Shaping Mountain Bike Berms

[@JClark2600]

I've been building dirt jumps since I was 10 and man I wish I had Skills With Phil videos to help me find a good technique 20 years ago. Way to go Phil for making videos and passing down the skills to the next generation of riders.

[@gckless]

Looks great man. The hard part is to get other people to not ride it until its dry.

[@SkillsWithPhil]

Yeah. I don't get mad if they do. It's can be annoying but that's life. Most people on the team know not to luckily :)

[@zarkfuckerberg4545]

A Rambling Man's Life just do it late. Let it dry over night.

[@gavincrowley562]

Zark Fuckerberg Genius.

[@swazis7848]

yeah have the same thing with jumps some little kid will come and mess it up but its all good

[@littledude2507]

Thx for chucking us up onto the berm

[@unconventional_health]

Love these videos, very informative and help people who don't really know where to start when making their own trails. 👍

[@philiplong8433]

Hey Phil, this was really good. I've build a pump track in our woods in Florida. And though the sandy-dirt is way different than the clay you're working with, it's helpful to hear how to smooth pack, repurpose dirt that's slid down the berm etc. Thanks! Keep them coming!

[@SkillsWithPhil]

I've build with a lot of different types of dirt. New Hampshire where I went to high school didn't have any good clay. Here in North Carolina it's abundant.

[@robwasnj]

On a related note it's be really cool if you did a video highlighting some of the activities that go on with the trail volunteers like those at OMBA or SWAMP down in Florida. These people have done an amazing job providing us all with great trails to ride and access. A lot of people probably never realize that many trails aren't paid for by taxes or maintained by the state and that had hours go into keeping the rideable. As usual thanks for another great video Phil.

[@RyanMarcyesOutdoors]

Good on ya for the work done. I am sure all the peeps up there will be thankful. I totally get it, I used to help out at a couple tracks in Columbia, SC when I was station there in 2011-2013

[@Zedigan]

Even though you were pretty much just shovelling dirt, you still made it really interesting with all the transitions and camera angels. Great work Phil!

[@WasIstDas5013]

I think that was the coolest and best editing yet! like the fresh style and different angles. hope to see more like this from you.

[@bkxc]

You whipped that sumbitch into shape!! Looks great

[@SkillsWithPhil]

BKXC there's a whole lot more work ahead! 😑 luckily the days are getting really nice down here!

[@evansmith-2695]

Skills With Phil same thing up here, from snowstorm in WV to 60° weather, loving it

[@Hibbard1986]

blast my small back yard!

[@bananaswag7012]

Hibbard1986 indeed

[@thecakeisalie7070]

You build berms really goodly. 👍

[@classactracing]

Great video. Thanks for sharing. More goes into setting up great trails than most riders realize.

[@Tony-dh]

Good digging weather. I love digging myself, making tracks better faster and more flowing. Them the reward is the test ride. I also like to build my own new tracks when i get the chance. No chicken lines on my ones. I sharpen my shovel before every days digging. Not only dig but sharp enough to chop slash and cut.

[@ryankwhydoucare7810]

The shovel transition was fucking sick

[@yomama976]

Great idea for an episode, Phil. Love the channel! Hope to seeya @ Bailey in a couple weekends. Cheers!

[@ScoobyJoel]

Good ol' trailwork! So good to see the improvements.

[@rgmtb]

Oh, as for GoPro recording I either pull out all the cameras I have and have each one setup on it's specific stand or try to use J mounts for everything so I can just snap the camera out of one mount and into another. You might need some more adapters to do this but it does make moving the camera around a lot easier.

[@MitchWarren44]

Nice work Phil that was a work of art. I need to up my game and get involved with trail build and maintenance. Especially after the forestry people wreaked the trails at Woburn UK my local😩

[@MarinStipkovic]

Love this video. The different camera angles really work.

[@dhananjaybhardwaj7639]

There was so much to learn! Thanks Phil. Just an editing tip though - When ending the video, you could added a little less blur. It's like you know what's happening and still can't see it clear enough. Cheers to your hard work for maintaining the features of that trail :)

Mountain biking is a hard work sometimes, but those perfect berms are so fun to ride.

[@Glee73]

nice work phil, that berm looks great

[@TheLouKou]

Wow, awesome filming/editing Phil, i really loved the rake/shovel spin cut!

[@SkillsWithPhil]

Glad somebody picked up on that. I was playing around with different editing techniques than I'm used to.

[@TheLouKou]

Im shooting/editing various stuff myself, so its always nice to see interesting stuff! Keep it up!

[@TrailFeatures]

Great video! Been wanting to help chip in on the local trails so this gives me an idea of how to contribute.

[@rexinaffex6737]

Putting the GoPro onto the patch of dirt that you where digging up. Great idea 👍

[@gabedobrozsi9483]

Hey Phil. Great video. Very useful since my dad, Sam, and I are building our very own front-yard pump track over spring break. However something crucial that we don't quite understand is the spacing of rollers. Obviously ones that are too close are no fun and ones that are too far away are hard to gain speed on so I want to know your thoughts and tips on it. Btw the Lees McRae dual slolom course is one of the most fun bike features I'v ever ridden. Good to see the students are taking it upon themselves to give it the maintenance it needs. But roller spacing is a video I really need to see.

[@MatthewByron430]

sick jorts, love the channel!

[@alexanderhall4744]

Have you should consider getting a Tomtom bandit for extra camera angles? It snaps on and off of its mount much more efficiently and its cheaper. Not as good of quality over all but definitely would be great for supplemental footage. Wish i could afford a gopro, but had to get the Bandit instead. Been fairly pleased but I absolutely love the mounts.

[@bananaswag7012]

That GoPro on the shovel was a sick angle/ idea 💡

[@andylicht8017]

Sick shovel edit! Keep the sweet vids coming.

[@brandongrkman593]

This makes me want to go build something! Anything!

[@camodudemtbh7594]

Dude, nice berm work.

[@Ben-cb5ki]

When will the new bike build be out

[@SkillsWithPhil]

Finger crossed by early my spring break (early march) I'm waiting on certain parts from my sponsors to arrive. You'll understand soon enough. Trust me I'm getting antsy to get that bike built up. Thanks for understanding!

[@noelius4481]

I'm feeling an Eagle will land on that frame of yours. :D

[@Dearlp640]

I'm get the feeling he might opt for e13's 9-44 cassette. No idea though.

[@SkillsWithPhil]

Ha, no way I'm spending 1k on drivetrain components! I'm going the Shimano XT route for shifter/derailleur/cassette nothing super exciting there.

[@rgmtb]

Totally have to get you over to my place for some much needed landscaping ;-P

[@psych0billy6]

Awesome footage. The daisy hulk jeans looking wicked. I finally got a chance to ride this evening. I upgraded my tires on my 650b to schwalbe nobby nic and they bite. Did you get any more sacrificial offerings for your Evil bike?

[@justinpeillon3890]

I love your videos. This helped me so much

[@mesk412]

Great stuff, one question. Where is the rest of the team to help you build???

[@SWTrailsAndWheels]

Too awesome, Phil

[@benmiller5740]

that stash is lit

[@sbwhite599]

Is that a shovel cam!! lol Awesome

[@hillynath69]

Great videos! You've come a long way from caring for Adam Sandlers grandmother in Happy Gilmore!

[@SkillsWithPhil]

Ahaha!

[@mikebrix-thomsen5008]

More of that. there was a lot of good tips. 👍

[@haydenmcdonald504]

Skills with phill great video

[@SkillsWithPhil]

Thank you Hayden.

[@jakecooper5451]

great video mate keep it up

[@leebridgwater]

nice one Phil 😀

[@MTBTrailRider]

Looks so good!!

[@liamarenas-field7465]

sick video phil

[@danielpurcell2669]

Slalom track maintenance life! I know how this goes!!

[@SkillsWithPhil]

+Daniel Purcell building my favorite thing to do. It's a good workout, I get to enjoy a few podcasts, and you are making things more fun. Win win.

[@danielpurcell2669]

no doubt dude and then it's a different experience to ride what you've built. I'm part of the group that maintains the Gravity Soul slalom track here in MD.

[@matteomurphy7541]

U r lucky with that soil what I have in Western Australia is limestone rock

[@riccardomucci1024]

matteo murphy I know I tried to make jumps but failed miserably

[@definitelymaddi4847]

True

[@jbw5485]

Get a geko pod stand for your go pro. It's a nice rubber flexible stand with 5 legs. The legs will wrap around things to mount it and then you can Un fold the legs to make a stand

[@chadsmith1442]

Do you do any trail consulting or building for hire? I am a Less McRae alumni and have 40 acres of woods about 40 minutes away from campus near Elizabethton, TN. Would love to build a pump track, jump line, and some trails but don't know where to begin. Especially on the pump track/jump line.

[@lewispritchett8140]

i like the building videos

[@daemonburns-waight2421]

I hope you've seen the movie Hot Rod, and I hope you're a good sport when I say you remind me of the guy in that movie so much..Lol, great videos man, love em.

[@oliver685]

I love this guy

[@IBCMTB]

"If you make the top of the berm too skinny, it will self destruct and could hurt someone" - As I sit here with a fractured finger and damaged hand from exactly that. Yeeeep. Too true.

[@karlish8799]

be sure to spend as much time building as possible this winter/spring and get your trails ready for the plough.

[@isaacnemes4554]

Okay so how do you keep the dirt from sticking to the shovel? I've always had issues with it since I've been building stuff like this so is there a trick to it or is my dirt just to wet? Or?????

[@thechaosengine3020]

I make the good England too Phil!

[@classactracing]

How many days did it take for that berm to dry up and become ride able? You going to post a video showing the benefits of your hard work?

[@SkillsWithPhil]

Depends on if the sun it out, and the temperature. It should only be a few days. This berm was really wet and that area is pretty shady so it needs time to air out.

[@fylomusic]

Dat dope mustache :D so dope! awesome!

[@CJthebikeguy]

ShovelCam was sick

[@Tyler-zl2hd]

2:03 3:57 those transition were sick

[@jcmymtb1258]

Cant wait for the Evil !!!!

[@Tom-kx7ry]

2:17 is the ultimate go pro effect

[@bobert7954]

#INeverRidePark

[@calumbarr7797]

William Beitzel #mahalo

[@kalenkonrad3946]

MaxiUrBoi #ifht

[@kalenkonrad3946]

MaxiUrBoi 90 % of people won't understand this

[@Fropuff123]

MaxiUrBoi Don't be a joey

[@bobert7954]

I Have Never Rode Park Lol

[@jessechen4971]

Do they have machine specifically designed to facilitate building these berms?

[@AA_OnTheEdge]

hay Phil, how long did it take fixing this berm? by the way, great work as always

[@livefreeandshred9818]

I fully understood the new englandism at the beginning no need for translation.

[@SkillsWithPhil]

Haha! Sometimes I wonder I'd be able to understand myself if I were in the viewers situation. Glad to know some people can!

[@TheSuhadaMauluddin]

Hi Phil, how long does it take (roughly hours) to do this whole berm? Do you reckon it would be twice as quicker if there were the two of you?

[@SkillsWithPhil]

This took me 2-3 hours. A lot of time was spent trying to change camera angles. I normally wouldn't smooth pack the berms quite this much. I could probably do this berm in an ~hour. If I'm working with somebody who doesn't trail build, it would have taken ~1.5-2hrs If I'm working with somebody who knows what they are doing 30-40 minutes

[@neauafk7675]

I'm sitting here in my cozy office chair too lazy to work, so instead I watch poor Phil work holes in his gloves.

[@SkillsWithPhil]

LOL, it's okay somebody needs to get the trails ready for when you get out of work!

[@RickyScoles]

#traillifesmatter lol good work phil!

[@potato1243]

that berm looks great for bmx i wouldn't complain about the packing ive ridden a lot worse

[@joshmckenna4862]

says everything like a question

[@lukekennemore1044]

and friends track wich is small but fun and tenical with a rock garden and 2 foot jumps

[@eatassgrowgrassskatefastbr7230]

Grow a Stevie smith beard (#longlifechainsaw) with the twirls in the end

[@SkillsWithPhil]

+Nils Devereux I could never pull off the handle bar stache as good as him! With that said he had a horseshoe mustache too from time to time. Miss that dude :(

[@eatassgrowgrassskatefastbr7230]

Skills With Phil at least try it you know you want those curls in the end

[@SkillsWithPhil]

Did a long time ago, it didn't work out well! :P

[@SoLowAudio]

Skills With Phil since I know you had a remedy 9, would u choose a remedy 8 or a stumpjumper? I'm having a really hard time deciding

[@SkillsWithPhil]

+Evan Smith both are really good bikes, it would honestly come down to what you get for the price. Either way you will be getting a good bike.

[@dalton6439]

one of them there power brooms would be amazing for that.

[@nicolep8960]

don't you break the surface of the berm first? I guess you have pretty nice dirt, at my place the dirt would just fall off after it gets dry again. but great video anyway!

[@fmb7719]

Phil what can i do if i dont have good dirt?

[@Bigbenhandyman1984]

you get all those other berms done?

[@maxrobinsonrandomstuff5372]

How would I get a shovel to a spot in the woods?

[@endurofordaboys1768]

yes, today my mate and i worked on a jump, tomorrow we will on a berm

[@laynesisco4092]

Ben Stiller Dodgeball True Under Dog Story! 😂😂😂😂

[@TomJeffery1]

What headphones did you have on?

[@mulisha0351]

slap and drag is way easier that push and smoothing with a shovel

[@599rippermx4]

Can locals ride the trails at lees McRae?

[@camodudemtbh7594]

What type of dirt to use??

[@dtruth6422]

Ben Stiller in character...your not fooling me..

[@p4inmaker]

It looks so nice, if only it would stay that way. Do you maintain that shit all by yourself?

[@SkillsWithPhil]

+Painmaker all of the work no, but I do most of the work (75%) on our slalom course. I'm very particular about shaping and not many people can't do it well. I did everything in this video myself.

[@chezsticks2096]

Love the joke on your thumbnail. #makethetrailgreatagain

[@alexcohen7484]

there is a company that sells quick release gopro mounts, I don’t know what it’s called though.

[@barrelsmile750]

Where do you get so much dirt

[@sheldonmuscumann7830]

Oh hey White Goodman from dodgeball

[@jesu5881]

What gloves do you use?

[@SpAceProductions100]

Is this the same phill in the new videos

[@LeagueForFun]

skills with phills

[@mrfluffy6199]

what shovel is that and where can i buy one?

[@bbarker5766]

Mr Fluffy you can get a lot of different shovels at your local home improvement stores, Wal Mart, etc.

[@louissimpson7549]

How do I stop dirt sticking to my spade?

[@stuhouchin6392]

Coat it in wd40

[@Bc73747]

That berm looks like fucking butter

[@BS0pZ]

when im packing a lot of time the mud sticks to my shovel and i cant get it looking all that good

[@AwsomeVids83]

Heffernan MTB if you can get it then throw a little dusting of dry dirt on it and it won't stick to your shovel or shoes.

[@philipmichl3114]

I to build Trails in Germany

[@SkillsWithPhil]

Thank you for what you do :)