I agree momentem is very key, but keeping speed up depends very much on the quality of your bike and your confidence in the bike. Its a shame but in the MTB world better bikes cost tons of $$$$$. The big differances in good MTB bikes are good handeling (good suspension) and good components. The better the components are the better they shift even under load. The better your bike handles the bumps, rocks and turns, the faster you can go down hill and the more speed you can keep up.
That being said I started out on a fairley cheap but decent MTB and learned to ride it well with good handeling skills and getting in better shape. Now, Im a hero on my Cannondale Raven becuase the bike turns and tracks very well and it feels more like Im on a dirt bike than a MTB. You still have to have the legs to keep it going though.
Here are the things I did to go faster on my old bike or just make it up the hills :):
As was said, try not to work up the cogs under load, the more presure you put on the crank, the worse it will shift. Learn to spin the heak out of the lower gears, spinning gives you more traction and power than just standing up on a bigger gear wich causes wheel spin and the following stopage :).
ride the middle gear on the front when ever possible, its alot easier to shift to the big ring on a down hill and WAY more easy to drop into the little ring in the front under load than it is to try to work the rear shifter up the cog.
When you start climbing larger hills in the lower gears, try to stay seated, climbing steep hills becomes a delicate balance of leaning forward to keep the front of the bike on the ground and pulling back on the handel bars while kicking to keep traction on the rear wheel.
If you dont have clipless pedles, try them but get used to them before hitting the single track, you can gain about 15-25% more efficencey and WAY better rear traction by being clipped into the pedal and making an effort on the hills to pull the pedal through the stroke.
Enjoy your biking! I love MTB riding and like you said, you can ride alot of areas that are closed to dirtbikes. Have fun and dont push yoursellf to hard by yourself, just try to pace yourself and get in better shape, the rest will come naturaly as a result.
Heres a pic of a Raven (not mine), mine is black with yeallow trim, Lefty fork and disc brakes like the one in this pic :) Ohhhhh sexy!!!!
http://light-bikes.com/gallery/dirtdad.htm
That being said I started out on a fairley cheap but decent MTB and learned to ride it well with good handeling skills and getting in better shape. Now, Im a hero on my Cannondale Raven becuase the bike turns and tracks very well and it feels more like Im on a dirt bike than a MTB. You still have to have the legs to keep it going though.
Here are the things I did to go faster on my old bike or just make it up the hills :):
As was said, try not to work up the cogs under load, the more presure you put on the crank, the worse it will shift. Learn to spin the heak out of the lower gears, spinning gives you more traction and power than just standing up on a bigger gear wich causes wheel spin and the following stopage :).
ride the middle gear on the front when ever possible, its alot easier to shift to the big ring on a down hill and WAY more easy to drop into the little ring in the front under load than it is to try to work the rear shifter up the cog.
When you start climbing larger hills in the lower gears, try to stay seated, climbing steep hills becomes a delicate balance of leaning forward to keep the front of the bike on the ground and pulling back on the handel bars while kicking to keep traction on the rear wheel.
If you dont have clipless pedles, try them but get used to them before hitting the single track, you can gain about 15-25% more efficencey and WAY better rear traction by being clipped into the pedal and making an effort on the hills to pull the pedal through the stroke.
Enjoy your biking! I love MTB riding and like you said, you can ride alot of areas that are closed to dirtbikes. Have fun and dont push yoursellf to hard by yourself, just try to pace yourself and get in better shape, the rest will come naturaly as a result.
Heres a pic of a Raven (not mine), mine is black with yeallow trim, Lefty fork and disc brakes like the one in this pic :) Ohhhhh sexy!!!!
http://light-bikes.com/gallery/dirtdad.htm
