what not.

Feed Zone Portables

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1937715000/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=mrtonka-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1937715000&linkId=030e101b9c299543c804c8224a6cf185

Interesting, I'll try it. This 1200 lumen looks good for a main, would just have to come up with mounting hardware.

I have the Bikehand stand as well and overall I'm very happy with it and it's surprising high quality, except for the clamp itself. Mine has not broken yet but if you look on both the Bikehand and the RAD Cycle bike stands you'll see that both of them have plastic (sawtooth) teeth which allow the clamp to rotate when loosened. The clamp itself has no issues but when you're working on the bike and have to put even a slight amount of force on something - even just turning the cranks to get the rear wheel to spin - those teeth will make stress noises. Sooner or later those teeth are going to break. It's a pretty bad design, honestly. Bikehand makes a "pro" version of the stand that has metal teeth instead of plastic teeth but unless the entire clamp area was made of metal instead of plastic I feel that sooner or later something will give. I'm just really careful with my stand. The Park Tool stand must not have that same issue as I've seen videos of people working on their bike in a Park Tool stand and putting all kinds of force on it and the stand seems to take it without any issues.

This is an excellent book-lots of folks here recommended it. I'm reading it now and it's helped me a lot.

https://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Mountain-Bike-Skills-3rd/dp/1492544493

If your wheels do not require an expensive tool, and just use the regular wrench, the procedure is very easy. Turn your bike upside down and use your brakes to determine straightness, if you have rim brakes. Then use the wrench to tension the side its out and un-tension the side its in.

this video is helpful
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svMMaGMsIMw

The tool I use is really cheap and works fine:
http://www.amazon.com/Topeak-Alien-26-Function-Bicycle-Tool/dp/B000FIE4AE

Yea i completely get that. I don't disagree. Different movements use a different set of muscles so it will take time for my body to develop/adjust to mountain biking.

Here's the bike: http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/elite_trail.htm

I got it some years ago, back in ~2012? Honestly dont remember what size I have. It's either the 15.5" or 17.5" since i'm 5'9". I've upgraded a few parts. I've put on

• Raceface Chester pedals
  
• Raceface Atlas Handlebars
  
• Raceface Half Nelson lock grips
  
• Truvativ Stem
  
• Wake Bar end plugs (not really a performance upgrade lmao)

Chinese lights pretty much all helmet mount like this:

http://www.amazon.com/MagicShine-Helmet-Mount-Kit/dp/B004QOVA00

The only one I know of offhand that doesn't mount like that is so huge it's not a feasible helmet light. (Fluxient U2X3)

Mountain Bikers Training Bible by Joe Friel.
I had my best racing season ever following this book.

I bought these and love them:

Wellgo MG-1 Magnesium Pedal

Buy Lee McCormack/Brian Lopes' "Mastering Mountain Bike Skills". http://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Mountain-Bike-Skills-2nd/dp/0736083715

Seriously. It's a GREAT book. Get it. Read it. Ride it.

1200 lumens, $23: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006QQX3C4/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

You can buy a mount for your helmet for an additional $12.

I'd also recommend going with 2 lights, one for the bars, one for the helmet -- they're not always pointed in the same directions.

Have fun! Darkness makes old trails new again.

I went a similar route and have had plenty of success. I picked up these two:

Helmet - https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00C2MHNJK/
Helmet mount - https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B004QOVA00
bars - https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00BJCDH3K

Here's a video with me just using the helmet light. My friend was using my bar light on medium power:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sL3s3XkONQ

I think we were out there for 3 hours and I made it through just fine. I would drop the power to its lowest setting for any sustained climbs and then power up when things went downhill.

I've loved this resource for many of those questions

https://www.amazon.com/Zinn-Art-Mountain-Bike-Maintenance/dp/1934030597/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1524678006&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=zin+and+the+art+of+bike

surprised no one has posted this yet.

http://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Mountain-Bike-Skills-Edition/dp/0736083715/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395719768&sr=8-1&keywords=mastering+mtb

Great book, has helped me lot.

I got this one from amazon for $100 shipped (it's 90 now) and i'm pretty happy with it. it did have an issue with holding it's rotational position, but i just wrapped a bungee around the handle, and it not only fixed it, but now it's self-closing.

I don't ride mountain a ton, but this combo works well for me. Could go cheaper I'm sure, but at a certain point you will need to upgrade quickly and you're wasting money.

https://www.amazon.com/Pearl-Izumi-All-Road-Cycling-Shadow/dp/B01GH93266/

https://www.amazon.com/SHIMANO-149319-PD-M530-Mountain-Pedals/dp/B0052XXW32

I can help, I was just in the same situation and got this $20 light from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/SecurityIng-Waterproof-Lighting-Headlight-Rechargeable/dp/B00C2MHNJK

It's got a long enough battery life for evening rides (I tested 3hrs on full brightness under ideal conditions)
It's bright enough alone, but I'm probably gonna get a second to mount on the bars for redundancy's sake. It appears pretty sturdy but quality is still a gamble given how cheap it is. I'm not too worried, I'm a diy person and don't mind fixing things that go wrong, just all as long as I'm prepared with a backup in case something goes wrong on a ride.

Buy this book:

http://www.amazon.com/Zinn-Art-Mountain-Bike-Maintenance/dp/1934030597/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1310172528&sr=8-2

Read it and you'll never pay a bike mechanic again. I podiumed XC races back in the day on a wheelset I built by hand using what I learned from this book.

Here are some links for the product in the above comment for different countries:

Amazon Smile Link: http://smile.amazon.com/Mastering-Mountain-Bike-Skills-Edition/dp/0736083715/ref=sr_1_1


|Country|Link|
|:-----------|:------------|
|UK|amazon.co.uk|
|Spain|amazon.es|
|France|amazon.fr|
|Germany|amazon.de|
|Japan|amazon.co.jp|
|Canada|amazon.ca|
|Italy|amazon.it|
|China|amazon.cn|




This bot is currently in testing so let me know what you think by voting (or commenting). The thread for feature requests can be found here.

https://www.amazon.com/Bright-Eyes-WATERPROOF-Rechargeable-Headlight/dp/B00X90ZYJ0/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1506545184&sr=8-3&keywords=bright+eyes+bike+light

Get two, one for bars and one for helmet. Spot on the helmet, diffuser on the bars. You'll want a better mount for your helmet light, which depends on your helmet, some manufacturers (Smith) make camera/light mounts.

FYI this light is amazing, light and small for the money, I wouldn't rate it over 2k lumens but, thats plenty

SecurityIng® 4 Modes Waterproof 2800 Lumens Cree XM-L U2 LED Bicycl... http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00C2MHNJK/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_zstktb0TH90M6

Also, since you are new to dirt - I recommend reading this.
http://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Mountain-Bike-Skills-2nd/dp/0736083715

Hopefully it will keep you from all the stupid mistakes I made. I am still not a very good rider, but I am better than where I started at due to that book.

I am incredibly jealous that you live so close to work. I live 35 miles away from my office and I would love to ride to work every day.

Here's my list:

First Aid Kit - just handy: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B001MEY964?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00

Some sort of sunglasses / windglasses: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000W4CSU4?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00

Bike maintenance book: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/097655304X?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00

Mastering mountain bike skills book: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0736083715?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00

Arse saver pants: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00CWVP9YC?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00

Cheap lights: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00B77SGEC?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00

Tool kit: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B009VYB87A?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

Shorts: http://www.tenn-outdoors.co.uk/protean-waterproof-mtb-shorts-blackcyan-medium

Also:

Inner tubes,
Spare chain,
Chain tool,
Gloves,
Helmet,
Water bottle and cage,
Decent pedals (AND shoes)(http://www.reddit.com/r/MTB/comments/10hc9h/clipless_vs_platforms/c6dugvi),
Strava App,
Decent bag, maybe a camelback one or one with spine protection?

And lastly: A willingness to get muddy regularly. With that in mind, keep your bike clean! No pressure washing, just a hose and a brush, and some stuff. I got this kit free with my LBS membership: http://www.leisurelakesbikes.com/p/8332/vip-membership-with-free-kit

That's it. All you really need is your bike!

To make things easy here it is.

Just picked up this book: http://www.amazon.com/Zinn-Art-Mountain-Bike-Maintenance/dp/1934030597/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1419283042&sr=8-1&keywords=zinn+and+the+art+of+mountain+bike+maintenance

I don't think there's a thing on my bike I can't fix now. You really need a bike stand and a decent set of tools and you're good to go.

I heard these are good http://www.amazon.com/Wellgo-Magnesium-Sealed-Platform-Pedal/dp/B00GDF87GU

Awesome! Never would have found this gem without Reddit :).

Link for the lazy: http://www.amazon.com/Zinn-Art-Mountain-Bike-Maintenance/dp/1934030597.

I have this bike stand,

Venzo Bikehand Pro Mechanic Bicycle/Bike Repair Rack Stand https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00D9B7OKQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_LMfKBb6584VV5

I dig it.

I don't use a torque wrench. I know I should but everything on the bike is such low torques (speaking from the perspective of someone who works on cars and industrial equipment) that I just make sure everything feels "right" to me... Haven't broken anything or had anything fail on me out on a ride yet... But that doesn't mean you shouldn't get a torque wrench if you want to do it right. As far as torque wrench set go even the expensive ones are cheap compared to the torque wrenches I'm used to using... So cheap/expensive are relative terms. I'd probably buy something mid range with good reviews on Amazon, personally.

I highly recommend getting Mastering Mountain Bike Skills.

I highly recommend Zinn and the Art of Mountain Bike Maintenance

Another option going the same route is something like this

It's the little brother of the light KMart posted.

Get one for your head and one for your bars, that way you can turn your head to illuminate things that are not directly in front of you and level.

Also get a $5 wide angle lens for the light on your bars.

I've had this light for 6 months and like it for mostly XC stuff

There are also some knockoff chesters on Amazon. They perform pretty much the same, but are significantly cheaper. https://www.amazon.com/FOOKER-Composite-Mountain-High-Strength-Bikesflat/dp/B07L5RF5CW

I got this one and its worked well for general maintenance, repair, and bike building.

Got the Hellcats for $65 shipped on the Clearance/closeout section of the 5.10 website. $35 shipped for the pedals off of Amazon.

Pedals

Shimano PD-M530 Mountain Pedals https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0052XXW32/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_OR-xzb0CYX0M6

Shoes (Hellcats)

http://www.fiveten.com/us/closeouts/bike

https://www.amazon.com/Wellgo-MG-1-Magnesium-Platform-16-Inch/dp/B00E7UZ5OK/ref=sr_1_1?s=outdoor-recreation&ie=UTF8&qid=1500155779&sr=1-1&keywords=wellgo%2Bpedals&th=1&psc=1

these are actually solid and because of magnesium they are the lightest cheap metal pedal you will find (aside from the nylon/plastic crap)

I would take it back and have them do some more work on it. I'd avoid using soap/water on the chain unless you plan on putting more lube on it. Also use a soft rag or towel rather than toilet paper. Look into this book, it will help you out a lot.

http://www.amazon.com/Zinn-Art-Mountain-Bike-Maintenance/dp/1934030597

I got one off Amazon it really surpassed my expectations. Ive had two different bikes on it and it did not fall over. Works for me. It appears youre not in US but nobody replied so figured i would.
https://www.amazon.com/Bikehand-Mechanic-Bicycle-Repair-Stand/dp/B00D9B7OKQ/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1517619329&sr=8-4&keywords=bike+stand

I've been thinking about getting this one: http://amzn.com/B00D9B7OKQ . The reviews seem good, it is a reputable brand, it folds up, and it looks sturdy enough in the typical problem spots (clamp rotation, etc.)

EDIT: Also, this is /r/mtb, not /r/bicycling.

this book from the sidebar is highly recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Mountain-Bike-Skills-3rd/dp/1492544493

there's a lot to it, but you can read further and further as you get more advanced, there's no need to read more than the first couple of chapters right away

It's just a moto-turn. Kinda like this: https://dirtbikeplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/how-to-corner.jpg

Basically shifting your weight forward and low, keeping weight on your front wheel so it tracks while the back does what it wants. They talk about it in Mastering Mountain Bike Skills: https://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Mountain-Bike-Skills-2nd/dp/0736083715/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1504874397&sr=1-2&keywords=mastering+mountain+bike+skills

Light hands, heavy feet. Mastering Mountain Bike Skills - 2nd Edition (not sure why the sidebar has the original 2005 edition linked..) has a great section on this.

Otherwise google attack position.

http://www.mtbtechniques.co.uk/FundamentalsAttack.html

As for the back pain, I get lower back issues a bit when i'm doing a big ride. I find focusing on my posture when I'm not riding can make a big difference. Maybe see a physio?

Anyone looking to start - imports from China have way lowered the barrier for entry. If you can find a group online that goes, do that or bring a friend, you don't want to get stuck out there without a buddy.

There's a lot of garbage out there too, I've tried several of the imports and found the batteries sorely lacking or the connectors shitty. I can vouch for this one. For bonus points, get this wide angle lens and put it on your bars, plus a normal one on your helmet so you can see where you're looking. If you can only have one, try to find a way to mount it to your helmet.

Bite the bullet and get mastering mtb skills

Start off by reading this book:

http://amzn.com/0736083715

If you think so highly about this book, you really need to link to where the authors can get paid for their work. Amazon

Is this the one?

this helps me a lot

http://www.amazon.com/Zinn-Art-Mountain-Bike-Maintenance/dp/1934030597

Oil the chain, go through all the gears, buy this book.

Same price on Amazon...

I think the biggest bang for the buck pedals are the Wellgo MG-1s. 35 dollars here in America.

http://www.amazon.com/Wellgo-MG-1-Magnesium-Platform-16-Inch/dp/B00E7UZ5OK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1427586273&sr=8-1&keywords=Wellgo+MG-1

https://www.amazon.com/Wellgo-Magnesium-Sealed-Platform-Pedal/dp/B00GDF87GU

I ride magnesium pedals.