Beginner’s Guide
New to Downhill Mountain Biking?
Spider Mountain would like to welcome you to our Texas Hill Country MTB community. The best place to start your downhill mountain biking venture is to utilize our FREE intro to downhill lesson! Your guide will help to create a solid foundation that revolves around basic skills and common knowledge among the downhill biking community. With our curated guidance, we can help you to achieve the next level while creating an unforgettable experience. To help you prepare for your first day, we have FAQs here.
Free Intro to Downhill
A guided experience in downhill mountain biking at Spider Mountain Bike Park that offers a pathway for progression from beginner to advanced skill levels.
Beginner Frequently Asked Questions:
How should I start?
Our Spider Mountain Team recommends you start with our FREE Intro to Downhill lesson. This will help you start off on the right foot and help you to progress to the next level.
What do I need to ride Spider Mountain?
There are a few things that you will need to ride Spider Mountain. The first two things are a lift ticket and bike. You can purchase these with the link below.
Where do I go when I get to Spider Mountain?
Once you park at the lot in the base area, you can make your way over to the ticket windows. The ticket windows will be located near the bottom of our chair lift, the Texas Eagle. If you were utilizing our FREE Intro to Downhill lesson, the ticket window team member will help to introduce you to your guide. If not, we will direct you in the right direction once you get your lift ticket.
What should I wear?
Wear the clothes that you would wear if you were to go hiking. Focus on something comfortable and breathable. We recommend long sleeves and shorts but it is up to your personal preference.
Is there equipment to help with protection?
You can use any equipment to help with protection. We do recommend for beginners to use a full armor set which includes a chest plate, gloves, elbow pads, and knee pads. We also recommend a full-faced helmet.
If you do not own your own, you can rent out equipment and armor at our rental shop.
What bike should I ride?
Any mountain bike with front suspension should work but this is all up to personal preference. The Spider Mountain Team recommends that you ride a full-suspension mountain bike. You can either bring your own or rent a bike from our fully stocked rental fleet.
How do I get my bike to the top?
The fun of Spider Mountain Bike Park is that we have Texas’ only lift. The lift rises 350 vertical feet and will bring you to the top of our bike park with no effort at all.
Is mountain biking dangerous?
Like any sport, mountain biking can be dangerous. However, this is solely based on how much of a risk you take. The best way to begin your biking experience is to follow the proper steps to prepare yourself with the right skills and equipment. The FREE Intro to Downhill Lesson can help give you the proper assistance to ensure that you are prepared and ready to experience the fun of gravity-fueled mountain biking.
What trails do I start with?
The best trail to start with at Spider Mountain is our beginner run, Itsy-Bitsy. This trail will give you a taste of gravity-fueled mountain biking without making it too difficult.
