Bike
MTB
7 MTB skills you can perfect in the street
Here’s how you can master some essential mountain bike skills right on your doorstep.
While urban streets might not match the beauty of a typical mountain bike destination, you’d be surprised at how easy it is to replicate many of the features you find on a bike trail right outside your front door. So whether it's on your morning commute or in your driveway, here are seven bike skills you can get working on rightaway.
1. Skinnies
Kenny Belaey slacklining in La Plagne, France
© Dom Daher/Red Bull Content Pool
Riding in a straight line might sound incredibly easy, but as many of us quickly learn, it’s much harder than it seems. Precision is fundamental in mountain biking, so it’s well worth putting in the practice.
In order to ride skinnies, such as logs or ridges, you need to be able to hold a line and be balanced. The good thing about them is that you can practise skinnies pretty much anywhere and make them as difficult or as easy as you like. If you’re new to this, start with some flat road lines and work your way up to pavement curbs, then more raised ledges as you progress.
Tip: Look as far ahead as possible. It's easy to end up staring at your front wheel, but fixing your sights on a point further ahead will pull you along a treat.
2. Trackstand
A trackstand is the term used when you stand on your bike while stationary. It's not the most exhilarating trick in the book, but it’s a useful skill for stopping and starting, as well as improving your overall balance on a bike.
Traffic lights are the perfect opportunity to have a go at this, although you might want to find somewhere a bit more private if you think you might crumble under the pressure of an audience. Keep your hands light, your weight centred and keep persevering – once it clicks, it's a skill you've got for life.
Tip: Find somewhere with a gentle incline as a practice ground and experiment with holding your balance.
3. Manual
Marco Aurelio Fontana shows us how it's done
© Red Bull Content Pool
A manual might look remarkably similar to a wheelie, but instead of pedalling to propel your front wheel up, it's instead initiated by shifting your body weight towards the back of the bike. This is a particularly handy skill for avoiding ruts or other hazards that crop up on trails.
Once you've got a manual dialled, you're well on the way to learning a load of other tricks (including the bunny hop), so it's worth persevering with.
Tip: Dip your heals and cover your back brake to prevent looping out.
4. Bunny hop
There’s nothing like an inconveniently placed log to kill your downhill rush if you find yourself having to slow down and shuffle around it. Such a problem can be easily solved with the bunny hop. If you can already manual then you’re most of the way there – you just need to shift your weight forward when you’re at the peak of your manual.
White lines are a great starting point for getting to grips when judging the distance needed for a bunny hop, and then you can gradually increase the height of the obstacle as you gain in confidence. If you’re worried about falling then there’s no shame in hitting the park to have a go on the comfort of grass while you're still sussing it out.
Tip: Practise by lifting each end independently before committing to a full hop.
5. Wallride
Pedro Ferreira tackles a wallride
© Claudio Olguín Parra/Red Bull Content Pool
Riding into a wall is counterintuitive, so learning how to do a wallride can be fairly intimidating for obvious reasons. With more wallrides popping up as features in bike parks and trail centres it's a skill worth having up your sleeve and once you get it right it can look pretty impressive. When practising off the trails just be careful whose wall you’re hitting.
Tip: Look for steeply banked walls or bike park freeride sections, and experiment with the difference that speed can make.
6. Steps
Filip Polc hits the longest stair section
© Claudio Olguín Parra/Red Bull Content Pool
Roots and rocks are a trademark feature of mountain biking, so you’d be wise to get as much practice in as you can. Steps are a fun way of replicating the technical skills needed for riding roots and rock steps, so find a decent set and get sessioning. Once you feel comfortable, have a go at taking your stair riding to the next level by trying some manuals.
Tip: Again, look ahead, not at what your front wheel is doing. Your body (and the bike) will follow your eyes.
7. Cornering
Ruaridh Cunningham drifts a corner
© Duncan Philpott/Red Bull Content Pool
Cornering correctly can make you visibly quicker on a downhill track, so it's well worth taking the time to practise getting the style and fluidity right. With a bit of imagination, tight back roads and twisty alleyways can become the perfect scenario to help you master the art of cornering and get a handle on switchbacks. Make sure to mix it up with both fast and slow turns.
Tip: Do all your braking at once, before the corner, to maximise corner speed.
