9 tips to help you ride together without getting confused

UtagawaVTT does not specialize in relationship psychology, let alone completed family therapy.

However, based on our experience, we have some tips so that a mountain bike ride with someone dear to your heart does not turn into a reproduction of the Battle of Dien Bien Phu.

The goal is just to share a few tips for everyone to help you practice your favorite sport in good conditions, and the icing on the cake is to make the most important person in your life enjoy mountain biking so she asks for more.

Obviously, all human relationships are individual, these tips are just the basics: you need to know how to reflect on them so that your mountain bike tour is a success!

1. Preliminary activities

Everything must be ready and prepared. Make sure both mountain bikes are properly adjusted so you don't forget anything. Go through the list of things to take with you and make an overview for everyone.

Be benevolentwhat is obvious to you is not obvious to the non-practitioner.

Make sure you have something to fix ⚙️, something to protect you from the weather, something to drink and eat: for two, of course.

Last bike check: pumping, lubricating, adjusting the brakes, saddle height. It should be perfect, the bike is comfortable, the gears shift well, and the brakes and chain are quiet!

Jump! We go there for maximum 1H30 pleasure. ⚠️ No more!

2. Make compromises

Choose a course that you both enjoy.

Really.

Neither boring for you, nor too difficult for your significant other. Mountain bike trail that you can ride together, close to each other. If possible, add intermediate goals (points of view 🌄 what to see or do) to make the course more motivating (a shot of a waterfall, lake or small chapel is fine).

A walk at the end of which you can say to yourself: it was great that we did this together! (😍 it might be cute, but it works)

3. Top - team victory.

If you are the strongest uphill, swallow your ego. Slow down and wait.

If (crazy) anticipation drives you crazy, change your pace, improve your technique by reading the terrain better, try to climb without changing development (choose speed and don't change it again as if you were in single speed). This should calm your ardor 😊.

On the contrary, if you are a snail 🐌 in lifts, explain your preferences to your partner and be extremely honest, do not be ashamed, do not be afraid to offend or not please:

• Do you want your partner to stay with you to chat? Say it!
• Do you want your partner to walk forward alone without caring for you? Say it!

When it's vague, it means that there is a wolf (as some Martina's grandmother would say), and this is the best catalyst for the argument that will follow.

Donk: be clear and direct, no one can put themselves in your shoes, and you cannot pretend to know your partner's aspirations.

4. Come out, but wait

Maybe on the descent you are more technical and faster than your partner. You like the feeling of speed 🏎️, take the trial stages and want to afford to go downhill.

This is good.

But be careful, if you go down for 15 minutes at full speed and then wait 10 minutes and complain about the wait, you go into “he will fart” mode 💥.

To avoid this, divide the descent into small sections... Release part of the descent, then stop and wait for your partner to catch up.

You can also let your partner go ahead before taking the lead again.

5. No dead ends with regard to energy.

Don't skimp on drink and snack breaks. Hunger or thirst on a bicycle is a torture that you don’t wish on anyone: there is no strength in the legs anymore, and the rest is a hit of the crossbar, and this does not forgive.

Choose stops to recharge and take with you products that you both will love... Clearly rely more on chocolate bar than the latest trendy energy gel, super sweet, with a chemical flavor that makes you thirsty just by looking at it.

6. You are here primarily for fun.

Mountain biking is, in addition to sports practice, a way to communicate with nature 🌿, to be in places where there is only you, where there is no other noise than the wind in the foliage of trees.

Stop!

Look at nature, enjoy the moment... Realize how lucky you are to be here.

Take great photos. Be patient.

Laughter! 🤣

7. Use the right words

If you are (and still are) not a mountain bike instructor: don't try to coach your partner.

Have a professional like MCF instructor do it.

8. End your trip with a relaxing activity.

It can be beer, ice cream, or sauerkraut 🤔.

Whatever you do, take time to celebrate your little victory.

You went mountain biking together, you both loved it, it was really good, and you want this moment to happen again in the future. Mark this moment with something memorable 🏅.

9. Plan B. Call a professional.

If you're stumped, plan B.

Contact an ATV specialist. He will know how to set the right course, choose the right words, give the appropriate advice (perhaps the same as you, but they will be heard ... and applied ...).

📷 Markus Greber