5 Basic Skills With Leigh Donovan | MTB Skills

[@gmbn]

Do you struggle with these skills?

[@macbird1241]

Global Mountain Bike Network only the bunny hop

[@ojvlogs7079]

Dosent blake ride a dual suser

[@the_spanner_ch7mp]

@@ojvlogs7079 Blake rides everything! Very skilled mountain biker. Watch one of his game of Bike with a dice, different bikes different tricks and you'll see what I mean 😁

[@mountainlessmtb9940]

Nope but my 12 year old daughter needs this video.

[@BuffTip]

oj vlogs it’s his nukeproof scout he took to sea otter because he was racing the downhill and cross country races and didn’t want to take 2 bikes

[@TheCyq]

And the Oscar for best actor goes to Blake Sampson for “Faking to be a bad MTBer”

[@MilatovichFamily]

Blakie can do fakie.

[@rodnreellurenline9254]

Haha so true.

[@joscram1129]

@@MilatovichFamily pffffft😂😂

[@sashko02]

Being so good so you know how to properly fake it!

[@haustierone]

I wonder if she knows his videos tbh

[@smoothisfast6644]

Blake has the patience of a saint.

[@campstrat]

Blake is quickly becoming my favorite person on KZbin

[@dosetti]

Mine too! And i usually dont like anybody even if they know what they are doing..

[@AnthonyRamirez-qf4hk]

Kudos for Blake! Extremely skillful freerider and overall fearless jumper but the most awesomely humble and overall nice guy in this video presentation! The "Real Lesson" here is how to be humble despite all your gained capabilities already in your arsenal! You rock Blake! Showing excellent listening and attentive skills too! \m/ . . . . . . . .and full gratitude to coach Leigh Donovan! ;-)

[@stonewhall]

Great vid, & excellent contribution by both to get the message across, thx! I'm a beginner at 54

[@OlegKaplun]

Love this. I'm two weeks into MTB, at age of 43. This helps a ton. Thanks for the tips

[@stanvag5]

I second that, I am one week in at 40 years old, and its great!!!!!!

[@fulgensnocte1936]

@@stanvag5 I don't even have one now, still stuck between should i go with fullsus or hardtail. Lol. But i definitely will have an MTB in 2 weeks. Need to decide soon 😁

[@stanvag5]

@@fulgensnocte1936 I went to 4 bike places, checked all the options, set a budget, and went for what felt right for me. Dont overthink it!

[@genemelewski3587]

58 year old into second week. Went to Highland Bike Park here in NH last week with my two grown sons. Two spills on turns,, no injuries. Going back this weekend. These tips should help a lot.

[@dirtyzany7857]

@@fulgensnocte1936 if you budget is light then id suggest go for hard tail cos the rest of the bike will have good specs but if you get a full sus at a low budget the money goes mostly into the sus and everything else around the bike can be much lower spec.. i had what id consider a mid range budget to buy a mtb and i just ordered a nukeproof scout expert 290 large. if i want to get a full sus in the future all i really need to do is change the frame but if i got the full sus version of my bike it would have been almost double the price just because of the frame being more expensive.

[@raymondchapman2075]

This is a brilliant skills video. She does a great job of breaking everything down and tying it all together.

[@georgecrawley767]

Blake 'Yeah' count : 98. This man deserves a medal.

[@jessvarey2597]

Leigh is a firecracker! I like how she breaks down the steps and I loved how Blake did the moves incorrectly at first and then Leigh could give him tips on how to improve. That kind of teaching is super valuable to those who think they know all of this but are actually doing it wrong (I.e. me). Nice acting Blake. Great tips, Leigh! Loved the video!

[@claudiufloroiu7957]

Thats what the video is about. People are missing the point in the comments

[@jessvarey2597]

Claudiu Floroiu sadly, I felt it needed to be pointed out in my comment. :( videos like these are what GMBN was all about at the start. It’s great to see that variety in their feed. :)

[@tylercrosbie]

This was fantastic. Leigh is a great teacher, and Blake, what a guy playing the noob. ‘I struggle to go fast on corners’... and I, my good man am the Queen of England

[@grabie2]

Seen many (many!) tutorials for manual and cornering, but this short clip has been the most useful to date.

[@kevindi]

Leigh is an amazing rider and coach as well as being a super nice person. She spreads the stoke like no other!

[@frederickhartray9701]

Her attitude is phenomenal. Leigh, it's great that you love teaching and mountain biking sooooo much.

[@peterhilgersom9370]

Blake is such a good sport haha. Wonder if he went 'but can you flip?' after the camera went off :D

[@denis_kleshchev]

It's much easier to teach a guy who is already skillful, isn't it? :) If seriously, it's the best video explaining how to lift manual I've seen so far. I'm gonna try it tonight. It looks like it's explains a lot for me. Thank you so much guys! Wanna more videos like this

[@gmbn]

Awesome! Have fun and remember to cover the back brake as you can grab it if you think you are going to loop out off the back of the bike!

[@Rick_Air]

I was practicing this last night, so will try and bring this lesson into it too. I also rode through some dog poop so I feel as a MTB rider I am progressing nicely.

[@mikee8244]

@@Rick_Air ah, you haven't lived until you've had a rear suspension linkage jammed full of dog poo!

[@_skyfall24]

I gotta say, Leigh Donovan is a great teacher. She breaks it down literally to the point that I can really understand. And for Blake, thank you for being considerate. This channel is great.

[@bisikleta1015]

Very nice tutorial, easy to follow and with measurable output

[@nextplayortho]

I love GMBN and their videos about manualing to bunny hop however, her progression was the first drill that ever clicked. Thank you!

[@STONEHACKs]

Feels weird looking at Blake learning what he is good at... Especially after u see him bunny a fat bike super high... World record???

[@speed2live]

I am a 61 year old thrill seeker. Always loved doing dare devil stuff. But as I've aged, crashing/falling carries more serious consequences. But I LOVE mountain biking and want to improve my skills. That's why I watch as many instructional videos as I can and practice. I'm also doing two "Intro To Jumping" clinics with Leigh Donovan at Skypark, June 1 and 2.

[@MrDaemondays]

Leigh is so sympathic!!! Great explanation. And Blake plays the newbie so well. Thanks a lot!!!

[@MTBTrailRider]

I feel like I'm pretty good with the bunny hop and the cornering skills but the comment Leigh said about bringing your hips to your handlebars was spot on! I realized how much that helps with the bunny hop that I think other people tend to forget to make mention of.

[@jacobfarrugia9866]

14:44 I can see a wild DODDY in the background haha

[@gmbn]

🕵️‍♂️👀🤣

[@RGCastro7]

Doddy used his Camera. It's super effective!

[@chingskie4063]

Wild Doddy appears

[@kevindi]

Just watched again for the third time Leigh D is so good at skills teaching and her personality is magic! Yes, Blake is awesome for sure. Leigh encourages people to enjoy biking and has an electric stoke factor. These 5 skills are so key to enjoying and safely riding the trails. Good for everyone to learn from two pros!

[@irasdeejay]

I'd love to be her student. I'm a noob when it comes to MTB, and watching tutorials like this, is huge help. Thank you very much for your work. Superb. Subscribed as well.

[@chanyuen-li6571]

Leigh! Thank you so much! I have been trying really hard to bunny hop for months now and have watched SO many tutorials. Following your instructions I got it in only an hour of practice. Only a small hop for now, but consistently getting both wheels off the ground. Women instructors rock!

[@michaelstewart9308]

Welcome to almost 17 minutes of Blake pretending to be a beginner

[@davidtuderascu2895]

Yea kzbin.info/www/bejne/pqPPgp6jfpWYrM0

[@pomegranatepip2482]

And listening to the most irritating voice on the internet........poor guy.

[@Ohsa-l6p]

🤣🤣🤣epic comments

[@tonyhoff86]

He's pretty good at pretending :)

[@jonkennard8272]

Got to agree🤫

[@Ryan1newy]

There is actually 6 tricks. The 6th trick that Blake is taught is the backflip over massive gap double.

[@MoustacheMedic]

Nothing is more wholesome than watching a pro teach another pro how to do the basics 😂 amazing content!

[@piyux]

I have watched this video so many times, this is not a video about how to MTB but, how to be humble and incredibly professional. One day Leigh will find the MTB legend that she was couching that day and, the mastery and skills that Blake is capable of. My hat to my chest as a sign of respect.

[@arvismac]

It's really fun watching Blake execute the bike skills as he was told as if he is really a newbie. Knowing Blake's awesome biking skills you will understand what I meant.

[@Therealxiu]

Awesome We want more Leigh's lessons!

[@knightsgallop]

Great instruction. She did a great job, no doubt knowing full well the ability of her “pupil”, she pulled off a great instruction for the viewer. Her tone and presentation is confident and enthusiastic. Thanks to both of you.

[@10AL26]

The bunny hop tutorial part is a new way to learn it.

[@brianritter9379]

That's actually "The way we did it back in the day" because it built on other skills. A lot of riders/coaches have found that they can teach the bunny hop without teaching the manual if they use the "point the toes and lock in against the pedals" method. The new way is not all bad though. It does use less energy to perform, so you don't get tired as quickly.

[@rocknrolldaddy]

Blake was such a gentleman.. bravo!

[@discodmax]

Great vid, I've been mountain biking for 30 years, watched this, within 20 minutes of practice I can manual (not for long but getting better every day) Thank you 😀

[@Jrad963]

she is a great teacher

[@gmbn]

Leigh is a fantastic teacher yes!

[@alexchern75]

Blake was awesome pretending to be a beginner, but i can't even imagine the pressure that the lady felt "teaching" a MTB star, that cannot be easy, the internal struggle of possibly being judged at every turn. I haven't read the other comments, but i can only imagine. I think she did a wonderful job :) thank you for continuing to bring the old and the young into such an awesome sport!

[@skeres01]

What a great combo. Leigh and Blake both have that energy and positivity that is infectious. Very cool.

[@neuromaniac1472]

i wish i could have so wonderful teacher as Leigh Donovan. I'll go to practice bunny-hop right now)

[@martinsero685]

Attention: Leigh & Blake. Wonderful teamwork and video [Show-Tell-Show]. Bravo bravissimo.

[@mehnazmehreen8122]

This video deserves a thousand likes It is too good to even describe how awesome Leigh Donovan and Blake and the whole GMBN crew to organise all this. Thank you a million times!

[@capcarloslgo4941]

Great video, thank you. I am 45 and new to mountain biking. I love it and need to sharpen my skill. Your channel ROCKS.

[@landrecce]

She's really a cool person!

[@CarlosMouraBR]

By far one of the best how to videos at GMBN. That girl rocks!

[@erinb4919]

blake, "i struggle going fast in corners" omg. so funny. love this video. good instruction from leigh

[@ahmedfayaz10101]

I wish I could that like Leigh and Blake😭😭 You guys are seriously good

[@gmbn]

follow these tips and keep practising, hopefully they help you 👍

[@amadeosturla1863]

So Leigh's bunny hop tutorial is among the best that I have seen. Blake is being a great sport.

[@dennis5137]

Ordered my first full sus because of this channel. Been an GMBN subscriber for a few weeks now and it surely is weird seeing Blake get 'lessons' after seeing him catch crazy airs. Blake is officially my favorite person in KZbin now.

[@kirillbogomolov9117]

Leigh is 100% a great teacher! Super fun and useful!

[@gmbn]

If you're stoked we're stoked!

[@pierrebroccoli.9396]

OMG, Two infectiously likable people teaching MTB skills - Heeeeeellllllpppp :) Great stuff.

[@graveltacos4824]

The cornering tip is so simple yet so powerful, I can't wait to go out and try it, thank you!

[@joesan3597]

That cornering skill is worthy! Especially with the hands and letting the bike to slant and not the body is something that I will take along on my trails! Great stuff!

[@barnabaskamau9588]

I take home such honesty from Leigh and such humility from Blake...

[@The_Skypirate]

The way she taught the bunny hop, she was able to break it down crystal clear. Can't wait to try it out tomorrow morning :D

[@nervousocean]

Do most of the commenters here not realize that Leigh is a downhill WORLD CHAMPION (with 39 UCI World Cup Podiums)? And in the mtb hall of fame. Really embarrassing how many comments here are about how great Blake is for "Faking it" and implying Leigh is unaware of his skill. I appreciate GMBN for posting this video highlighting a female coach, who happens to also be an absolute legend, giving tips for the average rider.

[@aaronm7965]

Probably one of the best intro to manual and bunny hop videos I've seen... and I've probably watched 500 manual and bunny hop videos

[@villimagg]

One thing I notice is how good it is to see different approaches from different teachers to these skills. Very good way to learn these skills. And not as a newcomer to mountain biking but as a "comebacker" after been riding allot as a kid and coming back to the sport as an adult this is really good and I find myself always doing these things again and again in front of my house just to cement it into my bones. And seeing different approaches really helps.

[@wolflegs2555]

What an amazing instructor, so awesome you took the time to teach us something!!!

[@OfficialGiraffe]

She's my awesome mountain bike team coach! Thanks Leigh!!! We appreciate you so much. She inspired me to learn to do so much and get into Enduro. She is our xc coach... But you know... Bikes.

[@witchitosan]

Blake is a great gentleman for having respect and acting like a neubie.. Hats off to teacher Leigh for the clear and well explanation

[@RetiredTechnician]

I'm trying to teach my 9yr old to bunny hop but I can't fully explain how I do it.. She thinks it's some sort of mtb witchcraft 😂 so hopfully this video will help develop her skill set, cheers gmbn 👍

[@gmbn]

wingardium leviosa!🤣 Thanks hope this video helps her! 🤟

[@judipaulson9530]

Leigh, I've been cycling since I could walk - but Mountain Biking is new to me and U R A BOSS!!!!!! Thanks 4 such an awesome instructional vid - can't wait to get home and practice 😀

[@peterhilgersom9370]

'You know I struggle to go fast in corners' :DDD

[@elmerizeaswell]

Should send her the link to Death Grip II ... :)

[@erinb4919]

omg so funny

[@JUANMARCUZTIMAY]

Hahaha

[@kennethciriaco4250]

i appreciate the way leigh teaches, and i admire her methods...

[@alexnelson09]

So glad I watched this vid. I always used to play around on the bike at slow speeds and remember leaning the bike over super hard but never transferred that to turning. I’ve ALWAYS struggled turning and feeling comfortable at high speeds. I taught myself to look way out ahead which tends to help me make turns at speed but I’ve always kept level pedals and just tried to get low. As soon as she said weight that outside pedal and lean the bike not your body it just clicked for me! Thanks!

[@jonison6847]

This is one of the best instructional videos I found - thanks a million!

[@GTRRiFF]

that was the most solid teaching on basics

[@stevepace2261]

Thanks guys! Bought a bike to chase my 14 year old down Spider Mountain here in Texas. I think this vid will ensure I am able to drive us home for the foreseeable future. Thanks again!

[@ameliacarter7656]

Wow! Impressive! Great teacher!!!

[@colindixon9543]

Top teaching.

[@martycash2649]

Wow Blake, such a humble person, love it😁

[@chesterswingjr9796]

Blake seemed to pick up on these tips very well.😂😂😂 In all seriousness, despite them being friends, it was very helpful for people who are getting back into biking (ME), or people just starting out. She was in teacher mode, and he was in student mode. It’s hard to do that sometimes as friends, especially when the other person (Blake) has mad skills. They both did an excellent job for this video.

[@nmartin5551]

Much help here. As much as I enjoy the crash videos, I love the skills teaching videos so I can crash less and ride faster

[@johnlumbard8793]

Ace tutorial videos by GMBN- so well explained, with the techniques properly broken down into manageable steps, that they just inspire me to want to go out and practice the skills. thanks guys.

[@MTBZenMaster]

14:09 understatement of the year! 😂😂👍🏽 "We know you know how to ride a bike very well" 😂😂 just a few tricks flying over A-Line tabletops 😉

[@bethprideford3966]

Great presentation from GMBN with two awesome people - thanks Leigh and Blake!

[@gmbn]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@50mtb44]

Leigh does a great job describing skills. Lots of enthusiasm.

[@307mtb]

Love her example of being a passenger or a pilot of the bike. I was just explaining this the other day about how I don't like horseback riding because I feel like a passenger and in prefer MTB because I'm in control of the bike. Great video, would be nice to see more skill videos from other coaches.

[@RGCastro7]

Nice dynamic, guys. Leigh has good eloquence and presents well, and Blake was super enthusiastic, as always. Suddenly, a wild Doddy appears. He uses his camera. It's super effective!

[@gmbn]

Thanks! 👍

[@ingebyra]

Greatest skill session ever. 👍👍

[@3boymom05]

Great instruction from Leigh Donovan for learning skills OR learning to teach others! Thank you for this video GMBN!

[@echolojayden8141]

Her energy is awsome

[@s14tat]

This is a totally new way of learning to bunny hop. I was already planning on refining my technique because I wanted to bring the front higher and I always scoop my legs too much. This is the first video to point out my mistake.

[@gmbn]

Awesome! It's always good to listen to a few people and then it's just down to practice, practice and more practice.

[@skynethell]

I like her attention to detail, very helpful video!

[@iejahcaines9972]

Respect for this video Blake

[@oscart8620]

Bike and Body Separation = Crashing , love that answer from Blake :) . Very helpful video from a good teacher and a best noobie.

[@feisalridwan6878]

Best teacher...😊🙏👍

[@badlarry172]

the first time ive EVER not watched a gmbn upload all the way through, gee wiz my head hurt after 2 mins

[@yanadroid]

Great, I saved this video to practice in my house alley, to learn more. thank you very much

[@vixjevons708]

Probs the best skills drills videos I’ve seen. Thanks she’s an ace teacher. Girl power ✌️

[@psCargile]

Started riding last October, and that improved learning to manual-got the wheel up higher. Thanks.

[@Dsmxsteve510]

There is so many great pointers in this video. Blake was such a good sport. I took a skills course before and this was a excellent refresh of key items to remember.

[@Paul_Paulson]

Super tips Leigh! For anyone complaining about the sound, look at the flags, it's really windy.

[@thefatbiker505]

Great video, many thanks!

[@maximusmaridius]

From a fellow Zimbo🇿🇼, great videos else!

[@stevepreston3151]

Blake you are a Gentelman and a good sport love your enthusiasm and your love of biking👍🏼

[@adamonline45]

All 5 are relevant tips for me! More ladies on the channel please!

[@xbox6922]

I knew those tricks but, if there's one thing this video tought me is, if a pro can't do a manual, i don't have to feel bad that i still can't

[@Musixlover100]

She is so sweet with her Downhill or Whiskey voice. Super explained! Skills are very helpful.