Five Mountain Bike Skills That Have Made Me A Better Mountain Biker

Like any sport, mountain biking requires a lot of practice, patience, and determination to see improvement. When I’m on my bike, I’m almost always playing around with different body positions, braking or shifting techniques, and other tricks to see what feels ‘right’ and what allows me to go just a little bit faster or feel just a little bit more comfortable in the air. The only way to improve your mountain bike skills is to try and try again!

It takes time, but after years of practice and self-learning, I’ve worked hard to hone a few techniques that have made me a much better and confident rider. There’s always room for improvement, of course, so I’m still learning as well, but if you’re new to the sport, focusing on these five skills is a great place to start.

Ready to up your game? Here are 5 tips and tricks to help you improve your mountain bike skills.

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1. Learning how to track stand

Track standing is probably the number one mountain bike skill that has improved my riding. It has given me more confidence to roll slowly and steadily into steep, technical features and it has allowed me to climb techy trails more easily (if that even a thing?) by improving my balance on a bike. Track standing has has also proved to be an intro to more advanced skills like nose pivots (I’m still trying to master this one!).

Track stands aren’t difficult, but they just require a little bit of practice every day. The payoff is absolutely worth it, though. Being able to track stand will give you more confidence and allow you to progress on to more advanced tricks and skills, I promise!

2. Dropping my outside foot while cornering

This was a mountain bike skill that I learned by myself after zipping around corner after corner, year after year. Most people keep their feet parallel on each pedal when they corner (this actually even taught by some instructors), but I’ve found that if I drop my outside foot and really press my weight into it, I can lean my bike to the inside and carry much more speed and momentum around the corner.

The key is to put a lot of weight on that outside foot and let the bike lean to the opposite side, creating separation between you and the bike. Try it and see what happens!

3. Lowering My chest to the handlebars on descents

If you look at racers flying down the racecourse, you’ll probably notice that their chest is hovering just inches above the handlebars and their elbows are out wide. They are in this position for a reason. It’s called the attack position and it allows for maximum speed and maneuverability of the bike while going down technical terrain at speed.

So next time you’re cruising down the mountain, drop your chest closer to the handlebars and keep your elbows out wide and arms loose. You may find that you crush some of your Strava PR’s.

4. Proactively using the suspension

Mountain bike suspension can be used passively and proactively. Passive suspension comes into play naturally – when you’re going off a drop, when you’re bombing through a rock garden, when you’re landing a jump, etc… passive suspension makes your ride as smooth as possible thanks to the quick work of the front and rear shocks.

But when you start using your suspension proactively, your riding can get even more smooth and fast. I like to call it ‘bouncing down’ but it’s also called ‘compressing into your suspension’. Try to use your weight to ‘bounce down’ into the pedals to create a bit of lift that floats you and your bike over rocks and roots and other obstacles. This is a mountain bike skill that is also needed when learning how to jump. You’ll hear people say something like ‘compress before the lip’ which will help lift your bike – and you – into the air. Another place to proactively use the suspension is with cornering. Experienced riders will compress into the belly of a berm or corner and that compression will actually propel them out of the turn at a faster speed.

It’s a bit of a hard concept to explain in words, but once it clicks on the bike it can be an aha moment. Practicing your compressions on a pump track is a great way to start.

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5. Learning how to bunny hop

Truthfully I’m still learning how to execute this elusive mountain bike skill – the bunny hop. But even in the beginning stages of learning how to get both wheels up in the air from a standstill, I can see how it will make me a better mountain biker and my rides a lot smoother. Bunny hops are super helpful when tackling technical features on a trail like step-ups, hopping over fallen logs, and showing off to your friends.

There are lots of videos online to help you get started with your bunny hop. I personally find this one really helpful.

Bonus tip: trust the bike

I don’t know how many times I have bailed or pulled back on a jump or drop or even a fast corner because I simply didn’t trust the bike. Bailing is a natural evolutionary response that has kept our species alive for thousands of years. But more often than not, if you just trust the bike and let it do the thing it was designed and built to do, you’ll sail easily through whatever obstacle has given you the willies.

Most of the time, but not always 😉 

Trust the bike. (As long as you have been keeping up with proper mountain bike maintenance)

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What tips or mountain bike skills have helped you become a better rider? What skills are you working on? Let us know in the comments below!