5 Easy Ways To Make Your Mountain Bike Faster

We all want to improve our riding, and for some that means getting faster. Here are five bike set up tips from Doddy that should help you and your MTB perform better and get faster on the trails!
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Watch now for some tips on: tyre pressure, cockpit and suspension set up, the weight of your bike, and giving your ride some TLC.
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Leave us a comment below!

[@gmbn]

What do you do to help you and your MTB perform better and get faster on the trails? Let us know!

[@Macca78]

This question is off topic but I'm 41 and last 3 years got back into mountain biking currently have a whyte hardtail but looking at getting my first full suspension mountain bike was looking at a nukeproof mega which is 2600 pound but I no there alot of 2020 models coming out. I use my bike every day going gym and going work don't have a car like cycling so I get the use out of a bike willing to go up to 3 thousand pound do you recommend any enduro bike thanks

[@bobbyhempel1513]

I just keep riding. How do you get to Carnegie Hall?

[@wild_yeti]

Yoann Barelli ride with his levers horizontal because of his 3rd testicle

[@isaacbuell6360]

hello

[@chimps4gimps]

Get fitter.

[@williamdavis9471]

Red Frame +15% speed

[@erraldstyler]

nice, mine is signal red, so i started mtb´ing already with atleast a 15% boost!

[@0lioderso]

Mine is yellow with red decals = +5% speed xDDDD

[@noaheardley2011]

I have a fully red bike😎

[@Tartanyak]

Sadly, I've found my bike goes much faster when I change the rider :D

[@gmbn]

🤣 Just keep riding and having fun and you will improve for sure! 🤘

[@roonietunes7]

"fast" isn't as important as "fun!" get out there!!!

[@haydenbrashier7487]

ruru ! so true

[@blonothanjano7008]

fat

[@stephenlord599]

ruru ! I started deliberately riding slightly slower quite often and just concentrating on fun

[@aljowen]

My top tip: Don't crash it. Since the bike doesn't tend to move all that much when you are told not to ride for 3 months by the doctors :p

[@FlyEaglesFly333]

😂😂😂 right. Same here dude. Going on 3 months without riding... Every Beautiful day makes me so salty.

[@lemchejunior761]

I just broke my collar bone for the second time in two months. going four months without riding (i am on day 8 now) it is boring as hell

[@sheiladawg1664]

@@lemchejunior761 One collarbone was enough for me but 9 ribs later I think I got it right finally.

[@lemchejunior761]

@@sheiladawg1664 Oof. how do you break ribs on MTB. hitting your rib cage onto your handlebars?

[@sheiladawg1664]

@@lemchejunior761 Endos; high speed and on rocks.

[@FlyEaglesFly333]

Get your fitness right first before spending $$$ to save 1kg.

[@vedanttoke20]

I love mountain biking and I am doing it from 11 months and I go to school and my age is 13, so due to my school and tution studies I had left mountain biking for some time and the games like free fire make us mad about them and I had also started cancelling my 10km rides in morning. GMBN I am coming back to mountain biking because of you! VERY VERY BIG THANKS!!!!!

[@HUSHHUSH-]

Doddy hits us yet again with some important tips . Awesome content

[@onvesythemighty6041]

as always doddy bringing solid content! keep it up :)

[@kylemaclellan3891]

Well like a car; you need to make your bike faster with: 1. A spoiler 2. Racing stripes 3. Random red bull stickers 4. Blue Seat with racing stripes 5. Blue pedals

[@ontwowheels151]

My friend told me stickers makes you faster

[@caspcav15014]

yes they do

[@willgriffin7066]

indeed they do

[@The_Dude_420]

Exactly, hes right

[@pinus_nigra]

I learned that from Cubert Farnsworth

[@oliverfrankel1537]

On Two Wheels true dat

[@quintenbronsveld6501]

Dad: Son, why are you eating so much, you are getting fat! Son: I want to gain speed, doddy told me

[@cubecumber]

Great to see doddy back on gmbn! :)

[@the_spanner_ch7mp]

Great tips Doddy Keep the awesome content coming #GMBN 👍🤘

[@gmbn]

Thanks Ross! 🤘

[@Lopezglezcarlos]

Thumbs up if you want new GAME OF BIKE video! :P

[@gmbn]

Or a game of cards?

[@Lopezglezcarlos]

Global Mountain Bike Network or game of dices (with Sam Pilgrim) 😏

[@th_js]

Not liking your comment, but yes, I do want to see that.

[@silk8029]

Thanks for the amazing content

[@gmbn]

Stoked you like it! 🙌

[@danielstormy3660]

1 thing that makes your faster for sure: Stronger legs :-)

[@unknown-6664]

Thats true but if your left crank is loose and is gonna come out thats not the case!!! Thats my problem helppppp

[@The_Dude_420]

No that statement is very wrong

[@xtote]

Sure, but thats not an easy way, wich was the point of the video.

[@sayestofb3690]

At some point when im in top gear my legs move faster than the pedals. Should i tighten the chain or something. My point is i can pedal faster than it can go.

[@szabolcsfulop8986]

@@sayestofb3690 it has been four months so i hope you figured , but if not, the chain might be a little off yeah ,also it just might happen that you are strong as fk and that is the most of your bike you ride, third option would be you have a shitty bike overall

[@willbennett7107]

Thanks doddy could you do a video about upgrades that make you faster like tyres etc

[@yakz9885]

I found that going bikeless saves weight and makes me faster.

[@xxMissSummerxx1]

Being chased by the neighbour's dog makes me ride faster 😁

[@cedricclark1461]

I ride a mullet set up Hardtail, I have to put a lot of energy to gain speed now I consider myself if at 52 work out regularly also I'm a season rider. But I noticed my pedal efficiency doesn't engage as well. So I'm not at all slow at times I have to catch my breath and recover.😎🤙

[@Dan_Kornfeld]

Speed can be gained by running tires that have the optimum tread pattern and rubber compound for the terrain you’re riding. The tire’s thread count and sidewall construction can also be a factor in the bike’s rolling speed and cornering capabilities - choose the one that suits your riding style and preferred terrain.

[@madmartigan9720]

Cleaning my bike makes it feel like brand new.

[@michaelcannon9516]

Having the right tires for your terrain will help as well.

[@paulogazola]

I my case, after I've changed my handlebars, I started to feel a pain in my wrists. With a tiny amount of rotation of the handlebar, changing the angle of attack of my wrists, the problem was solved. The effects of a good (or bad) handlebar angle (~rotation) is massive, to bike fit and to confidence.

[@Buddyboz]

Funny- adding weight. I’ve got a Pinion fun sus enduro bike. I’ve had some guys meet on the trails and say “all that extra weight must slow you down!” For one it’s not that much more. Two, it’s not on the rear wheel- which makes the rear sus much better. Three; as you mentioned- it’s weight is in the bottom centre of the bike. And you just suggested it makes it faster having the weight there. Love my Pinion bike. Most people find it fascinating. Those other guys are just jealous lol. Thanks for a great video

[@primitiveniglets9964]

Love the videos

[@gmbn]

🤘

[@tylerjohn9952]

What is that poster In the background with all the helmets on it ? Love it !! Must have

[@christiandyrvig5789]

Also, changing the rider often makes a bike faster :)

[@sudhapachegaonkar3106]

I would like to express gratitude towards GMBN COMMUNITY for training me to be a good mountain biker.

[@migatron1]

Clean it !!!

[@nekantgt40]

Faster bike? ez just remove the brakes!😎

[@Ravenpicturez]

Actually not a bad advice xD One of the ways i saw the biggest improvements in both speed and the effort required, was to slow down enough to where brakes where not needed. Then ride the section again increasing the speed every time, while trying not to use the brakes. By doing this i ended up doing some sections faster while almost not pedaling, where i used to be pedalling all-out which resulted in unnecessary hard breaking that only slowed me down. I've seen a massive cut in time which is not linear to the power output. I have an old time of 1h 18min 249watt/avg at my local XC trail, i've done a 1h 19min at 215watt/avg - Same conditions pretty much. Clearly i used to waste a lot more energy. And i used to think i was riding pretty smooth... clearly not xD

[@Bolix345]

@@Ravenpicturez that's a really good idea !

[@marhgaming6306]

Also remove the seat, pedals, cranckset, cassette, de railer, and chain. Necessities? No no, extra weight. Remember you want to go fast, don't worry about stopping

[@Ravenpicturez]

@@marhgaming6306 Exactly, and inhale helium before riding. 🤣

[@marhgaming6306]

@@Ravenpicturez oh yeah it's all about air time and speed, hell while your at it take off your helmet and backpack, more extra weight

[@jaroold]

Looking at upgrading my forks on my hard tail scout to gain a little speed and comfort! Leaning towards rock shox pike but can’t choose between dual air or solo model? Any tips or preferences??

[@mattlyon3488]

You lot need to make a bmx/dirt jumping channel

[@MikeTechnology]

Well my bike it is a nightmare riding it daily around 5 to 7 mile . But still it fell slow as hell maximum achieved speed was around 18miles is a breeze brand bike got it for around 140£ third hand but look like brand new . I check the tyres pressure and inflating it according to the pressure wich was write on the tyre side . But it is quite a heavy bike over around 18kg . Thank for the tips

[@JZ-xu3vg]

what kind of tire pressure would you recommend for not rocks but very large oak roots (very hard very smooth very large) all over a trail. I've tried low to medium to high, the low and medium just stop me before the tire conforms to the root, however the higher tire pressure gives me less friction making it harder climb the path and the get traction on the root. Do you have any suggestions for working through technical Rooty terrain, whether or not they have to do with tire pressure? very much appreciated.

[@travelmoustache]

Any tips for bike tires (27.5'') that go on 80% Road and 20% trails (no heavy ones)

[@Gabriela-jc4pt]

But what's a good beginner tyre pressure? For a hardtail

[@toasty8547]

Adding a pulse jet on the back

[@anthonywalters7434]

I found that my bike is faster when I have the suspension tuned for someone who weighs 50+ lbs more than me

[@SeptemRoptem]

Brightness is weird in this one but thanks for the info

[@mbainrot]

Dialing in the derailour, bike don't go real fast with the chain jammed in between the cassette and the dork disk/spokes

[@sheiladawg1664]

Dork disk. LOL.

[@mbainrot]

@@sheiladawg1664 12 spd derailours are a finiky bastard, I dumped the chain again inspite of it being seemingly properly :| but yeah no dork disk meant a 40 minute repair became a 10 minute repair :D

[@sheiladawg1664]

@@mbainrot It's not the chain adjustment, it's the stop. You need to limit the chains movement to keep it out of the spokes.

[@mbainrot]

@@sheiladawg1664 Yup main mistake I made was I didn't manually advance and release the derailour so as a result the tension in the cable was hiding the fact the limits where wrong thus how I managed to over shift it :D so all better now, hopefully lol

[@juniyantink6233]

Hii, do we need to changed the crankset to make bike go faster?

[@dperez1044]

Doddy you're a blond headed bike genie. I really wish you were my friend in real life, we carry the same values and personality honestly. Any time you're in Ventura California hit me up brotha.

[@gojo_amv120]

My bicycle is 1year ago can I change baring ball s? Pls fast reply

[@jindrich5562]

#1 rule for making your bike go faster: Train and lose some of your weight!

[@hedemalmcarl]

I have to order new rim because it broke and mavic recomennded me a light but durable rim so it will reduce rolling resistance

[@arelic8343]

Will all these tips, buying a new one might be better and cheaper

[@hanzvictorpagcu8000]

What is the right tire pressure

[@ap1reviewsadventures96]

#askgmbntech hey Doddy! I ride a hard tail salsa timberjack Deore 27.5+. I am 6 foot tall weighing in at 245 beer guzzling pounds. I currently have a tubeless tire on my rear and the original tubed tire in the front. Obviously tubed and tubeless offer different pressures. Can you advise on that would be a good suggestion for my rear tubeless and front with tubes being such a hefty guy? Cheers

[@fildag260]

1:30 nice clock

[@Oldfatbeerman]

One tip that seems to be missed by most Bicycle riders / (ex) spurts is fresh tyres , tyres with sharp edges give the best traction , if your knob edges or worn are rounded the grip will be sub standard .

[@nyedavis922]

Man I have a worn knob edge

[@sayestofb3690]

But what if i can pedal faster than the bike can move??? Strength is not the problem, my legs are really strong, but at some point it seems as if i have few extra rpms in my legs. Should i tighten the chain or something??

[@andrewcannon2468]

How does a mountain bike tire with a tube burp

[@ravennexusmh]

Should of added that those heavy cassettes can choke your suspension jsut like heavy wheels can

[@lcc8394]

New chain, cassette, grear cables all will help to speed an old bike up, new brake pads also

[@th_js]

Don't forget grips.

[@nasonguy]

But how do I dial in my SR Suntour XCT on my hardtail? Throw it in the garbage?

[@fx_matze]

How to make any bike faster : 1. Remove dork disc 2. Apply stickers 3. Pump tires to the max 4. Grease the brake pads 5. Turn on Strava

[@andrei3720]

Where can I find that poster with helmets?

[@toffeedan5172]

Andrei 🤔think it's from dirtyjerseys.co.uk

[@stupidstuff2911]

Where do you ride

[@mountainbikesarefun5119]

Hi guys just wondering if u know if any websites that can help me DILE in my suspension when I set it up my self I can never feel the bike when I ride it’s Ether to soft or to stiff . If you get back to me can you put a link to a site plz . Thanks 🙏

[@davidjenkins8449]

Mountain Bikes Are Fun check to see if there manufacturer has a manual

[@chinno321]

the wheels are 26 inch?

[@Twentykixx]

Place 29ers on it, or go to a 29er ride...Done!

[@ROSE-by5su]

I want to be more like a freerider but a enduro bike how can i make a enduro bike feel like dh bike or like a freeride kinda thing

[@th_js]

Up the front travel with 20mm,35mm stem, slammed seat and really beefy brakes.

[@guitar14]

#askgmbntech What is your opinion on bikes like the Giant Trance 29er that have 130mm and 115mm of travel front and rear. Do you see a need for a bike that falls in between XC and Enduro?

[@geemail369]

You mean *trail bikes* and *all mountain* bikes?!

[@simes205]

Best way to save weight, don’t have that extra massive sandwich!!

[@isaks3243]

well, my excuse for not keeping my bike clean is that the bike i don't keep clean is the one i rarely to never use and i only own it to ride down to town so i don't risk getting my nice expensive bike stolen. my two nice bikes are kept clean, lubed up and ready to go at all times and the only time i ever didn't clean my bike was cause i was not able to do so cause i had another riding day the day after and i slept in a tent between two swedish mountains that night

[@shobhitsoni4391]

I'm from India and I really get surprised watching bikes with air suspension. Here bikes usually don't have an air suspension. But those who have are extremely expensive. I wish this changes.

[@joelklap4437]

Can you make a video About oval chainrings it makes you go faster as well!!!

[@shahanuar4694]

Hi GMBN ,i have a question, my height 72.2 . Does the GT avalanche model fit frame size 16, tire size 27.5 fit for me? I want buy mountain bike.

[@erraldstyler]

go test ride at bike shops

[@andyjame9687]

The bike is solid and my Ebike conversion went great. kzbin.infoUgkxHL1v1R3NE5x4KiYfyt8dnQmyNYz7qi5L Very smooth ride at 30mph with no problems (135 miles ridden so far). The picture is a bit deceiving - there is WAY less space in the center of the frame than it shows. The suspension connection takes up the entire thing. So I needed to attach my battery on the bottom of the frame and my controller on the top. Instructions for assembly were lacking but honestly it wasn't too hard to figure out even though I have very little bike knowledge. Watched some youtube videos on adjusting the disk brakes but that was it. Still, I am loving it and very happy with the purchase.

[@jasonisaac1]

Everything Doddy said. Also as Steady Spin says, pedal more brake less!!

[@KitchenFSink]

How to backflip, how to tailwhip, how to superman andhow to ride big slopestyle jumps.

[@ethanmiller4524]

Setting up tyre pressure in is all about how much you weigh if you are under 60kgs 20 psi. If you weigh over 60kgs 30-35pis

[@rupedog]

Nowhere near that simple. I ride at 92kg, and have firm tyres at 26psi front, 28 rear. Unless ur riding smooth road, u dont need over 30psi. Common myth, hard tyres on mtb, but a myth none the less...

[@liamlen8732]

Ethan Miller wrong

[@MattDavisDH]

Don't listen to this guy. According to him the different in one kilo is a minimum of 10 psi. Totally wrong information.

[@ErikHawkinson]

My local shop gave me a good starting point for tire pressure: weight (in pounds) ÷ 7. Add 2 PSI for the rear, subtract 2 for the front.

[@jd6197]

I suppose #1 is to change the rider :)

[@hamSAH713]

i can be riding a 50 pound steel bike and you put me on a hill i will go the same speed as my friend that is on nino schurters bike

[@gogo_diabeto8279]

Best way I found to get faster is to remove the brakes

[@ttgttttt-el1hy]

HAHAHAHA i think this is a joke but removing your breaks can actually make you faster if you're not scared to crash

[@tylersharon5344]

My bike is well over due for a deep cleaning... jockey wheels are caked with grime.

[@lucaslavin6630]

livin' on apartment, have a garage for the bike better than a chill place.

[@two_broberni7233]

Ill give the best advice gere to make your bike faster just go full sent no brakes and u gonna be pretty fast

[@rubbersidedown4804]

More stickers = more speed

[@uttz7]

#askgmbntech love the show. Are ec and zs headset interchangeable?

[@raupenimmersatt6906]

You usually can install EC cups on ZS headtubes- but not much Point. But you cant Install ZS into EC Headset as the bearing has a bigger diametre than the headtube.

[@uttz7]

@@raupenimmersatt6906 thanks... was looking at servicing up an old bike and maybe get a fraction of a degree in head angle along with a larger front tyre

[@Dewoy1]

You forgot to mention tires profils.

[@rupedog]

Yes, correct tyre for terrain and ride style.

[@djsercy5879]

Put a small engine on the bike. 10hp can push those things above 50mph

[@slippy9916]

A buddy of mine put one On an old Haro V2 or something, talk about effortless wheelie's

[@Jabba1625]

That's dangerous as fk, sounds great

[@slippy9916]

Dammm I think about 35 mph on buddy's but fast enough for me it got Spongy stupid shocks

[@pstarxxx78]

I found that finding a steeper hill and a gas motor make my bike really fast.

[@bnick25352535]

lighting bolt stickers made me go faster.

[@hambo6713]

The most important thing I need to do is to stop breaking something every time I ride

[@lostone260]

Cost efficient

[@homegrown5128]

40+ I want my bike to be safe as well

[@zwitch7635]

I use stickers

[@mrexon]

Put air in your brake lines

[@chadb2077]

For some reason when i give my bike to my friend it goes like 10x faster

[@germination12]

1. Get stronger

[@PepeSanches4]

#ASKGMBN Hi guys! I seem to have destroyed my backwheel axel. At the local bikeshop they change it but I still sense an odd feel riding it. Can you point me to what my choices are in dealing with this? My bike is an XC 29"

[@RomanE_____]

Paint it in red? Red is faster

[@johnvocatura1019]

You forgot 32” wheels. :)

[@johnkimball5872]

Does lighter rider equal faster speed?

[@MTALinkTransit]

I'm only 15 I'm planning on going at extreme speed

[@JoshuaTootell]

#1: make the rider better. Train, train, train

[@mpmmusic8472]

Isn't that if you make your tyres thinner they quickly finish

[@James-dn1hu]

Why haven’t pinion gearboxes thrived as much the weight is in the right place and they are much less vulnerable to mechanicals than the convensional system, the benefits far outway the negatives in my opinion

[@SnowMongoose]

$$$

[@geemail369]

+ added pedalling resistance