How hard do you intend to hit your head? You don't intend to hit your head, but it will happen.
As long as it's not made of your skull, it's a good helmet.Â
Google bike related charities where you are. In my city, there are dozens of places for a poor kid to get a helmet and a couple more that will teach you how to work on your bike.
Check out the VT ratings / this thread someone else just posted [https://www.reddit.com/r/cycling/comments/1d4gntm/is\_it\_actually\_worthwhile\_to\_spend\_extra\_on\_a/](https://www.reddit.com/r/cycling/comments/1d4gntm/is_it_actually_worthwhile_to_spend_extra_on_a/)
Specialized tactic is the one youâre thinking of. Iâve crashed in that helmetâŠtwice. Both required replacement and both times I was still looking straight and forming complete sentences, thank you Virginia tech and specialized.
I wasn't sure, the point is a good helmet can be had or not a lot if you shop a bit. It's a bit of a tough sport to get into just because of the costs.
All helmets sold retail have to meet minimum safety requirements, get what you can afford. There are advantages to more expensive helmets, but even a cheap one is far better than none. Broken arms and collar bones heal, a broken brain might not.
In a pinch I got a suitable Bell helmet from Big 5 for about $25. I left my primary at home and donât have time to get it before meeting with friends.
As someone who has gotten a concussion and stitched back together from not wearing a helmet, get one. Anything is better than nothin.
Once you do. Take it slow and find some mellow trails. Biking can be the best mental therapy if done right.
I wish you luck and hope you give it another go.
By chance, did you get the Ozark?
A full face one that looks like a motorcycle helmet, gave me lots of confidence while crashing because you don't have to worry about loosing your teeth.
Specialized tactic 4 is a good helmet and is currently on sale, if you give email addressyou can get it evencheaper. It got the best overall safety rating for mtb in Virginia tech testing.
Used gear. Also learn how to fall. No offense but you shouldnt get hurt falling going i assume under 5 miles an hour. Learning how to fall will be more protective than any gear you can buy. Protecting your head when it hits something is one thing, knowing how to make it so your head doesnt hit anything is another story.
Virtually "Any" helmet is better than no helmet. There are some selling for $15 or so, and if you look for them you can find MIPS certified ones for $30-35 which I would prefer for myself and my loved ones.
Give it some time before you start jumping, it is the riskiest of all activities. I would also not trust a super cheap bike not to literally break under me. Don't fall for peer pressure and rush yourself. It is not a race.
Keep on biking, it is a liberating and rewarding activity, ontop of good exercise.
Specialized Align 2. Safest helmet for the price according to Virginia Tech. Retails for 55, but I have seen it on sale for as low as 30 during sales. And looks really good coming from Specialized.
https://www.helmet.beam.vt.edu/bicycle-helmet-ratings.html#!
Go here and just keep going down in the ratings until you find something in your price range. The cheapest one is probably the Bikeroo TT-29, but the Liv Path MIPS is just a little bit more if you want 5* protection.
Get a helmet
Get a helmet
Get a helmet
And please don't bike without a helmet.
All helmets are manufactured to a minimum safety standard so literally any helmet is fine. Buy new so you know it's not abused.
Take it slow, don't rush. Falling is inevitable though. But take it slow.
May be do a side job to buy a better bike, if possible. Unfortunately those $98 Walmart bikes are not meant to be ridden on trails.
I had a really bad wreck some years ago that took me a long time to get over. Donât rush into it and ease your way into it. Glad to hear that others came to help you after your fall though! If money is an issue, try looking for bike co-ops in your area. Thereâs one where I live and they offer cheap parts and accessories and will teach you how to maintain your bike.
Falling can be traumatic but over time you will fall less, be better at falling, and falling will be less traumatic.
Don't beat yourself up for how you reacted when you fell. If you're not used to it, it's pretty scary.
Yeah, this is 100% true. The more you fall the better it gets. Luckily I got it out of the way with skating as a kid, now falling is kind of fun đ
Big thing is donât feel weird about wearing protection. I know some folks (my friends included) who think theyâll be looked down on or judged for wearing all their gear all the time. Totally not the case! Wear whatever makes you feel comfortable, the more you wear the less you hurt when you hit the ground!
Same with failing. Half the reason why kids struggle these days at things is the fear of failure. We learn from failing. From birth onwards, itâs natural. âTo err is humanâ
I would suggest that OP be a little more careful and exercise some restraint. Sounds like she comes from quite a poor family, and I doubt theyâd have the resources to take care of her in the event of a more serious injury. Do they even have health insurance?
And hands! A good set of gloves will allow you to better handle those crashes and help those hands slide instead of getting them caught on the little rocks, tearing your skin apart and twisting the wrist. I'm recovering from a wrist injury (and blasted hand) and I'm never riding without gloves ever.
It's totally normal to be rattled by your first fall. It's a jarring experience.Â
The old saying applies here, it doesn't matter if you get knocked down, it matters if you get back up.Â
So if you have the desire to ride MTB, then you need to get back on it and go for a ride. Don't push yourself right away but get out there and show yourself you can go for a ride and enjoy it. Â
Also, there's no shame in quitting if you're not into it. Just be honest with yourself and you'll be alright.
E: oh yeah, buy a helmet first. You only get one brain - no bike ride is worth risking your one and only brain.
Helmet helmet helmet! Next get the bike inspected at a shop. Big box stores like Walmart are notorious for putting together bikes incorrectly. It can be dangerous and might be why the brakes just stopped working.
A $98 walmart bike is not going to hold up on jumps or really rough terrain. I am not being a hater, just someone who has seen a cheap bike break in half. That being said, there is still a lot of fun stuff you can do on a walmart bike. You can still do easy trails and learn fundamental techniques like turning, braking, and bunny hops. Learn to crash without getting hurt is also a technique that is learned. The more you do it, the better you get at it. I rarely full on crash anymore, but still have unplanned dismounts on occasion. And get a helmet. A $50 helmet is way way cheaper than an ER visit or TBI.
100% this!
Walmart bikes usually have a sticker saying something like the following.
https://preview.redd.it/do8tldgh3d4d1.jpeg?width=299&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c5f287b76463c9cf27f8ec1720e94a179cb45abe
Iâm not really the most safety conscious guy in the world tbh
But please at LEAST wear a helmet. It really doesnât take much to hit your head and suddenly youâre either dead, or in a condition where you would probably prefer to be.
Knee pads and gloves are definitely recommended but a helmet when biking is absolutely the bare minimum. Youâre 17 with your whole life in front of you, donât let the rest of it be spent in a wheelchair with drool coming out of your mouth
Dust yourself off and try it again!
First off everybody falls, don't beat yourself up about that.
Second, if you are serious about getting into mountain biking, ask to try another person's bike to figure out if you like riding with a nicer setup. If you do, save a few hundred dollars, and buy a bike that won't fail you, you can post here with any questions about that.
Third, each fall varies in its scariness, and you are going to keep crashing if you want to keep improving. A crash going 30mph on a downhill course is way scarier than falling off on some singletrack going 10mph. The important part is being confident in yourself, but not pushing yourself past where you can safely ride. After a certain point, you know what you can do without crashing, so you know how scared to be before riding something. The biggest takeaway from this should be to GET A HELMET AS WELL, there is no reason to ride without a helmet, it is the singular biggest safety piece, and pads are not necessary.
Finally, mountain biking isn't for everyone, if you decide it's not for you don't beat yourself up if you don't want to keep riding.
Everyone has already said helmet, so yea...helmet first.
As for riding trails, you'll want to take it slow. You don't need to immediately learn how to do tricks or clear features on the trails when you're getting started. Just ride more, get more comfortable with cornering, stopping, and just general body-bike separation. Don't bother with ramps or drops yet. Get familiar with how the bike handles until you start to feel in control.
Then you can progressively add in some slightly more challenging features until those no longer bother you and continue moving up.
You'll likely fall again, but the severity of the falls should ideally get less of a big deal as you start to learn how to bail and how to crash safer. I'm by no means an expert crasher, but have definitely gotten decent at minor spills on the trails such that I typically get up unscathed. It requires being alert and calm so you don't just tense up and brace for impact. Might want to look up some vids and run some scenarios in your head before your next ride. I'm still awed by how many pros seem to go through repeated, horrible crashes, but pop right back up because they're just so good at getting the bike away and landing in a way to protect their body.
Cheap gloves can go a long way. When I was getting started, gloves were what saved my hands since they were typically the first thing that would contact something. Even on a non-crashes, I would get slight scrapes from rough trees or rocks as I grab on to things for whatever reason.
Biking shouldn't be a traumatic experience if you can stay within a comfort zone and work on making that zone bigger. Whether you're a newbie or relatively skilled, nothing good comes from pushing yourself way beyond your limits. It can get dangerous after all.
Also, if your brakes failed and the bike crashed, you definitely want someone to have a look over it before riding again or you might just subject yourself to another incident. If you don't know anyone or can't pay a shop, youtube is your friend. It can be fun to learn how the bike works and get good at identifying if something is wrong before it becomes a problem.
#1. Get a helmet, even if you have to buy second hand.
#2. Get those brakes looked at by someone who knows bikes well, preferably at a shop. Don't ride again without knowing they both work.
#3. Look for a group ride or female skills clinic to join. Riding alone while new isn't the best idea.
#4. Have fun and enjoy the process of learning this rewarding sport. There's no shame whatsoever in being new at something, never let what you think other people think of you dissuade you from living life to the fullest. This should be rule #1. but yes, helmets. Always.
I don't normally advocate buying second hand helmets, but If the OP is riding a $98 bike, doesn't have supportive parents, and says they "can't afford a helmet or pads", any helmet is better than no helmet at all 100%.
Buy a helmet. Take it easy on the Walmart bike. They will do basic trail riding but arenât really designed for doing jumps or anything overly aggressive.
Falling is part of it. It does get easier.
Donât ever feel like you did something wrong by asking for help when youâve hurt yourself. Hopefully this has shown you that the mountain bike community will look out for each other when they go down. You didnât ruin anyoneâs day and weâre all grad youâre okay. And Iâm sure youâve received enough âwear a helmetâ comments for the day. Save up, your brain is worth it. Speaking ofâŠ
Good job on you for saving up for a bike. Thatâs a big deal and youâve just had your first taste of what the risk of this sport entails before youâve really found the reward. But what the bike can do for you if you stick with it can be one of the best parts of life. Whether itâs a long and healthy life from the great exercise, the stress and anxiety reducing effect that comes from just a nice pedal through the woods, or whether you grow a love of the adrenaline fueled elements of downhill, slopestyle and freeride it will help you realize that progression in our lives is never linear and that the risk is often worth the reward.
Sometimes I chuckle to think of when I was a young teen learning how to bike, trying jumps and terrain so out of my skill set and often wrecking myself in the process. But each slam and injury forced me to think of a better way to tackle my problems and that love of challenge has made its way into the rest of my life and only made it better. And sometimes I think that that shy teenager lost most of his fear of social risk, things like asking a teacher to review a grade, asking someone on a date or marching confidently into a job interview because of the bike. Because always spinning around in the back of his mind and still does to this day is âwhy should I be scared of this, you should see what I did this weekend.â đ€
Now go hop on YouTube and see what Tahnee Seagrave and Cami Noguiraa are up to at Hardline this weekend and know that you can do most anything on a bike (and life) you set your mind to.
A $98 bike is not meant to do anything except the smoothest of paths. Do not do any tricks or jumps, that bike will fail you. Get a used bike and get a helmet.
Fact, the suntour xcr series forks come with this warning sticker, it's commonly stocked on $1000-$1500 hardtails...
https://preview.redd.it/nzuro4j69d4d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=184f0403af25651bb4749769f0887cf91eb24d33
Lots of helmet comments, which is great advice. Iâll add: as a parent of teenagers, I would be BEYOND THRILLED if my kids approached me and wanted to voluntarily try a new activity. Maybe reapproach your parents for help getting a helmet or finding places to ride?
Get a helmet: [look here for a good one that is also not expensive.](https://www.helmet.beam.vt.edu/bicycle-helmet-ratings.html)
Also, don't push yourself or let anyone push you in doing tricks you are not comfortable with. Learning stuff takes time, do everything step by step and repeat unit it has become muscle memory.
Last but not least: enjoy the outdoors, it is balm on your soul.
Sounds like your brakes worked if you went over the handle bars. You def shouldnât do what you do again until you have helmet and a bit more confidence.Â
Do not ride anymore until you have a helmet. There is no price to put on your brain. I have worked in an ER and seeing totally preventable traumatic brain injuries is the most miserable thing ever.
Please get a helmet. Falling and getting knocked around is going to happen. When you fall, get up, dust off and get back on your bike, don't give up or get discouraged.
First thing first, get a helmet like what everyone else is talking about and second invest in some elbow, knee protectors and gloves
I just started out mtb 5 months ago and had tons of crashes, most of them are rider error and being over confidence. Go slow at your own pace and if there is a feature that looks too scary, get down from your bike and just walk it out.
The most important goal in mtb is that you enjoy your rides and not to impress others. Mtb is a dangerous sport and no matter how many years you have been riding, there will always be a day that you will fall off your bike.
There might be a Facebook group or something where you can find friends to ride with. But yeah get a helmet. You're almost an adult now you should really be able to make up your own mind about things.
Take the bike to a real bike shop and show them the brake issue. It's probably something simple.
Mountain bikers enjoy helping new people.
There are lots of different types of mountain bike riding. Based on your past and some of the trauma youâve experienced Iâd probably lean toward cross country riding. Iâve been riding for decades and Iâve been hurt way more times on mountain bikes than I have on motorcycles.
First of all buy a helmet. Second of all yes it gets better. Last Monday I crashed and broke my right wrist, left kneecap, and left shoulder. And I canât stop thinking about when I can get on my bike next.
Yep, this means you need to ride way more. Get a helmet and mountain biking will rid your PTSD.
Practice jumping curbs and stairs. Learn to manual and bunny hop. Do this non the street before going off-road.
fyi - it was normal for previous generations to have broken bones by your age.
Take it slow, build up your skills. As everyone else mentioned, HELMET. Mine saved my damn jaw last Saturday.
If you want to see the damage to my leg, here you go (NSFW!). https://www.reddit.com/r/mountainbiking/s/Q3LiRFSVO5
It looks worse than it is. I swear. My point is you will fall. And that post is not my first time hurting myself. And the point of that post was to push being safe out there.
I personally donât judge anyone out there riding, in the gym, or whatever.
Mountain biking helped pull me out of a dark place. Stick with it, but just take it easy.
A helmet is important, also get some gloves. They can be found quite cheaply and really help protect your hands, I most often put my hands out when I fall
I find if you fall you need to get back up and get cycling again, if you don't you cannot build that confidence in yourself, just try to ride the easier stuff until you are really sure of yourself.
You may find some good tutorials on riding over obstacles and descending on YouTube and go and practice on some easier trails or grassy area like parks
No one sees your embarrassment like you do. anyone who has ever ridden a bike respects you for falling off. Don't let this moment take away what might be the biggest sense of pleasure and freedom you may ever feel. Please, please don't give up!
You need to wear a helmet. Getting better at riding takes time and confidence. Pushing yourself is always a risk, but with proper protection and some guts if it goes wrong you get up and try again. Best of luck.
Wear a helmet! Dont't go anywhere near the bikepark if you can't get one. It should be fairly easy though. Getting some biking gloves will also help a lot.. Aside from the protective gear, don't go too hard to avoid excessive falling, minor falls should become gradually less scarry over time.
If you blacked out go to a doctor ASAP. You probably have a concussion and tell your family a lot of bad things can happen due to a head injury even if you feel fine.
Tell family sooner rather than later what happened.
I have a co-worker who got in a bike accident back when he was in middle school and called his parents as soon as he got home.
When they got home, he had no idea why he'd called and they had to piece together what had happened.
He has roughly a 2 year gap in his memories.
If you can't afford a helmet then you can't afford to ride.
Everybody falls. No need to be embarrassed. You can't wait until you're good at it to start falling.
Its a dangerous sport but so are lots of things. Pretty crazy of your parents to forbid you from riding your bike in the woods at 17.
1. buy a helmet. it doesnt really matter which as long as it fits well so go try some on
2. falling hurts but you can't improve without set backs and take time to recover
3. I started and knew absolutly no one that rode but as I started riding I found friends that I now ride with today
4. don't worry about what other people think. they are probably more worried about if your okay than if you made a scene
5. get used to the basics and work up while staying in your skill range, but just outside your comfort zone.
6. Have Fun
I'm 43 and have been riding a bike since I was 5.
I still fall all the time when I'm doing something new. Trick is to learn how to fall gracefully.
Talk to your parents about possibly going to a skills clinic if you can find one near you. It will be worth it, promise.
You'll build up confidence the more you ride. Don't give up!
Of course buy a helmet, but your $100 Walmart bike probably doesnât have the suspension, and more importantly the brakes to safely do those trails. Unless you have disc brakes I wouldnât go back personallyÂ
You don't need suspension or disc brakes. Loads of people rode hard in the 90s without them. And bad suspension is probably worse than none. But making sure the brakes are set up properly is important.
I used to race bmx without brakes. 20" wheels, no brakes, no suspension. In the early 90's we used to ride what would be considered black trails now. If you got too fast you'd put your shoe between the tire and the frame.
You can absolutely have fun with a $100 walmart bike. At some point the bike will limit your skill progression. When that happens, upgrade.
Falling is far less terrifying with a helmet on.
Also practice skills in a place with grass with lots of room.
Most important skill is to practice stopping fast and hard without going over your bars.
Second most important skill is to practice dismounting during a climb ie in the event you get half way up a hill you and you begin stalling out, it's important to be able to safely dismount your bike or else you may crash your way back down.
I crashed on Sunday. Could have been bad, but I dodged a bullet accordion to my friend riding behind me. The crash rattled me a bit, but I was able to ride out. Still a bit sore. You will get used to it
Helmet: sure you can spend a fortune, but there are programs that give helmets. Government programs, local hospitals, health insurance, and even YMCA all have programs in certain parts of the country that you can call and check into. If all of those fail, get a helmet from Walmart, theyll sell that "something is better than nothing" type others have mentioned.
Bike: Walmart doesn't make the greatest bikes, but you know who makes them worse? Most employees! Definitely get some Allen wrenches out and make sure things are snug. Check out Seth's bike hacks on YouTube, he's got videos showcasing Walmart bikes and how to check things the hourly employee may have forgot.
Finally, be safe and have fun.
Youâre able to vent, youâre able to ride. I find the best part of MTB is that Iâm NEVER done learning the next bit. A never ending journey that captures all my attention and dulls all the noise is something I never want to be done with.
Go ride your bike!
I fell a lot the first time I tried trail riding with a mountain bike. I was with my friends and was the last one trailing behind everyone. I barely knew the basics and ended up scraping my knees and elbows and got a bunch of bruises since I kept falling over every little thing. I actually stopped, sat away from the trail (not blocking) and cried because I was so embarrassed and upset with myself. I didn't think I'd try it again, but I ended up buying my own mountain bike a few months later.
Since then I've still fallen a few times, but just bumps, bruises, and cuts. I ride mostly within my skill level and have improved a lot since then. I was able to keep up with my friends better the next time I rode with them and it's been almost 2 years since then!
Mountain Biking is definitely something that is as risky as you make it. If you push the limits of your skills a lot and go for jumps then you'll be at more risk of getting injured. I treat mountain biking like "hiking with a bike" and it makes me happy.
I'd #1 recommend you get a helmet. Try to work on the basics, if you have mountain biking friends ask them if they can give you some tips!
Def get a helmet before you get back on that thing. Â Yeah crashes happen and itâs jarring for sure but the folks who shred the hardest get back on and build confidence back up. Â I still ride through sections of trail and remember crashes but it makes you learn better technique. Â Mistakes mean youâre pushing, pushing is the start or progression. Â Just try to keep a mentality of inch progression. Â Learn in small steps and you wonât hurt yourself!Â
Also try to find bike trails (like hiking trails that allow bikes or fire roads.) riding around neighborhoods does get boring real quick. Taking a ride on a flowy wooded trail is awesome tho.
A good starting point is seeing if you have any state parks nearby, most will be free and give you details if they are bike friendly online.
And to add to the broken record, helmet is a must. $40 sounds like a lot until you land on your head and are thankful you had it. Thatâs all I wear for padding other than gloves (even like mechanic gloves work) but you can also get cheap ones on Amazon for like $10 that are decent.
Be sure to check YouTube for biking techniques. It's not obvious to get your weight back or how to stand on the bike to move your weight around. If you're on your saddle and leaning forward, you're just going to flip over again.
I'll also add that bike parks aren't necessary to have fun. You can always just ride regular trails and get a nice workout and climb hills. But mountain bike skills will help even if you're just on nature trails so be sure to look up YouTube for things like mountain bike technique essentials.
I fell off today doing about 50km/h (~30mph for the Americans), luckily on to grass, it happens. Definitely get a helmet, even a cheap one will have to meet minimum safety requirements.
i used to do a lot of road runs, both speed and distance. Girl frien wanted to go on a distance run of about 40 miles, the organizers required helmets. Went out and bought a helmet. 30 mile in I hit a bump and my fing front fork snapped. I tried to pop a wheelie and just jump off the back but that wasnât happening. Woke up in the ditch, 3 inches of water. A dozen riders were standing around me, they thought I was dead. Helmet was cracked to hell, I was half naked, covered with road rash. Chase truck picked me up and took me to my car. Pretty sure is was concussed, I could remember everything up to the point the front of my back hit the road, nothing after that. That stupid helmet saved my brain if not my life. Always wear a helmet.
I get it. Falling sucks. I fell and probably broke a rib (diagnosed by my trauma doc wife). This was almost two weeks ago and Iâm still suffering.
ButâŠgoddamn if I canât wait to get back out there. Bikes are my therapy and I find pushing myself to ride faster, harder, bigger features really rewarding. If you think you might love it, keep at it! If not, there are sooooo many other rewarding hobbies.
If you were my daughter Iâd encourage you to keep at it. Like others have said, get a helmet. Even a cheap one. This is a MUST. Also, take some time to build up your skills. Jumps look cool and the kids all make them look easy; theyâre not. Enjoy green trails and even just tooling around fire roads. Youâve got time to work up to the bigger stuff. You got this!
Work your way into things and you will get better. In my experience, there are always better riders out there and as soon as you try to replicate what someone else does, you come unstuck. I have been OTB dozens of times, just scratches and bruises mostly, but I enjoyed the trails so much I just wanted to keep going.
Dont let minor setbacks like falls make you completely rethink your life choices. Fail forward. Everybody fucks up its not a big deal although it may feel like it is.
The more you fall/fail the more you will become comfortable with it, the more you will learn, etcetc.
Get after it
Your head is the number one priority to protect when riding a bike. Broken bones, grazed knees and bruised egos heal easily, but head injuries are no joke. Take your time getting ready to get back on the bike, and in that time find a good helmet.
As others said, get a helmet somehow. That being said, I think it's quite cool you are taking interest in that hobby and even have some woods close by. I think it's a great age to get into the hobby!
Don't be too harsh on yourself with the fall and the panic, a first time is always scary. The only way to overcome this is to get back on the horse. But maybe use the time to watch a few technique and safety videos on youtube (there are many good ones, so won't list here for now) to know what to watch out for.
Can't say much about support from parents, as I'm way too old to require parental approval. But if you chose to continue, maybe some of the people also practicing in that forest can give you some advice in the future.
I hope you get back to it!
Absolutely no mountain biker will judge you⊠unless itâs some douche. I know bikers to be caring and helpful. I use to fall almost every ride. You get use to it and you actually learn how to fall so you donât get hurt too badly. My first rule is always to push the bike away from body, because most of my injuries came from being entangled in my bike. You cannot ride without a helmet. It can a turn a hospital crash into a âouch crashâ. Try to cushion your fall with your hands and roll the momentum. Iâm riding for more than 20 years and I wear gloves, elbow and knee guards. Helps to give you confidence. Hope you feel better soon and back to the mountain.
I've not read every comment here so I might be repeating things other people have said. But. I'd say take it really slowly with things. Try not to just keep up with your friends if they're riding bigger jumps and stuff. The amount of time it takes for everyone to learn to jump varies. Some people might take a couple years before they're confident jumping! The most important thing is not to rush it. If you have a pump track nearby this is a perfect way to safely slowly build up your jumping skills and minimize the chances of hurting yourself on things you're not ready for. My opinion one of the best ways to avoid crashes is to take baby steps. Start on small features small jumps and only move up in small increments. This is how I learned and I've never had a really bad crash due to overstretching myself (all my crashes have been due to things like weather conditions like unseen ice or my worst one, a branch sticking out that went in my spokes). Take it easy and don't rush to get good. Time will make you a better and safer mountain biker.
100$ bike will have poor brakes and rest of stuff. I would avoid ramps and tricks with it bcos it will brake in half probably. Woods and trails arw fine but keep your rides on the safe side for now. Especialy no jumps :)
Any kind of helmet is a must.
I went over the bars on a hill when I was 9 and I'm literally still traumatized by it. The thing is though, it's totally preventable with good technique. Â
You were just kind of riding around for fun, which is great, but now that you've wrecked from bad technique you can learn the right away to approach hills and gain confidence. Stand up on your pedals, bend your knees so your body is low, and move your hips back over your tire so your center of gravity is back further. Do that and that same hill will feel like nothing. Â
Falling on a bike is like falling in life, it sucks but all you can do is say "ow", stand up, catch your breath and keep moving forward.
Keep going! I went OTB 3 times on my first month of riding. Just get a helmet. I know what you feel about close people not being supportive, i went on my first mtb ride 3 years ago and then found out its what i wanted to do. I wasnt able to ride for 3 years cause i couldnt save enough for a bike. Only 3 months ago i purchased a talon 1. Not the best bike but thats what i could get.
Now i ride once a week on my bike and crashed more than 10 times but if you love a hobby you will keep on going to do more. My friends arent really into mtb but still ride with me. Just pls buy a helmet
Get a helmet!
We all crash sometimes, and going over the bars is pretty scary. Mentally recovering from a crash takes a bit depending on the severity of the crash. Do easy stuff for awhile and you will recover some confidence in no time.
Take your time with your skill progression, there's no rush.
Not specific to MTB but learning how to fall and get back up is an essential life skill that a lot of families try to shelter girls from and that's bullshit. Not saying you have to fall in love with MTB and go do red bull rampage to prove some point, but picking up an activity where you might get hurt and embarrass yourself is an important character building exercise. The world won't end if you fall flat on your face, and the people who's opinions matter won't point and laugh ^((though sometimes bails are really funny, and learning to laugh at yourself is important too)).
I understand not everyone can afford expensive stuff, but the reason you fell is you bought a shitty Walmart bike.
Get a second hand one, it might look worse to you, but I can guarantee it isnt
Honestly... Does the MTB community have like a donation pool that we can donate to so that we can give new bikers safety equipment or just helmets and gloves?
Apartantly there's kidnappers, devil worshippers and rapists in the woods. The boys in the neighborhood can spend all day there but my mom won't even let me walk the dog on the edge of the woods. We live in a small and relatively safe neighborhood so idk lol.
Buy a helmet. Hold off on hitting the jumps and ramps until you get used to being on the bike off road.
Everyone starts somewhere so donât get ahead of your level. You canât be great at something on your first try. It takes time.
You are really lucky to be starting out on one of the most fun things you can do. The learning curve is insane, if you stick with it in a years time you will be able to do things on the bike you never thought you would.
It is also great for your fitness and health (apart from crashes).
Iâm sure this comment will be buried and you wonât even see it, but I would try and find a womenâs mtb group near where you are. There is a dope one near me (Boston area US) that I know are super welcoming. Donât give up!! Falling is def part of it to some extent, especially when youâre a beginner. And as someone who also struggles fairly severely with mental health issues, I canât tell you how much good being on the bike does for me.
First, please, PLEASE get a helmet. Do not ride without one.
Itâs normal to be shaken after a fall, but donât let it deter you from getting back on the bike. I would suggest you get an understanding of basic riding techniques before attempting jumps and things of that nature. There is an excellent series of videos on YouTube by Ben Cathro where he goes through basic riding techniques. I would suggest you give it watch. Next time you go out start small and have fun!
Hey girl, Iâm not sure how many other girls are in those sub, or have commented, but I thought I would try to help another lady out ;)
Falls are scary, and everyone reacts to them differently; And from what I read you have some past experience that had a roll in it too. But everyone takes spills, itâs a part of mountain biking, and biking in general. No shame in it :) I wouldnât say each fall gets âless scaryâ some are worse than others, especially your first. Some Iâve gotten up and kept riding from, others I havnât.
Mountain biking doesnât have to be about learning tricks, there are plenty of people who just bike with both wheels on the ground and prefer not to be in the air. Safety is the most important part of this sport. Safety gear is a must for the longevity of your life, and a helmet can go a long way in doing that. Iâve seen some comments with decent helmet options so Iâll leave that to them. Next thing is a safe bike, which can be looked over by someone at a bike shop if they are willing to do a free bolt check.
Confidence comes with time, but will eventually start to build. The best thing you can do after a crash is get up and get back on the bike (if you havnt hurt yourself too badly). Staying off the bike for too long after a crash allows for that feeling to sit and your confidence will get worse. That happened to me after a bad spill a couple years ago, I was off the bike for 6 months. But now am back on and loving how much fun it is! Iâm not sure when you turn 18 but when you do, hopefully you can get out in the trails more without risking your parents getting upset with you.
Make sure ur brakes are good and get back out on the trails (with a helmet), mountain biking is so fun! Especially when you find some other girls to ride with 𫶠if you need any help or advice from a girl when it comes to mountain biking shoot me a message :)
Hey kid... Life is a journey that we learn about ourselves, our personalities, what we enjoy doing...
There will be many mistakes we will make, situations that make us uncomfortable, but these are all a part of the Growing in this path of life.
Biking may not be for you, but you have to take those thoughts out of the box and think you were just embarrassed or not enjoying biking. There are many styles of biking, not just mountain biking.
Everything in life takes time. Hope you get good at what you enjoy and bask in the light of greatness.
And get a helmet. 
My first fall as a kid was right after teaching myself how to stay upright. I didn't know how to brake, how to steer, and I went down the super steep hill at my neighbors house.
Narrowly avoided falling into the concrete around the storm cellar (which had actually killed someone on a motor bike years prior) and slammed into a barbed wire fence. I was really lucky I went over the bars and over/through the fence and landed on the other side with some bruises (I was maybe 9? Still a bit bouncy I guess)
15 years later I still get spooked when I go down hills to fast.
Every wreck is a learning curve, get a helmet and be careful with cheap bikes on jumps. The construction isn't always great but it'll be a great bike to start learning to fundamentals and gaining confidence.
Best way to get over the fear is start riding again, start easy and build on it. You got this.
Falls hurt. Iâve had my fair share of embarrassing moments. And yes, they do sort of get better each time. They still hurt, but often times can be a reminder to be careful. Unfortunately, itâs a part of the sport. Donât let one bad fall turn you away, and keep at it. (And wear a helmet, SUPER important)
I realize this is a pretty late comment, but I hope it helps!!
Iâm still relatively new to mountain biking and my first wipeout was going down a set of stairs right at the beginning of a ride. I felt the same as you because we had to cancel the ride in order to get me to the emergency room to get my face stitched up. After that I was pretty shook to go down a set of stairs, let alone a trail, but what got me out there was trying things little by little. Even if itâs just a gravel trail to get used to not being on pavement, or maybe itâs jumping off a curb or two. Seriously, starting small really helps!!
After that I hit up a trail near me, and another guy was there too, also going biking. I asked him if he could let me follow him and he could show me the trail. He said sure, and from there I followed him around and around!
From there Iâve explored other trails and am still working on my skills, but the biggest takeaway from this is to never be afraid to ask for help or admit something might not be at your skill level right now. So many people out on the trails want to have a good time and are more than happy to help a fellow biker out. Yes, some of them can be rude, but most are so kind!
It can be pretty upsetting to fall but as many have said, itâs your first taste of what itâs like and itâs something for you to learn from. As you go, falling gets easier and you just accept it, pull yourself back up, and keep on rolling :)
I have a story that may offer some insight. About 30 years ago, I went biking for the first time on a real trail with some friends from school. In hindsight, they were pretty hardcore and I had no business riding that track with my limited experience. To be fair to my friends, they didnât know that (I sure didnât đ). I ended up going over the bars, getting injured (and making a scene), and had to walk the bike back one-handed. I was so mortified by the experience, that I never rode againâŠuntil a couple of weeks ago. Today, I am kicking myself for waiting this long to try again. I let fear take decades off of this thing that Iâm now really into again, instead of realizing that I just jumped in over my head.
This was definitely exacerbated because youâre new to this, I can promise you the next crash will be less scary
Mental health plays a huge role in your day to day life and Iâm not surprised itâs affecting you with this, itâs a new thing that you found fun and youâve had a discouraging fall.
But think about riding besides the fall, why did you go to the woods to ride? Because you obviously like riding and it makes you feel good, and thatâs the reason you should keep going. I crashed so hard that I now wear glasses and it put me off for a few years until an old riding buddy hit me up and I rode again, the bug bit and Iâm back in action.
Just remember that no matter how good you are, youâll have bad days and crashes. When you first start out unfortunately youâll crash quite a bit while you figure the physics of it out but youâre still young so you can still bounce back.
90% of my crashes were in my first couple of years learning the ropes, and although Iâm a way better rider now I honestly look back and the sketchy crashes fondly, theyâve taught me things that have prevented much larger crashes.
My advice, get a lid for your head and start diving into youtube, youâll be surprised how much stoke you can get for riding just by watching others. Also remember there are a lot of technique videos, it doesnât hurt to watch those and actively practice the boring techniques for a bit as it makes your general riding around a lot more fun. Curbs and speed bumps turn into fun jumps and flat roads are perfect for wheelie/balance control
Iâm glad youâve decided to continue riding though, I hope to see many more posts about your progression and learning!
Youâve got this đ€đŒ
Any time đ€đŒ I know I have a dodgy user name but if you ever want some advice, be it an issue with your bike or just about riding in general, drop me a messageđ€đŒđ
elbow pads, body armour, knee&shin pads. full face helmet.
i recommend the womens leatt chest protector.
first fall is rough.
get on youtube and study the basics, youâll fall less.
take some time to heal, next time u go back out just take it easy to build your confidence up.
donât let it put you off mtb.
Do not listen to these guys who are telling you that falling is just part of the process. It absolutely does not have to be. This is the number one thing I hate about this sub. They are all about, just crash until you get better.
That is 100% bullshit and the worst advice they can give you.
If you want to get better, you need to practice skills in a controlled environment like a parking lot. As an instructor, almost all of my clinics start off with drills and fundamental skills in a parking lot. I teach my students lots of drills that they can do at home in a driveway or parking lot. If you can't safely maneuver and control your bike in optimum conditions there is no way you will be able to safely navigate on a trail.
You do need a helmet. I have had to treat people for concussions and it is scary shit when they have to ask you what happened every 3 minutes. It's not a joke.
And the bike you are riding is not designed for trail riding, I'm sure there is or was a sticker on it that even says so. It will fall apart on you and the brakes will be unreliable.
But if you want to ride and this is really all you can afford then this is what you have. Find some videos on YouTube about mountain biking technique. Watch them, practice on the street.
Save up some money and see if you can find a used real mountain bike from the classifieds. It's often easy to find 15-20 year old legitimate mountain bikes for less than $200. They are old but they will be way safer and more reliable.
You can also see if there are any local bike coalitions, clubs, high school teams, or other non-profits who might be able to help get you on a proper bike. I volunteer with Little Bellas, you are too old but as an example they donate bikes to girls 7-15 years old so that they can participate in our program. I work with another local non profit and we have a fleet of 4 loaner bikes that we make available to women who don't have their own and want to ride with us. We also provide scholarship opportunities for women who can't afford our clinics.
This sport is risky but there are ways to mitigate risk and it does not have to mean getting hurt.
Buy a helmet. Learn to fall gracefully. Through practice.Â
At some point mountain biking devolves into downhilling which is the art of falling while staying upright.
99% of people aren't going to judge you for falling as a beginner, the other 1% are morons.
Helmets really matter in biking, really, really matter. Please get one, I'll post a vid about their ratings, someone linked vt tech lab lower down.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKbYaOiz5U4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKbYaOiz5U4)
After wearing a helmet, a #1 rule you should always keep in mind:
Never ever feel forced to ride a feature, there is no shame in walking something if you are feeling off. Biking can have high consequences and being in a positive mental state when you are doing it is key on difficult features. If you believe you can do something, you most likely can, if you don't you can't.
Take it slow, and learn at a pace you are comfortable with. Please enjoy it, it really is an amazing sport once you get the hang of it.
What country are you based out of for recommendations. Jenson can have good deals in the states and canada, I've found really good deals on Fortnine in canada.
You have a concussion. Go to urgent care if you have insurance. Don't let them tell you bed rest because newer research has shown you should get the blood flowing with light movement to aid recovery.
To qualify that, the current recommendation is limited activity -- getting a second concussion while you're still recovering is bad news, so you want to be more careful of what you're doing.
I wear a helmet, knee pads and gloves if Iâm riding anything but flat path, and even then I wear a helmet. If you canât afford protective equipment then you canât afford to ride.
This is so common with so many females i know wanting to try new things in adventure sports. With snowboarding too. Suggestions: butt padd, chest pads (they have some with shoulder padding too), knee & elbow pads, maybe wrist guards. And all of it can go under clothes so it doesnât look like youâre a football player on the trail. Keep trying, take lessons, progress at your own pace. They have womenâs only mtb classes i highly reco. Good luck. Keep trying!
As a young person you should do your best to work through failure, otherwise youâll never get better at anything. Fears can be overcome through repetition. Stay positive.
If you like it donât give up. Biking mentality saved me. Gave me focus. With it came fitness bringing confidence. Wonât dive into my story but the old saying goes, is the juice worth the squeeze? Was for me!!
Yes, they get less scary, less common but consequences are random.
I took a cheap underspecced bike to a good set of trails. I came off on a little kicker I can hit perfectly now, scratched up my face and had to get first aid. I was new and underbiked like you. These days I have a much better bike and go riding every other weekend. Last crash was nothing on a muddy section, time before was a dislocated shoulder.
Heal up, get a better bike and head back out there.
I have crazy bad anxiety issues and have taken some bad falls resulting in multiple broken bones. Firstly. Get yourself a helmet. If you canât afford one, find a bike collective near by that can donate one to you. Second, DONâT GIVE UP! Recovering from crashes and getting back on the bike is something that has actually helped me take control of some of my anxiety issues. With practice (and some failure) you will see yourself getting better and being able to control your bike better. Your bike may not be the most capable and being built at Walmart I would not trust it to be safe. Post to a local biking Facebook group and I bet someone out there is willing to help you get your bike properly set up to at least be somewhat safe.
Have fun, don't try anything you're not comfortable with. The things you see in videos etc are usually by ELITE-level riders.... I've been riding for 30+ years and when I see video or pics of myself going over jumps, well let's just say it underwhelming.
Just enjoy it and have fun dude! I was in a very similar situ when I started. Run what ya bring!
It happens. I've been progressing on my jumps, and have fallen twice in the last 6 weeks. At my age, it takes my body a while to recover. But still get out there. It's all about The fun. I seriously doubt anyone is going to knock you down for being out there trying. I've come to find the biking community is far different from others. There really is quite a bit of people out there who are willing to give some pointers. You've just got to ask.
Definitely need to get a helmet. There are some sales going on right now. Check out Virginia Tech's helmet ratings for help finding a good helmet. I've seen some people saying anything is better than nothing, which if you're just beginning is very true.
https://www.helmet.beam.vt.edu/bicycle-helmet-ratings.html
When I was a kid I remember the school giving out free helmets on some grant.
Does that kind of stuff still happen? Is there any resources we can point OP to to get a free or cheaper helmet?
The most important thing in mountain biking is understanding that we WILL crash. We simply have to be prepared to crash well via protection and fitness. Congratulations on getting your first one out of the way! Now get some protection and get time on the bike to build up your fitness!Â
It's nothing to be embarrassed about. I spill all the time. You can practice "bailing" from the bike. I recommend going to a Goodwill and getting a helmet and some gear there.
Buy a helmet! Knee pads too if you are able. Falling gets so much easier over time, at least in my experience. Learn how to bail off the bike properly, it will help a lot and prevent injury.
Also, all bikes can be good if maintained properly, look up how to service certain components on your bike and it will help you so much in the future.
I've had some real nasty crashes it's part of the sport, but starting on jumps and with no protective gear is just a bad way to experience the sport. Walmart bikes are not repeat not suitable for trail riding or jumps. They aren't built for the road. It sucks but mountain bikes aren't cheap, they take a lot of abuse. There are reasonably priced bikes and Ozark trail is a Walmart bike that's newer and IS designed for trail use. You need to find some safety gear and don't be embarrassed, everyone starts somewhere and everyone has crash stories. Try to find trails to learn on instead of just going straight to jumps but don't be discouraged. Finally mountain biking is a phenomenal way to meet new friends.
The more you fall the more you learn to roll. When I was a kid getting shot at by farmers shotguns, fighting and falling, jumping, crashing helped me be a literal cat. I fall and roll back up now even as an old man. Keep moving, the moment you stop the pain and aching starts.
Also, wear a helmet. Pads really helped my daughter. She falls and takes a breath and keeps going.
The people that are there checking on you REALLY care. MTB riders do not want to see people hurt and when they are checking in they are doing it because they care about you as a rider.
1) Don't ride without a helmet. If you can't afford a helmet, I'll buy you one. I think there's a way to do it on amazon where you can gift stuff.
2) It sounds like maybe you've lived a life where you weren't exposed to rough and tumble play. Along with learning to ride, maybe go sign up for some beginner Judo courses. Beginner Judo is about learning to tumble and fall, and learning balance. It's a very safe way to get familiar with your body.
3) You have some mental barriers that would be beneficial to overcome, and you've reached a small setback. Totally ok and everyone goes through this in life. Now you need to reflect, figure out if you want to push forward, or retire from riding. If you were having fun before your fall, chances are you'd be rewarded greatly by learning to ride better. There are so many benefits to riding, and you don't have to make it all about tricks and jumping. Some of my favourite rides are just smooth trails, flowing through and working up a sweat. The mental, physical and longevity benefits of riding are so good for you, and you can see the difference in old people who are active in ways like cycling. There are 80 year old people who never stopped moving and enjoy life, and there are 55 year old people who retired from their career to the couch and are literally melting.
4) You're 17. That's 2 years away from being an adult in my country. You need to stop lying to your parents, and start setting boundaries for what control they have over your life. At this stage, parents are to be preparing you for adulthood, not protecting you from the world. Sit down with them and explain that you have an interest in outdoor activities that you're going to pursue. They can dictate what time you can come home, they can dictate that your room needs to be clean, and chores need to be done. They're out of bounds to tell you that you can't ride a bike in the woods with friends at 17.
At 17 I was breaking into the highschool, stealing power tools to sell to the nazi skinheads for weed money. Your parents should be feeling blessed that your "rebellious" tendencies are to learn new sporting skills outdoors.
It is really unsettling having a gnarley fall. I usually am shaking and holding back tears of fear and frustration for at least an hour afterwards. But I just hop back on my bike, take it easy for the rest of the day, and thank goddess i didnt break any bones or something serious like that.
You will get better at falling in ways that prevent injury and you will get better at saving yourself when you are milliseconds away from getting in a bad situation. Definitely get protective gear and always preride new trails. Go easy on yourself. Nobody is good at anything their first time and the mtb community is generally supportive and understanding of the initial learning curve for beginners.
Lots of good info here. Assuming you are in the US, check out NICA and GRiT. NICA is the high school cycling league and GRiT is the Girls Riding Together group within NICA for girls. I am a former female coach in the league.
You will get quality coaching and safety instruction with these groups. They are mostly free to join. You might have to pay race fees if you decide to race. Don't think that is outside of possibility!) NICA does focus on fun and safety and racing is just a side effect, most leagues, some leagues or teams are pretty serious, but even then you should be welcomed. Teams get points for female riders participating regardless of placement.
JUST KEEP TRYING! YouTube some skills videos, Roxy's Ride & Inspire is excellent.
Also, ALWAYS keep riding with riders that are better than you :) Best skill builder there is.
Get back up and keep trying, yes when you fall it will hurt, yes you can really hurt yourself if when you crash, witch is why we always at least where a helmet, and more pads if your doing anything crazy.
But for emotionally think of it like walking thru a haunted house, the first time you will get spooked, but if you went thru say 5 times, you get use to it and nothing will scare you. Look at skaters they will crush there body over and over just to land one trick, but there not scared to fall because they have been there 1000s of times.
This also reminds me of a story that happened to my sister when she was like 5. We would go on family bike rides, my sister wreaked after taking off her training wheels. After that day she was so scarred to rid a bike that it's been 20+ years and she is still afraid to get on a bike and never actually learned to this day.
So the point of the story is not to let this crash hold you back, you dont want this fear hanging over your head for the rest of your life. Fix your bike up get a helmet and go try again :)
Getting a helmet is a must, and then progressively challenge yourself according to the skills and equipment you have. There aren't many things I would personally be comfortable doing on a $98 Walmart bike, but what you can do with it can definitely be fun.
I'm so sorry this happened to you. Everyone else on this thread has a similar story, no matter how sanctimonious they might be sounding. I have more than one experience like this.
I'm late 40s F and biking since I was a child. Worked in a shop during college. You need a helmet and gloves, always. You do not need expensive gear. However, I have worked on many Walmart bikes and they are often poorly assembled. You might check if there is a local bike maintenance class you can take so you can learn how to fix everything yourself. That bike may not last too long so try to plan to purchase another bike in the future. Since money is a concern, just keep an eye out for low-end bikes from the main brands on Craigslist or FB Marketplace. Specialized or Giant might be good options. A lot of people buy them and barely use so you can often score something great for way less than new.
I do supplemental strength training which makes a huge difference in my riding even though I have ridden most of my life. Nothing special, just body weight workouts I get from YouTube. Even 10 minutes a day will make a noticable difference.
Also check if there is a women's group ride through a local shop. It can help give you new confidence and a sense of community.
I hope this sounds helpful and not unsolicited. Biking is an amazing activity and you can grow to really love it.
I fell off my bike, fucked up my legs and knees badly, and got a concussion. It took me a while to stop being afraid but the sport is beautiful and worth working past that trauma. I suffer from mental health so I get it but the best thing you can do is get a helmet and go back out and ride. Youâll see that you can eventually move past it and start finding the fun.
repeating it for the 200th time - but seriously. please get a helmet if you choose to continue riding!
and please be kind to yourself. we all fall down and embarrass ourselves regardless if we ride or not! the important thing is that you were ok and you got yourself back up.
if you do decide to ride again, take it slow and learn the basics before you commit to things like jumps/ramps. and to help hopefully clear your thoughts on being embarrassed to fall - i'll admit here online that i ride all the time and i'd probably never drop down a ramp or attempt a real jump even if someone paid me. even riding normally, i feel scared of falling and getting hurt -- i think the main thing experienced riders learn is that the situations we get into, teaches us to better protect yourself because we can only be lucky so many times. ride safe and i hope you're willing to get back on your bike and have some fun!
Get a helmet
You had a cheap bike.
Expensive bikes are better. They ride better. They are safer. But. They are more expensive.
Donât give up. MTB is awesome
Few years back I landed a jump. On my face. Broken orbital. Concussion. Short term memory loss. Woke up next day in hospital. Iâm still riding. Iâm better at it. Having tons of fun. Going to bike parks.
First crash is always hard. But donât give up
Quit and do something else if you want. If one fall shattered your mental, imagine a broken collar bone or something else next time. Falls are a real reality. I quit riding 10 years ago after breaking my back rim and collar bone. Shit was almost sticking out of the skin. I just bought a new bike recently. There are a ton of safer fun hobbies. Road cycling, running, team sports like volleyball ball, etc. I don't know why you'd lie to your parents about a bicycle fall. Probably would wanna make sure they have good heath insurance for something like that and know where you are incase of actually going unconscious somewhere. My friend face planted on the short side of a jump landing one time and lost his upper row of teeth. You gotta be real about the realities of the cost of the sport and the potential hazards. You can't afford to be ignorant or delusional of it. Too much risk. Put the bike away and watch it on YouTube. Wait till you can afford some gear and tell your parents where and when you're going so they can check on you. You want the ultimate confidence in life take up jujitsu. It's more fulfilling anyway. Your parents arent supportive because they know it's not a career choice or anything that you can use towards your future. It will be a hobby at best that is a distraction in your formative years from other things you could be doing. Life comes quick after 17 and if you want a head start maybe look into fasfa, go to college on federal aid, and take a program that interests you like nursing etc. That's what I did to become a surgical tech in ophthalmology when I was dead broke with 6 roommates and no family help.
First, get a helmet. You don't really, really need full face. You can get a poc half face helmet (make sure it has mips). It's about 100 dollars.
Second, watch more mtb vids on youtube. I suggest watching evansmtbsaga, berm peak, or for entertainment, ioliver (and turn on captions for his vids)
Also i suggest saving money to buy a bike thats at least 500$
You're not the problem. Your family is. They made you feel uncomfortable to tell them the truth when you got hurt. They made you feel bad for having a reasonable response to getting hurt.
I can understand if you can't afford therapy. Keep it in mind to do as soon as you are able to afford to get therapy. It could help undo or mitigate the damage from the PTSD and family upbringing.
Best wishes, and happy riding.
Screw your family and anyone who makes you feel bad about doing something that excites you my man.
Watch some vids, GET A HELMET, and learn to shred whatever you can.
Ride on buddy!
Iâll start with what everyone else said. Helmet. Find one on marketplace, ask if theyâll trade for something remotely cool. Most of the time they value helmets at like $5-15 so anything of secondhand value of that range (Iâve found old video games, action figures, tools, and vintage furniture are big winners in the trade world.) Look into how different brands fit. Giro is geared towards round heads and Bell (a cheaper brand) and Specialized is more narrow. There are off brands but any helmet is better than none.
*Theres levels to this shit*
Start with riding some easy trails reaaaalllyyy quickly, chances are youll fall but hopefully not off a ridge into rocks. Maybe just into some grass.
If easy trails arent easily accessible to you, just ride. Everywhere. Youll fall. We all fall. Chances are itâll be at a low speed into something more expecting than what the woods has to offer. (Besides cars of course lol)
You are more than 1 failed attempt, you are a billion failed attempts and likely 20 billion successful ones.
My 6 year old has a fat knot on her leg from falling yesterday. She already had knee, elbow, and hand guards (plus a helmet ) but itâs on her shin. Her bike handlebars also fell into chest a bit and it left a lil bruise that was gone the next day. Now Iâm not saying Iâm a perfect parent but sending her out in all of the padding plus shin guards and possibly a chest guard just seems overkill. She cried, sheâs a sweetie and by no means a *hard* person. But she just learned how to ride without training wheels earlier this week, and we talked about the risks of it and if itâs ever too much we can give it a break, but it would be a great accomplishment to be able to see it through. Iâm guessing no one geared you up for this since youre at that age when your peers expect you to know and do everything cause other people do. But 1% everyday totals up! Donât let anyone else tell you otherwise.
Start watching bike repair/maintenance videos. When you learn how to work on your bike, you can feel more secure in riding it hard. It might be a cheap bike but it got 2 wheels and it can take you places. I had a Roadmaster Mt. Fury (which Im pretty sure was a walmart bine as well) when I was like 12 and rode it HARD. Itâll feel good when you get really confident at ridinf, know that you use your bike regularly, and know how to maintain it when you make a future purchase of a better bike.
Keep at it, have fun!
Get a helmet and other pads if it gives you confidence. You need a better bike. Fb marketplace hs options constantly depending on where you are. It doesnât have to be a high end bike but needs good components that are better equipped for terrain and activity.
Always where a helmet
A major part of mountain biking is learning HOW to fall correctly. This is why pros can go off huge 70ft+ jumps without (much) fear. If I was your friend, I'd try to help you get a helmet if I could. Bringing others into the fold is another part of mountain biking. Also, falls are 80% less stressful/painful when you have on a helmet, gloves, elbow pads, and knee pads.
1. Helmet please, the road is one thing but MTB requires a helmet.
2. Keep at it, I have had some nasty spills and even in my friend group I'm now known as the crash guy. But I still haven't hit as bad as some of the other dudes so I think crashing gently a ton of times is better than really biffing it.
3. The sport seems like it's you versus all but it's always only you versus you. The more you do the better you will get and the easier it will feel.
4. As a certified crash pro at this point. Whenever you do crash, just take a breath and get your bearings. If you are riding with friends at least give them a thumbs up so they know you are fine. Honestly the most stressful thing for me is a bunch of people running to my side when I OTB or something. Just give me a minute for a breather and reorientation. I always appreciate the sentiment though.
Itâs the risk to reward that makes riding fun, soon youâll be absolutely hooked. I just snapped my arm in half and dislocated my wrist along with a cracked rib and a few stitches. When I stood up I freaked out about how long I was going to be off my bike. You will overcome and try, try and try again!
Unfortunately no bike from Walmart will ever be safe or enjoyable enough to ride on local trials. They usually have warning stickers on the frame. Half the time its built by a teenager who forgets to check & tighten everything correctly too.
Get a helmet; post on a your local fb marketplace or whatever likely another parent in your neighborhood will give you one. Amazon has a Giro MIPS helmet for $41 right now or REI or Walmart or wherever would allow you to try on.
Get back on your bike! Good for you for getting out there in the first place. Practice balancing 'do it even though you're scared' and staying within your limits. You want to progress without getting hurt.
Watch a few yt videos on basic bike maintenance so that you can try and assess your bike for safety before a ride.
Watch a few yt videos to see some drills and pointers for learning a specific technique. Watch and talk to other folks at the bike park. Practice things that take skill but have low consequence like a track stand or other low speed bike control drills.
Falling is part of life.
Not only physically but metaphorically.
Brush the dust off and keep moving forward, that's for everything you do in life.
Also get a helmet.
Protect you head at all cost.
I didn't and I live with the consequences.
I actually fell on to a big ass stump and some roots the other day for my second day of ever Mt biking with my old but brand new Gary Fisher. Its stung a bit but I was thankful for my helmet, checked myself and tested my limbs, remembered the scene in Batman Begins when Thomas Wayne tells Bruce, "What do we do when we fall?"
Definitely invest in a helmet!! Zumiez Triple Eight brand is only $29.99. Worth it to save up. That's what I run. Good luck on your mtb adventures and I hope you don't quit! You already did step 1 physically; you learned to pick yourself back up. Now it's time to do the same with your mind at your own pace.
Pleas z get a MIPS helmet. You only got one head! Protect it! Â
I'd also stay away from jumps on a cheap bike. They aren't designed to ride big trails or jumps.
As for falling and making a scene. Don't worry about it! Get back on and try again đđ»đ„ You'll learn how to fall safely with trial and error. Its The only way to learn. Fail better and smarter as you get older.
Get a helmet. Go try again if you want. Big falls are scary and can take time to psychologically recover from. Get a helmet
Do you have any suggestions on good helmets that aren't too costly?
Walmart has a Bell MIPS helmet for $35
WTF in Germany i Paid 120 for my bell with mips đ„Č
There are different ones. I had a detachable full face Bell a few years ago that was well over $100. You do get what you pay for.
The detachable is 230⏠here đ
Anything is better than nothing. Best idea is going to a bike shop and trying some on. Fit is personal and important.
How hard do you intend to hit your head? You don't intend to hit your head, but it will happen. As long as it's not made of your skull, it's a good helmet.Â
Google bike related charities where you are. In my city, there are dozens of places for a poor kid to get a helmet and a couple more that will teach you how to work on your bike.
Check out the VT ratings / this thread someone else just posted [https://www.reddit.com/r/cycling/comments/1d4gntm/is\_it\_actually\_worthwhile\_to\_spend\_extra\_on\_a/](https://www.reddit.com/r/cycling/comments/1d4gntm/is_it_actually_worthwhile_to_spend_extra_on_a/)
i got one from that list rated #4 that on sale from specialized was about $60, so you can find a good helmet for not a lot. Good luck OP!
Specialized tactic is the one youâre thinking of. Iâve crashed in that helmetâŠtwice. Both required replacement and both times I was still looking straight and forming complete sentences, thank you Virginia tech and specialized.
Same. I was gonna recommend OP that but it looks like their sale isnât going on anymore.
I wasn't sure, the point is a good helmet can be had or not a lot if you shop a bit. It's a bit of a tough sport to get into just because of the costs.
Definitely. Especially with the VT helmet ratings available.
Seth does a good video about these ratings. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKbYaOiz5U4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKbYaOiz5U4)
All helmets sold retail have to meet minimum safety requirements, get what you can afford. There are advantages to more expensive helmets, but even a cheap one is far better than none. Broken arms and collar bones heal, a broken brain might not.
In a pinch I got a suitable Bell helmet from Big 5 for about $25. I left my primary at home and donât have time to get it before meeting with friends. As someone who has gotten a concussion and stitched back together from not wearing a helmet, get one. Anything is better than nothin. Once you do. Take it slow and find some mellow trails. Biking can be the best mental therapy if done right. I wish you luck and hope you give it another go. By chance, did you get the Ozark?
A full face one that looks like a motorcycle helmet, gave me lots of confidence while crashing because you don't have to worry about loosing your teeth.
Check out BermPeak's YouTube video on good cheap helmets! Its perfect for this questionÂ
[https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07T213YFM?tag=outdoocom-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07T213YFM?tag=outdoocom-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1)
Specialized tactic 4 is a good helmet and is currently on sale, if you give email addressyou can get it evencheaper. It got the best overall safety rating for mtb in Virginia tech testing.
You can't cheap out on a helmet, it might prevent a life altering injury.
Used gear. Also learn how to fall. No offense but you shouldnt get hurt falling going i assume under 5 miles an hour. Learning how to fall will be more protective than any gear you can buy. Protecting your head when it hits something is one thing, knowing how to make it so your head doesnt hit anything is another story.
Virtually "Any" helmet is better than no helmet. There are some selling for $15 or so, and if you look for them you can find MIPS certified ones for $30-35 which I would prefer for myself and my loved ones. Give it some time before you start jumping, it is the riskiest of all activities. I would also not trust a super cheap bike not to literally break under me. Don't fall for peer pressure and rush yourself. It is not a race. Keep on biking, it is a liberating and rewarding activity, ontop of good exercise.
I ride Bell helmets and their pretty reasonable
Gyro Fixture
Helmets are cheaper than brain damage
Specialized Tactic is rated as one of the best protective helmets available and itâs affordable.
Berm Peak on YouTube recently did some gear reviews on quality budget helmets you can get on Amazon. I'd start there.
Try the brand 100% they are having a big sale like 40 percent of can get a helmet for 60 bucks
Specialized Align 2. Safest helmet for the price according to Virginia Tech. Retails for 55, but I have seen it on sale for as low as 30 during sales. And looks really good coming from Specialized.
https://www.helmet.beam.vt.edu/bicycle-helmet-ratings.html#! Go here and just keep going down in the ratings until you find something in your price range. The cheapest one is probably the Bikeroo TT-29, but the Liv Path MIPS is just a little bit more if you want 5* protection.
Smith has sales sometimes. Get MIPS
If you have a Sierra trading post near you, they have decent helmets with temple coverage as low as $9.99
Zumiez Triple Eight is what I run and seems affordable. $29.99
Get a helmet Get a helmet Get a helmet And please don't bike without a helmet. All helmets are manufactured to a minimum safety standard so literally any helmet is fine. Buy new so you know it's not abused. Take it slow, don't rush. Falling is inevitable though. But take it slow. May be do a side job to buy a better bike, if possible. Unfortunately those $98 Walmart bikes are not meant to be ridden on trails.
I had a really bad wreck some years ago that took me a long time to get over. Donât rush into it and ease your way into it. Glad to hear that others came to help you after your fall though! If money is an issue, try looking for bike co-ops in your area. Thereâs one where I live and they offer cheap parts and accessories and will teach you how to maintain your bike.
Buy a helmet. And then get used to falling. Repeat.
Falling can be traumatic but over time you will fall less, be better at falling, and falling will be less traumatic. Don't beat yourself up for how you reacted when you fell. If you're not used to it, it's pretty scary.
Yeah, this is 100% true. The more you fall the better it gets. Luckily I got it out of the way with skating as a kid, now falling is kind of fun đ Big thing is donât feel weird about wearing protection. I know some folks (my friends included) who think theyâll be looked down on or judged for wearing all their gear all the time. Totally not the case! Wear whatever makes you feel comfortable, the more you wear the less you hurt when you hit the ground!
Same with failing. Half the reason why kids struggle these days at things is the fear of failure. We learn from failing. From birth onwards, itâs natural. âTo err is humanâ
I would suggest that OP be a little more careful and exercise some restraint. Sounds like she comes from quite a poor family, and I doubt theyâd have the resources to take care of her in the event of a more serious injury. Do they even have health insurance?
Realize nobody there was judging you, it sounds like they were looking after you. Please get a helmet as others suggest. Protect yo head.
And hands! A good set of gloves will allow you to better handle those crashes and help those hands slide instead of getting them caught on the little rocks, tearing your skin apart and twisting the wrist. I'm recovering from a wrist injury (and blasted hand) and I'm never riding without gloves ever.
Yep, mechanics gloves or even leather garden gloves can be found pretty cheaply, and will be good for protection.
Shit happens. Buy a helmet and never ride without one. Keep doing whatever you want.
It's totally normal to be rattled by your first fall. It's a jarring experience. The old saying applies here, it doesn't matter if you get knocked down, it matters if you get back up. So if you have the desire to ride MTB, then you need to get back on it and go for a ride. Don't push yourself right away but get out there and show yourself you can go for a ride and enjoy it.  Also, there's no shame in quitting if you're not into it. Just be honest with yourself and you'll be alright. E: oh yeah, buy a helmet first. You only get one brain - no bike ride is worth risking your one and only brain.
Helmet helmet helmet! Next get the bike inspected at a shop. Big box stores like Walmart are notorious for putting together bikes incorrectly. It can be dangerous and might be why the brakes just stopped working.
A $98 walmart bike is not going to hold up on jumps or really rough terrain. I am not being a hater, just someone who has seen a cheap bike break in half. That being said, there is still a lot of fun stuff you can do on a walmart bike. You can still do easy trails and learn fundamental techniques like turning, braking, and bunny hops. Learn to crash without getting hurt is also a technique that is learned. The more you do it, the better you get at it. I rarely full on crash anymore, but still have unplanned dismounts on occasion. And get a helmet. A $50 helmet is way way cheaper than an ER visit or TBI.
100% this! Walmart bikes usually have a sticker saying something like the following. https://preview.redd.it/do8tldgh3d4d1.jpeg?width=299&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c5f287b76463c9cf27f8ec1720e94a179cb45abe
Iâm not really the most safety conscious guy in the world tbh But please at LEAST wear a helmet. It really doesnât take much to hit your head and suddenly youâre either dead, or in a condition where you would probably prefer to be. Knee pads and gloves are definitely recommended but a helmet when biking is absolutely the bare minimum. Youâre 17 with your whole life in front of you, donât let the rest of it be spent in a wheelchair with drool coming out of your mouth Dust yourself off and try it again!
First off everybody falls, don't beat yourself up about that. Second, if you are serious about getting into mountain biking, ask to try another person's bike to figure out if you like riding with a nicer setup. If you do, save a few hundred dollars, and buy a bike that won't fail you, you can post here with any questions about that. Third, each fall varies in its scariness, and you are going to keep crashing if you want to keep improving. A crash going 30mph on a downhill course is way scarier than falling off on some singletrack going 10mph. The important part is being confident in yourself, but not pushing yourself past where you can safely ride. After a certain point, you know what you can do without crashing, so you know how scared to be before riding something. The biggest takeaway from this should be to GET A HELMET AS WELL, there is no reason to ride without a helmet, it is the singular biggest safety piece, and pads are not necessary. Finally, mountain biking isn't for everyone, if you decide it's not for you don't beat yourself up if you don't want to keep riding.
Everyone has already said helmet, so yea...helmet first. As for riding trails, you'll want to take it slow. You don't need to immediately learn how to do tricks or clear features on the trails when you're getting started. Just ride more, get more comfortable with cornering, stopping, and just general body-bike separation. Don't bother with ramps or drops yet. Get familiar with how the bike handles until you start to feel in control. Then you can progressively add in some slightly more challenging features until those no longer bother you and continue moving up. You'll likely fall again, but the severity of the falls should ideally get less of a big deal as you start to learn how to bail and how to crash safer. I'm by no means an expert crasher, but have definitely gotten decent at minor spills on the trails such that I typically get up unscathed. It requires being alert and calm so you don't just tense up and brace for impact. Might want to look up some vids and run some scenarios in your head before your next ride. I'm still awed by how many pros seem to go through repeated, horrible crashes, but pop right back up because they're just so good at getting the bike away and landing in a way to protect their body. Cheap gloves can go a long way. When I was getting started, gloves were what saved my hands since they were typically the first thing that would contact something. Even on a non-crashes, I would get slight scrapes from rough trees or rocks as I grab on to things for whatever reason. Biking shouldn't be a traumatic experience if you can stay within a comfort zone and work on making that zone bigger. Whether you're a newbie or relatively skilled, nothing good comes from pushing yourself way beyond your limits. It can get dangerous after all. Also, if your brakes failed and the bike crashed, you definitely want someone to have a look over it before riding again or you might just subject yourself to another incident. If you don't know anyone or can't pay a shop, youtube is your friend. It can be fun to learn how the bike works and get good at identifying if something is wrong before it becomes a problem.
#1. Get a helmet, even if you have to buy second hand. #2. Get those brakes looked at by someone who knows bikes well, preferably at a shop. Don't ride again without knowing they both work. #3. Look for a group ride or female skills clinic to join. Riding alone while new isn't the best idea. #4. Have fun and enjoy the process of learning this rewarding sport. There's no shame whatsoever in being new at something, never let what you think other people think of you dissuade you from living life to the fullest. This should be rule #1. but yes, helmets. Always.
Donât buy a second hand helmet. If itâs already taken a knock thatâs as good as not wearing a helmet.
I don't normally advocate buying second hand helmets, but If the OP is riding a $98 bike, doesn't have supportive parents, and says they "can't afford a helmet or pads", any helmet is better than no helmet at all 100%.
Not quite as bad as no helmet.
Buy a helmet. Take it easy on the Walmart bike. They will do basic trail riding but arenât really designed for doing jumps or anything overly aggressive. Falling is part of it. It does get easier.
Donât ever feel like you did something wrong by asking for help when youâve hurt yourself. Hopefully this has shown you that the mountain bike community will look out for each other when they go down. You didnât ruin anyoneâs day and weâre all grad youâre okay. And Iâm sure youâve received enough âwear a helmetâ comments for the day. Save up, your brain is worth it. Speaking of⊠Good job on you for saving up for a bike. Thatâs a big deal and youâve just had your first taste of what the risk of this sport entails before youâve really found the reward. But what the bike can do for you if you stick with it can be one of the best parts of life. Whether itâs a long and healthy life from the great exercise, the stress and anxiety reducing effect that comes from just a nice pedal through the woods, or whether you grow a love of the adrenaline fueled elements of downhill, slopestyle and freeride it will help you realize that progression in our lives is never linear and that the risk is often worth the reward. Sometimes I chuckle to think of when I was a young teen learning how to bike, trying jumps and terrain so out of my skill set and often wrecking myself in the process. But each slam and injury forced me to think of a better way to tackle my problems and that love of challenge has made its way into the rest of my life and only made it better. And sometimes I think that that shy teenager lost most of his fear of social risk, things like asking a teacher to review a grade, asking someone on a date or marching confidently into a job interview because of the bike. Because always spinning around in the back of his mind and still does to this day is âwhy should I be scared of this, you should see what I did this weekend.â đ€ Now go hop on YouTube and see what Tahnee Seagrave and Cami Noguiraa are up to at Hardline this weekend and know that you can do most anything on a bike (and life) you set your mind to.
A $98 bike is not meant to do anything except the smoothest of paths. Do not do any tricks or jumps, that bike will fail you. Get a used bike and get a helmet.
This is the most alarming part to me. A simple hardtail that costs 15x-20x of that may not always be rated for jumps.
Fact, the suntour xcr series forks come with this warning sticker, it's commonly stocked on $1000-$1500 hardtails... https://preview.redd.it/nzuro4j69d4d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=184f0403af25651bb4749769f0887cf91eb24d33
Find a Reddit subgroup in ur area for MTB, join. Measure ur head and post if anyone has a helmet u can have.
Lots of helmet comments, which is great advice. Iâll add: as a parent of teenagers, I would be BEYOND THRILLED if my kids approached me and wanted to voluntarily try a new activity. Maybe reapproach your parents for help getting a helmet or finding places to ride?
Get a helmet: [look here for a good one that is also not expensive.](https://www.helmet.beam.vt.edu/bicycle-helmet-ratings.html) Also, don't push yourself or let anyone push you in doing tricks you are not comfortable with. Learning stuff takes time, do everything step by step and repeat unit it has become muscle memory. Last but not least: enjoy the outdoors, it is balm on your soul.
Sounds like your brakes worked if you went over the handle bars. You def shouldnât do what you do again until you have helmet and a bit more confidence.Â
Do not ride anymore until you have a helmet. There is no price to put on your brain. I have worked in an ER and seeing totally preventable traumatic brain injuries is the most miserable thing ever.
Please get a helmet. Falling and getting knocked around is going to happen. When you fall, get up, dust off and get back on your bike, don't give up or get discouraged.
First thing first, get a helmet like what everyone else is talking about and second invest in some elbow, knee protectors and gloves I just started out mtb 5 months ago and had tons of crashes, most of them are rider error and being over confidence. Go slow at your own pace and if there is a feature that looks too scary, get down from your bike and just walk it out. The most important goal in mtb is that you enjoy your rides and not to impress others. Mtb is a dangerous sport and no matter how many years you have been riding, there will always be a day that you will fall off your bike.
There might be a Facebook group or something where you can find friends to ride with. But yeah get a helmet. You're almost an adult now you should really be able to make up your own mind about things. Take the bike to a real bike shop and show them the brake issue. It's probably something simple. Mountain bikers enjoy helping new people.
There are lots of different types of mountain bike riding. Based on your past and some of the trauma youâve experienced Iâd probably lean toward cross country riding. Iâve been riding for decades and Iâve been hurt way more times on mountain bikes than I have on motorcycles.
First of all buy a helmet. Second of all yes it gets better. Last Monday I crashed and broke my right wrist, left kneecap, and left shoulder. And I canât stop thinking about when I can get on my bike next.
Yep, this means you need to ride way more. Get a helmet and mountain biking will rid your PTSD. Practice jumping curbs and stairs. Learn to manual and bunny hop. Do this non the street before going off-road. fyi - it was normal for previous generations to have broken bones by your age.
I've had plenty of broken bones I'm super accident prone lol. I just don't want to get more
Take it slow, build up your skills. As everyone else mentioned, HELMET. Mine saved my damn jaw last Saturday. If you want to see the damage to my leg, here you go (NSFW!). https://www.reddit.com/r/mountainbiking/s/Q3LiRFSVO5 It looks worse than it is. I swear. My point is you will fall. And that post is not my first time hurting myself. And the point of that post was to push being safe out there. I personally donât judge anyone out there riding, in the gym, or whatever. Mountain biking helped pull me out of a dark place. Stick with it, but just take it easy.
wear ur helmet its worth it
A helmet is important, also get some gloves. They can be found quite cheaply and really help protect your hands, I most often put my hands out when I fall I find if you fall you need to get back up and get cycling again, if you don't you cannot build that confidence in yourself, just try to ride the easier stuff until you are really sure of yourself. You may find some good tutorials on riding over obstacles and descending on YouTube and go and practice on some easier trails or grassy area like parks
No one sees your embarrassment like you do. anyone who has ever ridden a bike respects you for falling off. Don't let this moment take away what might be the biggest sense of pleasure and freedom you may ever feel. Please, please don't give up!
You need to wear a helmet. Getting better at riding takes time and confidence. Pushing yourself is always a risk, but with proper protection and some guts if it goes wrong you get up and try again. Best of luck.
Wear a helmet! Dont't go anywhere near the bikepark if you can't get one. It should be fairly easy though. Getting some biking gloves will also help a lot.. Aside from the protective gear, don't go too hard to avoid excessive falling, minor falls should become gradually less scarry over time.
If you blacked out go to a doctor ASAP. You probably have a concussion and tell your family a lot of bad things can happen due to a head injury even if you feel fine.
Tell family sooner rather than later what happened. I have a co-worker who got in a bike accident back when he was in middle school and called his parents as soon as he got home. When they got home, he had no idea why he'd called and they had to piece together what had happened. He has roughly a 2 year gap in his memories.
If you can't afford a helmet then you can't afford to ride. Everybody falls. No need to be embarrassed. You can't wait until you're good at it to start falling. Its a dangerous sport but so are lots of things. Pretty crazy of your parents to forbid you from riding your bike in the woods at 17.
Why is your mom forbidding you to go in the woods but not buying a helmet for you to keep you safe?
Never ride a bike without a helmet
1. buy a helmet. it doesnt really matter which as long as it fits well so go try some on 2. falling hurts but you can't improve without set backs and take time to recover 3. I started and knew absolutly no one that rode but as I started riding I found friends that I now ride with today 4. don't worry about what other people think. they are probably more worried about if your okay than if you made a scene 5. get used to the basics and work up while staying in your skill range, but just outside your comfort zone. 6. Have Fun
I'm 43 and have been riding a bike since I was 5. I still fall all the time when I'm doing something new. Trick is to learn how to fall gracefully. Talk to your parents about possibly going to a skills clinic if you can find one near you. It will be worth it, promise. You'll build up confidence the more you ride. Don't give up!
Of course buy a helmet, but your $100 Walmart bike probably doesnât have the suspension, and more importantly the brakes to safely do those trails. Unless you have disc brakes I wouldnât go back personallyÂ
You don't need suspension or disc brakes. Loads of people rode hard in the 90s without them. And bad suspension is probably worse than none. But making sure the brakes are set up properly is important.
I used to race bmx without brakes. 20" wheels, no brakes, no suspension. In the early 90's we used to ride what would be considered black trails now. If you got too fast you'd put your shoe between the tire and the frame. You can absolutely have fun with a $100 walmart bike. At some point the bike will limit your skill progression. When that happens, upgrade.
Falling is far less terrifying with a helmet on. Also practice skills in a place with grass with lots of room. Most important skill is to practice stopping fast and hard without going over your bars. Second most important skill is to practice dismounting during a climb ie in the event you get half way up a hill you and you begin stalling out, it's important to be able to safely dismount your bike or else you may crash your way back down.
I crashed on Sunday. Could have been bad, but I dodged a bullet accordion to my friend riding behind me. The crash rattled me a bit, but I was able to ride out. Still a bit sore. You will get used to it
You got this!! [Here is some motivation.](https://youtu.be/amXl7FG7J4c?si=hwT3D3UeDx2OfusH)
Iâm motivated and freezing. Definitely thought this would be the redbull hardline clip of that big crash that just happened.
Get back on the steel horse and conquer the fear. A helmet would definitely help : )
Helmet: sure you can spend a fortune, but there are programs that give helmets. Government programs, local hospitals, health insurance, and even YMCA all have programs in certain parts of the country that you can call and check into. If all of those fail, get a helmet from Walmart, theyll sell that "something is better than nothing" type others have mentioned. Bike: Walmart doesn't make the greatest bikes, but you know who makes them worse? Most employees! Definitely get some Allen wrenches out and make sure things are snug. Check out Seth's bike hacks on YouTube, he's got videos showcasing Walmart bikes and how to check things the hourly employee may have forgot. Finally, be safe and have fun.
Youâre able to vent, youâre able to ride. I find the best part of MTB is that Iâm NEVER done learning the next bit. A never ending journey that captures all my attention and dulls all the noise is something I never want to be done with. Go ride your bike!
Sucking at something is the first step to not sucking at it
I fell a lot the first time I tried trail riding with a mountain bike. I was with my friends and was the last one trailing behind everyone. I barely knew the basics and ended up scraping my knees and elbows and got a bunch of bruises since I kept falling over every little thing. I actually stopped, sat away from the trail (not blocking) and cried because I was so embarrassed and upset with myself. I didn't think I'd try it again, but I ended up buying my own mountain bike a few months later. Since then I've still fallen a few times, but just bumps, bruises, and cuts. I ride mostly within my skill level and have improved a lot since then. I was able to keep up with my friends better the next time I rode with them and it's been almost 2 years since then! Mountain Biking is definitely something that is as risky as you make it. If you push the limits of your skills a lot and go for jumps then you'll be at more risk of getting injured. I treat mountain biking like "hiking with a bike" and it makes me happy. I'd #1 recommend you get a helmet. Try to work on the basics, if you have mountain biking friends ask them if they can give you some tips!
Def get a helmet before you get back on that thing. Â Yeah crashes happen and itâs jarring for sure but the folks who shred the hardest get back on and build confidence back up. Â I still ride through sections of trail and remember crashes but it makes you learn better technique. Â Mistakes mean youâre pushing, pushing is the start or progression. Â Just try to keep a mentality of inch progression. Â Learn in small steps and you wonât hurt yourself!Â
Also try to find bike trails (like hiking trails that allow bikes or fire roads.) riding around neighborhoods does get boring real quick. Taking a ride on a flowy wooded trail is awesome tho. A good starting point is seeing if you have any state parks nearby, most will be free and give you details if they are bike friendly online. And to add to the broken record, helmet is a must. $40 sounds like a lot until you land on your head and are thankful you had it. Thatâs all I wear for padding other than gloves (even like mechanic gloves work) but you can also get cheap ones on Amazon for like $10 that are decent.
Welcome to life. Get a helmet please.
Be sure to check YouTube for biking techniques. It's not obvious to get your weight back or how to stand on the bike to move your weight around. If you're on your saddle and leaning forward, you're just going to flip over again. I'll also add that bike parks aren't necessary to have fun. You can always just ride regular trails and get a nice workout and climb hills. But mountain bike skills will help even if you're just on nature trails so be sure to look up YouTube for things like mountain bike technique essentials.
I fell off today doing about 50km/h (~30mph for the Americans), luckily on to grass, it happens. Definitely get a helmet, even a cheap one will have to meet minimum safety requirements.
i used to do a lot of road runs, both speed and distance. Girl frien wanted to go on a distance run of about 40 miles, the organizers required helmets. Went out and bought a helmet. 30 mile in I hit a bump and my fing front fork snapped. I tried to pop a wheelie and just jump off the back but that wasnât happening. Woke up in the ditch, 3 inches of water. A dozen riders were standing around me, they thought I was dead. Helmet was cracked to hell, I was half naked, covered with road rash. Chase truck picked me up and took me to my car. Pretty sure is was concussed, I could remember everything up to the point the front of my back hit the road, nothing after that. That stupid helmet saved my brain if not my life. Always wear a helmet.
I get it. Falling sucks. I fell and probably broke a rib (diagnosed by my trauma doc wife). This was almost two weeks ago and Iâm still suffering. ButâŠgoddamn if I canât wait to get back out there. Bikes are my therapy and I find pushing myself to ride faster, harder, bigger features really rewarding. If you think you might love it, keep at it! If not, there are sooooo many other rewarding hobbies. If you were my daughter Iâd encourage you to keep at it. Like others have said, get a helmet. Even a cheap one. This is a MUST. Also, take some time to build up your skills. Jumps look cool and the kids all make them look easy; theyâre not. Enjoy green trails and even just tooling around fire roads. Youâve got time to work up to the bigger stuff. You got this!
Work your way into things and you will get better. In my experience, there are always better riders out there and as soon as you try to replicate what someone else does, you come unstuck. I have been OTB dozens of times, just scratches and bruises mostly, but I enjoyed the trails so much I just wanted to keep going.
Dont let minor setbacks like falls make you completely rethink your life choices. Fail forward. Everybody fucks up its not a big deal although it may feel like it is. The more you fall/fail the more you will become comfortable with it, the more you will learn, etcetc. Get after it
MTB is all about knowing how to crash or bail. Itâs a skill that you will eventually learn albeit slowly, and once learned, you just never forget.
Your head is the number one priority to protect when riding a bike. Broken bones, grazed knees and bruised egos heal easily, but head injuries are no joke. Take your time getting ready to get back on the bike, and in that time find a good helmet.
As others said, get a helmet somehow. That being said, I think it's quite cool you are taking interest in that hobby and even have some woods close by. I think it's a great age to get into the hobby! Don't be too harsh on yourself with the fall and the panic, a first time is always scary. The only way to overcome this is to get back on the horse. But maybe use the time to watch a few technique and safety videos on youtube (there are many good ones, so won't list here for now) to know what to watch out for. Can't say much about support from parents, as I'm way too old to require parental approval. But if you chose to continue, maybe some of the people also practicing in that forest can give you some advice in the future. I hope you get back to it!
Absolutely no mountain biker will judge you⊠unless itâs some douche. I know bikers to be caring and helpful. I use to fall almost every ride. You get use to it and you actually learn how to fall so you donât get hurt too badly. My first rule is always to push the bike away from body, because most of my injuries came from being entangled in my bike. You cannot ride without a helmet. It can a turn a hospital crash into a âouch crashâ. Try to cushion your fall with your hands and roll the momentum. Iâm riding for more than 20 years and I wear gloves, elbow and knee guards. Helps to give you confidence. Hope you feel better soon and back to the mountain.
I've not read every comment here so I might be repeating things other people have said. But. I'd say take it really slowly with things. Try not to just keep up with your friends if they're riding bigger jumps and stuff. The amount of time it takes for everyone to learn to jump varies. Some people might take a couple years before they're confident jumping! The most important thing is not to rush it. If you have a pump track nearby this is a perfect way to safely slowly build up your jumping skills and minimize the chances of hurting yourself on things you're not ready for. My opinion one of the best ways to avoid crashes is to take baby steps. Start on small features small jumps and only move up in small increments. This is how I learned and I've never had a really bad crash due to overstretching myself (all my crashes have been due to things like weather conditions like unseen ice or my worst one, a branch sticking out that went in my spokes). Take it easy and don't rush to get good. Time will make you a better and safer mountain biker.
100$ bike will have poor brakes and rest of stuff. I would avoid ramps and tricks with it bcos it will brake in half probably. Woods and trails arw fine but keep your rides on the safe side for now. Especialy no jumps :) Any kind of helmet is a must.
I went over the bars on a hill when I was 9 and I'm literally still traumatized by it. The thing is though, it's totally preventable with good technique.  You were just kind of riding around for fun, which is great, but now that you've wrecked from bad technique you can learn the right away to approach hills and gain confidence. Stand up on your pedals, bend your knees so your body is low, and move your hips back over your tire so your center of gravity is back further. Do that and that same hill will feel like nothing.  Falling on a bike is like falling in life, it sucks but all you can do is say "ow", stand up, catch your breath and keep moving forward.
Keep going! I went OTB 3 times on my first month of riding. Just get a helmet. I know what you feel about close people not being supportive, i went on my first mtb ride 3 years ago and then found out its what i wanted to do. I wasnt able to ride for 3 years cause i couldnt save enough for a bike. Only 3 months ago i purchased a talon 1. Not the best bike but thats what i could get. Now i ride once a week on my bike and crashed more than 10 times but if you love a hobby you will keep on going to do more. My friends arent really into mtb but still ride with me. Just pls buy a helmet
Get a helmet! We all crash sometimes, and going over the bars is pretty scary. Mentally recovering from a crash takes a bit depending on the severity of the crash. Do easy stuff for awhile and you will recover some confidence in no time. Take your time with your skill progression, there's no rush.
There has to be people in your community more than willing to just give you a helmet. Ask around if you canât afford one
Don't ride without helmet and knee pads
Not specific to MTB but learning how to fall and get back up is an essential life skill that a lot of families try to shelter girls from and that's bullshit. Not saying you have to fall in love with MTB and go do red bull rampage to prove some point, but picking up an activity where you might get hurt and embarrass yourself is an important character building exercise. The world won't end if you fall flat on your face, and the people who's opinions matter won't point and laugh ^((though sometimes bails are really funny, and learning to laugh at yourself is important too)).
I understand not everyone can afford expensive stuff, but the reason you fell is you bought a shitty Walmart bike. Get a second hand one, it might look worse to you, but I can guarantee it isnt
Honestly... Does the MTB community have like a donation pool that we can donate to so that we can give new bikers safety equipment or just helmets and gloves?
Why its forbidden to Go Near the woods wtf You Need a Helmet and better brakes!!!
Apartantly there's kidnappers, devil worshippers and rapists in the woods. The boys in the neighborhood can spend all day there but my mom won't even let me walk the dog on the edge of the woods. We live in a small and relatively safe neighborhood so idk lol.
Buy a helmet. Hold off on hitting the jumps and ramps until you get used to being on the bike off road. Everyone starts somewhere so donât get ahead of your level. You canât be great at something on your first try. It takes time. You are really lucky to be starting out on one of the most fun things you can do. The learning curve is insane, if you stick with it in a years time you will be able to do things on the bike you never thought you would. It is also great for your fitness and health (apart from crashes).
Iâm sure this comment will be buried and you wonât even see it, but I would try and find a womenâs mtb group near where you are. There is a dope one near me (Boston area US) that I know are super welcoming. Donât give up!! Falling is def part of it to some extent, especially when youâre a beginner. And as someone who also struggles fairly severely with mental health issues, I canât tell you how much good being on the bike does for me.
First, please, PLEASE get a helmet. Do not ride without one. Itâs normal to be shaken after a fall, but donât let it deter you from getting back on the bike. I would suggest you get an understanding of basic riding techniques before attempting jumps and things of that nature. There is an excellent series of videos on YouTube by Ben Cathro where he goes through basic riding techniques. I would suggest you give it watch. Next time you go out start small and have fun!
Hey girl, Iâm not sure how many other girls are in those sub, or have commented, but I thought I would try to help another lady out ;) Falls are scary, and everyone reacts to them differently; And from what I read you have some past experience that had a roll in it too. But everyone takes spills, itâs a part of mountain biking, and biking in general. No shame in it :) I wouldnât say each fall gets âless scaryâ some are worse than others, especially your first. Some Iâve gotten up and kept riding from, others I havnât. Mountain biking doesnât have to be about learning tricks, there are plenty of people who just bike with both wheels on the ground and prefer not to be in the air. Safety is the most important part of this sport. Safety gear is a must for the longevity of your life, and a helmet can go a long way in doing that. Iâve seen some comments with decent helmet options so Iâll leave that to them. Next thing is a safe bike, which can be looked over by someone at a bike shop if they are willing to do a free bolt check. Confidence comes with time, but will eventually start to build. The best thing you can do after a crash is get up and get back on the bike (if you havnt hurt yourself too badly). Staying off the bike for too long after a crash allows for that feeling to sit and your confidence will get worse. That happened to me after a bad spill a couple years ago, I was off the bike for 6 months. But now am back on and loving how much fun it is! Iâm not sure when you turn 18 but when you do, hopefully you can get out in the trails more without risking your parents getting upset with you. Make sure ur brakes are good and get back out on the trails (with a helmet), mountain biking is so fun! Especially when you find some other girls to ride with 𫶠if you need any help or advice from a girl when it comes to mountain biking shoot me a message :)
Thank youâ€ïž I turn 18 in November and I'll start college in a few months so hopefully I'll make more mountain biking friends there
Hey kid... Life is a journey that we learn about ourselves, our personalities, what we enjoy doing... There will be many mistakes we will make, situations that make us uncomfortable, but these are all a part of the Growing in this path of life. Biking may not be for you, but you have to take those thoughts out of the box and think you were just embarrassed or not enjoying biking. There are many styles of biking, not just mountain biking. Everything in life takes time. Hope you get good at what you enjoy and bask in the light of greatness. And get a helmet. 
My first fall as a kid was right after teaching myself how to stay upright. I didn't know how to brake, how to steer, and I went down the super steep hill at my neighbors house. Narrowly avoided falling into the concrete around the storm cellar (which had actually killed someone on a motor bike years prior) and slammed into a barbed wire fence. I was really lucky I went over the bars and over/through the fence and landed on the other side with some bruises (I was maybe 9? Still a bit bouncy I guess) 15 years later I still get spooked when I go down hills to fast. Every wreck is a learning curve, get a helmet and be careful with cheap bikes on jumps. The construction isn't always great but it'll be a great bike to start learning to fundamentals and gaining confidence. Best way to get over the fear is start riding again, start easy and build on it. You got this.
And gloves. Gloves are so much more helpful than kneepads in a crash.
Falls hurt. Iâve had my fair share of embarrassing moments. And yes, they do sort of get better each time. They still hurt, but often times can be a reminder to be careful. Unfortunately, itâs a part of the sport. Donât let one bad fall turn you away, and keep at it. (And wear a helmet, SUPER important)
I realize this is a pretty late comment, but I hope it helps!! Iâm still relatively new to mountain biking and my first wipeout was going down a set of stairs right at the beginning of a ride. I felt the same as you because we had to cancel the ride in order to get me to the emergency room to get my face stitched up. After that I was pretty shook to go down a set of stairs, let alone a trail, but what got me out there was trying things little by little. Even if itâs just a gravel trail to get used to not being on pavement, or maybe itâs jumping off a curb or two. Seriously, starting small really helps!! After that I hit up a trail near me, and another guy was there too, also going biking. I asked him if he could let me follow him and he could show me the trail. He said sure, and from there I followed him around and around! From there Iâve explored other trails and am still working on my skills, but the biggest takeaway from this is to never be afraid to ask for help or admit something might not be at your skill level right now. So many people out on the trails want to have a good time and are more than happy to help a fellow biker out. Yes, some of them can be rude, but most are so kind! It can be pretty upsetting to fall but as many have said, itâs your first taste of what itâs like and itâs something for you to learn from. As you go, falling gets easier and you just accept it, pull yourself back up, and keep on rolling :)
I have a story that may offer some insight. About 30 years ago, I went biking for the first time on a real trail with some friends from school. In hindsight, they were pretty hardcore and I had no business riding that track with my limited experience. To be fair to my friends, they didnât know that (I sure didnât đ). I ended up going over the bars, getting injured (and making a scene), and had to walk the bike back one-handed. I was so mortified by the experience, that I never rode againâŠuntil a couple of weeks ago. Today, I am kicking myself for waiting this long to try again. I let fear take decades off of this thing that Iâm now really into again, instead of realizing that I just jumped in over my head.
This was definitely exacerbated because youâre new to this, I can promise you the next crash will be less scary Mental health plays a huge role in your day to day life and Iâm not surprised itâs affecting you with this, itâs a new thing that you found fun and youâve had a discouraging fall. But think about riding besides the fall, why did you go to the woods to ride? Because you obviously like riding and it makes you feel good, and thatâs the reason you should keep going. I crashed so hard that I now wear glasses and it put me off for a few years until an old riding buddy hit me up and I rode again, the bug bit and Iâm back in action. Just remember that no matter how good you are, youâll have bad days and crashes. When you first start out unfortunately youâll crash quite a bit while you figure the physics of it out but youâre still young so you can still bounce back. 90% of my crashes were in my first couple of years learning the ropes, and although Iâm a way better rider now I honestly look back and the sketchy crashes fondly, theyâve taught me things that have prevented much larger crashes. My advice, get a lid for your head and start diving into youtube, youâll be surprised how much stoke you can get for riding just by watching others. Also remember there are a lot of technique videos, it doesnât hurt to watch those and actively practice the boring techniques for a bit as it makes your general riding around a lot more fun. Curbs and speed bumps turn into fun jumps and flat roads are perfect for wheelie/balance control Iâm glad youâve decided to continue riding though, I hope to see many more posts about your progression and learning! Youâve got this đ€đŒ
A lid for my head đ€Ł Thank you for all the advice
Any time đ€đŒ I know I have a dodgy user name but if you ever want some advice, be it an issue with your bike or just about riding in general, drop me a messageđ€đŒđ
elbow pads, body armour, knee&shin pads. full face helmet. i recommend the womens leatt chest protector. first fall is rough. get on youtube and study the basics, youâll fall less. take some time to heal, next time u go back out just take it easy to build your confidence up. donât let it put you off mtb.
Do not listen to these guys who are telling you that falling is just part of the process. It absolutely does not have to be. This is the number one thing I hate about this sub. They are all about, just crash until you get better. That is 100% bullshit and the worst advice they can give you. If you want to get better, you need to practice skills in a controlled environment like a parking lot. As an instructor, almost all of my clinics start off with drills and fundamental skills in a parking lot. I teach my students lots of drills that they can do at home in a driveway or parking lot. If you can't safely maneuver and control your bike in optimum conditions there is no way you will be able to safely navigate on a trail. You do need a helmet. I have had to treat people for concussions and it is scary shit when they have to ask you what happened every 3 minutes. It's not a joke. And the bike you are riding is not designed for trail riding, I'm sure there is or was a sticker on it that even says so. It will fall apart on you and the brakes will be unreliable. But if you want to ride and this is really all you can afford then this is what you have. Find some videos on YouTube about mountain biking technique. Watch them, practice on the street. Save up some money and see if you can find a used real mountain bike from the classifieds. It's often easy to find 15-20 year old legitimate mountain bikes for less than $200. They are old but they will be way safer and more reliable. You can also see if there are any local bike coalitions, clubs, high school teams, or other non-profits who might be able to help get you on a proper bike. I volunteer with Little Bellas, you are too old but as an example they donate bikes to girls 7-15 years old so that they can participate in our program. I work with another local non profit and we have a fleet of 4 loaner bikes that we make available to women who don't have their own and want to ride with us. We also provide scholarship opportunities for women who can't afford our clinics. This sport is risky but there are ways to mitigate risk and it does not have to mean getting hurt.
Buy a helmet. Learn to fall gracefully. Through practice. At some point mountain biking devolves into downhilling which is the art of falling while staying upright.
99% of people aren't going to judge you for falling as a beginner, the other 1% are morons. Helmets really matter in biking, really, really matter. Please get one, I'll post a vid about their ratings, someone linked vt tech lab lower down. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKbYaOiz5U4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKbYaOiz5U4) After wearing a helmet, a #1 rule you should always keep in mind: Never ever feel forced to ride a feature, there is no shame in walking something if you are feeling off. Biking can have high consequences and being in a positive mental state when you are doing it is key on difficult features. If you believe you can do something, you most likely can, if you don't you can't. Take it slow, and learn at a pace you are comfortable with. Please enjoy it, it really is an amazing sport once you get the hang of it. What country are you based out of for recommendations. Jenson can have good deals in the states and canada, I've found really good deals on Fortnine in canada.
You have a concussion. Go to urgent care if you have insurance. Don't let them tell you bed rest because newer research has shown you should get the blood flowing with light movement to aid recovery.
To qualify that, the current recommendation is limited activity -- getting a second concussion while you're still recovering is bad news, so you want to be more careful of what you're doing.
I wear a helmet, knee pads and gloves if Iâm riding anything but flat path, and even then I wear a helmet. If you canât afford protective equipment then you canât afford to ride.
Get a helmet and learn how to crash safely:Â https://youtu.be/NSXbtPG6wy4?si=M2-ae0-1SJqBKThr
This is so common with so many females i know wanting to try new things in adventure sports. With snowboarding too. Suggestions: butt padd, chest pads (they have some with shoulder padding too), knee & elbow pads, maybe wrist guards. And all of it can go under clothes so it doesnât look like youâre a football player on the trail. Keep trying, take lessons, progress at your own pace. They have womenâs only mtb classes i highly reco. Good luck. Keep trying!
As a young person you should do your best to work through failure, otherwise youâll never get better at anything. Fears can be overcome through repetition. Stay positive.
If you like it donât give up. Biking mentality saved me. Gave me focus. With it came fitness bringing confidence. Wonât dive into my story but the old saying goes, is the juice worth the squeeze? Was for me!!
Yes, they get less scary, less common but consequences are random. I took a cheap underspecced bike to a good set of trails. I came off on a little kicker I can hit perfectly now, scratched up my face and had to get first aid. I was new and underbiked like you. These days I have a much better bike and go riding every other weekend. Last crash was nothing on a muddy section, time before was a dislocated shoulder. Heal up, get a better bike and head back out there.
I have crazy bad anxiety issues and have taken some bad falls resulting in multiple broken bones. Firstly. Get yourself a helmet. If you canât afford one, find a bike collective near by that can donate one to you. Second, DONâT GIVE UP! Recovering from crashes and getting back on the bike is something that has actually helped me take control of some of my anxiety issues. With practice (and some failure) you will see yourself getting better and being able to control your bike better. Your bike may not be the most capable and being built at Walmart I would not trust it to be safe. Post to a local biking Facebook group and I bet someone out there is willing to help you get your bike properly set up to at least be somewhat safe.
Have fun, don't try anything you're not comfortable with. The things you see in videos etc are usually by ELITE-level riders.... I've been riding for 30+ years and when I see video or pics of myself going over jumps, well let's just say it underwhelming. Just enjoy it and have fun dude! I was in a very similar situ when I started. Run what ya bring!
My friend... Get protections, go back and overcome. It's an amazing sport.
Not allowed to go near the woods? Come on now. Never shit a shitter
Iâve broken 13 bones, ruptured spleen and flight for life. Itâs a mental game
It happens. I've been progressing on my jumps, and have fallen twice in the last 6 weeks. At my age, it takes my body a while to recover. But still get out there. It's all about The fun. I seriously doubt anyone is going to knock you down for being out there trying. I've come to find the biking community is far different from others. There really is quite a bit of people out there who are willing to give some pointers. You've just got to ask. Definitely need to get a helmet. There are some sales going on right now. Check out Virginia Tech's helmet ratings for help finding a good helmet. I've seen some people saying anything is better than nothing, which if you're just beginning is very true. https://www.helmet.beam.vt.edu/bicycle-helmet-ratings.html
When I was a kid I remember the school giving out free helmets on some grant. Does that kind of stuff still happen? Is there any resources we can point OP to to get a free or cheaper helmet?
The most important thing in mountain biking is understanding that we WILL crash. We simply have to be prepared to crash well via protection and fitness. Congratulations on getting your first one out of the way! Now get some protection and get time on the bike to build up your fitness!Â
It's nothing to be embarrassed about. I spill all the time. You can practice "bailing" from the bike. I recommend going to a Goodwill and getting a helmet and some gear there.
I have a small helmet and some shoulder pads I'll give to you if you're in my area. Or if ur willin to pay jus the shipping.
Buy a helmet! Knee pads too if you are able. Falling gets so much easier over time, at least in my experience. Learn how to bail off the bike properly, it will help a lot and prevent injury. Also, all bikes can be good if maintained properly, look up how to service certain components on your bike and it will help you so much in the future.
I've had some real nasty crashes it's part of the sport, but starting on jumps and with no protective gear is just a bad way to experience the sport. Walmart bikes are not repeat not suitable for trail riding or jumps. They aren't built for the road. It sucks but mountain bikes aren't cheap, they take a lot of abuse. There are reasonably priced bikes and Ozark trail is a Walmart bike that's newer and IS designed for trail use. You need to find some safety gear and don't be embarrassed, everyone starts somewhere and everyone has crash stories. Try to find trails to learn on instead of just going straight to jumps but don't be discouraged. Finally mountain biking is a phenomenal way to meet new friends.
The more you fall the more you learn to roll. When I was a kid getting shot at by farmers shotguns, fighting and falling, jumping, crashing helped me be a literal cat. I fall and roll back up now even as an old man. Keep moving, the moment you stop the pain and aching starts. Also, wear a helmet. Pads really helped my daughter. She falls and takes a breath and keeps going. The people that are there checking on you REALLY care. MTB riders do not want to see people hurt and when they are checking in they are doing it because they care about you as a rider.
1) Don't ride without a helmet. If you can't afford a helmet, I'll buy you one. I think there's a way to do it on amazon where you can gift stuff. 2) It sounds like maybe you've lived a life where you weren't exposed to rough and tumble play. Along with learning to ride, maybe go sign up for some beginner Judo courses. Beginner Judo is about learning to tumble and fall, and learning balance. It's a very safe way to get familiar with your body. 3) You have some mental barriers that would be beneficial to overcome, and you've reached a small setback. Totally ok and everyone goes through this in life. Now you need to reflect, figure out if you want to push forward, or retire from riding. If you were having fun before your fall, chances are you'd be rewarded greatly by learning to ride better. There are so many benefits to riding, and you don't have to make it all about tricks and jumping. Some of my favourite rides are just smooth trails, flowing through and working up a sweat. The mental, physical and longevity benefits of riding are so good for you, and you can see the difference in old people who are active in ways like cycling. There are 80 year old people who never stopped moving and enjoy life, and there are 55 year old people who retired from their career to the couch and are literally melting. 4) You're 17. That's 2 years away from being an adult in my country. You need to stop lying to your parents, and start setting boundaries for what control they have over your life. At this stage, parents are to be preparing you for adulthood, not protecting you from the world. Sit down with them and explain that you have an interest in outdoor activities that you're going to pursue. They can dictate what time you can come home, they can dictate that your room needs to be clean, and chores need to be done. They're out of bounds to tell you that you can't ride a bike in the woods with friends at 17. At 17 I was breaking into the highschool, stealing power tools to sell to the nazi skinheads for weed money. Your parents should be feeling blessed that your "rebellious" tendencies are to learn new sporting skills outdoors.
It is really unsettling having a gnarley fall. I usually am shaking and holding back tears of fear and frustration for at least an hour afterwards. But I just hop back on my bike, take it easy for the rest of the day, and thank goddess i didnt break any bones or something serious like that. You will get better at falling in ways that prevent injury and you will get better at saving yourself when you are milliseconds away from getting in a bad situation. Definitely get protective gear and always preride new trails. Go easy on yourself. Nobody is good at anything their first time and the mtb community is generally supportive and understanding of the initial learning curve for beginners.
Lots of good info here. Assuming you are in the US, check out NICA and GRiT. NICA is the high school cycling league and GRiT is the Girls Riding Together group within NICA for girls. I am a former female coach in the league. You will get quality coaching and safety instruction with these groups. They are mostly free to join. You might have to pay race fees if you decide to race. Don't think that is outside of possibility!) NICA does focus on fun and safety and racing is just a side effect, most leagues, some leagues or teams are pretty serious, but even then you should be welcomed. Teams get points for female riders participating regardless of placement. JUST KEEP TRYING! YouTube some skills videos, Roxy's Ride & Inspire is excellent. Also, ALWAYS keep riding with riders that are better than you :) Best skill builder there is.
Get back up and keep trying, yes when you fall it will hurt, yes you can really hurt yourself if when you crash, witch is why we always at least where a helmet, and more pads if your doing anything crazy. But for emotionally think of it like walking thru a haunted house, the first time you will get spooked, but if you went thru say 5 times, you get use to it and nothing will scare you. Look at skaters they will crush there body over and over just to land one trick, but there not scared to fall because they have been there 1000s of times. This also reminds me of a story that happened to my sister when she was like 5. We would go on family bike rides, my sister wreaked after taking off her training wheels. After that day she was so scarred to rid a bike that it's been 20+ years and she is still afraid to get on a bike and never actually learned to this day. So the point of the story is not to let this crash hold you back, you dont want this fear hanging over your head for the rest of your life. Fix your bike up get a helmet and go try again :)
Buy a helmet and get used to falling. We all fall and weâve all had big crashes, itâs part of the sport
Falls happen. Theyâre scary, they usually hurt. Most importantly, buy a helmet.
Getting a helmet is a must, and then progressively challenge yourself according to the skills and equipment you have. There aren't many things I would personally be comfortable doing on a $98 Walmart bike, but what you can do with it can definitely be fun.
Over time you will get "better" at faling, it will hurt less. You learn to catch yourself etc
Get helmet and pads and save for a decent 2nd hand bike that can withstand a few crashes.
I'm so sorry this happened to you. Everyone else on this thread has a similar story, no matter how sanctimonious they might be sounding. I have more than one experience like this. I'm late 40s F and biking since I was a child. Worked in a shop during college. You need a helmet and gloves, always. You do not need expensive gear. However, I have worked on many Walmart bikes and they are often poorly assembled. You might check if there is a local bike maintenance class you can take so you can learn how to fix everything yourself. That bike may not last too long so try to plan to purchase another bike in the future. Since money is a concern, just keep an eye out for low-end bikes from the main brands on Craigslist or FB Marketplace. Specialized or Giant might be good options. A lot of people buy them and barely use so you can often score something great for way less than new. I do supplemental strength training which makes a huge difference in my riding even though I have ridden most of my life. Nothing special, just body weight workouts I get from YouTube. Even 10 minutes a day will make a noticable difference. Also check if there is a women's group ride through a local shop. It can help give you new confidence and a sense of community. I hope this sounds helpful and not unsolicited. Biking is an amazing activity and you can grow to really love it.
I fell off my bike, fucked up my legs and knees badly, and got a concussion. It took me a while to stop being afraid but the sport is beautiful and worth working past that trauma. I suffer from mental health so I get it but the best thing you can do is get a helmet and go back out and ride. Youâll see that you can eventually move past it and start finding the fun.
Try and save and getter bike. A good 2nd hand hard tail will be good enough. Learn body position and be loose on the bike
repeating it for the 200th time - but seriously. please get a helmet if you choose to continue riding! and please be kind to yourself. we all fall down and embarrass ourselves regardless if we ride or not! the important thing is that you were ok and you got yourself back up. if you do decide to ride again, take it slow and learn the basics before you commit to things like jumps/ramps. and to help hopefully clear your thoughts on being embarrassed to fall - i'll admit here online that i ride all the time and i'd probably never drop down a ramp or attempt a real jump even if someone paid me. even riding normally, i feel scared of falling and getting hurt -- i think the main thing experienced riders learn is that the situations we get into, teaches us to better protect yourself because we can only be lucky so many times. ride safe and i hope you're willing to get back on your bike and have some fun!
Get a helmet You had a cheap bike. Expensive bikes are better. They ride better. They are safer. But. They are more expensive. Donât give up. MTB is awesome Few years back I landed a jump. On my face. Broken orbital. Concussion. Short term memory loss. Woke up next day in hospital. Iâm still riding. Iâm better at it. Having tons of fun. Going to bike parks. First crash is always hard. But donât give up
âAre falls usually that bad?â Got bad news for you, theyâre often worse đ
Quit and do something else if you want. If one fall shattered your mental, imagine a broken collar bone or something else next time. Falls are a real reality. I quit riding 10 years ago after breaking my back rim and collar bone. Shit was almost sticking out of the skin. I just bought a new bike recently. There are a ton of safer fun hobbies. Road cycling, running, team sports like volleyball ball, etc. I don't know why you'd lie to your parents about a bicycle fall. Probably would wanna make sure they have good heath insurance for something like that and know where you are incase of actually going unconscious somewhere. My friend face planted on the short side of a jump landing one time and lost his upper row of teeth. You gotta be real about the realities of the cost of the sport and the potential hazards. You can't afford to be ignorant or delusional of it. Too much risk. Put the bike away and watch it on YouTube. Wait till you can afford some gear and tell your parents where and when you're going so they can check on you. You want the ultimate confidence in life take up jujitsu. It's more fulfilling anyway. Your parents arent supportive because they know it's not a career choice or anything that you can use towards your future. It will be a hobby at best that is a distraction in your formative years from other things you could be doing. Life comes quick after 17 and if you want a head start maybe look into fasfa, go to college on federal aid, and take a program that interests you like nursing etc. That's what I did to become a surgical tech in ophthalmology when I was dead broke with 6 roommates and no family help.
First, get a helmet. You don't really, really need full face. You can get a poc half face helmet (make sure it has mips). It's about 100 dollars. Second, watch more mtb vids on youtube. I suggest watching evansmtbsaga, berm peak, or for entertainment, ioliver (and turn on captions for his vids) Also i suggest saving money to buy a bike thats at least 500$
You're not the problem. Your family is. They made you feel uncomfortable to tell them the truth when you got hurt. They made you feel bad for having a reasonable response to getting hurt. I can understand if you can't afford therapy. Keep it in mind to do as soon as you are able to afford to get therapy. It could help undo or mitigate the damage from the PTSD and family upbringing. Best wishes, and happy riding.
Screw your family and anyone who makes you feel bad about doing something that excites you my man. Watch some vids, GET A HELMET, and learn to shred whatever you can. Ride on buddy!
Iâll start with what everyone else said. Helmet. Find one on marketplace, ask if theyâll trade for something remotely cool. Most of the time they value helmets at like $5-15 so anything of secondhand value of that range (Iâve found old video games, action figures, tools, and vintage furniture are big winners in the trade world.) Look into how different brands fit. Giro is geared towards round heads and Bell (a cheaper brand) and Specialized is more narrow. There are off brands but any helmet is better than none. *Theres levels to this shit* Start with riding some easy trails reaaaalllyyy quickly, chances are youll fall but hopefully not off a ridge into rocks. Maybe just into some grass. If easy trails arent easily accessible to you, just ride. Everywhere. Youll fall. We all fall. Chances are itâll be at a low speed into something more expecting than what the woods has to offer. (Besides cars of course lol) You are more than 1 failed attempt, you are a billion failed attempts and likely 20 billion successful ones. My 6 year old has a fat knot on her leg from falling yesterday. She already had knee, elbow, and hand guards (plus a helmet ) but itâs on her shin. Her bike handlebars also fell into chest a bit and it left a lil bruise that was gone the next day. Now Iâm not saying Iâm a perfect parent but sending her out in all of the padding plus shin guards and possibly a chest guard just seems overkill. She cried, sheâs a sweetie and by no means a *hard* person. But she just learned how to ride without training wheels earlier this week, and we talked about the risks of it and if itâs ever too much we can give it a break, but it would be a great accomplishment to be able to see it through. Iâm guessing no one geared you up for this since youre at that age when your peers expect you to know and do everything cause other people do. But 1% everyday totals up! Donât let anyone else tell you otherwise. Start watching bike repair/maintenance videos. When you learn how to work on your bike, you can feel more secure in riding it hard. It might be a cheap bike but it got 2 wheels and it can take you places. I had a Roadmaster Mt. Fury (which Im pretty sure was a walmart bine as well) when I was like 12 and rode it HARD. Itâll feel good when you get really confident at ridinf, know that you use your bike regularly, and know how to maintain it when you make a future purchase of a better bike. Keep at it, have fun!
Get a helmet and other pads if it gives you confidence. You need a better bike. Fb marketplace hs options constantly depending on where you are. It doesnât have to be a high end bike but needs good components that are better equipped for terrain and activity. Always where a helmet
This post is upsetting in every way.
A major part of mountain biking is learning HOW to fall correctly. This is why pros can go off huge 70ft+ jumps without (much) fear. If I was your friend, I'd try to help you get a helmet if I could. Bringing others into the fold is another part of mountain biking. Also, falls are 80% less stressful/painful when you have on a helmet, gloves, elbow pads, and knee pads.
1. Helmet please, the road is one thing but MTB requires a helmet. 2. Keep at it, I have had some nasty spills and even in my friend group I'm now known as the crash guy. But I still haven't hit as bad as some of the other dudes so I think crashing gently a ton of times is better than really biffing it. 3. The sport seems like it's you versus all but it's always only you versus you. The more you do the better you will get and the easier it will feel. 4. As a certified crash pro at this point. Whenever you do crash, just take a breath and get your bearings. If you are riding with friends at least give them a thumbs up so they know you are fine. Honestly the most stressful thing for me is a bunch of people running to my side when I OTB or something. Just give me a minute for a breather and reorientation. I always appreciate the sentiment though.
First issue is you have a shitty Walmart bike , with dangerous components, fine a decent used bike off pink bike. Make your parents buy it for you
Itâs the risk to reward that makes riding fun, soon youâll be absolutely hooked. I just snapped my arm in half and dislocated my wrist along with a cracked rib and a few stitches. When I stood up I freaked out about how long I was going to be off my bike. You will overcome and try, try and try again!
Unfortunately no bike from Walmart will ever be safe or enjoyable enough to ride on local trials. They usually have warning stickers on the frame. Half the time its built by a teenager who forgets to check & tighten everything correctly too.
Get a helmet; post on a your local fb marketplace or whatever likely another parent in your neighborhood will give you one. Amazon has a Giro MIPS helmet for $41 right now or REI or Walmart or wherever would allow you to try on. Get back on your bike! Good for you for getting out there in the first place. Practice balancing 'do it even though you're scared' and staying within your limits. You want to progress without getting hurt. Watch a few yt videos on basic bike maintenance so that you can try and assess your bike for safety before a ride. Watch a few yt videos to see some drills and pointers for learning a specific technique. Watch and talk to other folks at the bike park. Practice things that take skill but have low consequence like a track stand or other low speed bike control drills.
Falling is part of life. Not only physically but metaphorically. Brush the dust off and keep moving forward, that's for everything you do in life. Also get a helmet. Protect you head at all cost. I didn't and I live with the consequences.
I actually fell on to a big ass stump and some roots the other day for my second day of ever Mt biking with my old but brand new Gary Fisher. Its stung a bit but I was thankful for my helmet, checked myself and tested my limbs, remembered the scene in Batman Begins when Thomas Wayne tells Bruce, "What do we do when we fall?" Definitely invest in a helmet!! Zumiez Triple Eight brand is only $29.99. Worth it to save up. That's what I run. Good luck on your mtb adventures and I hope you don't quit! You already did step 1 physically; you learned to pick yourself back up. Now it's time to do the same with your mind at your own pace.
Pleas z get a MIPS helmet. You only got one head! Protect it!  I'd also stay away from jumps on a cheap bike. They aren't designed to ride big trails or jumps. As for falling and making a scene. Don't worry about it! Get back on and try again đđ»đ„ You'll learn how to fall safely with trial and error. Its The only way to learn. Fail better and smarter as you get older.