How To Make A Mountain Bike Faster – 8 Beginner Friendly Tips

Do you feel like you are limited by the speed of your mountain bike? Are you wondering how to make a mountain bike faster?

Here are my top tips to increase your speed allowing you to take on and defeat those jumps and trails. If like me, you have decided to make the change from road-biking to mountain biking, you will understand that doing the most to your bike to reach its top speed makes a huge difference to the performance of your bike. This has huge short term and also the long term benefits for the health of your bike and you as a rider.

Within these bullet points, we will cover a wide variety of things that can get you to A to B faster; you will be surprised at how simple this can be, so let’s dive right in…

How To Make A Mountain Bike Faster - Top Tips

1. Weight

Let’s start with the obvious one, weight. With a mountain bike, getting rid of excess weight can be done quickly and easily by showing the bike some love and care. You can do this by washing it after days out on the trail. Make sure to give it a thorough wash and remember to get all that dirt off the bike – even those tough to get to places in the mechanics of the bike. If you are yet to purchase your mountain bike, consider a lighter alternative to the material that the bike is made of if you have the money to spend, but 9/10 the most expensive bikes are the lighter ones if you’re willing to spend the money and make a noticeable difference. I have put together a beginner-friendly guide to buying a mountain bike (don’t worry I am not selling you anything, just helping beginners get started as I did)

2. Make sure that all moving parts are well looked after

It is safe to say that the more you look after your bike, the more you will get from it. This is well noted for keeping all things like your chain and derailleur well lubricated; this will keep your bike running smoothly and will 100% improve your ride’s quality and speed. This can be done by ensuring that your gears and chain are working effectively as possible and that you are less accident-prone while mountain biking.

3. Check that your tire pressure is correct

When it comes to tyers on a mountain bike, it’s a no-brainer that the tire can’t be too flat or even pumped up too much, so you must find the right tire pressure for your riding style and weight.

4. Dialling in your suspension

Another essential factor with speed concerning your mountain bike is to set up your suspension with your weight and riding style. This can quickly be done by using a suspension calculator on google. All you need is a suspension pump (do not use a regular pump because this will ruin the seals on your suspension and cause air to leak). Ensuring that your suspension is suited to the rider means that it requires less energy to turn the wheel due to the rebound and sag from the suspension.

5. Investing in lighter tire and rims

Changing your rims and tires out for lighter versions is also another top tip to follow. The lighter wheels will make it easier to get to the top of the trail and improving the speed of your climb or even just as you casually ride.

6. Adding weight

Adding weight to your bike is only suggested for downhill rides. Increasing its overall mass ensures that when travelling down trails, you will quickly pick up speed due to Newton’s second law of acceleration. But adding weight comes with downsides Eg: climbing can be more tedious and slower, causing more wear and tear to your bike.

7. Making sure that you are comfortable

An underrated factor to making your mountain bike go faster is, making sure that you feel comfortable. We have all had to take breaks mid-climb or descend due to your hands hurting, legs burning and backside aching. All of this can be easily avoided by buying a pair of handlebar grips that suit you and investing in a quality pair of gloves. Even a new seat to add extra cushioning to improve the quality of your ride and make you less prone to stoppages.

8. Using the right shoes and socks

I couldn’t emphasize this point more. You need to invest in a quality pair of mountain biking shoes to improve your ride. When looking out for them, you want to find a pair of shoes with extra ankle support and excellent cushioning to support your feet’ palms. With the socks, you will want to look for a couple of thick cushioned socks with heel support to decrease the number of stoppages along the trail with the outcome of a more enjoyable ride.