Mountain bike skills you probably won't need, but can learn for fun!

Mountain biking is something most of us do for fun, and so not everything needs to be totally practical. Today we'll take a look at some skills that are really fun to learn, but won't necessarily make you ride any better. Enjoy!
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[@cybrsrce]

As bikes keep getting longer and longer the endo turn is becoming a required skill along with the wheelie turn. This is my "every switchback" challenge from the past few years.

[@johnbrooks5903]

Sometimes trails have skinnies that require it because they have sharp turns that your back wheel would fall off of

[@MancWithAMouth]

Also a massive diffirence between a schralp / controlled skid or very slight tail lift that just boots the ass end of a longer bike round the corner. There's a type that shreds tyres and trails and you just look silly and there's a line where it let's you just throw that sucker round some crazy stuff people don't expect.

[@chrisfanning5842]

I've been riding MTB infrequently for like 30+ years and the only skills I have with SPDs are trackstands, pretty lame bunnyhops, and full 180 endo turns. I don't know why I can endo turn better than more useful trail skills, but it's super useful on narrow trails when your GPS tells you (too late) that you missed that turn.

[@MancWithAMouth]

@@chrisfanning5842 garmins love it when a route over laps. Its as decisive as a fat kid at a buffet.

[@BasicBodThor]

Totally. I started about 2 years ago (so basically am only used to bigger bikes) and some trails I ride I'm genuinely confused how to get around such tight switchbacks. Trying to learn this skill

[@CoffeeMonster12]

Track stands are actually pretty useful when commuting, especially when clipped in. At crossroads, you don't have to unclip, you can just stay on your bike and wait it out. + its fun

[@alexanderexley5181]

Just go on the pavement/sidewalk

[@inventiveowl395]

@@alexanderexley5181 You know there are crossroads *outside* cities etc. right? :D

[@RealMTBAddict]

Clipping in is pointless lol

[@inventiveowl395]

@@RealMTBAddict As a platform pedal rider (excluding roadbikes) - being clipped in allows you to use quadriceps much more efficiently when pedalling, especially on uphill climbs. Also ensures stable position of the feet on the pedals while riding downhill trails at high speeds. While for some, it is unnerving to lose the capability to let go of the bike if needed, it is definitely not pointless.

[@RealMTBAddict]

@@inventiveowl395 I can pull up with good shoes. How people like being attached to their bike makes no sense.

[@niclaskarlin]

I learned how to ride sitting on the steering handle, with my back forward, and pedal. I did this at 14 and haven't used it for anything other than a party trick for over 30 years.

[@thewesty101]

Practical use: Impress your friends 🤘

[@Swag3OOO]

I do want to learn this but its just so skechy. Any tips?

[@joegomes1352]

@@Swag3OOO ya don't do it

[@cheesywheels]

@@Swag3OOO Yes, it it is so much fun once you get it! The first thing I learnt to do is to sit on the handlebars/stem, put one foot on a pedal and use the other foot to push away and freewheel the bike. Then you can learn to put both feet on the pedals and freewheel. The next step of is to start pedalling. Other tips: Choose a comfortable gear, which is not too high not too low. A slight decline can help as well.

[@lifeatitsfinest3019]

@@Swag3OOO I learnt a few months ago, when you lose balance, it sounds weird, but lean the opposite to normal

[@thomasbenito274]

As mentioned by the other fella, track stands are helpful not only when commuting, but also on trails; especially the ones that are quite steep. I use it when choosing which line I have to pass instead of just walking the trail down *IF* I know I can ride the way down.

[@taylornave4298]

Yep. I am pretty comfortable on super steep shit due to good balance on the bike (track stands)

[@ROSE-by5su]

My riding style can kill me on steep sections I just go no brakes and just pick the straightest line as possible pointing on exit of the section😂. But track stand are like 100% helpful like doing jibs around like trials or before your race run starts

[@andrewlevine3364]

Pivoting is useful in a lot of Enduro and cross country races there is A lot of tight turns that you need to be able to go around fast.

[@alhypo]

Track stand is actually pretty useful when you roll up to a steep rock fall and want to scout your line before rolling down it. If you dab while doing that, you're going to have a hard time starting up again since you are right at the start of the drop-in. You'd have to get off your bike and hike back up the trail so you can get a run at it. But if you can pause without taking your feet off the pedals, it's no problem to just start up again and drop right in.

[@youtubeviewer9523]

I have always found that the skills you don't need are the ones that are the most fun by far! Also they are helpful because you learn better bike control and most importantly you can impress your buddies at the trailhead lol

[@Urbruddah74]

Ur mom

[@Urbruddah74]

@LUKE & TRAILS he made his comment so long he’s not writing a story

[@youtubeviewer9523]

@LUKE & TRAILS Thanks brotha, I appreciate it!

[@DinnerForkTongue]

@@Urbruddah74 Not his fault if you got TikTok attention span.

[@Coerced]

And they're learned from the best mindset of all: play rather than necessity :)

[@mountainmoments]

The "endo turn" is a pretty usefull thing when riding alpine terrain like in the Alps. In fact, lots of people there take classes in just learning that for riding alpine hiking trails.

[@quentinrupin282]

Yeah pretty useful on the more mountainous technical trails over here in France 👍

[@philipaschliman1477]

I practice my track stands and riding backwards when I’m riding behind my 5 year old. Her average trail speed is negative 3 mph.

[@jeremyrowell389]

The rear wheel pivot is insanely practical. So many times I've missed the turn onto the singletrack and end up having to get off my bike and 180 because the trail is just not wide enough for my skill level. Definitely will be learning this one.

[@jasonk1540]

Pumping (or more accurately carving) like that is how those "pushless" boards and scooters work. You know, the ripstick. Essentially converting a sideways shove into forward momentum. Lot of fun to do!

[@MikeDS49]

Seems like Seth learned a lot of these things from his BMX days. I guess the best tool to improve your MTB handling skills is to get a BMX bike :)

[@niq872]

he has introduced several people with bmx backgrounds and after getting used to the bike they did amazing, so i definitly aggree with that statement

[@ryanparker4996]

yeah its like the go-kart to racecar graduation. people who get straight into a racecar dont have the same knowledge and muscle memory that go-karters have from driving smaller less powerful more maneuvreable "cars". there are so many thinga a bike can do that alot of people wouldnt be able to figure out without spending time on a BMX 😁 they are the "advanced riding trainer" bike

[@BW_Vlogs]

I started riding mtb last year and my third trail was a black diamond because I gained that skill form bmx

[@ryanparker4996]

@@BW_Vlogs I tried telling to roadies in the GCN comment section this and they laughed, they wont laugh when I pass them on a child-size bike 😂

[@seekpie4273]

Love your videos! Keep up the great work!

[@WelcomeToJ]

Brings back memories from when I was a kid. Rode my bike so often it was just an extension of my body. Felt super comfortable and could do just about all of these moves :) Great vid Seth.

[@WalmartBrandClothingItems]

I love the use of the hard tail. Thank you. I ride hard tail and some of these looked impossible on a hard tail bc of suspension.

[@GokkunGuru]

One of the best videos out there. Gonna learn some of these this summer!

[@MrMartinSchou]

I think the most impressive track stand I've seen was by Steve from EMTB, who spent a decently long segment to camera sitting on his bike, arms crossed. THAT was impressive.

[@sebastianjost]

there are quite a lot of people who can track stand no handed. Although that typically requires a (very) slight incline and of course many, many hours of practice.

[@MrMartinSchou]

@@sebastianjost I don't doubt it, I've just never seen anyone else do it.

[@Durwood71]

I saw a Circus Du Soleil show where one of the performers was on a mountain bike. When he wasn't doing his routine, he would sit on his bike for minutes at a time, completely motionless. I actually found that more impressive than his actual stunts.

[@slp_brick2212]

Nice video Seth always enjoy them. Keep it up

[@minisatan8353]

I like how the demonstration for nose bonking is just Seth walking the bike over and touching the front wheel on the log. Makes me appreciate the simple ways to do stuff

[@willsohrnberger2441]

I broke my arm nose bonking lol. (snowboarding but same thing) It was a feature 10ft in the air with a kicker up to it. It was a propane tank. I nose bonked too hard and it caused me to get off axis and i landed on my arm realllly hard, not on the landing, just from 15 ft in the air onto flat. Was a big yikes lol

[@Sebfish]

Love these tips videos!

[@robgoldsworthy4121]

love the vids Seth keep it up🤙

[@brian1708]

Your channels are amazing and all your videos are great! I think it would be neat to have people standing near all the features as you ride them to show the scale and slope in a different way.

[@Tramps362]

Seth you are one of the best mtb’ers i know👍🏻👍🏻

[@justinklink1588]

Great video. So many of these are things we learned messing around riding bmx in garages and basements. Ahh to be young again.

[@MrDJGix]

I use the front and rear wheel turn a lot to be honest. Really helps on the tight corners. Need to give some of the others ago sometime though.

[@sudhirshrestha2938]

One of best channel for cycling. I love it.

[@Harelparsi]

that was actually fun to watch and i am going to learn every one of those skills

[@MichaelKasch]

For me the Endo turn and trackstand are more essential than any bunny hop or similar 🤣 I do mainly ride technical alpine "hiking" trails, not adapted for biking. And that's the only way around a lot of corners when you absolutely have no space or need to hit the only rideable line. Trackstand is important to get an overview of what's ahead and helps you to ride slow. Sometimes there is too little space for doing it fast. Like an Endo turn right after a one foot drop with your front wheel

[@pxaxrxkxoxuxr]

This is great, old school Seth’s bike hacks ✨🙌🙌

[@Mikesonbikes]

Track stands are one of the best skills to earn. Helps with everything else!

[@christopherstabile7814]

Excellent seeing tutorials again.

[@spacemandave2345]

Thanks Seth for these Bike Hacks

[@Isaiah-ft5nx]

This is one of my favorite videos

[@yodatw]

You do some of the same things in motocross or dirt bike riding the wheelie turn the nose bonk it works! A little bit more weight of course but the wheelie turn comes in handy for tight trails etc where a normal turn would not work. Good stuff Seth thanks for the tips!

[@EgorSolominov]

Thank you!

[@jerryhermann7233]

this had some cool stuff i could do. im a clidesdale with asthma. close as i get to off road is rideing on grass. great stuff Seth!

[@philipsaoud244]

I sheered off my rear derailleur on a ride once and my friend, a former track racer, taught me the Madison hand sling. He was able to sling me all the way back to my car with minimal walking. Fortunately, I haven't needed to use that skill since, but it's nice to have in my bag of tricks.

[@samothlleb9747]

if I could say from years off a bike now days learning all these skills still gives you bike control and awareness , used to mess around with stuff like this out of boredom and often found I was able to recover from been a bit cocky or over zealous with my ability's or at least crash better 😂😂

[@platedj]

Really interesting some new things for me. Thanks!

[@crewlarkin4414]

Hey Seth I love your videos and keep it up

[@betterthannotgoodmtb]

Great little video sir. Balancing in place, I believe, is a beneficial technique that does come in handy on the trails though. I have a video where a buddy and I were coming down a trail and I ended stopping and balancing for a good minute. So it can be helpful.

[@ColinMcEvoy]

5:06 Hey Seth, with snowmobiles we call that a "re-entry" theres alot of very skilled riders that can do different variations but its really crazy to watch and somewhat difficult to do at first. This definitely reminded me of that!

[@joeshmoe7967]

Track stands at lights rule, but I am not quite there yet. More practice. Need to try more of these just for sheer fun. Great video. - Cheers

[@ljk3094]

Actually just got into mountain biking So I find this fun to practise

[@quentinrupin282]

Tip: when you’re learning how to lift the back wheel it helps if you “grip” the pedals. Basically what you wanna do is to point your toes towards the ground and pull on the pedals while you shift your weight forward by gripping onto the pedal spokes. Otherwise great video as usual Seth!

[@arduinomaster7334]

Just got my new mtb man it feels amazing i am starting the addiction guysss

[@creeperboybuilds8714]

Dude I can’t wait to try these

[@SuperMartinCC]

the knocking sticks, and stuff off the track is helpful, if you've got a few friends or other riders behind you that 'might not' notice it, so you moving it out of the way, is aiding safety, so that one I would say is a useful 'trick'. I am 30 years old, have been riding since I was a kid, watching Seth 'Bern Peak', shows me more useful ways. I've always wanted to get into 'mounting biking' but where I live, there isn't many places.

[@victorgetman]

I have used most of these as a daily commuter. All the repositioning stuff is quite necessary navigating the city sometimes.

[@mtbville]

Good stuff Seth 🤙

[@kittykat7618]

Can't wait to see this one!

[@Durwood71]

I use the track stand frequently while commuting. It's ideal for brief stops at intersections.

[@kapperr2340]

It’s the simple videos like this with easy and quick tricks that make me want to just ride my mtb practicing these in a parking lot😌

[@kudosbudo]

You can even track standing in place on a scooter. 10:28 Nice one. Love this trick. Furthest i have gone doing that is a mile and a half along a canal path after my chain broke. Also been discovering you can ride up certain stairs sets by hitting em fast and treating them like a ramp or roller. As long as they ain't too high you can shoto up em!

[@mattomann1093]

Trackstanding and pivoting are super useful when doing rock gardens and switchbacks. They are skills you should learn

[@thejdracer99]

Video quality looked really good in this video! Love the new setup your trying

[@AndrewJanidlo69]

I love looking foward to a video on the weekend in the morning to eat breakfast to

[@MBdrummer3288]

Yeah dude, dig that jersey too!

[@ericmgodfrey]

The track stand is wildly useful skill to have for technical climbs, just because it means your balance on the bike is wicked good. That weird bump that used to throw you off balance is much less consequential once your balance is really good.

[@pickledkiwi]

The pump movement is also possible to do on a pallet jack. Stand on the forks turn the handle left to right and also shift your weight side to side.

[@michaelblaker2334]

I loved that little "Oh shoot, where is the master link, oh wait, they are all master links" move as a nod to the chain made entirely out of master links!

[@rayracer141]

Nollie to nose bonk is one of my favs things to do.

[@Vartan297]

Some of this looks like magic to me.

[@willbennett8799]

A nollie on a bike has always been a polish wheelie for me and my friends

[@coachcurt7606]

The rear wheel pivot, would totally be practical for sessioning a feature. 🤘🏽

[@hedemalmcarl]

4:10 something great to do on smaller tabletops, i do it to sort of get myself in the landing earlier

[@markpercival476]

For the Nollie hooking your foot on the rear pedal helps lots too

[@topspot4834]

Happy Father's Day Seth and to all the Dads out there!!

[@BennytheJohnson1]

Nice vid. Thanks Seth, hope to visit the new MTB park one day. MN native

[@mortezamoradi3514]

this is one of the most handy videos you've created

[@sfkckl6846]

The rear wheel pivot seems practical in some scenarios such as a bear or other dangerous animal or unavoidable obstacle where you can quickly turn around and if needed haul ass the other way.

[@wesleyvicars874]

Hey seth!! Have you ever been to riveter? It is a really cool area and I think you could make a great video on it!!

[@shaharsdechen2537]

great one!

[@fishnrc294]

I had the skill of planning my menu when on return run back to the truck. I know it’s not a physical skill but none the less😂 As a well rounded mountain biker who rides technical trails honestly everything you showed comes in handy you’d be surprised what situations come up when you ride a lot. Bunny hoping up a rock ledge with a little momentum on one of my favorite trails reminds me of what you were doing. And I climb very steep rocky trails so I’ve actually crashed on the uphill before trying to power through something. Fell down a few embankments for sure. So track stand & balance can mean literally your safety. Anyone new if you truly love being just on your bike & improving go out even in your neighborhood & find things to ride it translates directly to when you ride trails. That keeps you hungry because you see & feel the improvements. Happy Trails.

[@Mrtom40]

Wicked vid as usual What rise is your handlebars

[@letsgoridebikes]

Nose bonks are my favorite and nollie's are practical for popping into downhill transitions.

[@mathiasfaber3101]

The the slow Mo's audio is hilarious 🤣🤣 As a beginner these "tricks" are going to be entertaining when tracks are not a option but you still want to improve your biking skills Great content🤩👍

[@renzogarganera6871]

Your video's always entertain me Keep it up man🔥

[@RealMTBAddict]

Videos*

[@mikey1196]

All good info and a top notch presentation as usual. Happy Father's Day Seth!

[@BOLkonna]

i love your string spokes

[@dyzoly]

A side nollie off a curb every once in a while feels really useful to me!

[@clipsclips8526]

every video made by seth feels like the high of summer fun idk how to explain

[@shadymtb4891]

Rear wheel turn around would be good for those sharp cut backs on a tight trail

[@YOEL_44]

With little experience I have still managed to do some nose bonks, it looks way better from the front so ensure your friends are not just following you.

[@BrickEngines]

I managed to learn many of these "unnecessary" mtb when i started bmx and i think they are really usefull in some cases but they are mostly for style

[@EricFB]

6:53, good for style points on drops. About all I can see that one being useful for.

[@BrettG64]

Pumping on a manual pallet jack is pretty fun.

[@MBdrummer3288]

You’ve got some mad skills Seth. Damn man! And I am loving those wheels. Bad ass!

[@Mallchad]

Pivoting is a very trialy technique, it's extremely useful for when you want to turn the bike around without doing bunny hops, which both take a lot of effort and is harder to learn. I wish I was better at it, there are so many times where I have very little space to turn and am weaker hopping in that direction.

[@petiertje]

I agree those skills not being necessary for riding a bike, I think they are a bit rusty for me now but it sure made the ride to school a lot more fun though

[@tuckerbeddiges]

Riding without a chain is a very useful skill, my derailleur got mangled at a bike park recently and I had to ride the second half of the day with no chain.

[@thrilermike]

The last one is similar to how I extended scooting on a Pallet Jack 🛴🏃‍♂️

[@maxibon463]

As you said it's always good to clear a trail of debris. Last year I went down schleyer and you would be amazed at all the debris. It was so bad I came back the next day with a shovel and removed every rock and root😂

[@LeaveNoTrashBehind]

Nice red 1st gen Xterra you got there Seth. 🤙

[@seattlegrrlie]

I was on the path to the parking lot when walking people in front of me randomly stopped. I stopped and track stand. The people behind me were all... woah. did you see that! that's amazing!

[@thomascastillo208]

Hey Seth, love your content What is the current update of your RC crawlers hobby?

[@steffanoswald7917]

Oh man it all looks fun. I do some of that already and didn’t know the names. Unfortunately broke my hand skateboarding. Can’t wait until this cast comes off I wanna ride!!

[@princedax77]

I like the back tire pivot turn I wish I knew that when I was younger I ran into a situation that makes that move a life saver I was riding around our field and ran into a pack of Farrell dogs I nearly fell trying to turn around that trick would been a much better and safer way of turning around

[@markusneste7524]

your the best!