For beginners getting ready to go beyond the path and explore the thrill of gravel biking, having a thorough knowledge of effective gravel riding is crucial. According to Steven Rindner, the experience of gravel riding thrives on the exploration of astonishing trails amid nature away from the hustle and bustle of city life.
However, despite the thrill of exploring the natural trails with picturesque terrain, potential mistakes can make the ride highly challenging and messy. This article focuses on those common blunders of beginners and suggests to avoid them.
Poor Bike Setup
The primary elements of gravel bikes such as saddle height, handlebar position, pedal type, tire pressure, etc. demand careful attention from bikers since they influence their riding performance. According to Steven Rindner, among the most common mistakes made by beginners include poor saddle setting and using fully inflated tires.
While setting the saddle higher than the desired level causes discomfort and thereby lessens efficiency, overinflated tires lessen traction. Consequently, it makes the bike vibrate on the gravel roads, and lack of control not only results in muscular fatigue but may lead to skidding.
Improper Tire Choice
Unsurprisingly, the adoption of suitable tires for gravel bikes can be a game-changer. Ranging from the tire type, size, and thread pattern every aspect matters in overall gravel biking performance. Noteworthy, while using too wide tires can add unwanted weight, too narrow ones lessen the stability of the bike.
Again, poor tread patterns will affect traction and thereby lessen the rider’s control of the bike. Gravel bikers need to choose tyres for their gravel bike matching their riding style and type of terrain.
Ineffective Riding Technique
According to Steven Rindner, especially for beginners -riding techniques, positioning and tuning to terrine nature are essential factors for successful travel riding. For instance, when descending, instead of shifting the body weight far back, lean forward and simply rest the leg on paddles as it helps advance smoothly.
Similarly, while turning, apart from turning the handlebars one needs to lean the body towards the turn. Also, stay relaxed to ensure better control rather than getting tensed while riding a complex terrine. It is also highly recommended to research well about the terrine type before hitting the trail and always choose simple and relatively flat topography at the beginning.
Not Dressing Correctly
Ensure to get dressed comfortably and suitably as per the weather conditions. During the summer, wearing lightweight moisture-absorbent apparel is the best choice while on the colder days, wearing windproof heavy layers, long trousers, and thermal socks is highly suggested.
Also, never forget to get geared up with industry-standard helmets, gloves, knee pads, and sunglasses to ensure added protection and have a comfortable ride with added safety, especially on rugged terrain. Most importantly, check the weather forecast before your ride to ensure you’ve dressed appropriately for the condition.
Gravel biking is a wonderful outdoor activity to explore off-road mountain trails. However, similar to all other sports, making mistakes in different ways is widespread, especially among beginners. Understanding these common mistakes and avoiding them is the key to appearing as an expert in gravel biking and having the best riding experience while staying safe on risky trails.