Bike Park Basics Pt 4

Listen to or watch our chat on youtube or on our podcast. Also, read a break down of part 4 below:

• “Advanced Protection”
  • Chest protectors – are they necessary? They provide a “safety net” feeling as you progress to more advanced trails/features.
  • Neck braces – opinions vary on how much they help vs hinder – think about your riding style/trail advancement. Leatt makes chest protectors that seamlessly adapt to neck braces should you choose to add one to your protective gear. Check out our video on Chest Protectors that work for women, here!
• Crashing while riding – What do I do?
  • Have the bike park’s emergency contact information stored in your phone ahead of time – better safe than sorry, and you don’t want to be googling phone numbers when it comes to a crash.
  • Get off the trail as safely and quickly as possible. If you see another rider crash near you, regardless if they’re part of your riding party or not, loudly vocalize the crash to ensure all surrounding riders are aware (ie, yelling “rider down”)
  • Be aware that your body’s adrenaline is going to tell you “you’re fine” – so take it easy and take a full inventory of what happened during the crash
  • Ask for help if you need it – even if you’re not sure what to do next.
• When to call it quits for the day? Any crash that involves hitting your head – err on the side of caution and call it a day. Adrenaline can mask any potential injury, and physical symptoms may not immediately present themselves until hours later.
  Be sure to learn to listen to your gut, and what you inner monologue is telling you – even if you haven’t had a telltale ride-ending crash, if your gut is telling you that it’s time to stop/slow down/take a break, it’s important to listen to that. It’s easy to fall victim to social pressures to “send it” and keep riding, but take small inventories of your comfort level as you advance your skills, and never second-guess the feeling that you need to sit out and call it a day.
• Racing! How do I get into it?
  Amateur/beginner categories exist in lots of major regional races. Many races involve the use of a separate race line from higher categories that are designed for amateur or beginner racers. Reach out to nearbly bike parks about what local races they might offer (ie, weekly local race leagues).
  Skills Clinics at bike parks are a great way to advance your skills with direct oversight and instruction from a professional. Receiving instant feedback from professionals on how to adjust your riding style or how to approach a feature is invaluable insight on how to advance your riding skills. Clinics and lessons are a great way to level up your skills and can be specific to your personal goals as you advance.
  Crashes WILL happen, and that’s ok! Crashing doesn’t make you a “bad” rider. Try to find one key takeaway from every ride, regardless of if you think it was a good/great/bad/mediocre ride. Every ride gives an opportunity for self-reflection. Advancing your skills in mountain biking will involve testing limits, and try not to fall into being overly critical of yourself as you learn new skills.
• Record your rides – it’s a great way to review and evaluate your rides as you tackle new trails or features.