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Advice for beginners to mountain biking
Our Service and Prices Our Chalets La Plagne Les Arcs Activities Climbing Fishing Golf Horse Riding Motorbike Touring Mountain Biking Parapenting Rafting and Canoeing Road Cycling Skiing and Snowboarding Swimming Tennis Walking Calendar of Events Contact Us Travel to Paradiski Weather / Webcams Guests Comments Chillchalet Online	Home > Mountain Biking > Advice for beginners to mountain biking Advice for novice mountain bikers on the mountain * Only ride on designated trails which are all sign posted and marked on the trail map. Sometimes trails will be closed to bikes to allow priority for walkers. Respect these signs because you could be prosecuted for riding where you are not supposed to. * Leave no trace. This means taking litter home, not creating new trails, and when the trail is soft and muddy, consider an alternative route to avoid unnecessary damage. * Control your bike. This might sound obvious, but losing concentration for a moment can cause problems, particularly on difficult terrain. * Always give way to your fellow trail users, and let them know you're coming.€ It also pays to anticipate coming upon someone when going around corners or in blind spots. * Plan ahead. Know your equipment, your ability, and the area in which you are riding - and prepare accordingly. Keep your equipment in good repair, and carry necessary supplies for changes in weather or other conditions. Always wear a helmet and appropriate safety gear, and take water with you, because you cannot rely on finding an open cafe and dehydration at altitude can be dangerous. Advice on Mountain Bikes What mountain bike to get can be a difficult decision if you are starting out because they are designed for different uses and terrains. * Cross country (XC) bikes have small amount of suspension movement and are the lightest bikes, so they are not ideal for rough terrain. However they are fine for gentle trails and are perfect for complete beginners because they are the cheapest to hire at around 15 Euros a day. * Freestyle bikes are heavier and have more suspension at the front and sometimes the rear, so are the best for when you get a bit more experienced over rougher ground. They are also the best bike if you want to do some climbing as well as down hill because the suspension isn't too full on. * 'hard tail' is a catch all term for bikes which don't have rear suspension. * Downhill bikes have the most suspension so are perfect for more experienced and technical downhill riders. However they are not suitable if you plan to use the chair lifts to go up the hill because you will expend a lot of energy trying to ride them uphill, and they don't have gears for riding up hill. * When people refer to a full suspension (FS) bike they are talking about downhill bikes which have both front and back suspension. These are the most expensive type of bikes, so probably not ideal for a beginner. Back to Mountain Biking menu...

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Advice for beginners to mountain biking

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Home > Mountain Biking > Advice for beginners to mountain biking

Advice for novice mountain bikers on the mountain

* Only ride on designated trails which are all sign posted and marked on the trail map. Sometimes trails will be closed to bikes to allow priority for walkers. Respect these signs because you could be prosecuted for riding where you are not supposed to.
* Leave no trace. This means taking litter home, not creating new trails, and when the trail is soft and muddy, consider an alternative route to avoid unnecessary damage.
* Control your bike. This might sound obvious, but losing concentration for a moment can cause problems, particularly on difficult terrain.
* Always give way to your fellow trail users, and let them know you're coming.€ It also pays to anticipate coming upon someone when going around corners or in blind spots.
* Plan ahead. Know your equipment, your ability, and the area in which you are riding - and prepare accordingly. Keep your equipment in good repair, and carry necessary supplies for changes in weather or other conditions. Always wear a helmet and appropriate safety gear, and take water with you, because you cannot rely on finding an open cafe and dehydration at altitude can be dangerous.

Advice on Mountain Bikes

What mountain bike to get can be a difficult decision if you are starting out because they are designed for different uses and terrains.

* Cross country (XC) bikes have small amount of suspension movement and are the lightest bikes, so they are not ideal for rough terrain. However they are fine for gentle trails and are perfect for complete beginners because they are the cheapest to hire at around 15 Euros a day.
* Freestyle bikes are heavier and have more suspension at the front and sometimes the rear, so are the best for when you get a bit more experienced over rougher ground. They are also the best bike if you want to do some climbing as well as down hill because the suspension isn't too full on.
* 'hard tail' is a catch all term for bikes which don't have rear suspension.
* Downhill bikes have the most suspension so are perfect for more experienced and technical downhill riders. However they are not suitable if you plan to use the chair lifts to go up the hill because you will expend a lot of energy trying to ride them uphill, and they don't have gears for riding up hill.
* When people refer to a full suspension (FS) bike they are talking about downhill bikes which have both front and back suspension. These are the most expensive type of bikes, so probably not ideal for a beginner.

Back to Mountain Biking menu...