MOUNTAIN BIKING

A Family Sport

As soon as your child is riding confidently without stabilisers, why not think about taking them on an off-road adventure? 

Scotland is now internationally recognised as one of the best places in the world for mountain biking, and there are more and more places being set up specifically for the junior mountain biker to try out this exhilarating sport.  

The Forestry Commission Scotland’s 7stanes network of seven separate mountain biking venues in southern Scotland are well established for adult riders, but are now working at encouraging families and beginners into the sport. They have revamped their website to make it more family friendly in the hope of attracting more youngsters along for their first experience of mountain biking.  

Colin Williamson, 7stanes project manager, says: "Work is moving fast on the construction of new trails and infrastructure to support the second phase of the 7stanes which will help attractive new people to this growing sport.  

"It is important to keep everyone as up to date as possible on what they can expect if they visit any of the stanes. The website is an ideal way to do this as it contains so much information – not only on the trail, but on local services and facilities.”  

A great place to start is the Skills Loop at the Glentress mountain biking centre, just outside Peebles. At less than a mile long, the Skills Loop is a user-friendly introduction, featuring classic “bite size” singletrack trails, and offering a simple, safe and not-too-long loop on which to build confidence and practise your basic mountain biking riding skills.  

IInstruction panels are placed at appropriate points of the loop, offering tips and advice about how to ride the features, including jumps, bombholes, bermed corners, technical singletrack climbs, rock gardens and step-ups.  

Confused? Don’t worry - the online glossary explains these terms and much more.  

You can find all the information you need at www.7stanes.gov.uk. 

Heading off road 

The key to getting your wee ones into mountain biking is to make it fun, not some grueling slog which is going to put them off for life. Go easy on the climbs and concentrate on letting them enjoy the sections they feel comfortable with.  

Choosing a bike 

You can rent children’s bikes at Glentress, so that’s a good place to try them out before you part with some serious cash for a kid’s model. Let them take part in the decision process when it comes to buying a bike. Size is the key, and make sure you’re getting good solid quality.  

Getting started.  

Get ready for that first ride carefully. Begin riding in a nearby park with rolling grass hills. This also gets the legs toughened up. Use the kind of obstacles you find near your house to practise some off-road skills. Ride off the kerb, practising the off-the-seat position as you roll over it. When ready, try rolling down a spot where there are a few steps. 

Starting to ride off-road. 

Pick easy trails at first that don’t have too many obstacles. Let the child lead out, especially on the uphill part of the ride. When it looks like they’re wobbling, take a break. Monitor the child's energy level, and build a lot of breaks into the ride. Being tired can be dangerous. 

Learning technical riding.  

Let them watch you tackle trickier sections and don’t pressure them to do things they’re not ready for.  

Teach head-up, eyes-where-you're-going steering. In challenging parts of any trail, they should look ahead -– never at what’s under the front tire. 

Stay patient 

Don’t overdo it too early on. If you are supportive and patient with your kids, you could be getting them set for a lifetime’s enjoyment of a fantastic sport.  

Useful Sites: 

www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/INFD-6MQD2A If you’re ready to venture off-road, this Forestry Commission website about mountain biking in Scotland has links to all the country’s mountain bike centres.  

www.imba.org.uk/ The International Mountain Biking Association’s site has lots of cool information on looking after trails and ideas for youth activities.