Where's the Manual?? Seriously though..how to learn the nuances of Mt Biking??
 

I am 50, and from the age of 8 to 18 I rode dirt bikes daily and after that I rode one of the first mountain bikes with a suspension fork a Rockhopper Comp FS. I feel like biking was pretty natural to me. Now I just got a bike after maybe 20 years of not riding and wow...things have changed and its a big learning curve. How does one learn all the nuances?!? For example...

Correct hand and grip technique
Pedaling techniques
braking techniques
shifting and gear selection techniques
hill descent techniques


and I am sure there are more that I just don't know yet. In the month I have ridden again, I am learning so much which is making it fun! I'm wondering what DONT I know and how can I learn?

And...do bikes come with manuals now? Maybe its up to me to download the manuals for the components individually...like the brakes, drivetrain, fork.

There are tons of MTB group rides here in Southern California, especially Orange County. Find one on Meetup and get out with some of the guys and girls. The mountain bike community is one of the most helpful and friendly, as far as cycling disciplines go. Welcome back.

You absolutely, positively, without a doubt, must check out Skills with Phil YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0Q...NF9k9fiNXkqn_w
also
Bike Radar has some decent stuff https://www.bikeradar.com/advice/skills/
as does Global Mountain Bike Network https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_A...gea0i4UtpD99Gg

Welcome back into the mtb fold!
I can't really answer all your questions but the way I ride is I try not to overthink my riding. Just do what comes naturally. Don't grip too hard. I usually position my butt behind my saddle when descending. Sometimes, no braking is the best way on some downhills. Don't hesitate, commit and just go for it.
Lots of YouTube resources on setting up suspension.
Enjoy your rides!

I hear you OP! I am coming to mtb from a roadie background. I want to mtb during the winter months and cross train on the mtb during the summer. I feel like a total fish out of water! Everything seems new.

- Learning how to bunnyhop
- Learning to properly modulate the front brake and rear brake when coming off a drop and having to make a quick trurn
- Learning to roll over the drop at a good speed bu not so much speed that I bite it.
- etc.

I am going to sign up for some lessons. I am also looking for group rides in my part of the world where I can meet up with others in my skill range and learn together. Learning new skills this late in life. Who knew it would be such a challenge?

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...1d7e590600.jpg

I'll also turn 50 next year and started riding again about 5 years ago.
I've taken a number of lessons and the first things we worked on was index finger braking. You may need to adjust your levers and/or shifters to allow for this.
Generally, the idea is light hands and heavy feet. Dropper posts help with this as well.
For us old guys, save the back by learning to climb in the saddle. You can still jump out of the saddle for those punchy sections.
Downhill? like enduro or gradual? Again droppers are game changers and learn to ride with pedals at 3 and 9 o'clock.

Have fun and post some pics of the new toy on the trails.

Spent a few hours watching some Youtube videos. Some are very well done. GMBN has some good stuff. Next trail ride this week I have some stuff to work on. One thing I wanna get better at is climbing and like all the videos say is its about conditioning and fitness. I have literally dropped 20 pounds in a month since I have been riding. Another 30 and I am back to my goal weight. I'm 5' 10" tall and was 230, now I am 208. If I get to 180 and get in shape the climbs will be a lot easier. Thats one reason for the bike...I am not a fan of running and get bored with the gym, mountain biking is a way to keep me active and get me out of the house to do it. Also have some fun!

Heres a pic....

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...f96a5b9b3.jpeg

I was in a Barnes and Noble yesterday and picked up a periodical in the (bicycle) magazine section that covered an extensive amount of mountain biking techniques and hints. Unfortunately I didn't buy it but I'm going back on Thursday. I hope it's there. If it is, I'll post the name, author, etc.

I was just on the REI site and found this article in their Expert Advice section. It look like it's exactly what you (and I) are looking for.

https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-adv...echniques.html

I definitely recall being able to ride out a wheelie when I was a kid. Now and probably forever I get near the balance point and panic and let it back down again. It really shouldn't be any harder than standing up, but there you go. I've been working on bunny hops just because they seem more useful on the trail. Which is not to say I'm any good at them. I can do a curb but I'm definitely not going up on benches much less tables. They can be easier or harder with suspension... if you have a lot of damping dialed in, it will just absorb all the pop, but if you have it wide open, it's like a pogo stick.

Since I'm commuting, I sometimes spend a boring section of the ride just practicing. Not on the trail and not in traffic!

REI has excellent MTB classes in my area. May be worth checking out

fwiw - cpl tips from an ignorant beginner ...

Correct hand and grip technique - don't let go
Pedaling techniques - even slight inclines can slow you down, keep pedaling so you don't stall & fall. use a lower gear than you think you'll need. learn to spin like road bikers
braking techniques - lay off that front brake on steep descents
shifting and gear selection techniques - small ring up front, downshift before you need to. don't wanna be shifting under load
hill descent techniques - get yer weight back & low if possible. too far forward & a section of soft stuff can send you flying

And watch out for bears and cougars.

don't believe everything you read from "an ignorant beginner"

"Pedaling techniques - even slight inclines can slow you down, keep pedaling so you don't stall & fall. use a lower gear than you think you'll need. learn to spin like road bikers"

Spinning has it's place on smooth climbs. Very slow, choppy even, cadences and/or ratcheting are often used to climb technical terrain.

"braking techniques - lay off that front brake on steep descents"

Using your front brake use is crucial to maintaining control on many very steeps descent (braking shifts your weight forward which unweights the rear which reduces/eliminates its grip while at the same time increasing grip on the front).

Some of the Youtube stuff is pretty great--Skills With Phil, Seth's Bike Hacks, GMBN, etc. Mastering Mountain Bike Skills is a pretty good book if that's more your jam.

I'd recommend mostly riding a lot and focusing on basics--don't worry too much about all the skill drills at first. With particular regards to descending, focus initially on picking a good line (look up some videos on cornering technique) and maintaining a good attack position (look this up--basically, focus on getting your butt of the saddle and keeping your weight relatively balanced between the wheels, which will be more forward on flats, and more rearwards on descents. Consider scribing your seatpost at the correct height for pedaling so you can easily lower it for better handling on descents and locate it back up for climbs. I would advise against upgrading much on your bike except consider getting a dropper post if you're really enjoying the bike and want to improve its descending prowess.

Brand bike manuals are useless, particularly on a hardtail like yours (they can have some useful information for full suspension bikes, although this isn't usually in a manual but rather on a technical document or an exploded diagram). They mostly are a bunch of CYA legal safety disclaimers. If you want to look up a manufacturer document on any component they're usually relatively easy to find online.

when you enter the woods, you enter the food chain

In the city, microbes and viruses have US in the food chain.

And I never could ride like those guys on the goat trails racing in the videos the LBS would show when he was still open. Gives me the heebie-jeebies and a sense of awe at the same time, and then there are jumps and loops. Yikes.