How To Manual Your Mountain Bike | MTB Skills

Manuals are an important skill to learn for all mountain bike disciplines. Not only does it look cool, the manual will help improve your ability to ride drops, better your bunny hops and even help with a little bit of trials! Rich Payne gives coaching a go by trying to teach Anna how to manual.
⏱ Timestamps ⏱
00:00 - Intro
01:08 - Manual Before Coaching
01:49 - Initiating The Manual
04:23 - Using The Rear Brake
08:52 - Finding The Balance Point
10:41 - Taking It To The Trail
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[@julianwearne4967]

Its good to see videos like this, with riders genuinely learning new skills. Much more relatable and helpful than videos of riders who have already mastered skills "showing the basics" but without the struggle!

[@julianwearne4967]

Also Go Anna. You've inspired me to practise manuals this weekend after having mostly given up years ago

[@TE_53349]

i still cant manual. can do 6ft drops and really technical trials but cant manual

[@JeepingNet]

If Anna is up for it, it would be great to see a followup on this in 6-12 months from now. Great job and good tips. I lost my manual skills somewhere over the time and change in bike geo.

[@JourneyToJacked]

No way I would clip in to learn how to manual! That would be terrifying. Props to Anna!

[@blakekennard7700]

I’m learning on manuals too. Something that has helped me is thinking about pushing the rear wheel forward from underneath me after the compression portion. Thanks for the vids

[@AdventureRich]

One tip that's been helping me is to practice looping out. It helps get the fear of looping out away, and then you can start with the brake as you feel that loop-out point, which keeps you on the bike and brings the front end back down. Almost reverse engineering the manual. I did something like 10 loop-outs in a row, and then went for a manual. I held the front end a lot higher as a result! I'm still working on it, but I'm getting it better and better now, with way less fear of falling on my arse.

[@alanmartinezrodriguez884]

You just described my learning process. I did it the exact same way! Its not easy to get rid of that fear right? Once you beat that, it's way easier. The bad thing is that when you dont practice in a long time, the fear kind of wants to come back 😂

[@Seamasinban]

Thanks for this tip. I must try this a bit more. Although I find that I seem to be late on the brake even when I feel that I'm going past the balance point. Maybe I need to feather the brake a bit more.

[@rottieshepcalibre9156]

Anna is working with some fantastic riders. So glad she’s able to learn and practice skills with them 🤟

[@richardpayne5176]

🙌🙌🙌

[@Jonofthejungle26]

There’s an important point that never gets mentioned in these videos. You have to engage your core and keep your chest up. No one can hold the front wheel up with their chest facing down at 45* Preload, hips back and down and lock your upper body to that same motion in your hips.

[@ashpunting]

I liked how Anna was smiling all the way through learning a new skill can be hard work and rewarding ❤

[@TCK71]

If it's good enough for GMBN presenter Anna to practice........ it's good enough for me.

[@weebryan]

i have always found manual difficult with shorter legs the same as anna, a longer lower cockpit also helped me pick up front wheel

[@billhewes5299]

I love the way Rich teaches. He brakes it down. Plus the use of film.

[@denperrydidit]

What a great teacher Rich comes across as.

[@Jacobbunt]

this is super helpful. ive been trying to learn a manual for a few weeks now and i felt like i was missing a piece and now i can see that im using too much arms and not getting far enough over the back wheel.

[@mikedwiles]

Great video! As a shorter rider, I find it extremely difficult to get my weight far enough rearward to pull the front wheel up just like Anna. I believe shorter riders have to put in a lot more effort with 29" wheels. With that said, I can't manual my 20" BMX either. I must persist!

[@kathysarmcandy1992]

I'm six foot but have short arms, 29er. Nearly impossible on a flat.

[@nukedathlonman]

Okay, time to learn (my manual skills are fairly similar to Anna's skills at the beginning of the video).

[@winklertribe5268]

I LOVED this episode! I can totally relate to Anna, and she’s inspired me to work on my manual skill too! Thanks Rich & Anna!

[@Seamasinban]

I've been trying the manual for ages on my full suspension bike and haven't been able to get it right. But one day, I was on my 24inch bmx on a casual family spin, with no knee or body armour and tried to do a small manual over a wooden bridge. I looped out as I hadn't bothered keeping the back brakes in check. 10 months later and I just recovered from a knee injury from that day. The bmx was so much lighter than the mtb so the front came up much faster than I anticipated. It was just carelessness on my part. Still want to master the manual and jumps. My 50th birthday was a few days ago but I'm determined to get these right some day as I've always been crazy for bike riding. Would absolutely love a class with one of the lads from GMBN. Hint hint😂

[@paulkerr9831]

Anna, you will progress much better on flat pedals. Learning on clips is too dangerous for manuals, you need to be able to jump off the bike when things go wrong. Full commitment is essential and you won't commit with clips on with the fear of looping out. Great effort though you got skills to pay the bills. Love to see a follow up video guys.

[@Boboo5]

When you ride clips long enough you don't even think about it. She is struggling so hard because she is learning on the wrong bike

[@KevinT3141]

A great team-up, and Anna you were a beast! Drilling that over and over could not have been easy. A freezing rain day over here in Canada though, so I'll have to hold on to this inspiration for another day. Thanks GMBN!

[@MrDodgedollar]

Thank you so much; I have been mountain biking years and I have probably been doing this wrong ( the L) particularly the lack of the plunge movement. -Fantastic, I will now get this right

[@illyadmark3223]

This is EXCELLENT, I've struggled with manuals for the longest time! Thank you Anna!

[@Kelvallontan]

Pretty funny how I've started to train on manual yesterdays (as a 44 y/o newbie), and am at the same point as Anna at the start. Thanks for the video, definitely going to help.

[@paulcole9636]

I love these videos. They really help.

[@alanmartinezrodriguez884]

I literally learned the manual technique with some of Neil's old videos here in GMBN. Now I can loop out and pull the lever just in time not to fall. If I can give Anna a piece of advice, and this was the key for me (besides beating the fear of falling), it would be to work the preload better. She needs to go a bit harder in the push down of the handlebar with her upper body, and then the bike will rebound nicely for her not to have to pull her body back so much. Lets call it a shorter L 😅 Love the concept guys. Keep teaching some skills to Anna because we all learn with her.

[@chrissugg968]

Question: Do you think it's worth stiffening the front suspension so you can put more force into it without it bottoming out (and presumably, it then helps throw you higher as the weight comes off it)?

[@deedontworry]

Great progress Anna! And respect to Rich for advice! 🤘

[@chrissugg968]

This makes me feel good - I've been trying to learn to manual and I'm about at the stage Anna was by the end of this video. I'm only short and have been having a real hard time getting my weight far enough back to keep the wheel up for longer than a second. This makes me realise I'm heading in the right direction.

[@c.s.4273]

Thank you, that is the motivation I needed! ❤

[@garyduddridge41]

Great video, well done Anna.

[@christopherwiebke3578]

Just did my first manual. I squatted and pushed my legs back pretty hard. Kinda freaked me out cause I thought I was going to loop out, but I didn't. The instruction was very helpful. Thanks!

[@redfish6C]

Yeeees Anna !!!! Anna, your smile is captivating...

[@EricStorms]

I am at the same point as Anna! I was doing this in my driveway yesterday.

[@nalissa77]

That was great!

[@polymoxx]

For learning, it will certainly help to lower your saddle and give yourself more range of motion.

[@WannaJumpBikes]

If you struggle getting it up, Stand taller when initiating a manual then settle into a seated position as the wheel is coming up, with posture, pretend your on an invisible seat.

[@DanielMores]

I like Anna. She's a good host for this show!

[@leonbond9275]

"I did a Thing....." Such a good phrase!

[@kennethcampbell7263]

at 6:48 what I would be saying anna needs to get he butt lower. Not that I have a lot of Manual/Wheelie experience or expertise but she seems to get the bounce but stands completely upright again before shifting back. Yeah she picked herself on it at 9:33

[@hikinguphigh]

Would be cool to see how Anna is doing after a month. I struggle with manuals but have started riding with my 5 year old a lot so trying to concentrate on staying safe and conscious lol

[@willbostonehouse4713]

Weldone Anna

[@grantwilliams2912]

Great.. 🙂👍

[@salemyr]

Is it really better to practice on a decline though? I mean, I would think you have to get the wheel even further off the ground (first past level and then onwards) to find the balance point. Anyway, I think this video will be vey helpful to me, can't wait to try

[@gavinheron1]

Very brave being clipped in. Surely flat pedals for me.

[@AFV85]

Its that first feeling when you get your balance just right and you feel yourself just going to far off balance and land on your ass lol all the multitasking remembering to hit the break a tad to bring it back forward its not an easy thing to master i learnt on a BMX back in the day then on to the trials

[@victoriaeldridge4967]

You two should definitely go on a date 😉 Anna you’re a beast!!!

[@feliii6]

👏🏼

[@BelowAverageRazzleDazzle]

squat and back is fine on a full squish... What about a hard tail?

[@VredesbyrdNoir]

Clipped-in on a 29er with relatively long chainstays when you're that short is way harder, surely?

[@SumGuyLovesVideos]

How is it different on a hardtail?

[@Crumb_Trails]

Is pulling up the front the same on a hard tail? I've been struggling with anything having to do with lifting the front

[@landoh1047]

Does anyone have advice on manualing a 29er ?? I can manual a 20" BMX bike but personally it doesn't translate to a bigger bike.

[@Boboo5]

Should be learning on a DJ

[@DANBOX77]

Ciao, quando e' l'estrazione della occam SL?...

[@nathanking1110]

Asheville whoop whoop🎉

[@s.neuhaus1512]

Can you learn a manual better on a (hardtail) MTB or a DJ?

[@mradam4430]

Where was this filmed?

[@AFV85]

She'll know when she gets it hitting that ballance spot its that feeling when it just starts to go lol heart panic momets for the first few tries 😂 but that bikes to long for her not got something bit shorter?

[@METEORA_47]

Balance point is my problem...not sure the exact point

[@peterdobos1606]

can this be done without a dropper post?

[@polymoxx]

When learning, it will certainly be easier if you lower your saddle to have more range of motion.

[@richardpayne5176]

Definitely dude but I’d recommend slamming it down as low as it will go it’ll make getting your weight back easier 👊

[@stretch1396]

I love you guys but the only way to learn to manual is to first master a pedaling wheelie. You need to find that Balance point.

[@silviapabon1282]

I am going to play whit Bunny Hops at different heights that's it...

[@3Bmtb]

Rich, you ...., grab the front wheel and not Anna from behind! 😄

[@craigelliott4338]

What is Anna standing on at the start there? Looked lanky as...

[@miscel761]

Should the trainer suppose to know how the manual before coaching others?

[@zbieguzbiegu]

The bigges probles Anna's got is the fact that she is tiny on that bike and with short legs there is not much of leverage (or your body acting as a counterweight) to pull up the front. Good old fasioned 26 inch wheel bike with short reach ( old Canyon's) would be a lott better to learn.

[@steverichardson4808]

I think they need to redo this video with a bike with more suitable geometry, possible a BMX.

[@Lex-Rex]

Manuals are hard. They're even harder on big ass wheels with full suspension.

[@paulbernard2397]

Back end of this bike is far too long. Modern geometry and super wide bars mean that in order to get anywhere near her balance point with her bodyweight and height her body is going to be bent in half to get over the rear axle. And straight arms, bent knees, always. I coach kids bmx and have seen from kids that the natural assumption is the other way around- that gives you a super short balance point and no stability.

[@Strange_Brew]

That’s a strange accent for North Carolina?

[@owenthomas2010]

Hard to say, as I am a strong supporter of Anna and Rich. However, I feel disappointed with this teach in. Anna is putting in huge effort to raise the wheel , dropping down , smashing back to the L shape. Surely if you drop down so low you loose a lot of leverage. Watching successful manuals , people do not drop so low, then straighten the legs to push the bike up. OK I can not Manual, I have spent many hours doing exactly the same motions as Anna, with out solid progress. I really think you should change the approach as when Rich manuals for real, he does not sink as low as when he teaches the wheel lift. Good to see you both smiling afterwards and great idea to use Anna as the pupil.

[@FabsMTB]

I thought you can’t use brake on a manual 😅

[@TheFesk98]

kinda jelly on Anna's bike compared to her skills so far

[@barrywebb814]

Drive your legs!

[@iangrumpypirate568donovan3]

Bikes too big for her.

[@ironymatt]

Definitely looks that way, wonder if it's her personal or a borrower

[@Stickybutton]

Proven…. mountain biking makes one bald

[@flashbang3135]

because im the first now i gonna learn manual :)

[@robertmitev1202]

She needs a smaller frame size, her RAD measurements would be too much thus making it even harder for her to manual, just sayen.

[@powerkraut007]

Yepp, I would like to see how she is doing a 2 feet high Bunny Hop with the too long reach and stack (R. A. D. plus = waste of energy) of her frame. And the massive standover-height don't make this skill more safe.

[@ericjohn5461]

Imagine making a clickbait video 😂

[@LouisCollison]

Nearly first

[@AntropomorficznaPersonifikacja]

where is that hot so you can wear tshirts?

[@rf6530]

Anna would be hot even at the center of Antarctica 😍

[@WorkLessRideMore]

Most places in the US. Certainly in the South.

[@DougieFresh13]

Overbiked.

[@rodwilson391]

Why do I feel the need to say first

[@plainuser48596]

It looks like the bike is a bit too big for Anna. If she had a proper sized bike, it would be way easier

[@Denis_KKK]

that was wack

[@kinaceman]

it's not vital!