I wanna do this

[fatbottomedgurl]

Thought I might a mention a few riding tips:

Always look ahead, looking for the best "line." If you look at the ground in front of you, you may end up looking at it up close and personally.

Climbing: To keep your front wheel down on steep climbs it's "boobs to the bars." Bend your elbows and get your body down. If you spin at too high a cadence your heart rate will go crazy. Learn to climb slow and steady. A good way to keep a good pace and regulate breathing is to sing a nursery rhyme. If you can't sing, you're working too hard.

Down hill: Don't go faster than your skill level (or faster than you want to crash). Get your butt off the back of the saddle. The steeper the downhill the farther you shift your weight back, even completely off and behind the saddle at times. Barely use your front brake. If it is scary, don't put your fingers on the front brake at all because a panic grab can launch you over the bars. (Voice of experience.)

Switchbacks- look to the inside of the turn, not the outside.

Don't look at that scary rock, tree, fence post, cow. You will aim right for it.

Rock gardens: Learn to back pedal as you ride so you don't snag on a rock- or root- in other words, if your pedal is not going to clear the rock, pedal backwards so it does. Actually practice riding without making full revolutions of the pedals- pedal forward, back, forward, back.

Sand, loose gravel. Speed is your friend. That may sound crazy, but you will more likely crash in the soft stuff if you go slow. This is also true for rolling over bigger rocks and stuff.

Scary stuff: This is another place where singing or humming can help- it engages the part of your brain that says this is scary and helps you focus.

Clipless pedals: Use them, they really help for climbing and control. I will sometimes unclip one foot if I am a little nervous and just move my foot forward so I can still pedal.

Kamikaze squirrels: There is nothing you can do about these furry killers.

Have fun!

BTW my first mtb was a $300, 35 pound hard-tail and I kept up with all my full sus friends. I think you become a better rider starting that way, you learn to maneuver and negotiate stuff. But you will spend more time out of the saddle.

[Aggie_Ama]

Don't look at that scary rock, tree, fence post, cow. You will aim right for it.

Best piece of advice as far as lessening frustration. I am still struggling to not look at the big ol' rock (root, tree) and have to bailout when I could keep going if I will just look past it.

Oh and find a way to trust following your bike, sometimes it doesn't seem like that would work but when I just sit back and roll on magical things have happened- like I survived.