Riding His First Ever Black MTB Trail

This is the first of hopefully many videos where I help someone step up their level of mountain bike difficulty. In this episode, I’m going to help Camillo successfully ride his first-ever black rated trail. Grab some merch here to help make more videos like this! 👉 bit.ly/PunterStore
I’m going to help him set up his bike, dial in some skills, build his confidence and then take him step by step down a trail called Rupert - a popular black trail in the area built by local builder Gary Macfarlane and volunteers. So let’s start off by getting to know a bit about Camillo’s relationship with mountain biking.
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[@PaulThePunter]

How much fun was that?! These are the videos I want to make and it's all helped by sponsors, patreon and picking up some sweet merch here 👉 bit.ly/PunterStore

[@keeszandbergen6265]

Yes this is the Paul the punter video I like, even more positive as before. Keep up the good work. This makes me very happy in this crazy covid time. Forget the grumpy vid’s from England 😀

[@keeszandbergen6265]

Was looking in the shop, would be very nice if sizes also could be displayed in cm. And how/where to measure for the right size.

[@rafaelfaria391]

Loved this content. Very relatable to the average MTBer and it’s very cool seeing people progress

[@bfkeats]

Love this format. Keep it up.

[@TimFromWales]

Was lots of fun, I love hearing the shouts of joy and celebration. This guy was very trusting of your advice and committed to the process. This is the underlying number one factor to progression - commitment. Good content Paul. Side note - I know what the camera does to steep, but for black features they all looked rollable (I won’t deny they took committing to). Is there a variable definition of ‘black’ features much like here in the UK? Does the US and Canada a diamond system for degrees of difficulty on the blacks?

[@tijnschild9203]

"saved up enough money to buy a decent bike" gets a literal pro's old bike lol

[@JacquiPenar]

And it's not really that old though😅

[@brandoncummings4169]

From THE CLAW you see how that man sends?

[@rpiian]

Best kind of bike!

[@benjacobson7490]

I don't mean to be rude but these people aren't buying the best suited bikes for themselves

[@frederichall7287]

He's got bloody xtr

[@joekempz7731]

This is the average questioning and reaction I get when I go riding with my bike nerd friends. Constantly getting shouted at for having 0.7 PSI less than the fox recommendation

[@PaulThePunter]

Haha!

[@VentoRdrummeR]

That's why I ride a hardtail :)

[@eckiger_luki6424]

@@VentoRdrummeR Or is it because you cant afford to sell your organs so you can only buy a hardtail and u youse excuses to make you feel better ? ( atleast thats why i ride a hardtail)

[@aidenmtb5784]

That bike is way more than “decent”

[@benjohnson5297]

I was thinking the same thing 🤣

[@dw7647]

Also previously owned by a pro rider too. The dude who said that was decent must have a toilet made of gold.

[@CameronKinvig]

Definitely, it’s annoying when perfectly capable bikes are classed as not being that great. Most trail bikes are fine on blacks, maybe not so for absolutely thrashing it tho

[@jbobmusic3125]

Ye lol

[@AWD_DSM_FTW]

@@CameronKinvig I have a Spectral in the garage. Canyon classifies it as a "Category 4" bike, which is enduro. Cat 5 is Downhill. I'm headed to Bentonville, AR in a few weeks to ride Coler on it. Definitely black trail capable.

[@dannonhartman259]

This is a great concept for your videos. I would much rather watch the average everyday rider conquer features, fears etc than the pros bombing the trail. This is something most people watching can relate to. It’s one of the reasons I have a shiny new genius sitting on the garage right now! Keep up the good work!

[@DeadsetYT]

I'm gonna assume that those beers weren't drunk prior to riding.....haha. Also....Camillo's a champ!!

[@PaulThePunter]

Yeah I guess that was a bit ambiguous as we are talking about the ride while drinking them 😂 He is a champ!

[@christiangold8252]

Nothing wrong with a little liquid courage to help with the nerves.

[@dylan-5287]

A couple beers before riding is legit the best. Not drunk but just a little bit to loosen you up.

[@samuelb7546]

@@dylan-5287 That would kill me before a climb. I would just get off my bike and start drinking more beer.

[@TheCrashingDad]

11:34 hittin' the dance floor with Paul!

[@PaulThePunter]

I will dance with you again

[@bike_somm]

This was great! I’m sure he’s stoked to be further along now today because of your help and patience! Most riders don’t go through these step by step processes to get things dialed right out of the gate.. this dramatically changes rider experience with every new ride on the proper setup! Great vid & attention to details 👏🏼✨😎

[@PaulThePunter]

Thanks my dude!

[@dalelakusta8143]

Paul's back! I like your direction the last year, something different and interesting to watch. Ibis, sponsor this man.

[@PaulThePunter]

Thanks my friend!

[@memememe843]

I second this. There are already plenty of stoke videos. They are great, but the real-average- rider just tying to get fit and have fun while improving enjoying the outdoors and avoiding injuries is underserved. Ironically, it is probably 80%-90% of actual riders.

[@mxcn-hz5nj]

@@memememe843 ^ this

[@AWD_DSM_FTW]

@@memememe843 Exactly why my goal this year is to get more fit and enjoy riding again, and to film during.

[@TheMediocreMountainBiker]

That was so great to watch! I enjoyed watching Camillo conquer each feature and couldn’t help smiling and laughing with you guys. 😄

[@PaulThePunter]

Cheers Jason!

[@pure69hatred]

Same! 😅

[@shreddingwithsean5452]

This genuinely made me smile. The excitement of trying something new on a bike is 100% contagious. Excited to see more videos like these in the future!

[@Mububban23]

Because mountain biking is public access and available to anyone with a bike, lots of more skilled riders forget - every other sport you play would be split into ability-based divisions. And you don't usually mix the A grade players with the C or D graders, for reasons of safety. So I hate it when MTB A graders tell less experienced riders "just send it!" which is fine for them but will result in a broken collarbone for the lesser skilled riders. Videos like this are brilliant for helping riders progress, without acting like a douchebag. You helped your friend level up and that's awesome :-)

[@Trailz6of7]

Mr Punter. Dude. I just watched this video. I hope this is the first of many videos. Your knowledge gained through previous experience to pass down and help others is awesome. Keep em coming buddy.

[@PaulThePunter]

Wow, thanks

[@ninjafishable]

What a great series! So fantastic to see precise and effective coaching on very specific skills. Learning tones from these!

[@Bearded.Wonder]

This was rather fun to watch. I felt myself anxiously anticipating for Camillo and then getting excited when he successfully navigated a feature. Please do more of these, Paul.

[@mannyfnsc29]

Great idea for a video series. I always love seeing beginner(ish) riders learning and getting more into the sport. I'm definitely looking forward to more of these.👍

[@Rattyratbag]

What a great video, thanks for the setting up advice for riders who are new to the sport and also a bit of a re cap for more experienced riders.

[@dannynelson9259]

Great video, Paul! Looking forward to this being a regular series.

[@deanito1968]

Hail the mature Punters (like Camillo, I am also a older but rediscovering my bike again. Great to see videos like this. I like the new focus Paul).

[@fademasterfade227]

This is super useful. I appreciate you starting with bike setup and then breaking down trail features. I can relate to where Camillo is in his mtb journey.

[@TrailPOV]

After years of seeing riders coach you, it's cool to see you coaching someone else. Nice! I also am pretty sure Camillo is the same guy that my dad and myself kept bumping into a couple of years ago while riding in sq....great to see him progressing.

[@gr8fulride]

skills progression vid rocks. thanks Paul and Camillo

[@weekendbikingwarrior360]

Great video.. superb coaching.. and a great watch.Thank you !

[@brianpulscher6514]

Smiles for miles....me too! Always stoked to watch someone progress, even on video.

[@roryennis96943]

Excellent Paul thank you for making this video. This shows a lot of newer riders or less confident riders that if you take your time and break things down you will be surprised what you can achieve and conquer. The pressure of trying to be fast or just sending things blind or first time is not good and can turn people away from challenging themselves and growing their skills. Take the time and scouting things out will help so much.

[@lordalymer5324]

This is amazing! Good to see the progress!!!👍

[@nickcummins3084]

Best video you've done in a long time, so much fun to watch Camillo progress and gain confidence. lots of lesson s for all of us to take away.

[@scblurlt1962]

great video , well done both Paul for great instructions and Camillo for putting them into practice , my heart did skip on the crux feature but he rode it out well , look forward to the next one

[@bostondonmtb]

Paul, this video is one of my favorite videos that you have done. Most of us who watch KZbin videos are not pros by any means. We are mountain bike riders doing it for the love of the fun and feeling good outdoors. I am sure most of us want to improve a lot of the things we do on the trails. It takes courage to ask for advice and get it, or doing it over and over again practicing with failures and wins. That is probably what drives us. I love that you have decided to pay it forward. I, like many other viewers can use this video to build our confidence to try new things like you and Camillo did on this day. I look forward to the rest of the year, and all the people you will work with along the way. Keep it up. All the best, BostonDon

[@halosborne3644]

Some of your best content to date. Looking forward to next week.

[@iruledaworld333]

Paul watching you get as excited as you did when Camilo completed something was such a joy! And watching Camilo completed the features was so good!

[@thomasking3156]

Dude what a difference that made! The changes in his bike and some coaching and this dude ate it up!🤟🔥so stoked to get riding again soon

[@dustinpitts7798]

Great job Paul ... this format is great

[@aggyboy1580]

Superb video mate, love the format and look forward to seeing much more of this sort of stuff on your channel. Great work Paul mate. 👍🏼😁🤟🏼

[@CaliradoKid]

This was a fantastic video. Not only is it a video that I learned something from today. But it's a video I wish existed when I was learning to ride. I mean. Not that I'm a good rider now. But. Well. You know what I mean.

[@ghustavus]

This is already one of my fav videos of this channel!

[@AntoineThisdale]

Great content Paul. More of this!

[@paramedicbarber974]

seriously great video, loved the progression of his riding and your ability to give him that confidence

[@gabeasher187]

I loving this series!

[@walterbrown6388]

awesome video. Really like these types of trail breakdown videos

[@rucksackstosingletracks2628]

Great video! I liked watching Camillos confidence build and the genuine excitement from both of you.

[@grn9209]

Honestly, your best video ever! Your personality came thru!!👊🏼👏🏼

[@visserswp]

Absolutely great video, wish more of these channels would do coaching videos like yours here. Very well done, everything explained so clearly. Keep up the great job 👏 👏👏👏

[@alexw6617]

Love this new content Paul! Great edit and keep it up.

[@BogdanMiliu]

Awesome Video! Good on you for taking the time to get his bike setup right. First thing I do when my wife or kids get new bikes ... dial it in and watch them.

[@Bruhmatty]

This is actually super useful and helpful! Thanks for teaching me how to set up my full suspension Mtb. Definitely one of the most helpful Mountain Bike KZbinrs

[@Stanley88845]

Loved the video Paul!

[@crazyeyes7821]

Loved the format of this one. It reminds me of when BKXC did an exploration into the travel show style in Austin, Texas. Excited to see more of them!

[@playforfunplayforfun2830]

Unique vid - excellent lesson and a great experience for him and me. Cheers

[@rextilian]

great video paul. this type of content will go a long way instilling confidence in riders. way to give back!

[@PaulThePunter]

Cheers!

[@MtbFrequentFlyer]

Great edit mate! Glad more of these are coming!

[@tcandeuyt]

Love this new type of content. Great stuff! 😎

[@federicomarmolejo1952]

That was so original paul, More videos like this!!! Thank you!!

[@christieclaypool7667]

I think this series is going to be great. Thanks for all your hard work on the video! 😊👍

[@KestrelYI]

Wonderful video, Paul! Have a few friends I'll be forwarding this to. Really great points for those newer riders to consider.

[@dougg8733]

Fantastic!!! The education on the "rock rolls" was great! Your excitement (yelling "yo ho ho!!!") is key to the video, and all your other videos actually. :) Well, now to watch this for the second time and then queue it up on the TV for me and my wife to watch. We both want to progress on our local rock rolls here at Galbraith! Only other thing I would think that could add to this video would be to show the rolls from multiple angles for when you do them and when Camillo does them. Thanks for the great video!

[@joshwhitee]

Awesome concept Paul, stoked to see the next few!

[@ryannatwick6698]

This is incredible! I absolutely loved every second.

[@benwithrow5044]

I really enjoyed the video from content to production. Nice work.

[@angellnathan]

Great video dude. Best I've seen on YT for a while. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

[@LeecMTB]

This has been my favourite video of your Paul, u definitely deserve a decent bike sponsor for this year !!

[@BeckyBurbs86]

Excellent video. Really enjoyed it

[@creepylavalamp]

Great video as always.

[@RideActive]

Fantastic video! Congratulations! Great storytelling, engaging and inspiring! Congratulations!

[@Jagokingkong]

Great vid, that guy's basically me (and many, many others no doubt).

[@derickwalker8923]

Same!

[@ruffdeezy]

The first time I rode Rupert was around the same time you filmed it based on the sign and I was lucky to have a couple people show me the features. Didn’t do all of them that day but went back a few more times to clear them all. Even just watching this gave me more tips to use next time. Really looking forward to more videos like this and hoping for more on some of the other blacks which are harder which I haven’t tried yet like Marc my word etc.

[@danilobernini]

Awesome video Paul. It's really nice to see his progression after some couching and encouragement from you. Great job ;-)

[@roaldtrainor468]

These type of videos are really entertaining great work paul

[@ChefIan73]

This is great! The stoke from both of you was palpable!

[@frobinson2413]

Hell yeah awesome video, I was getting stoked every time he nailed it.

[@capaseto]

Love this series! 😍

[@james-hb5tu]

This was awesome, you should continue this series and take him to more trails

[@mt.sportgrunt4294]

You did an awesome job with this video, really good and positive for everyone to watch 👍

[@ellywest1216]

Great video! I'd love to see more like this in the future.

[@vteodocio]

This was a feel good video! Awesome Camillo!

[@KrisYahner]

Great idea for a video. Lots of fun to see someone conquering something new to them.

[@patdrumm3770]

This is a great video. Encouraging more experienced riders to take new riders and show them the ropes. Its super important.

[@rlopez9044]

Man, totally enjoyable vid..!👍 Good job 👍

[@justinaction7230]

this is so heartwarming!

[@joshschaefer8575]

This is your best video yet in my opinion!

[@stevaone]

I would so like you as a coach, your enthusiasm, and demeanor is so confidence inspiring!

[@thomasgodar]

Hey ya punter. Been a while. Enjoyed this content. Thanks.

[@kurtbikes_9273]

This video is very refreshing Paul! I'd like to see more real world mountain biking situations. I recently have been trying out black techy trails here in NZ with my friends and my Trance ebike as my trusted steed. Nerve wracking but super fun! More videos like this pls? 🤙

[@DirtyPandaMTB]

Love the video Paul!! Good to know how to setup the bikes properly and good body position! Also love the humming bird warmup 🤣

[@believe8263]

Good job Paul!

[@JB50713]

He did so well!!

[@caryslone]

Best ever Love this new style of content Good on ya

[@Britishnate]

Brilliant video!

[@monkeyfighterides3153]

Good stuff! Been awhile, I like what you're doing!!

[@derhighland6528]

Such a cool series! I can take a lot out of it - thanks a lot! Greetings from Germany

[@torrunelade3004]

This was great, I want more just like this👍

[@pochito_javiercito]

Paul, you need to make more of these skill progression videos. Very enjoyable!

[@slicershanks1919]

My favorite channel delivers once again!

[@svssvs9848]

it will be a very good series! you will help so many people, not only those in your videos

[@thesnipecatcher116]

Love this sort of content!

[@crescendocycling]

Thanks, Paul. I think it’s time I ride with a suspension guru friend to get my suspension dialed. Been biking for several years now and learned a lot, just not much about suspension. This is helpful!

[@katiealdana150]

Awesome rides...🙌 Awesome bikes🙌🍀

[@blurihmo7425]

Love the video keep it up Paul

[@brucemacneil]

This is a very good video. Solid instruction with relatable situations.

[@RRBuilder611]

Definitely want to see him do his first double black in the future 🤞