I found myself riding the brakes my first time doing a legit trail this past Memorial Day weekend. I'm new to MTB'ing. I just took lessons too and it helped me not die on my first downhill trail. However, I was riding the brakes on that hill because it was too advanced for my skill level. It's a good thing that my instructor was behind me helping me keep my form right.
There is that saying in MTB which describes well what discussed in the video: “Don’t be a passenger” And that can be applied to other dynamic sports such as skiing.
First 3 times I went downhill biking (aka first time on a mountain bike) I fell at least 6 times and bruised/cut up at least a quarter of my body over those 2 weeks lmao... 5th time, hardly any brakes and no falls 👍🏼 (4th time I send a jump a little too hard....)
I've been riding for 10 years and have always been slow on the downhill. I watched this video last night and road today. Set 2 PRs on the decent thanks to you. Incredible advice, thank you!
After 50+ yrs of riding, here’s your hack: ride like you are filming someone in front of you, like you’re protecting/steadying a camera, look way ahead, stay smooth & “flowy” whether on the trail, go-kart track, wherever. Do this and notice how much faster and in control you are in. Give it a try friends.👍😉
I grew up enduro riding with my dad on my 2 stroke 80, he had a crf650 so I naturally learned how to keep up. On the downhills I’m usually behind my dad and his $10k bike. My whole mentality is pretend I’m filming him
I gotta admit I was actually looking forward to a good laugh as the music started....at the same time I was somewhat relieved when it was quickly kiboshed. 😆 Great advice as always. This braking technique also seems to keep those rotors a little cooler as a side benefit of not riding those brakes.
Hi: I am a 63 year old Mountain biker that just started about 5 years ago and I learn a lot from your videos. I am not interested in doing a red bull challenge or too serious of scary challenges. However, I enjoy riding immensely and getting better is important. Your teaching of skills is simple and insightful. Thanks for doing them!!
My rule #1: look AHEAD on the trail. I constantly have to remind myself of this, as I catch myself looking just a little in front of my front wheel. That makes every little curve seem a lot sharper than it really is. If you're looking past the curve, you often don't even notice it. Your body almost automatically moves the way it should to get your bike to go to the spot you're looking at. Also important because when you're riding fast, you're gonna be in that spot in a split second, so you better be ready for it!
I learned to look ahead in my skiing. Hard to maneuver a trail when you are constantly looking right ahead of you. If you keep looking ahead you also don't react to every little nook and cranny. Instead you'll just be letting your bike flow over those sections!
@@andrewlounsberry2371 On skis/board - this is ok - but on a bike, what always worries me are those roots that are almost inline with your wheels so that if you hit one, your front wheel slides out... how do you avoid that? - or is speed your friend here?
@@alastair4839 Well, in a way speed is your friend and looking ahead is always your friend! I know what you mean in referring to those roots that get you caught on the wrong side. By looking ahead of you, the idea is to sort of plan your path on the trail and set yourself up to avoid those roots or rocks that throw you for a loop. Or at least chart a better course though difficult terrain well before you are upon it.
@@alastair4839 Looking ahead will help you plan a better path. Even if you still hit those annoying roots mid corner(or some gravel/scree), just make sure you're leaning the bike underneath you and keeping your body as upright as possible and centered over the bottom bracket. Proper body position and you can easily recover from slides, even front wheel slides. @TheLoamRanger has another video on cornering that talks about this.
Not just look ahead. When entering a turn, I do best by looking at the inside edge (backslope) of the exit of the turn. I don't look down at the turn. I am looking past it and to the inside of what's after the turn. Kind of scary at first to trust your bike without looking immediately in front of you. But you get used to it.
I learned this lesson from tracking my car. Finding braking zones makes you faster. It’s weird but it works. It’s also good to think about traction. Braking in a straight line is more efficient then braking and trying to turn at the same time. Traction can only be used for one action at a time. Your either braking, turning, or accelerating.
I was taught that you only have 100% of traction at any given speed so if you are using 70% of your traction to brake you only have 30% left to turn with. The key is you never have more traction than 100% so you have to decide how and when to use it for maximum acceleration, turning, and braking. You can do them at the same time but it won't be as effective as doing them by themself and if you go past your 100% you slide and have 0% traction.
Braking in corners will also have a tendency to force you more upright reducing your turning radius and traction (fewer side knobs as the bike stands up.)
I learned these principles from playing gran tursimo 😂. It definitely makes a difference when you break going straight before the turn and then power into the turn.
@ormondjosh underrated comment and principles! 👍🏽 I get most of my braking skills and looking ahead from moto road track riding. Much faster speeds forces seeing things more quickly and letting your brain trust what your eyes have already seen. Look ahead and trust staying looking ahead. Get all your braking done before the corner whether feathering/stabbing/dragging and understanding when to push into the corner to force traction or separate body & bike are huge components to making turns on the line you are intending to take. Huge tip: if you have a favorite rider pull up their videos and hit mute, playback speed at .25 so you can focus on the magic that will appear before you. There’s so much more to learn about going fast at slow speed!
Another great video. Your Buck concept is what PSIA/NSP (skiing) calls quiet upper body. The concept can be seen is great mogul skiers. They keep their upper body facing down the fall line (pointed down the mountain) their upper body and head don’t move up or down and they don’t rotate left or right. All the movement is from their hips down. Their hips/legs rotate side to side which controls their speed while at the same time they absorb the mogul with their knees.
The Best way to implement this is, is to ride a hardtail. ride a hardtail on your favorite trail for a month or so, than jump on your full suspension and ride that the same way you rode your hardtail. You will instantly be faster, not only will you be picking better lines, you will actually be riding the trail rather than fighting it like he mentions in the video.
You're completely right. Thanks for stressing that point. Hardtails are so fun AND they are an excellent way to learn skills... even if they are much less forgiving than FS bikes. Spank amateurs always appreciate ;)
Totally agree. I ride an 04’ hardtail with a crappy Suntour fork and skinny tires to hone my line choice skills and keep my body active. When I go back to my Trek EX 7 it’s almost too easy. You will ride with so much more speed and confidence.
Good point. A few years ago someone gave me an old Raleigh USA MTB - fully rigid. One day, none of my 4 bikes were rideable (the curse of being a bike mechanic) so I took it out on my local trail. What an eye opener! Every pebble felt like a boulder and every root like a log! It made me work on the basics incredibly hard and I really enjoyed it by the end.
Very good video. I have something to add tho: Try to look 1. as far away as possible (so you can process the trail faster) and 2. not at where you’re going but where you wanna go. I personally still have problems doing (1.) but I always notice how I ride faster and more controlled if I do these.
I’ve been riding since the mid-90’s and have always been, let’s say quicker than most on downhills. Friends have always asked about my secrets, but I’ve always had a hard time pointing to anything because I’ve just always done what felt right. Between this video and “How to Corner Stupid Fast” you almost perfectly describe how I ride, and done an awesome job of verbalizing it.
3 or less (read: 2) simple steps to follow to ensure maximum remembrance & usability while on the trail: ✅ Careful articulate explanation of the benefits that each step provides: ✅ Demonstrates effectively how to perform each step: ✅
I learned to mtb on a rigid fork Trek 930 in Bellingham in 1992. Tires and staying loose was the only option! Only a handful of guys with high end bikes had shocks with 2 inches of travel. Almost everyone was on rigid forks.
Stoked to see more talk about hard/attack braking! Learning to dump enough speed to be able to get off the brakes entirely in chunk and corners is game changing.
I need to say, been following your videos from the early pole days. I love the content, but what I love more is your very practical, very sensible, concise guidance on how to improve your riding. Its nicely packaged, and easily sharable pieces of knowledge that I appreciate. Thank you
100% truth right here. Stay loose, look ahead and brake early to carry more speed through and out of the corner. I have actually been practicing intentionally trying to be loose and limit my braking the last few weeks and it has helped tremendously, especially with arm pump and fatigue on longer trails that are very physical.
The application of these simple actions has drastically improved my riding.... I'm singing stand up in the jumps as I approach jumps now, and I guess I'll be adding "let it buck and stay steady in my head and torso" as my primary thinking during the gnarly downhill bits. Thanks mate you are an awesome mtb training guide. 👍
I'm trying it today. Edit: Im back and I had a misrable crash on a uphill feature but I did save it but ended up smashing my middle finger all I know is that I didn't break it. I maned up and went back the way I climbed and try'd my best to use my arms and torso as best as I could, and man I see the difference I didn't feel any stiffness and fear it even made me faster on the downhill. I'm very happy I saw this video before I went riding I'll never regret being subscribed to you! and we'll once again thanks! and Now I have to deal with my finger 🙄
I find it ironic that RUclips recommends me this video now, just as I am laying in bed recovering from binning my bike the second run into a 3-day holiday...
Purposefully went out tonight in Slaughterpen and applied this on Rim Trail and Techgnar. It worked really well for the first attempts. While they were the absolute fastest laps on these trails, they definitely felt the most in control and smoothest. Thank you for the video!
Another great tip video. A lot of folks make these 'tutorial' videos on YT but I must say.. your cornering / jumping and now this video... have really been among the best for distilling real information. Thanks dude.
I like to call it "Attack Mode". Mindset of attacking the trail ahead of you with an attack body position. Where I'm leading my bike to attack the section vs just letting my bike tack me. Makes all the difference. Loved this video.
I'd imagine that's a lot easier clipped in, you can really relax your legs and feet instead of having to keep them wedged in the pedals over the fast bumpy stuff while on flats. Big reason why I've been considering switching
You are such a great teacher! Your cornering advice changed my riding style permanently for the better and now this masterpiece. I'll try it out on the trails immediately!
the faster i get the more i do this. it also gives you more confidence in your braking (and heats the brakes less). that's also why most say you should start on a hard tail: you are forced to ride the bike rather than letting the bike ride you and thus absorb with your body "let it buck" that way
Solid advice. I have found myself unconsciously doing this sometimes and recognize how much more fun and smooth the ride is. Need to focus on doing this on purpose more often! 😁🤙
I ride hardtail and it teaches me to stabilize my head.... I am no fast rider by any means, but I am learning... I am trying my hand at cross country racing and been doing trails a lot now
Excellent video and advice! I think another huge thing is to make sure your suspension is set up properly for you and your terrain. Neglected suspension settings can make a nice bike ride like a cheap bike. Keep up the great videos!
I was very skeptical when I read the title. But tbh, I think you made 2 really good points! And easy to implement To add on to #1, start riding pumptracks and try to ride them efficiently. that will solve 99% of issues 😂
I've noticed the same thing with braking. I've noticed that going downhill on the ruff stuff makes you bump around a lot and caused my chain to come off actually, but if you wait for it to be open without roots of rocks and pull hard on brakes you slow down better and can ride the ruff stuff. Also riding BMX helps I feel, cause you get used to standing up and also pumping
I think LR is on point. However, there are a few things that should've been emphasized that riders should adopt ( helped me): 1. Relax - no death grips - when you're relaxed you can think clearly and react to the terrain with no pressure. Also, if you're relaxed your body is not tense, so you're more fluid with the bike. 2. Use the Dropper Post! : These days I'm probably 90% of the time off my saddle. I'm usually standing on my pedals in a Squat position. There are a few benefits to this: 1. You have a better vantage point to see what's ahead. 2. You're ready to 'Rock N' Roll': You're in a Proactive position - ready to respond to the terrain, Instead of reactive or passive. 3. Your legs act like an extra set of Suspension! They absorb the terrain and support you more. 3. Braking - what I learned was to feather the brakes and try to think ahead - slow down in advance or be strategic with braking like LR explained. Adopting these points has made me a a safer and better rider, while making my rides more fun. Try it, if you're not already!
Love how well you break down complicated skills into one or two key points. This video was like unlocking a door in my head. As soon as I applied the elements (still working on the braking thing) I rode faster, felt less fatigue in my hands and legs, and had SO much more fun. Thanks!!!
this is something that even if u kind of already knew this hearing it from someone makes all the diff.. i cant wait to hit the trail tomm....Thanx man.... Keep up the amazing content!!!
Something that goes along with your let it buck tip… ride a hard tail for a while! I’m the lone hardtail rider in my group and it’s very obvious that everyone I ride with has become too reliant on all their squish. I don’t think most of them gave themselves time to learn the fundamentals and proper technique.
Ahhh Babe…I gotta go riding again…gotta try something I just watched. 😂 I’ve been watching “how to corner faster” “how to jump better” “how to set up your cockpit” and everything is working. Getting faster Strava times just by doing these things. Isn’t biking great!
This is really well explained. It took me my first 2 years of riding to grasp and start to put together the "let it buck". I kept watching the really good riders, trying to figure out how they kept their torso and head still. Visually, I understood, but riding, I couldn't translate what I was doing with my body until this year. It made such a huge change to my riding, I keep trying to explain it to my riding buddies and wife.... now I have a video to show them ;-) Awesome on the breaking, I'm looking forward to trying that and getting better and faster. Thank You!
Maybe I should have delayed my departure to Windrock yesterday and watched this when it premiered. Maybe the broken ribs wouldn't have happened. Ooops. What you say with the "Let it Buck" makes total sense. I equate it to how pro BMX riders use their arms and legs at it makes it look like their bikes are just floating over everything.
Your point about the full suspension bikes is so important. I had several friends all get into riding over the last couple of years and i recommended to all of them to get aggressive hard tails rather than start with full suspension. Their confidence has struggled to improve ironically ever since.
I really see I have blood for this but I need MONEY I does have fun on my 120$ 26" old school bike but, I need a better one to be able to to things whiout breaking it in half, and equipment. Your videos are so good! Thank you very much.
according to what you say , let say i want 150mm of usable travel and account for 30% sag and 10% of safety travel , i need about 195mm of actual travel, lets just say 200mm
Probably should preface this with... "you need to be able to ride confidently first and have a good understanding of your trail".. Cause without those things.. you go brakeless, you gonna die real quick lol.
I'm struggling right now because I used to be better at this, but Ive had 2 bad wrecks in the last 10 years that both resulted in concussions. Both were at speed where I missed a line slightly and went over the bars. Now I enjoy it, but I am so cautious and slow on any descent. I dont go out as much as I used to, which doesn't help.
What’s up buddy?! These how tos you’ve done, this, the jumping and cornering, are some of THE BEST how tos I’ve ever watched. And I’ve watched a lot. So simple. So concise. And they work! I was clearing Aline thanks to you! Can we get one on how to whip?! That’s my next big goal, I’m trying but I must be missing something, and something tells me a video of yours will give me the answer.
Your tutorials speak to the person who appreciates simple but detailed and logical explanations for the concepts in many areas of bike handling. Thanks for all the great info. And the songs... Definately the songs.
Dude, you are FUNNY! However, your instruction is top-notch. I've watched hundreds, if not thousands, of instructional MTB videos over the years (from Brian Lopes, John Cowan, Ritchie Schley, Darren Barrecloth) and your instruction ranks with them!
Yeeeeeees, I am a XC rider with a full XC bike (Specialized Epic) and I do exactly those 2 things and man I go fast, and there is a plus,brake pads last even longer, I run a pair of MT8 brakes and the original pads lasted more than 2.400km and they had maybe 600-800km more, but I what to try some new syntered pads
So it's not just me!!!!!!???? (the eye jiggle).... I can't wait to try this..but it's raining so it'll have to wait until tomorrow. Thanks for this advice!
Awe, I wanted a song! :-( I still have "stand up to the jump, ya gotta stand up to the jump" permanently stuck in my head. I even sung it this morning dragging the recycling bin back up my driveway - ya, i'm kind of pathetic really. Anyway, great advice, glad I'm learning how to ride a hardtail first before I buy a full sus. Let'er buck is basically my mantra, but now I realize that i've been over braking and stiffening up exactly as you say. I'll try to attack the brakes on my ride tomorrow.
Can I add 2 more? Look ahead; as far ahead as you can. That will "slow down" how quickly things are coming at you. Secondly, look where you WANT to go. Don't look at that tree in your way, look where you want to go AROUND the tree. If you get fixated on the tree, you will hit it. That happens to motorcycle riders all the time.
Wow! I just watched this and went on a pretty nice trail for the first time, right away! I was always pretty scared to let go on rough terrain because I never really knew how to break properly and corner properly! This was so freaking fun! I barely even touched the brakes after a while! The trail is unmarked and pretty rocky with two tire trails, not too steep/fast and the turns were quite mild, but I would have never had the balls to let go of the brakes this much because of all the rocks! I attacked the brakes on little straights right before a few corners that I couldn’t see what’s coming next, but i felt pretty comfortable! I let my arms and legs take a beating and the leaning in corners felt so natural for whatever reason! I never felt like I was losing control, not even close! I don’t have a seat dropper post but I lowered the seat a bit to make it easier… It was pretty much up and down all the time so I didn’t want to drop it all the way, no way I could climb some parts and didn’t want to stop… It was about 20 km all together! Thank you! I watched a lot of stuff but this was the one that really made a difference for me! I got a pretty old 29er BMC hardtail, Team Elite TE03 and I love it! New tires, serviced, new flat pedals, forks tuned, gloves! Buying a helmet soon! Planning on putting some new basic Shimano brakes, the Avid Elixr 1 it has are quite soft and I don’t really trust their stopping power at all lol got in quite afew sticky situations because I couldn’t slow down quick enough… But all good! I’m so stoked, MTB is so fun and I’m happy I got so into it!
So I tried this out today on my ride. I felt a lot more confident going fast, though I learned quickly that “aggressively attacking your brakes” is more of a dirt/single track concept and is much less effective on gravel… still works, you just can’t be as aggressive, especially on turns or you’ll find yourself sliding all over the place!! I did set a record on Strava though, so it works!
I don’t know what you’re trying to imply halfway in, but 3” is at least double what you NEED. In fact, my girl likes it rigid in the rear sometimes. Me, I try to be fully rigid, but that usually requires medication, I get sore the next day. These old bones aren’t what they used to be.
This video just sucks. Trying to follow along with Go-Pro in hand and he jumps to screens without explaining how to get there. I've had it on pause for an hour and STILL can't figure out how to access the screen for audio. He also promises to explain other controls and it never happens. Disappointing and useless.
Technique is very similar to downhill moguls - keep your upper body as still as possible,. facing in the direction you want to go in, while lower body bounces like crazy!
100% accurate my third year has been set back for injury but it will be ok. Yes my bikes ok! I ride a short travel cross country, I ride all blue and most black d trails .Worked on jumps over the winter. I cannot wait for this hamstring to heal up and get back after it!
Get your Scuvvers here: bit.ly/LoamScuvvers
hey Loam Ranger , that suspension travel with twig demo was the funniest and most accurate description
The rap abort cracked me up.
Agreed, one of the biggest challenges in mountain biking is to NOT brake all the time.
I found myself riding the brakes my first time doing a legit trail this past Memorial Day weekend. I'm new to MTB'ing. I just took lessons too and it helped me not die on my first downhill trail. However, I was riding the brakes on that hill because it was too advanced for my skill level. It's a good thing that my instructor was behind me helping me keep my form right.
There is that saying in MTB which describes well what discussed in the video:
“Don’t be a passenger”
And that can be applied to other dynamic sports such as skiing.
First 3 times I went downhill biking (aka first time on a mountain bike) I fell at least 6 times and bruised/cut up at least a quarter of my body over those 2 weeks lmao... 5th time, hardly any brakes and no falls 👍🏼 (4th time I send a jump a little too hard....)
Ive learned to work with only 3 - 4 inches
Thats what she said
Real shit dawg
First day practice I fall of the cliff second day did it agian and sent me to the hospital😂😂 now today I tried it agian it work
I've been riding for 10 years and have always been slow on the downhill. I watched this video last night and road today. Set 2 PRs on the decent thanks to you. Incredible advice, thank you!
That's great news 🤘
After 50+ yrs of riding, here’s your hack: ride like you are filming someone in front of you, like you’re protecting/steadying a camera, look way ahead, stay smooth & “flowy” whether on the trail, go-kart track, wherever. Do this and notice how much faster and in control you are in. Give it a try friends.👍😉
Ride as an cameraman
I grew up enduro riding with my dad on my 2 stroke 80, he had a crf650 so I naturally learned how to keep up. On the downhills I’m usually behind my dad and his $10k bike. My whole mentality is pretend I’m filming him
I gotta admit I was actually looking forward to a good laugh as the music started....at the same time I was somewhat relieved when it was quickly kiboshed. 😆
Great advice as always. This braking technique also seems to keep those rotors a little cooler as a side benefit of not riding those brakes.
Hi: I am a 63 year old Mountain biker that just started about 5 years ago and I learn a lot from your videos. I am not interested in doing a red bull challenge or too serious of scary challenges. However, I enjoy riding immensely and getting better is important. Your teaching of skills is simple and insightful. Thanks for doing them!!
I seriously got stoked for the song break! What a tease!
You wouldn’t believe the moves I had lined up next. Time to send Hunter a strongly worded letter.
I was so hyped when the song began... then my dreams were crushed.
I also was hoping to see the song 😂
My rule #1: look AHEAD on the trail. I constantly have to remind myself of this, as I catch myself looking just a little in front of my front wheel. That makes every little curve seem a lot sharper than it really is. If you're looking past the curve, you often don't even notice it. Your body almost automatically moves the way it should to get your bike to go to the spot you're looking at. Also important because when you're riding fast, you're gonna be in that spot in a split second, so you better be ready for it!
I learned to look ahead in my skiing. Hard to maneuver a trail when you are constantly looking right ahead of you. If you keep looking ahead you also don't react to every little nook and cranny. Instead you'll just be letting your bike flow over those sections!
@@andrewlounsberry2371 On skis/board - this is ok - but on a bike, what always worries me are those roots that are almost inline with your wheels so that if you hit one, your front wheel slides out... how do you avoid that? - or is speed your friend here?
@@alastair4839 Well, in a way speed is your friend and looking ahead is always your friend! I know what you mean in referring to those roots that get you caught on the wrong side. By looking ahead of you, the idea is to sort of plan your path on the trail and set yourself up to avoid those roots or rocks that throw you for a loop. Or at least chart a better course though difficult terrain well before you are upon it.
@@alastair4839 Looking ahead will help you plan a better path. Even if you still hit those annoying roots mid corner(or some gravel/scree), just make sure you're leaning the bike underneath you and keeping your body as upright as possible and centered over the bottom bracket. Proper body position and you can easily recover from slides, even front wheel slides.
@TheLoamRanger has another video on cornering that talks about this.
Not just look ahead. When entering a turn, I do best by looking at the inside edge (backslope) of the exit of the turn. I don't look down at the turn. I am looking past it and to the inside of what's after the turn. Kind of scary at first to trust your bike without looking immediately in front of you. But you get used to it.
"But I'm the Loam Ranger!...I do the songs though!" 🤣🤣🤣
I learned this lesson from tracking my car. Finding braking zones makes you faster. It’s weird but it works. It’s also good to think about traction. Braking in a straight line is more efficient then braking and trying to turn at the same time. Traction can only be used for one action at a time. Your either braking, turning, or accelerating.
I was taught that you only have 100% of traction at any given speed so if you are using 70% of your traction to brake you only have 30% left to turn with. The key is you never have more traction than 100% so you have to decide how and when to use it for maximum acceleration, turning, and braking. You can do them at the same time but it won't be as effective as doing them by themself and if you go past your 100% you slide and have 0% traction.
Braking in corners will also have a tendency to force you more upright reducing your turning radius and traction (fewer side knobs as the bike stands up.)
@@MattDeLuco I call that the braking tractor beam. When I brake in corners, I always end up getting sucked into the object I’m trying to avoid.
I learned these principles from playing gran tursimo 😂. It definitely makes a difference when you break going straight before the turn and then power into the turn.
@ormondjosh underrated comment and principles! 👍🏽
I get most of my braking skills and looking ahead from moto road track riding. Much faster speeds forces seeing things more quickly and letting your brain trust what your eyes have already seen. Look ahead and trust staying looking ahead. Get all your braking done before the corner whether feathering/stabbing/dragging and understanding when to push into the corner to force traction or separate body & bike are huge components to making turns on the line you are intending to take.
Huge tip: if you have a favorite rider pull up their videos and hit mute, playback speed at .25 so you can focus on the magic that will appear before you. There’s so much more to learn about going fast at slow speed!
Waiting for the full music vid 🪕🎷🪗
Another great video. Your Buck concept is what PSIA/NSP (skiing) calls quiet upper body. The concept can be seen is great mogul skiers. They keep their upper body facing down the fall line (pointed down the mountain) their upper body and head don’t move up or down and they don’t rotate left or right. All the movement is from their hips down. Their hips/legs rotate side to side which controls their speed while at the same time they absorb the mogul with their knees.
The Best way to implement this is, is to ride a hardtail. ride a hardtail on your favorite trail for a month or so, than jump on your full suspension and ride that the same way you rode your hardtail. You will instantly be faster, not only will you be picking better lines, you will actually be riding the trail rather than fighting it like he mentions in the video.
You're completely right. Thanks for stressing that point. Hardtails are so fun AND they are an excellent way to learn skills... even if they are much less forgiving than FS bikes. Spank amateurs always appreciate ;)
Exactly this! ... Except don't go back to a full suspension, just stay on your hardtail. 😇
Totally agree. I ride an 04’ hardtail with a crappy Suntour fork and skinny tires to hone my line choice skills and keep my body active. When I go back to my Trek EX 7 it’s almost too easy. You will ride with so much more speed and confidence.
yep. as soon as he mentioned the tip I thought _that's how I used to ride my HT!!_ Just goes to show how fs can make you lazy.
Good point.
A few years ago someone gave me an old Raleigh USA MTB - fully rigid.
One day, none of my 4 bikes were rideable (the curse of being a bike mechanic) so I took it out on my local trail. What an eye opener! Every pebble felt like a boulder and every root like a log!
It made me work on the basics incredibly hard and I really enjoyed it by the end.
Best MTB RUclipsr yesterday
Best MTB RUclipsr today
Best MTB RUclipsr tomorrow
Keep up the great content 🤙
Very good video.
I have something to add tho: Try to look 1. as far away as possible (so you can process the trail faster) and 2. not at where you’re going but where you wanna go. I personally still have problems doing (1.) but I always notice how I ride faster and more controlled if I do these.
I’ve been riding since the mid-90’s and have always been, let’s say quicker than most on downhills. Friends have always asked about my secrets, but I’ve always had a hard time pointing to anything because I’ve just always done what felt right.
Between this video and “How to Corner Stupid Fast” you almost perfectly describe how I ride, and done an awesome job of verbalizing it.
3 or less (read: 2) simple steps to follow to ensure maximum remembrance & usability while on the trail: ✅
Careful articulate explanation of the benefits that each step provides: ✅
Demonstrates effectively how to perform each step: ✅
This video wouldn't have been necessary in the past, when everyone learned to ride on a (not very good) hardtail !
I learned to mtb on a rigid fork Trek 930 in Bellingham in 1992. Tires and staying loose was the only option! Only a handful of guys with high end bikes had shocks with 2 inches of travel. Almost everyone was on rigid forks.
I wish this existed years ago. Biking is just like race cars, brake hard before the turn, full send everywhere else.
Stoked to see more talk about hard/attack braking! Learning to dump enough speed to be able to get off the brakes entirely in chunk and corners is game changing.
I need to say, been following your videos from the early pole days. I love the content, but what I love more is your very practical, very sensible, concise guidance on how to improve your riding. Its nicely packaged, and easily sharable pieces of knowledge that I appreciate. Thank you
Seems like it would work… gonna go try it this afternoon! And thanks for the tip on Scuvvers. Just joined the list!
“…but I’m the Loam Ranger!” 😂😂😂
100% truth right here. Stay loose, look ahead and brake early to carry more speed through and out of the corner. I have actually been practicing intentionally trying to be loose and limit my braking the last few weeks and it has helped tremendously, especially with arm pump and fatigue on longer trails that are very physical.
The application of these simple actions has drastically improved my riding.... I'm singing stand up in the jumps as I approach jumps now, and I guess I'll be adding "let it buck and stay steady in my head and torso" as my primary thinking during the gnarly downhill bits.
Thanks mate you are an awesome mtb training guide. 👍
“We talked about this!” 😂
Great video! Definitely need to work on this myself!🤙🏼
I'm trying it today. Edit: Im back and I had a misrable crash on a uphill feature but I did save it but ended up smashing my middle finger all I know is that I didn't break it. I maned up and went back the way I climbed and try'd my best to use my arms and torso as best as I could, and man I see the difference I didn't feel any stiffness and fear it even made me faster on the downhill. I'm very happy I saw this video before I went riding I'll never regret being subscribed to you! and we'll once again thanks! and Now I have to deal with my finger 🙄
Laughing about the song part of the video. We helped a guy today at the skills park by saying you have to "stand up to the jump"! 😂
I find it ironic that RUclips recommends me this video now, just as I am laying in bed recovering from binning my bike the second run into a 3-day holiday...
2:44 Actually, I don't want to spray it down "with my bike" Thank you very much...
You just saved me $3k-$4k (for now) I’m going to keep riding my Hardtail, and continue to do the legwork as a suspension 😅
Purposefully went out tonight in Slaughterpen and applied this on Rim Trail and Techgnar. It worked really well for the first attempts. While they were the absolute fastest laps on these trails, they definitely felt the most in control and smoothest. Thank you for the video!
Awesome to hear!
Another great tip video. A lot of folks make these 'tutorial' videos on YT but I must say.. your cornering / jumping and now this video... have really been among the best for distilling real information. Thanks dude.
I like to call it "Attack Mode". Mindset of attacking the trail ahead of you with an attack body position. Where I'm leading my bike to attack the section vs just letting my bike tack me. Makes all the difference. Loved this video.
How to ride fast.... stay off the brakes. Problem solved 😄
I'd imagine that's a lot easier clipped in, you can really relax your legs and feet instead of having to keep them wedged in the pedals over the fast bumpy stuff while on flats. Big reason why I've been considering switching
You are such a great teacher! Your cornering advice changed my riding style permanently for the better and now this masterpiece. I'll try it out on the trails immediately!
+1
+2
Brake without locking up and skidding, though. The trail mavens will thank you.
Thank you for the good an simpel video,s ,🎉 i love to watch this , it is my 3rd video an al are good.
Ps. Please let him sing😂😂
the faster i get the more i do this. it also gives you more confidence in your braking (and heats the brakes less). that's also why most say you should start on a hard tail: you are forced to ride the bike rather than letting the bike ride you and thus absorb with your body "let it buck" that way
Solid advice. I have found myself unconsciously doing this sometimes and recognize how much more fun and smooth the ride is. Need to focus on doing this on purpose more often! 😁🤙
I ride hardtail and it teaches me to stabilize my head.... I am no fast rider by any means, but I am learning... I am trying my hand at cross country racing and been doing trails a lot now
Excellent video and advice! I think another huge thing is to make sure your suspension is set up properly for you and your terrain. Neglected suspension settings can make a nice bike ride like a cheap bike. Keep up the great videos!
"if you're anything like me, and i know I am..." lol. definitely going to use that one in the future.
so many good tips. always well illustrated. gotta love the Loam Ranger !
Start on a bmx bike. There. Easy!
I was very skeptical when I read the title. But tbh, I think you made 2 really good points! And easy to implement
To add on to #1, start riding pumptracks and try to ride them efficiently. that will solve 99% of issues 😂
Good to see the fastest rider in my area agree with these tips!
I've noticed the same thing with braking. I've noticed that going downhill on the ruff stuff makes you bump around a lot and caused my chain to come off actually, but if you wait for it to be open without roots of rocks and pull hard on brakes you slow down better and can ride the ruff stuff. Also riding BMX helps I feel, cause you get used to standing up and also pumping
I think LR is on point. However, there are a few things that should've been emphasized that riders
should adopt ( helped me):
1. Relax - no death grips - when you're relaxed you can think clearly and react to the terrain with no pressure. Also, if you're relaxed your body is not tense, so you're more fluid with the bike.
2. Use the Dropper Post! : These days I'm probably 90% of the time off my saddle. I'm usually standing on my pedals in a Squat position. There are a few benefits to this: 1. You have a better vantage point to see what's ahead. 2. You're ready to 'Rock N' Roll': You're in a Proactive position - ready to respond to the terrain, Instead of reactive or passive. 3. Your legs act like an extra set of Suspension! They absorb the terrain and support you more.
3. Braking - what I learned was to feather the brakes and try to think ahead - slow down in advance or be strategic with braking like LR explained.
Adopting these points has made me a a safer and better rider, while making my rides more fun.
Try it, if you're not already!
Love how well you break down complicated skills into one or two key points. This video was like unlocking a door in my head. As soon as I applied the elements (still working on the braking thing) I rode faster, felt less fatigue in my hands and legs, and had SO much more fun. Thanks!!!
I've found that time training on a pump track helped me get off the brakes more and I ride much smoother.
Thanks for your videos man. Seriously.
Stand up to the bump. Tnx
Thanks for the tip , fore sure gonna go work on it ✊️✊️🥳
Is there a way to ride FAST on my MTB WITH fear?
great vid man!! And def diggin the Scuvers too😁
By far the best tutorials in the game. Thanks man.
Love the science.
I too, need to know the 'why' and not just the 'how'.
Trees need to be softer 😂
Implemented the attack braking tip yesterday on the trails and was sooooooooo much faster..mega tip🤙
this is something that even if u kind of already knew this hearing it from someone makes all the diff.. i cant wait to hit the trail tomm....Thanx man.... Keep up the amazing content!!!
Something that goes along with your let it buck tip… ride a hard tail for a while! I’m the lone hardtail rider in my group and it’s very obvious that everyone I ride with has become too reliant on all their squish. I don’t think most of them gave themselves time to learn the fundamentals and proper technique.
Very Cool Tip! I am going to give it a try.
Ahhh Babe…I gotta go riding again…gotta try something I just watched. 😂 I’ve been watching “how to corner faster” “how to jump better” “how to set up your cockpit” and everything is working. Getting faster Strava times just by doing these things. Isn’t biking great!
This is really well explained. It took me my first 2 years of riding to grasp and start to put together the "let it buck". I kept watching the really good riders, trying to figure out how they kept their torso and head still. Visually, I understood, but riding, I couldn't translate what I was doing with my body until this year. It made such a huge change to my riding, I keep trying to explain it to my riding buddies and wife.... now I have a video to show them ;-) Awesome on the breaking, I'm looking forward to trying that and getting better and faster. Thank You!
Learned this by riding full rigid Fat Bike this winter , the hard tail life will teach you a ton about proper riding
100%
Maybe I should have delayed my departure to Windrock yesterday and watched this when it premiered. Maybe the broken ribs wouldn't have happened. Ooops. What you say with the "Let it Buck" makes total sense. I equate it to how pro BMX riders use their arms and legs at it makes it look like their bikes are just floating over everything.
spray it down with your bike. what? 2:45
Your point about the full suspension bikes is so important. I had several friends all get into riding over the last couple of years and i recommended to all of them to get aggressive hard tails rather than start with full suspension. Their confidence has struggled to improve ironically ever since.
Your video last year on cornering changed the way I ride for the better 10x, hoping this does the same, seems like solid advice
I really see I have blood for this but I need MONEY
I does have fun on my 120$ 26" old school bike but,
I need a better one to be able to to things whiout breaking it in half,
and equipment.
Your videos are so good!
Thank you very much.
according to what you say , let say i want 150mm of usable travel and account for 30% sag and 10% of safety travel , i need about 195mm of actual travel, lets just say 200mm
Probably should preface this with... "you need to be able to ride confidently first and have a good understanding of your trail".. Cause without those things.. you go brakeless, you gonna die real quick lol.
Awesomly explained video dude. I will use this video to expand my girlfriends rider this summer. Thank you :)
I'm struggling right now because I used to be better at this, but Ive had 2 bad wrecks in the last 10 years that both resulted in concussions. Both were at speed where I missed a line slightly and went over the bars. Now I enjoy it, but I am so cautious and slow on any descent. I dont go out as much as I used to, which doesn't help.
I was really hoping for another song… “stand up to the jump” was a best seller!
Without the song… I just might forget this great technique😁
STAND UP TO THE JUMP, YOU GOTTA STAND UP TO THE JUMP! You have the simplest, most effective pointers!
What’s up buddy?! These how tos you’ve done, this, the jumping and cornering, are some of THE BEST how tos I’ve ever watched. And I’ve watched a lot. So simple. So concise. And they work! I was clearing Aline thanks to you!
Can we get one on how to whip?! That’s my next big goal, I’m trying but I must be missing something, and something tells me a video of yours will give me the answer.
Your tutorials speak to the person who appreciates simple but detailed and logical explanations for the concepts in many areas of bike handling. Thanks for all the great info. And the songs... Definately the songs.
Hasn’t your harms and legs always been the only useful suspension? Look at bikes from the 80s.
Dude, you are FUNNY! However, your instruction is top-notch. I've watched hundreds, if not thousands, of instructional MTB videos over the years (from Brian Lopes, John Cowan, Ritchie Schley, Darren Barrecloth) and your instruction ranks with them!
How many newbs will go out after this video and really crash hard or break a bone. Hmm.. I guess you need to practice.
Yeeeeeees, I am a XC rider with a full XC bike (Specialized Epic) and I do exactly those 2 things and man I go fast, and there is a plus,brake pads last even longer, I run a pair of MT8 brakes and the original pads lasted more than 2.400km and they had maybe 600-800km more, but I what to try some new syntered pads
So it's not just me!!!!!!???? (the eye jiggle).... I can't wait to try this..but it's raining so it'll have to wait until tomorrow. Thanks for this advice!
Awe, I wanted a song! :-( I still have "stand up to the jump, ya gotta stand up to the jump" permanently stuck in my head. I even sung it this morning dragging the recycling bin back up my driveway - ya, i'm kind of pathetic really. Anyway, great advice, glad I'm learning how to ride a hardtail first before I buy a full sus. Let'er buck is basically my mantra, but now I realize that i've been over braking and stiffening up exactly as you say. I'll try to attack the brakes on my ride tomorrow.
I fight against my bike and trail every time. I get back home with massive arm pump and arm cramps. lol
blue print for mountain bike right here people
Can I add 2 more? Look ahead; as far ahead as you can. That will "slow down" how quickly things are coming at you. Secondly, look where you WANT to go. Don't look at that tree in your way, look where you want to go AROUND the tree. If you get fixated on the tree, you will hit it. That happens to motorcycle riders all the time.
Wow! I just watched this and went on a pretty nice trail for the first time, right away! I was always pretty scared to let go on rough terrain because I never really knew how to break properly and corner properly! This was so freaking fun! I barely even touched the brakes after a while! The trail is unmarked and pretty rocky with two tire trails, not too steep/fast and the turns were quite mild, but I would have never had the balls to let go of the brakes this much because of all the rocks! I attacked the brakes on little straights right before a few corners that I couldn’t see what’s coming next, but i felt pretty comfortable! I let my arms and legs take a beating and the leaning in corners felt so natural for whatever reason! I never felt like I was losing control, not even close! I don’t have a seat dropper post but I lowered the seat a bit to make it easier… It was pretty much up and down all the time so I didn’t want to drop it all the way, no way I could climb some parts and didn’t want to stop… It was about 20 km all together! Thank you! I watched a lot of stuff but this was the one that really made a difference for me! I got a pretty old 29er BMC hardtail, Team Elite TE03 and I love it! New tires, serviced, new flat pedals, forks tuned, gloves! Buying a helmet soon! Planning on putting some new basic Shimano brakes, the Avid Elixr 1 it has are quite soft and I don’t really trust their stopping power at all lol got in quite afew sticky situations because I couldn’t slow down quick enough… But all good! I’m so stoked, MTB is so fun and I’m happy I got so into it!
Amazing 🤩 I’m usually on the brakes 90% on a fast trail so tomorrow I’m not gonna brake until I need to and see how it goes 🎉
Rich Drew in Bentonville says the exact same thing: Your bike has 130mm of travel. Your arms and legs have 450mm of travel.
So I tried this out today on my ride. I felt a lot more confident going fast, though I learned quickly that “aggressively attacking your brakes” is more of a dirt/single track concept and is much less effective on gravel… still works, you just can’t be as aggressive, especially on turns or you’ll find yourself sliding all over the place!!
I did set a record on Strava though, so it works!
I don’t know what you’re trying to imply halfway in, but 3” is at least double what you NEED. In fact, my girl likes it rigid in the rear sometimes. Me, I try to be fully rigid, but that usually requires medication, I get sore the next day. These old bones aren’t what they used to be.
This video just sucks. Trying to follow along with Go-Pro in hand and he jumps to screens without explaining how to get there. I've had it on pause for an hour and STILL can't figure out how to access the screen for audio. He also promises to explain other controls and it never happens. Disappointing and useless.
Stop making videos with professional bikes and try with 'beginner bikes' that around 450$
Technique is very similar to downhill moguls - keep your upper body as still as possible,. facing in the direction you want to go in, while lower body bounces like crazy!
100% accurate my third year has been set back for injury but it will be ok. Yes my bikes ok! I ride a short travel cross country, I ride all blue and most black d trails .Worked on jumps over the winter. I cannot wait for this hamstring to heal up and get back after it!
u are amazing guys! love how you are simplifying things
Please make a sell a shirt that says "Let it buck" with a silhouette of an MTB'r shredding some gnar.
Edit: I definitely WILL buy.