Mountain Biking Skill Guides
Compilation of mtb skills guides that I’ve found useful over the years. These basic and advanced skills will enhance the enjoyment on trails and on downhill routes.
Mountain biking (or trail riding) isn’t easy. Even with a cycling background, it can take a while to get used to the difficult terrain as required skills are quite different than on the road.
A good example of difficulty is shown in this video, where former professional road cyclists try out mountain biking for the first time is. It is not easy for them either.
It’s advisable to start with simple steps. Complexity is the enemy of the execution. When first simple actions come automatically without thinking too much, add next steps. If I try to execute too many new steps, everything will break apart.
Pedal and Body Position
Heels down and ass back is a pretty good first advice. These guides recommend that it might be actually easier to keep a good position while having front heel down and back heel up.
How to Get Off and On Steep Sections
How to dismount on a steep section of the trail is a lifesaver and reduces the amount of panic.
After dismounting it is also good to learn how to resume, so then there is no need to always walk down.
Get Over an Obstacle
Getting over an obstacle doesn’t require any advanced bunny hop technique. Basically lift the front wheel on top of the logde and lift the back wheel up. Speed is required as back wheel will need to land at least on top of the lodge.
Pedal Kick / Punch
Good technique to get on top of the obstacle.
More instructions on how to get more power to that kick.
Another good video about the technique.
Drops with Speed
Small drops are common on trails. It is easy enough to learn the basic skills and gain some confidence, so drops won’t stop the good flow.
Find some small stairs etc. from a school ground or any drop from children playground. Even 20cm drop or even just a curb is a good first step.
[image where I started]
- Have enough speed
- Take weight off from front tyre just before the edge
You need to get weight off from the front tyre. Don’t pull the bar with your arms, but move your weight back. Pull to the handlebar comes automatically from the body movement. You can also help by pulling with arms, but it is good to move whole body.
When approaching the drop, you need to have enough speed that when you take the weight off from the front tire, back tire will go over the lip before front tire start to go down.
Great! This is already pretty close to jumping as your both tires are in the air!
Jumping
Jumping is extremely complicated topic… Learn manual, learn bunnyhop, learn xxx and after that you can learn jumping.
Naturally it is good to master these techniques, but unfortunately most of us don’t have skill or enough time to train that much.
But what skills you really need to start from small jumps?
In reality, it is also possible to start little differently. Even kids jump with bikes without perfect manual or bunnyhop skills, so you can learn to be ok-ish with jumps event without those skills.
- Enough speed
- Maintain good posture
- Relax
This takes you already far and you can pretty much enjoy any jump for the “normal” people.
Check good technique tips (in Finnish) and slow motion video in this Instagram post: https://www.instagram.com/p/CQOCy1KF9My/
When jumpst start to get bigger there is a big chance for so called “dead-sailor”. To keep you occupied you can do a rowing motion in the air. Push bars forward and bend legs. Keep looking far ahead. Bar turn is also a good option to keep you occupied.
There are many steps to do. Mostly I have noticed that when I start to do too many things, everything breaks down and I can’t do even most simple jumps nicely.
Steep Jumps
Steep jumps, e.g. dirt jumps.
- Keep knees over the toes and body perpendicular to sea level (stand up straight all the time)
Bunny Hop
Proper bunny hop is freaking hard. I know how to hop up the front and the rear at the same time, but doing a proper bunny hop seems to be an impossible feat.
I recommend to try a simplified version from this video:
For me this one worked like a charm. Not a proper bunny hop, but now I can jump over small obstacles or get a little extra air from drops.
Maybe some day I will magically learn the true bunny hop. Maybe.
Manual
- Find courage to go low and back enough
- Knees should point outwards
- Do not be afraid to go over
- More courage to go even lower and back
Maybe will manage this some day. I have managed few times to get to a correct position and you can really feel it when you are in a correct manual position.
Wheelie
Normal wheelie is a nice trick. “Power” wheelie required by drops is actually an useful wheelie.
- Dont yank arms. Pull should come from the body movement
- Seat up and low gear
Rear brake is your friend and will save you if you are going to go over.
Drops with a Slow Speed / Power Wheelie
Extremely nice skill on trails. Brings lots of extra fun.
- 2 pedals strokes is good enough
- Small gear
- Start from curbs. Then to 20cm drop and progress on
Good way to practice is a mental practice. Look a mark on the ground and imagine that as the start of the drop.
Some people apparently think the motion as a pedal kick instead of wheelie. Half pedal kick technique “tutorial” start at ~3:00. Power wheelie mindset is easier for me, but main things is to find what works for you.
Riding Berms
Start simple. Less things to think better.
Keep the pedals flat. Less things to think while approaching the corner. Keep peadals always flat and keep same feet in the front.
- Break before the corner
- Don’t break during cornering (or use rear brake only lightly to prevent speeding up too much)
- Keep eyes on exit
- Come in high, exit low
- Lean more towards to exit (attack the exit). Turn hips towards exit
- Push inside arm, outside arm bracing, elbow up
- Pump into the berm
Zep’s How-To Mythbusters – Leaning into Corners
RIDE BETTER: RIDING TUTORIALS BY MATTI LEHIKOINEN & LEO KOKKONEN
Interseting part of this was, that I actually had the realization that you do not need to steer the bike with handlebars/arms, but you can steer with hips.
Bar Turn
Start with extemely small movement. To make things easier, turn handlebar towards where you are watching or where you want to turn bike next.
The easiest way to look good jumping a bike. Turn the bar all the way to the hip, which help to lean the bike and you will look like a pro.
Whip
Small whip comes with a bar turn. Don’t worry if back wheel is not completely straight when landing.
Skateparks
Skatepark is a good place to learn some bike handling skills. Check the survival guide video below for some tips.
Dropping in is an important skill to learn. It is not that hard, but it is scary.