9 ways to improve your riding in 2024
9 Ways to improve your riding
Mountain biking is the ultimate nature meets mindfulness and adventure activity. Improving your riding helps you experience flow, presence and keeps you riding more- less crashes, less money spent on medical expenses and bike repairs!
There are a few things I have noticed that have the greatest impact on how fast someone progresses in their mountain biking:
1. Ride on easy, familiar trails to build confidence
Many people want to explore new trails, and that's completely normal. It's exciting! But regularly riding trails that are familiar and well within your riding limits consolidates skills and allows you to be more playful on the bike. Being more playful naturally builds bike/body awareness. You also build confidence and fitness, which serve you well when it's time to explore new trails
2. Focus on technique over speed
If you dial your technique and slowly add speed, you set yourself up for success when you really get moving.
If you add speed to poor technique, you can amplify the poor technique and increase your chances of crashing. Simple things like knowing when and how to brake through corners can keep you upright once you add in sharper corners and higher speeds.
3. Practice skills in isolation- in an open, controlled environment
So many people tell me that they've done a skills course or clinic, and then never practiced those skills on their own (off the trails) again.
You can make big gains just by setting aside 5 minutes at the start of a ride to focus on one particular skill. Make a date with the carpark.
4. Get some coaching
Even coaches need coaching. Doing a skills clinic, and another one, and re-doing them is a great way to level up. Each time, and with a positive growth mindset, there are always new things to learn.
5. Visualisation
This may sound a bit 'woo-woo' but if you look at high performance sports coaching, this plays a huge part. If there is a section of trail that you find challenging, work out what you need to be doing to get through and then visualise yourself doing that thing and making it through.
6. Time on the bike
Short rides, long rides, riding to the shops, riding with kids. The more you are on your bike, the more you get to feel how it moves, how your body moves in relation to your bike. You also add small amounts of incidental exercise which in turn improves overall fitness and condition.
7. Find friends to ride with
This is one thing that all of our participants at past events and clinics have spoken about the most. If you have friends that ride, get regular! Set a ride day/time and commit to it as if it’s a fitness class that you’ve paid for. If you don’t know anyone who rides, there are plenty of groups on FB that organise rides- and we have our seasonal Ride Club for those that want fortnightly organised rides.
8. Ride with people that are more skilled
Watching experienced riders allows you to see which lines they are choosing, look at their body position, cadence, etc and often pushes you to try new things.
9. Mindset
Half of mountain biking is the mental side of things. When you tell yourself stories, that reinforces to your body what you are capable of and keeps you stuck in that cycle of ‘can’t’.
Reframe the story you are telling yourself about that section or that skill. Instead of 'I can't do that, it's too hard' or 'I can't ride that' try reframing it to 'I'm working on improving on this section'. Instead of ‘rocks terrify me’, reframe it to ‘I’m working on building confidence over rocks’. It might seem like a minor shift, but this internal dialogue is a big contributor to your confidence.
I’d love to hear what has helped you improve your riding the most?
Check out our skills clinics and Ride Club options, based at Stromlo Forest Park, Canberra.
Updated 3/6/2024