4 Habits That Are Destroying Your Confidence On A Mountain Bike!
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- Опубликовано: 10 июл 2024
- Being good at riding a Mountain Bike essentially boils down to two things - skills, and having the confidence to use those skills. Confidence comes with practice and unfortunately, it can be easily knocked by things like a crash or overthinking. Rich Payne is here to show you four ways that you might be destroying your confidence on the bike and how to avoid them!
⏱ Timestamps ⏱
0:00 - Intro
0:37 - Looking At The Front Wheel
1:45 - Overthinking A Feature
3:20 - Over-Braking
4:52 - Time Off The Bike
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Do you have any tips to grow your riding confidence? Share them with the community down below!
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I like training jumps with people that have already done them before because it really just helps me judge my speed and enhances my confidence
This is a great tip, and a really good move for all levels of riders! 🤘
I'd say a well set-up bike really goes a long way to grow confidence, just knowing that you can trust what you're riding and knowing how it works while you ride honestly makes you so much better.
Not falling goes so far when it comes to building up confidence you won’t fall.
How can i manage to trust my 300dollas hardtrail?
My problem is the exact opposite, my confidence exceeds my ability! Probably from watching your videos more than hitting the trails. :)
It won't stay like this. Crashing will make you ride safer, OR you progress so much that the only features left to hit are so massive they make you scared again.
Sam Hill in your head, Benny Hill on the trails
Hey David! Maybe take your next ride a little more chilled, just in case! 😂
@@mctrials23 Say the Truth!
Ride more and take the advice from better riders. Safe riding man!! 🙌🙌🤘
Some times you just have one of those "off" days, so when you do, it's sometimes better to cut a ride short if you're just not riding like normal (making too many mistakes, especially on what would be easy sections) before you make that one mistake which can leave you unable to ride for a while. It's better to swallow your pride so you can ride another day.
Or even better, just go ride something easy and fun. Regain the confidence, keep fitness and bike skills up, lower pressure.
@@plabptng9 but still, sometimes you just have an off day.
This happened to me snowboarding once. I'd been riding for about 15 years at that point, black & double black runs were no problem. But this day I could barely get off the lift without crashing. I managed 2-3 runs and then took the easiest way down and called it a day before I hurt myself. Next time out I was fine.
@@TheyForcedMyHandLE Apparently they didn't read the part in parentheses about easy sections. I have had days where I wanted to ride, but it was like I left my skills/abilities at home, basically riding like a new guy on his first mtn bike ride ever.
I have only recently started mountain biking again after over 15 years not cycling at all. I am very aware I don’t have to skills I used to have and am building up my ability again.
Overthinking features, that‘s 100% me. In my head I always end up with the handlebars in my eye. No problems with things where you can progress linearly like table tops, big problems with everything that has big consequences at some point like drops that are not longer rollable.
I face the exact same problem
I recommend, no matter how skilled you are, start your day on a blue. I start every windhill session with a few runs on Bluetopia. It gives me track information like is it dry or wet and it tells me if I'm in good form for the day. Then I'll hit Tina Turners, Pass The Dutchie (on the left hand side) and Empuru if and only if I'm feeling good about the riding that day.
Blue run warm ups help get that confidence set up for the rest of the ride without excessive risks which may knock ones confidence.
The guys at GMBN know full well what an incredible track Bluetopia is for exactly that purpose.
Hey Andrew! That's such a good idea! Warming up is so key in a dangerous sport like mountain biking. Wind Hill is such a great place to ride (especially Bluetopia). Safe riding! 👊
@@gmbn Safe riding to you guys too, here's hoping to see you guys up there soon. 😀
For me, it really helps to follow behind someone who knows the right speed/ lines for jumps and tech stuff. Going the first time is always the biggest mental barrier, and having that reference really increases confidence ( unless you screw up ;)
I love riding behind faster riders just so I can follow their line it helps a lot
I do a bit of mountain bike guiding mostly intermediate rides, however when you are guiding (or riding sweep for a group) you are never riding 'your own ride' and some reason it always messes me up when I get out for my own rides. I feel like I am all over the place, my pace, timing and everything is off, which blows my confidence. So one thing that helps me is to avoid the trails I have taken groups out on. I have to ride something different and let my rhythm and feel for trail come back to me.
Along with overbraking, which you’re 100% right about, is overuse of the -front- brake. Combined with overbraking, too much front will demolish confidence by making those rough sections so much harder than they need to be. It can spiral. Too much front brake results in scary mishaps and even falls, which causes some to use even more front brake.
Looking down the trail is essential, if you stare at your front wheel your ride will be full of unwelcome surprises. I also try to keep in mind that if you try to ride smoothly instead of trying to ride fast you will eventually find yourself going faster and you won't need as many bandaids.
only looking far is just as bad as only looking close ..
My tip on technical rocky parts, especially on a climb is don't spend to much effort trying to find a line with less rocks and weaving around. Often times the right line is more straight and right over the rocks. you will waste less effort trying to avoid rocks and direct that energy in a nice straight line.
For the climbs, I would add to that to pick a harder gear and hammer a short punchy climb, allowing momentum to help get up and over obstacles.
You will go where your eyes go. In turns, spot your entry into the turn and immediately look to where you want exit the turn in not blind. If you are staring at things you don't want to hit, you will surly hit them.
One more note about being off the bike for a long time...trails change from use and maintenance, sometimes for the worse. A feature you know could be completely different and catch you off guard.
To manage difficult downhil sections with getting of the brakes, can only help on trails where after this section there is a place where you can seriously slow down. It is an partially uncontrolled manner ,because you deliberately gave up your speed control. So that technic is only a temporary solution and doesn't help anymore when the trail gets continously steep and slippery. For further progress you have to train yourself to manage difficult sections slow, with balance, dosed braking and weight distribution. The alternative would be to go down like a real downhiller with high speed a super capable downhill, wearing a lot of armour and hoping that everthing turns out well.
I have been riding for a few years off and on and recently decided to attack this at full speed. Purchased a new bike, which is a learning curve in its self, but i stumbled across your channel and I absolutely love your videos and your attitudes in relation to riding. Great information and fun to watch. Thank you guys. Keep cranking out the good content.
Peace from Montana!
I needed this video. I got squirrelly and hit a tree a few weeks back and lost all confidence since, haven’t been able to let go of the brakes...definitely in a funk
Same. I'm a beginner downhills are the scariest for me. Can't seem to get over them
#UsingTheRearBreakesTooMuch
Try riding a favorite trail (perhaps not the hardest grade track in your bag)... using Front Brakes Only.
The best motor cross riding I ever did (ok mildly Mediocre like my videos) was on an older bike with drum rear brakes that never worked...
The result was the confidence to go into a corner hot then hard on the brakes... only to release the breaks and turn in... rather than feathering the brakes through the corner...
I found doing the same on some trails on the MTB gave me confidence in the front, how much weight I could throw at the front wheel under braking without loosing the wheel... and if I did, a quick off, on and its recovered... without locking the rear and sliding into the unknown.
What can you loose... a few teeth?... ok so start slow...
another confidence booster is to find a grassy slope with runoff and try the same as slow as you like... see how much the front actually will grip even in wet grass given half a chance.. and no influence of the rear brake.
And my old favourite... for confidence in that front end... see how far you can pedal on a gravel patch with the front brakes locked. I can do about 1-2 meters if I sit back a little to unweight the front.
yep i pretty much do all of this at the moment😀
We've got a bunch of videos waiting to help you out then! 😉
I just published a video where I felt this exact same way! Meaning, I hadn't hit the trails on my MTB in a bit (had been on my gravel bike) and everything felt "scary." Really needed to see this video, GMBN! Thanks Rich!
Practice never makes Perfection.
It's nearly impossible, given the endless infinite variables. Practice does make progression though. 👍
That’s actually really helped me, thanks guys, you’ve just pointed out all of my mistakes. Now I know what to work on
Really liked this video. Short, but had important information in.Two thumbs up!
All spot on! Not that anyone needs my endorsement, but I've learned these lessons by live fire. For me, the tip about riding bumpy (tree roots, etc) sections faster rather than slower struck a nerve right away. I learned this by trial & error. For me, thinking about watching MXers skip across the top of the whoops sections helped me. I lean back slightly to lighten up the front wheel and found that I can rip through bumpy root sections way faster and easier on my body than taking them slow and feeling every bump. And don't brake if possible. Just let 'er fly, it's much, much smoother in most cases.
I'd say that the biggest challenge for me is landing from a jump front wheel first. I just can't seem to get there. I grew up riding MX and BMX and always land rear wheel first or both simultaneously. I just can't get comfortable being over the front wheel when I'm in the air. Maybe you guys already have a video on this, I'll search.
Cheers guys , keep up the great work
Excellent product very useful to traveling
This is great video... These are definitely hindrances to progression... I either overthink or brake too much. On bigger features, I prefer to go slow initially, vs full commitment going fast... In some cases, not possible to go slow!
I notice I can hit more complex slopes with my new better bike. So, what I think I'm getting at is that one limiting factor can actually be your gear.
Your tips are really good though!
I am not a mountainbiker but I learned alot about life in this video!
Still struggling to regain my confidence after a silly mistake caused a big big crash. Its so frustrating how long it takes to build confidence & how quickly its destroyed
I don’t even remember/know what happened leading up to my crash (I was alone on a favorite trail). I don’t remember finishing the trail (the fastest way back to my truck). Nada. Now, I’m afraid of every skip, slide, and wobble.
Nice one 👍
My biggest issue is OVERTHINKING! I know I've got it, but I just think too much sometimes 😅
Same here
It's same for me even really easy trails I used to not do because I'd over think it and trick myself into believing I'll come off the bike which won't happen
In the early days my problem was trying to progress way too fast. I kept setting timeline goals that had me throwing myself into sketchy sections way above my skill level. No bueno. At all.
That's something we've all been guilty of! It's important to challenge yourself in a safe and realistic way, but you've got to be somewhat ready to make that next step! 👍
The main way I struggle with riding confidence is jumps to be honest. Had a massive stack on a 7m long 2m high step down and broke my back last year and I can't yet overcome the mental barrier. I'm still working on it though to get back to the bigger stuff!
Hey Elliot! We remember the crash from Fail Of The Day! You'll regain that confidence, but annoyingly it just takes time. We wish you the best of luck! 👊
@@gmbn Thanks heaps!
This video trivialises just how dangerous mountain biking can be. The bikes have become more capable and the trails more gnarly. The number of casualties at my local bike park is staggering. Serious injuries. Death in some cases. There is confidence - and there is hubris.
Would love to see a vid about riding fast loose big rocks. Did a ride in the Lakes (Garburn Pass - Nan Bield) recently and had some big ol' rock strikes. Would love some advice on riding stuff like that and not trashing my frame and shins. 😁
I know I need to stop looking at my front wheel but God damn the view behind my bars is nice
I ended up fracturing my foot on a fall because I was looking at the tire instead of in front of me. Great video.
Sorry to hear that, hope you recover soon!!
Reminded me when I was actually under braking because I feared that my front would just slip. Was going down on a slope (for which I was not skillful enough) and feathered the brakes lightly but I was not slowing down enough. There comes the a slight corner and I was flying into the bush. I probably also instinctively braked fully at the last minute and got over the bar, but I cannot remember completely. Maybe having the front washing out is still better than going straight in a downhill corner...
Damn guilty of all of them!! too steep terrain (lack of confidence due to long time off the bike)... over braking, looking to close to my front wheel... lot's of work to rebuild my skills :/
It's really nice of you to make a video completely about me lolol. Literally each section I'm like "yuuuuuuup"
I have to say that one of the worst habits i notice out on the trail are people not being aware of the danger. Every single time I've ridden with someone (over some time) who is way to overconfident something bad always happen. The best way to get good is to stay injury free, and consistency is key.
Great video. Where was this filmed?
Overthinking... Look once and then decide, dont stand there for 10minutes cause that mindfucks you
It's important to find a balance. We recommend having a good look at what you want to hit, so you can asses if you've got the skill. You're right in saying standing there for ages won't do you a lot of favours. We'd suggest having 3 attempts at the run in and if you can't do it, then leave it for another day. 👍
Love the video gents
yup, yes, check, also me
Think I'm guilty of all of these to be honest. Somewhere along the way the over-braking crept in and combine that with not cornering correctly really affected my confidence. Worked on my cornering a bit yesterday after watching a video of Aaron Gwin's and by the end of the ride my cornering felt quicker and more controlled.
Sometimes I have days when I'm not on it. No real particular reason, I'll hit some features and basically not be as good as last time I did them. So I have to give myself a kick up the backside to get back to how i usually am 🤷♂️😅
Thanks for the video!! For my it’s difficult to regain confidence after my crash, scared to get hurt so badly again😔
Hey Giles, Sorry to hear about your crash! Make sure to ride within your comfort zones and you'll be out riding worry free in no time! 🤘
Go back and ride easy features and don't try harder things until you feel real confident on the small stough.
I hear that! I got hurt pretty bad in a crash a few years ago, and while I still enjoy riding, I definitely do quick risk assessments before I hit certain features or obstacles now.
me too, plus i'm over 30, but ive fixed this by patching myself up with every protective gear the world has to offer, then, like this video said, plus beeing towed get you to overcome this nasty counterproductive fear. Plus, think of it this way: some hit 40feet jump, so how is a 10 feet drop a big deal? good luck !
One day I was heading out to do a big drop. But me and my bike were fighting all the way so I just road out had a look and waited for another day
Sounds sensible, good choice there! 🙌
First off, thank you for all the great videos. I'm hoping that you or someone can help. I'm wanting to get into mountain mountain biking the problem, I'm tall 6'7" and I'm overweight , 370lbs. Is there a bike out there that will support my weight or is it a lost cause. I want to do this to get in shape and to do something that I would find enjoyable. Thanks
Shane, Buy a rigid steel bike, and ride the road or gentle dirt trails. Your current weight will overcome most components. Once you drop down to that 250 range you can ride anything you want. Once step at a time! Good on ya!
The real trick to lacking confidence, is to just ignore it entirely. When you send it... follow through.
I noticed, at least for myself, that if I look at my front wheel, it moves or keeps my center of mass forward, therefore preventing me from lifting the front properly. LOOK AHEAD, NOT AT YOUR FRONT WHEEL!
I always look the tire!! It's frustrating to me especially in jumps
Facts
✅
GMBN has such a good presenter team in place now, I still miss Henry though
An easy way for me to keep my confidence is to take off my brakes so I can’t stop when I see a new drop
As for the braking point, could this also just be using 50% braking force instead of say 75%? I tend to get in trouble when I just let them go completely. I end up getting up close and personal with trees at the bottom since I’m going so fast and can’t make the turn at the bottom.
I am still never comfortable on jumps or drop offs and switch backs are a little hard for me because I have a higher center of gravity due to lifting.
Where are you? That looks dope
The staring at the front tire thing is so weird. I hear it all the time. Apparently it's extremely common but I have never done this. It completely goes against instinct for me.
Fell off on a tiny berm and destroyed my shoulder. Now I'm stuck. Won't do features that run fast into berms, super slow around berms so I'm not riding in the sweet spot.
It's infuriating and frustrating. I overthink them but can't seem to stop it!
Start slow and small again to reinforce good muscle memory, maybe a pump track or other paved surface so you're not thinking about traction?
Hey Mel! Patience is key when you've had a crash. You'll regain your confidence back gradually. We wish you all the best! Safe shredding! 👊
@@nk-dw2hm Cheers for that. I went front wheel over the top so actually the bigger the berm the better! If there’s a wall ride on it, even better again as there’s no riding over the top 🤣
2:24...if it was Neil doing it..it would I've been 'neiled it'
Watching your video sounded like you had been watching me ride :-) :-) :-) ....
Haha! We've got plenty of videos to help you correct these bad habits! 😂😉
Hi from Arizona, I'm 61 years recently bought a norco fluid vlt and am very concerned about doing endo,s when I jump your team have any advice to keep me behind the bars? And out of the clavicle club.
Hey Billy, There's no need to be concerned, check out some of our MTB jumping videos for guidance! Here's one to get you started! - ruclips.net/video/gQjzMa-LShg/видео.html
hey great video .....just an observation ...i note a lot of you ppl ,over GMBN , dont use gloves , dont you think is good for beginners to have them on ...safety first
Not riding is the biggest thing you can do to destroy your confidence, so get out and ride
I can't pay the crash if my confidence it's too much... So I belongs to the team ⚓ (well not that much, but I'm the slower of my pack)
hey gmbn
Heya! 🙌
Anytime spent on a bike is time well spent , no tip or trick will help your riding , like seat time will
Where has this been filmed? Looks like somewhere in the alps.
It's easy do perform when you wear a pink power helmet 😀
What about if old faithful that I’ve done a million times is what I’m scared of because I messed up badly and landed in hospital? Warm up on something new?
Yeah that's a great shout. Warm up on something smaller to get used to the feeling of jumping again, and build your way up from there. We hope this helps! 👊
Can you think of a reason that you messed it up? I think a lot of the time it takes some honesty with yourself about what made you fail, if you can address that true reason rather than blame something else to save your pride, then make sure not to repeat it again, then there's no reason why it should be going wrong. If you really don't know why it went wrong, then you probably were never doing it that well in the first place, and need to go back to the drawing board. From personal experience my crashes are often pulling the brakes in fear or trying to dismount. Jumps i usually go too fast, and I see others learning jumps all go way too fast. Learn to jump slow and it will become pro. Corners I look too close in front instead of looking for the exit and also leaning my body over the side too much rather than just tilting the bike often makes me wash out
My frame broke and im still waiting to be able to ride again.
Practice makes permanent. Not perfect
Overbraking is the worse
The only habit that needs to end are full suspension bikes!
Wearing a pink helmet would be enough to ruin my confidence 🤣
Meh, it's just another colour. I love that Blake and Rich are rocking the pink without a care in the world.
Apparently, they're worth a 20% speed boost! 😉
The bad habit that’s I’ve developed lately has been spraining myself at work… it’s really been ruining my confidence… er time on the bike..
How many speeds does this mountain bike have.
Rich has been attending Blake's acting school.
My definition of mountain biking is different than yours I don't downhill I don't Enduro I only do XC and Trail.
And I don't consider bike parks mountain biking either I consider mountain biking getting out in the mountains and riding on a trail
Sounds like you're limiting yourself to a narrow scope of enjoyment and exalting your chosen discipline above the rest. Bravo sir, we're all the same
I can't think of any parts of this video that don't apply to trail riding. You don't need confidence or warm ups?
Have you ever considered urban mountainbiking?
Hey Dan! XC is a great discipline to ride. Although mountain biking has so many sub-genres like downhill and enduro. 👍
@@yengsabio5315 only if he gets to look down on others while doing it
I'm pretty much guilty of all of these.
Where's this filmed? Those hills look a bit big to be Britain.
Top quality acting 😂
i never knew there were people that only ride when they can go to a bikepark... how??? i drive but whenever something is close by i take the bike and freeride trough town .. what kind of poser doesnt ride outside of trails?
Brakes
Where we are going we don't need brakes
please make the intro and the transitions a tad less loud.... the talking is great and then PAAAAAAAAAAAAAAW
25th 💪
😎
5:35 Dont do that
Guilty!
We are in an age of equality and parity but this fad for guys wearing pink lids is just not on and looks just wrong.🤣
Ahhh
Not having a bike that allows you to enjoy rides like these.... ;)
Low energy advice and not funny. I’m new and in need of technical pointers, does anyone have a better source?
5th
There's no medal for 5th. Maybe next time! 😉😅
Nah it's skill and pure balls lol
my bike are expensive than him one of that terms😅
I recently ate shit a week ago cause of this, road rash and bruised ribs on left side. Not fun
First
🥇👍
first
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