The 5 Unexpected MTB Techniques To Rocket Through Rock Gardens CRITICAL [4K]

Arm pump, riding stiff, and feeling FEAR are all symptoms of improper riding technique. Ever heard of "heavy feet, light hands" to help you stay stable on downhills? It WON'T work unless you use these 5 techniques, in this order!
It's the rider, not the bike and in this video I break down exactly how to rock enduro and DH riding. We go from very basic to how to break into advanced all in one video.
Companion videos:
12 basics: • The 12 "Backwards" MTB...
Body Position: • 3 Reasons ATTACK POSIT...
00:00 - Start
00:59 - Technique 1: Big Balanced Base NOT “Heavy feet, light hands”
02:48 - Rock Garden Technique #2: Support the Torso with the Core
06:46 - Downhill Domination #3: Torso Tracking for Shreding Gnar FASTER with no arm pump!
09:06 - Rock Harder With Technique #4: Tire Tracking
12:28 - Tackle BLACK DIAMOND DH with Technique #5: Breath Control While Riding
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#mountainbikeacademy #howtobike #mtb #downhillmtb #mountainbikeskills

[@mountainbikeacademy]

Watch & Learn! Do you think it's the bike or is it the rider? 👇

[@LaurentiusTriarius]

Obviously it's the number of cat stickers, by this metric I'm a rampage champ. The bike can help gain seconds the skills helps you gain minutes 😜

[@kevingardner7656]

Really good explanations here. I see so many riders in “passenger mode”, with hips far back, arms locked out, and no front end control. The concept of torso tracking is actually wholistic and makes intuitive sense unlike the standard body position feedback.

[@mountainbikeacademy]

You’re really good at the torso tracking concept from the videos we’ve reviewed together. I don’t talk about it here, but turning the torso off axis from the bike is also another skill you do well. Good comment and thanks for being a part of the mission here! 🫡

[@vttaeenduro34]

Thanks for sharing. One more suscriber. I'm trying to apply these tips on my next rides. Need more confidence in rocky trails and to improve my skills👍😉

[@MTB2139]

Great video and overall presentation. THX for the content!

[@mountainbikeacademy]

No prob!

[@davidowen4613]

I just finished a ride and tried applying some of these techniques and they really did help. Thanks

[@mountainbikeacademy]

My guy, great minds think alike :)

[@MP_Soundbox]

I thoroughly enjoyed this, thankyou!

[@mountainbikeacademy]

I loved making it for ya! Thanks ❤️

[@RodolfoRivera]

Amazing perspective, super helpful

[@mountainbikeacademy]

Glad it was helpful!

[@paulmelde919]

Fantastic advice!

[@mountainbikeacademy]

Glad it was helpful!

[@BikingVikingMTB]

Absolutely makes total sense.! I was told for years to “drop both heals” on the DH’s and wondering why I’m falling a lot! Techniques one to 5 will be practised at hell of a lot from now on thank you so much for the video and how you have explained it in such a simple way. My core has been weak for years but it’s becoming a lot stronger now I will be watching this video as many times as I need to to understand the fundamentals of techniques want to 5 thank you again, great video I will be subscribing.!! 🙏

[@mountainbikeacademy]

Yeah dropping both heels is helpful on super steeps, so don't forget that!

[@chucksanson586]

Excellent love you brought the Horse Stance in

[@mountainbikeacademy]

It's just one of many!

[@wolfgangrehulka6240]

Love it! There is so much in it

[@mountainbikeacademy]

Fun, glad you liked it!

[@juzbullet]

I think this is all good advice it makes loads of sense

[@mountainbikeacademy]

:) glad it helped

[@camwells9726]

Interesting, I’ve been riding for 10 years , older rider, early 60s , self taught , but haven’t heard this concept before and Haven’t tried it yet but it’s making sense .

[@mountainbikeacademy]

Super. Thanks for the comment! Hope you’re super enjoying it.

[@light_splitter]

I could only wish and dream for such smooth trails that you show in this video. If those trails are how rock gardens supposed to look, then what I have over here can be described as a rock torture chamber / purgatory. The nastiest stuff imaginable, full of loose rocks over loose dirt among bigger razor sharp ones. It's a nightmare that keeps me tensed up and horrified.

[@42guitarsrolandraymessmer21]

Thank you for sharing this. I watched quite a few videos on riding techniques, but as far as l remember you’re the first to talk about the importance of good breathing. Whenever l got the breathing right l ride smoother, more relaxed, faster and saver.

[@mountainbikeacademy]

Thanks for noticing. I had athsma as a kid and was rarely the most able to keep up in sports. Didn’t want to let that stop me.

[@42guitarsrolandraymessmer21]

@@mountainbikeacademy I learned the importance of good breathing in my times when l was boxing. My coach was an Aussie pro Boxer and he told me to breathe in regular pace nose in mouth out trough training, running, sparring sessions. This was one key element to getting really good at it. Might worth mentioning; if one wants to concentrate on breathing while riding to practice that on a trail that you now very good. Glad to hear that you beat asthma.

[@mountainbikeacademy]

Epic

[@mountainbikeacademy]

Also I just kinda grew out of the athsma attacks lol. Pretty common.

[@istina27852]

Holy grail channel😊few years I am suffering with elbows 90" ,hinge forward-back straight above bars,on steep I was constsntly launched forward.This is life saving coaching! Regards from Europe!

[@mountainbikeacademy]

That’s what’s up Welcome!

[@bakerdeathwish88]

Really helpful ♥️

[@mountainbikeacademy]

Thanks! I have so much more to produce, stick around and I'll share!

[@martinshires6907]

"Elevated to a new spiritual status". Brilliant 😀

[@mountainbikeacademy]

Hehehe

[@JorgeHernandez-ni8te]

best channel ever!!

[@mountainbikeacademy]

Dang right - thank you 🙏🏻

[@12kman75]

body tracking, that makes senses, thanks!

[@mountainbikeacademy]

Glad it resonated w ya

[@LaurentiusTriarius]

Another tip for new riders on avoidable rocks and roots, just do the same section a couple of times, you divide it into bits and you can micromanage your speed into each section. You can't buy assurance but you can work for it 😂

[@mountainbikeacademy]

Yes, small goals are easier than 27 lol

[@blakekennard7700]

Been practicing the “peddle press” it definitely helps you feel more locked in to the bike

[@mountainbikeacademy]

Yessirrrr

[@jokermtb]

The breathing thing is something I may have not given enough attention to. Good insight on that. Gonna be thinking of what I’m actually doing (breathing wise) on my next ride…..

[@mountainbikeacademy]

LMK how it goes

[@peterblades]

awesome tips, but the game changer would be showing POV/side shots simultaneously to give riders an idea how each movement looks like from both perspectives

[@mountainbikeacademy]

Thanks for that feedback!

[@JamesRoth]

12:28 My instructor caught me holding my breath. I had probably been doing it for years!

[@Ferrari255GTO]

It was the most unexpected tip for me honestly, i don't ever recall doing that but i don't think i would remember it either way. Kinda crazy how the most simple things make the largest changes sometimes

[@mountainbikeacademy]

Truth

[@mountainbikeacademy]

😎

[@quinncolby]

Great video but if you don’t have the right bike you will never have the confidence to blast through rock gardens. Buttery suspension, solid brakes, grippy tires with the right psi all make a huge difference. I have multiple bikes and my Ripmo gives me the most confidence. My transition Spur is super fun and a better climber but not nearly as forgiving on the DH. My advice is use all the techniques you are suggesting with a bike that is made to shred rock gardens. BTW have you ridden porcupine in Moab?

[@Lonesomeburger]

People learn differently. I think you have some valuable skill-building knowledge to share, and I keep finding myself wishing that when you were explaining your MTB moves and the principles behind them that you point out explicity what exactly needs to happen as they are demonstrated. This may involve slowing them down to point how how a rider's arms are moving, how the butt is off the saddle here, the body hinged there, etc. Too often you talk about what is happening as you show it, but the speed of the film doesn't allow your words to correlate to understanding in my old brain. I need to see it again and again, i suppose. People I admire who do this well, IMHO, are Roxy of Roxy's ride and inspire, Superrider and Fluidride.

[@mountainbikeacademy]

This may help, watch this: www.loom.com/share/4eb12f5328ec485da1a033043df66811?sid=0674ce07-a8c1-483b-b4cb-dd2baec36733

[@hallstewart]

I always dropped my front heel to push the bike with my front foot, but not considered creating foot grip on the back pedal by pushing it back! I can imagine how that creates bike control pivoting around the BB. Interesting.

[@mountainbikeacademy]

Sure thing - play around with it too. You may find dropping one or both in some situations works best too. If you do it enough just a mild bit of pressure can get the job done!

[@DavidWalker-xz4jb]

Interested to try the pedal press. I drop both heels now. What should I be feeling differently with the press?

[@mountainbikeacademy]

Just try it on flat ground you’ll be able to float your hands around the grips without leaning to balance

[@LeahNicole...]

cool 😎

[@mountainbikeacademy]

so very

[@MyBetsie]

Quite a lot of advice that will hold you back from becoming a fast, smooth and not tired,crashing rider. Different riders will ride differently based on their physiology. Good core is critical as is breathing as well as holding your breath, a dented coke can will always be weaker than a full coke can! You just have to learn to breathe on the easy bits of the trail. The ability to breathe comes from lots of zone 2 training and some sprints for adaptation.

[@mountainbikeacademy]

Super agree on the physiology part!!!

[@Ferrari255GTO]

0:39 well, while that's true it's FAR easyer to learn once you get the bike that will push you to do so, a bike that feels more natural will 100% multiply the speed that you learn at. I used to ride a Lapierre Froggy 318 that was a chunk too large for me, so when i first went to my local trail i was HORRIFIED of gravel, i really wanted to have fun and get some speed but i wasn't able to get any confidence, it's a trail wich is VERY neglected and some paths are just a whole bunch of large loose rocks wich made it feel like ice despite the grip you have. Two years later i got my 2009 Demo 8, and i INMEDIATELY noticed severe improovements, both in comfort, agility, capability, the speed that i learned new techniques at... And the dropper post was another HUGE boost. Now i can ride the same Lapierre very much anywhere because i was able to translate what i learned to it. As a beginner make sure you experiment with setup, geometry and all that stuff, it will set a foundation for what kind of bike you want/like and it will make the sport a thousand times better

[@mountainbikeacademy]

Key word is experiment - I’m with ya on that

[@leejames3812]

Liked the pedal press. While the horse stance is great for many many things, not sure how it applies on bike stability. The horse stance, the burn is focused on the quads. Wouldn’t something that activates a strong hinge (glutes Jammie’s) be more impactful & important?

[@mountainbikeacademy]

Fair question. This is KZbin, my entertainment outlet. The data I have on this is riders in my paid programs 100% who struggle with horse stance also have issues with positioning properly for cornering. Also there's a little correlation (not as clear as cornering) to their body positions when descending. IMO...Hinge is easier than hinging + modulating the height of the hinge. So yeah this isn't a "do this exercise and you'll magically be better at xyz" No silver bullets.

[@leejames3812]

Thanks for the clarification :)

[@mountainbikeacademy]

Any time! I have a smart audience that notices things so happy to clarify things like this. 💪🏻

[@sunset5927]

I’ve just transitioned from flat to clipped pedals. Is the pedal press relevant for clipped pedals, or is it not so important?

[@mountainbikeacademy]

Relevant. Play with it. Mainly bracing on front foot going downhill though

[@matthewgarnett9146]

Go full colour. Got it

[@mountainbikeacademy]

lol. Good times

[@wesa5436]

When breathing it's best to have a shorter inhale and a longer exhale...always..no matter the activity. How you were doing it is more like a hyper ventilation than oxygen retention and ample oxygen usage per breath. Just breathing alone requires energy therefore oxygen. Also remember to periodically fully exhale as much as possible.....hold it for a couple sec and breathe back in slowly and completely. Within seconds you'll feel more energized. ( do this in an inactive state) Try it let me know what you think! God bless!

[@wesa5436]

And great video btw! Definitely gave me (and my son) a much better perspective on riding.. Keep em coming!

[@mountainbikeacademy]

Glad it resonated!

[@daviddauza]

Definitely when swimming!

[@WilMac57]

I’m an old school rider. If anyone remembers Nico the (Alien) the concept of just breathing will push you to the limit 👍🏻

[@JeanLaboux88]

I think the platform technique comes more easily when on clipless pedals

[@mountainbikeacademy]

Yeah it’s kinda cheating :)

[@guillemc8219]

If you push against something, it can't push against you = Basic physics... Where did you go to school ? 😅 Nice video though.

[@mountainbikeacademy]

Did I say that? I meant if you push against something it can push against you obviously that would be wrong lol

[@mesabman]

To say that to ride better depends ONLY on the rider and not the bike at all is ridiculous. I've been riding BMX & MTB seriously since 1978 and have had many bikes--rigid, hard-trail, and full-suspension--and I have seen a very definite difference in how effective each is in tackling various terrains and obstacles. When I went from a $600 hardtail to an $8500 full-suspension carbon MTB with tier 1 components, my ability to overcome the same obstacles absolutely sky-rocketed! Day and night difference! If more expensive bikes made absolutely no difference whatsoever, then nobody would be spending $5,000, $10,000, or even $15,000 on an MTB! The bike absolutely makes a big difference (frame geometry, suspension travel, BB height, bike weight, slack angle, etc). Even the forks alone can make a big difference in getting over a certain obstacle. I've taken one of my bikes with a Fox Talas 32 fork over certain things and then taken my other bike with a Fox Factory 38 over the same obstacle, and it was much easier with the latter. And an MTB with a carbon frame will perform differently than the same one with aluminum. The rider makes the biggest difference, but it's also the bike. Guaranteed. If you want proof, go to Wal-Mart and buy a $300 full-suspension MTB and take it to your local bike store where you can test-ride a $7000 MTB in comparison. I'll bet my nice car that you will notice a HUGE difference in the capabilities of both bikes.

[@breesej]

Bad technique on an expensive bike will be less effective than great technique on a cheap bike. When you are a good rider, the equipment influence is a small portion of the equation.

[@mesabman]

@@breesej When I went from a $600 bike to an $8000 bike, the difference in how I rode and what I could do was vastly improved. So the influence was not a "small portion of the equation" like you stated. If a professional rider has $8500 to spend on a bike, can you please explain to me why he wouldn't just go to Wal-Mart and buy a $500 mountain bike and save the other $8000 for something else? Thanks

[@wesa5436]

Public comment

[@mountainbikeacademy]

Public reply, expression of gratitude.