Getting Started

Getting started is overwhelming for everyone. Anyone who has been in the sport for a while will use all sorts of terminology that new people will not understand. It is always a big turn off and can be really discouraging for new people. This post is going to be about how to get started figuring out what gear to get without all the confusing terms. The big and most fun choice during this process is figuring out what type of bike to get. There are two types of mountain bikes. Full suspension and hard tail. To select which type of bike to get you need to consider two things. How much are you willing to spend, and what kind of terrain will you be riding? I can not stress enough how important it is to not get a mountain bike at stores like Walmart. Go to a local bike shop where they have quality bikes that will actually be able to handle real trails. Hard tails were the original mountain bike and only have suspension in the front which makes it perfect for areas like Kansas or anywhere that has less intense terrain. You can purchase a quality hard tail for less than half the cost of a quality full suspension and they are much lighter. A full suspension is guaranteed to be more expensive even at the beginner level. They are designed for much more intense riding in areas like mountains since they have suspension in the front and back.  Once you decide what kind you are looking to get go to a bike shop and have them measure you to find out what size bike you will need. They will usually let you ride bikes in their parking lot or let you rent them and take them on trails to see if you like it. Don't go and buy a brand new bike if you are a beginner. You can easily find lightly used bikes at bikes shops or websites like craigslist for a fraction of what they originally cost. The next two pieces of equipment are simple. Purchasing a nice helmet and making sure you have some light weight clothes you are willing to get dirty, especially on rainy days. These are the big three elements to at least get started and start riding some local trails to familiarize yourself with riding.