6 Things I Learned on my First Mountain Biking Lesson

Today I spent almost two hours riding with Audrey Duval, a mountain bike instructor, and got all the tips we could fill in that time. I’ve been biking for most of my life, but mountain biking is a completely new game, and this is my very first season. Single track, roots, ups and downs and lots of gravel is certainly new in my repertoire.

My son got a new bike for his birthday and he is enjoying the freedom a bike gives him. I am as well. And Canmore is a special place to pedal, full of trails, bike paths, beautiful, gorgeous views and some bears!

‘Audrey is a very good instructor’, told me Nick, after our lesson. You can see how passionate she is. And she is a very good rider too. Like almost everything in life, having a formal lesson speed up things and makes us feel more confident.

So, here is a list of the main things I learned today:

1. I was surprised to learn that my feet position on the pedal was completely wrong;
2. A proper body position, when going downhill, makes things much easier – and, no, it is not intuitive but makes a lot of sense;
3. For that matter, a proper body position when going uphill also makes things much easier – but, in this case, the right gear will make or break your climb;
4. Cowboy legs: opened enough to give room to move the bike side to side when needed. And 90 degrees elbows, so you can move the bike front and back.
5. Yep, you use the front break when going downhill!
6. And just one finger on each break…

If you want to give mountain biking a go, contact Audrey.