5 MISTAKES NEW RIDERS MAKE

And how to avoid them

1 WEARING PANTS

If you don’t know, you don’t know. How would you? Pants aren’t meant to be worn under your shorts. Get yourself a chamois or padded liner short and you’ll instantly have a more pleasant and comfortable ride, with no seams or creases to chafe away your fun. Lots of mountain bike baggies come with them, lots don’t though but you can buy them separately. Gore, Scott and Troy Lee Designs makes some of the best, but there are some crazy cheap ones out there – we saw some on wish.com for £2.

2 RIDING WITHOUT ANY PREP

Bike set-up doesn’t need to be complicated or onerous or confusing (at least not when you start out), it starts with the simple things that really make riding safer and more fun. First check your tyre pressures – as a ballpark figure not less than 20psi or more than 30. Just right and you’ll avoid a overly firm and harsh ride, improve your grip, and still ride away without a flat.