Smooth Cycling

Maybe you bought a mountain bike with the idea of scrambling up trails toward awesome vistas--but frankly, it all seems a little intimidating now.

If that hits home, you can pick up some biking tips and bolster your confidence in a special class for new riders offered Saturday at Malibu Creek State Park near Agoura Hills.

This four-hour session is a freebie, courtesy of the Mountain Bike Unit of CORBA (Concerned Off-Road Bicyclists Assn.), a volunteer group that promotes mountain biking in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.

You’re not alone if you thought mountain biking would be a snap, according to Mark Langton, who instructs the class.

“A lot of people say, ‘Oh, it’s just a bike and I can ride it,’ ” Langton said. “But with the terrain surface and steepness of the hills, it’s quite a bit different than riding on the bike path.”

During the first half of the session, he deals with the basics like how to fix a flat tire, clean trail dirt from the chain and apply lubricant. The second half of the class is a group ride in the huge mountain park. He starts out on a smooth dirt road, helping those who need it with gear shifting and braking.

“We get people who have ridden a long time, to those who have barely ridden a bike at all, let alone a mountain bike,” said Langton, who has led the classes since 1992.

Unlike riding on pavement, mountain bikers must be aware of the constantly changing terrain or they can find themselves dumped in the dirt. A must for mountain bikers is learning how to ride over rough spots in a crouched position off the seat, similar to a jockey on a horse.

“It’s one thing you have to know, otherwise you’re going to have problems,” he said. To practice this skill, he has the group “bunny hop” over a big log in the road. One by one they try it.

“I don’t know of one class where someone hasn’t said, ‘No way. I’m not going to do that,’ ” Langton said. But--in the end--they do.

For those undaunted by bouncing over logs, the class offers a tougher challenge at the end: a short stretch of steep, narrow, rutted trail. For novices, it’s a grueling trek up, much of it spent pushing the bike. The ride down is gut-wrenching, but exhilarating.

The class also touches on biking etiquette and regulations in the Santa Monica Mountains. Bikers should yield to pedestrians and equestrians, and the speed limit in the back country is 15 mph. Going too fast for the conditions is a no-no.

“I always try to convey that if your line of sight on the trail is limited, then slow down and tell yourself someone is going to be around the next corner,” Langton said.

For riders who can’t make CORBA’s Saturday program, the group offers the mountain-biking skills class for new riders the first Saturday of the month at Malibu Creek State Park. A class for intermediate riders (April 19, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., at Cheeseboro Canyon near Agoura Hills) covers cornering, slow-speed maneuvers, advanced obstacle negotiation, climbing and descending. The cost is $20 and you must be a CORBA member.

BE THERE

Introduction to Mountain Biking for adults and kids 10 years and older, Sat., 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Malibu Creek State Park, at Las Virgenes Road and Mulholland Highway, near Agoura Hills. Call (818) 773-3555.