Should YOU still ride your MTB during this Virus Crisis? It’s Springtime. The weather is beautiful. You’ve been itching to ride all winter long and now’s the time!!!…. Except that we have this damn Coronavirus mess going on! Also, we’ve all been hearing all kinds of advice, warnings, threats, dismissals, about the dangers and responsibilities that we’ll […]
Some great riding in this video. Take a look and let’s focus on three things this rider is doing very well. (and check out the breakdowns and explanations in the text below): 1) The riders head is very calm (The “imaginary Glass of Water” technique) 2) Great line choices (lots after the 1:10 mark) 3) Jumping […]
To paraphrase a good buddy of mine who is a life long rider, shop owner, serious racer, and DirtSmart student: If you don’t think you need MTB coaching … and you’re reading this, YOU NEED MTB coaching! Check it out: There are two reasons riders seek MTB skills coaching or instruction (and we’re talking skills oriented […]
Hey Everybody! I know I won’t win any design awards for this “video,” but it’s still very useful information. Check it out! Bad line choice combined with too much speed and momentum get a lot of riders in trouble when the trail is loose and rough. Sound familiar? Here’s a simple technique that will help […]
This video deals with the adjustments in body position and weight placement that a rider will need to make on those really steep, loose, nasty sections of climbs. (Also, check out a couple more articles that relate to those nasty climbs and proper body position on the bike.) **** CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO **** […]
There are three cool videos below that relate to good line choices in mountain biking. But, first, a little something on the subject: Reading the trail or track properly is arguably the most important aspect of riding a mountain bike fast and/or safely. This blog post focuses more on the Going Fast aspect of riding […]
How hard can it be to lead a mountain bike ride? All you have to do is make sure no one gets lost, no one gets hurt, and everybody has fun, right? Unfortunately, people get lost, get hurt, and have terrible experiences on rides all the time. These mishaps are almost always preventable. There is […]
Cornering on a mounatin bike. “Jump for show; corner for dough” Being able to turn your bike well is a huge asset to your riding. If speed, flow, and riding to the best of your ability is a concern, then cornering well is a must. And if you’re new to riding – a beginner, novice, […]
Brake Control and Wheelies Here’s the latest Technique of the Week video: “Brake Control and Wheelies” However, before the techniques in the featured video will make much sense, the rider must first understand basic wheelie techniques. DirtSmart videos featuring those techniques can be found here: Pedal Wheelie Technique; and, here: Manual (or Coaster Wheelie) Technique. Normal […]
(CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO) Technique of the Week — Get Low How low should we be on the bike when we get to nasty sections on the trail? How much bend should we have in our knees? Well, essentially, as low as we can get and that’ll give us about 90 degree bend in […]
I guess this could be more of a “Tip of the Week” instead of Technique. But, still good stuff. For some reason, I’ve never run fenders on my bikes. . . until now! They looked a little goofy; I didn’t think I really needed one; and, honestly, I really didn’t think that that little piece […]
Welcome to this week’s Technique of the Week. This week we’re going to talk about brake lever set-up and a little about braking technique. I always want to pick a topic that will be relevant to riders of all levels, and his one hits that mark. The first bit should a no brainer for most […]
Very few riders — beginner or advanced — use the ratchet pedal as much as they should. Many beginner and novice riders have issues with pedal strikes — on rocks, logs, etc — while trying to pedal in technical terrain, especially on climbs. As we all know, it’s essential to keep forward momentum on tough […]
Check out this video featuring many of today’s top professional Enduro and Downhill racers (and, yes, the following will apply to beginner, intermediate, etc., mtb riders): Click on HERE for Video Notice this: when things are going correctly, all of these riders have virtually no movement in their heads. Of course, they are moving down the track, […]
I’d say probably 20% of my biz is from people that have a “crash hangover.” In other words, they had a big crash and are having a tough time getting their head back in the game. Their confidence is rattled and all they can seem to focus on when they get on the bike is […]
Why should you clock some time with chairlift accessed MTB riding this summer? Lot’s of reasons… First, let me say that I’m just as guilty as anyone for not getting my butt up to the resorts these past couple years and getting some time in with good ol’ chairlift accessed downhill mountain bike riding. Committing […]
“What tire pressure should I run?” I get that question all the time. It really comes down to a few simple things. It’s the way that these things mix together, work against each other, cancel each other out, and so-on-and-so-forth that makes it all very interesting, and thus, a real tough question to answer. What […]
Rant Time!!!! This has been killing me lately, so why not whine about it publicly and get to off my chest? Haha… There are ton of mountain bike coaches and coaching organizations out there these days. Everybody and their brother (and sister) seem to be a “certified level blah, blah, blah MTB coach”. As a person […]
It’s All About the Balance Some cool stuff going on, right here… Maga (in the video below) is a previous student who was the classic example of an animal on the road bike and smooth XC stuff, but, fairly new to mountain bikes, she was very timid anytime the trail got even the least bit […]
Often, while mountain biking, we can usually get away with sloppy technique on relatively easy climbs and still make it to the top. However, when things get steep and loose (when traction is at a minimum) and obstacles such as water bars, erosion ruts, baby-head sized rocks, and who-knows-what-else, begin to appear on the trail […]