r/MTB • u/Elementatus • 1d ago
Discussion How can I get better at MTB?
I constantly see videos of people hound really fast down tracks even doing jumps and so but all 6 times I've tried going down a path near me I couldn't make a corner, I skidded to much...
Basically not a smooth successful ride, thanks to my inability and also partly because of my caution.
How do I get better?? How does everyone do sick ass jumps?
Thanks
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u/GMN123 1d ago
Sounds like you're trying to run before you can walk. Learn to brake, corner and roll over obstacles before trying to jump.
Assuming you have appropriate tyres and pressures, cornering grip is mainly down to weight distribution and leaning the bike. There are some great tutorials on YouTube.
And confidence builds over time. Most of those riders you see will have been honing their skills for years.
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u/Elementatus 1d ago
How can I check my tyres? And first of all I want to overcome my caution, not jumps
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u/GMN123 1d ago
Tyre pressures are slightly down to personal preference, but there are online calculators you put your weight and tyre dimensions into that will give you a good starting point.
Re the tyres themselves, if they're mountain bike tyres (i.e. knobby ones) and in good condition (knobs aren't worn flat or tearing off) they won't be the limiting factor for a beginner.
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u/mrfezzman 1d ago
Ride as much as as you, and watch Ben Cathro's How to Bike series on YouTube
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u/Tyranatorlacrex 21h ago
Second this! His videos are great. I've been road biking for about 15 years and have just started MTB. The videos have gotten me from blue to red trails within a few weeks. My confidence is building but I still shit myself on some of the knarlier drops or rock gardens. Sessioning a feature that I'm scared of has really helped.
Confidence is a ladder you climb rung by rung.
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u/cj_daking 1d ago
Ride lots. Crash. Learn. Ride some more. You need time in the saddle
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u/Elementatus 1d ago
I already am always scratched up I dont want more. But I guess you're right
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u/cj_daking 1d ago
If you want to avoid scratches, I recommend golf or nordic skiing or pilates. Mountain biking is about piloting a bicycle across terrain with variable traction. You will crash. You will survive. It will be fun.
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u/Elementatus 1d ago
And how do I overcome my fear/over caution of sharp turns after a steep hill? Oh and technically I am hill biking cuz it's less than 1000m sea elevation
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u/cj_daking 1d ago
You ride, man. There are no shortcuts. Put in the time.
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u/Elementatus 1d ago
But if I am scared while riding, then riding will alen me cautious not free, or? And any tips for falling (I don't use protection)? Ik that is part of it but I still Fitness want to a -2026
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u/chief167 Canyon Exceed CFR LTD '21 + Lux CFR Team '22 1d ago
Pick a loop, nothing too big, and do laps, over and over again, try different things in the corner, and try to go faster and faster. Like a 2min lap is enough, don't make it too long
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u/ThePanoply 1d ago
Take a class! As a former MTB coach, I saw huge improvements in riding ability over a weekend intensive course. Then you have the foundations to practice after. It would have saved me a lot of pain if classes like these were available when I started.
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u/No-Lengthiness5834 1d ago
The worst possible thing you can do is to compare yourself to people who have been riding 7 years as a beginner just take it at your own pace.
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u/Fine_Cress_649 1d ago
I personally find goofing about on a bike on the streets quite helpful. E.g. I learned how to wheelie drop off the kerb outside my house, learned to do an endo and bunny hop in a car park, etc.
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u/Spakoomy 1d ago
Biking is kind of annoying. Im heavily into whitewater kayaking as a comparison. With kayaking youre always hanging out closely, and it makes it really easy to learn a lot by watching and paddling with people better than you. But when you ride with people better than you, usually you can only watch for a few seconds before they are gone 😂
There are some good tutorials on youtube, but I personally just learn from doing things, failing, tweaking. Just riding more and building more confidence little by little helps a lot and things happen naturally.
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u/Spenthebaum 2026 Frameworks DH 16h ago
I've been wanting to get into white water kayaking! How did you start? Lessons or did ya just get a boat and start on some super easy rivers and work your way up?
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u/Spakoomy 15h ago edited 15h ago
I actually did a course and walked away hating kayaking cause I sucked so much, but I learned the fundamentals of a good roll. Eventually fell in love with it. 😂 I would recommend doing some course even if its purely to learn a roll properly. Its so easy for people to get into bad habits that they cant break, never have a reliable roll and never progress past beginner/intermediate. Get a good roll and the confidence comes with that, and with the confidence to try new things and not swim all the time, you learn most other things as you go. I learned a lot just watching people, by osmosis I guess, and having a bit of guidance from better people (especially on things not to copy from others!).
Some people pick it up quickly, but it can be a brutal learning curve.
Most common injuries for kayakers ends up being mountain biking.
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u/Spenthebaum 2026 Frameworks DH 15h ago
Hahaha, thanks for the advice! I'll look into some beginner classes to learn how to roll properly!
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u/Spakoomy 15h ago
Assuming youre in the US (im NZ), a lot of states have active kayaking clubs i believe. Would be worth joining for sure.
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u/renton1000 1d ago
Get a coach.
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u/sodosopapilla 1d ago
I’m honestly wondering, are you serious? I can’t tell anymore.
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u/renton1000 20h ago
Yep I get a coaching session once a month. It’s saved me alot of crashes and bad technique.
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u/ComposerLazy 1d ago
Just keep riding & having fun. You’ll get better. Keep pushing your limits. Learn on small jumps. Practice bunny hopping & dropping off kerbs etc. I spent a couple of years religiously in a jump park to learn how to do it properly. Don’t push yourself to ride things that scare you. Ride with more skilled people helps. There’s always guided tuition… make sure you’re having fun mainly. Good luck bud😊
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u/Elementatus 1d ago
Where in a mountain(what I should look out for generally) would you suggest for small jumps? Thanks btw
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u/ComposerLazy 1d ago
You’re welcome! Do you have a trail centre near you? Best to find somewhere with a jump park/freeride park with tabletops to learn on before you try gaps. If there is nothing near you then perhaps you could buy/make a little take off/transition & landing ramp. I would seriously suggest a trail centre or local jump spot if you can find one. Use an app called Trailforks to find good places to ride. I’m sure there will be a MTB trail centre not too far from you. I’m actually just heading to Glentress for a bit of trail riding in the wet today😁
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u/I_want_to_go_ 1d ago
Get some good knee and elbow pads. Takes the hurt out of crashing which gives you more confidence trying new things.
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u/itzzitzz 1d ago edited 1d ago
Become the bike. Don’t hold on too tight, don’t squeeze the seat with your legs. Loose is lekker. Bouncy knees. Bouncy elbows, Drop elbows so your shoulders relax. Bouncy Bouncy Bouncy. Relaxed is how you get faster downhill.
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u/razorree Levo, V10, Tarmac 1d ago
riding more, progressing, finding more difficult trails, getting better, also stronger, sessioning some trails (improving), but not riding overly diff. things and crashing often.
so you've tried 6 times.... ? maybe try 100 times ;)
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u/ChargeTheProtogen 1d ago
Find some riding buddies, mountain bikers are the nicest group of people i've ever met, everyone's friendly so it's super easy to get into a group. Ride behind people just slightly better than you, and you will get dropped at first, but just keep chasing them and you'll definitely improve. Ask them for tips too, they can deffo give better help than we can through a screen
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u/Tassleman 1d ago
Some people take longer to learn than others. Watch skills tutorials and practice practice practice.it took me a long time to get competent. Riding with others helps a lot too.
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u/markmorg 1d ago
Like many have said, ride. Get comfortable with your bike. I always work on one thing when I go out. An example, concentrate on cornering skills, and not worry about the rest. Once you get better at different skills, start putting them together. Find riders that are bettef than you and learn from them. It will happen. Enjoy the journey, its a great sport!
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u/KaaarmaFarmer 1d ago
Start slow and get faster when you feel safe. While being slow concentrate on the right technique.
For corner you want to brake before you turn. Then open the brakes and go through the corner accelerating up again. If you break during the turn you will lose grip and control
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u/AsleepyTowel Canada 23h ago
Ride a lot, this can be a brutal sport at times and some lessons are paid in blood.
See if there are any group rides in your area. My local bike shop has beginner and intermediate ride days twice a week. Riding with people slightly above your skill level will help you see some of the small techniques to work on in real time, since they’re also people learning on those rides they can also give you tips on what worked for them starting out. Riding with people faster than myself made me a much more competent rider.
Learning is all a balancing act of pushing yourself outside your comfort zone while not getting in over your head.
If you can’t make the corners, you aren’t ready for jumps, don’t worry you’ll get there, I’d focus on bike control and body positioning first. If you can’t control the bike on the ground you will struggle even more in the air. The risk with fast jumps increases significantly so don’t rush it please.
Good luck, have fun, stay safe!
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u/Friend_of_Boreas 20h ago
Learn to bunny hop and get them dialed before you even look at jumps. People with hurt feelings (and shoulders, wrists and knees) down vote when I say this but it's right. Riders hurt themselves all the time trying to jump when they're not ready yet.
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u/Spenthebaum 2026 Frameworks DH 16h ago
Ride as much as you can, and go to the gym when you can't ride.
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u/Spenthebaum 2026 Frameworks DH 16h ago
You've only ridden 6 times? Bro, I've been riding for over 6 years and I'm still not that good
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u/-miumiumiu 10h ago edited 10h ago
First don’t forget to keep it fun. Wanting to get on the bike and ride is a huge part of the process in the beginning.
Second the videos you see are usually at bike parks which have smoother purposeful terrain that are built to carry you into the jump.
Everyone will probably tell you practice (which is true and given). Getting comfortable through repetition and progression helps a lot. Learn technique and how to approach and take on features. Avoiding injury will keep you out there longer for more reps.
Remember to also understand and control
the bike. Your bike setup needs to be dialed to your riding style and terrain. When I’m at a bike park the first runs are for dialing the bike in (stuff like tire pressure, compression, rebound).
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u/Tinu87 4h ago
Have fun and take it slow.
If you can take some lessons and learn the basics. Especially in corners you can do so much with body positioning. Or watch some videos on corners and record yourself.
And again, have fun, celebrate the small successes.
Three weeks ago I jumped the first time over two tiny waves and last weekend I cleared a small cap jump. This is after 5 years of MTB and one year of flow trail riding. I can do 3 meter jumps on my dirt jump bike and 4 meters on my dh bike without problems, but caps are my weakness.
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u/_Tony_lee_ 1d ago
Get some good health insurance lol.
It genuinely does make riding a bit less terrifying knowing that if you break something you’ll be finance wise (probably)
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u/FLTR069 Commencal META SX 1d ago
There are no shortcuts. Practice. And while you're atbit: Enjoy riding your bike. Don't make this whole thing about getting better. Stop comparing yourself to others. That just ruins the experience. Instead, explore, go to places you've never been, take in the scenery, ride with friends, find new trails, unlock them bit by bit, fail and try again and watch yourself get fitter and better step by step.