The Truth About Learning Mountain Biking Skills

"Learn this skill in three simple steps!"

It certainly wasn’t that simple for me. There’s a big difference between the mental ah-ha you get watching a tip video versus actually learning it.

Most tip videos are designed to get as many views as possible, so they need to be visually entertaining and mentally stimulating.

[Want to know more about RLC and become a member? Learn more here]

So make sure you know if you just want entertainment or if you’re engaged and ready to practice.

The truth about skill acquisition is that it takes time, usually a lot of time, because:

• Muscles need time to develop
• Precise timing needs to be established
• Frustration needs to be faced
• Risk and fear need to be managed

I attempt to be realistic in my courses by providing:

• Guidance on setting realistic goals
• Building block lessons with attainable practice drills
• Realistic Information about mobility, flexibility and strength
• Personalized feedback and support

There is no magic formula or quick fix - every rider has time restrictions, motivation issues, injuries, or poor weather to deal with.

Even my popular 30 Day Wheelie Challenge course should actually be called the 30 Lesson Challenge, because each lesson often needs multiple days of practice, plus rest days.

This is true for any skill. Watching endless skill tip videos will never replace doing the actual practice..

When a friend says ‘Just do what I do’ or ‘Just do this’, they may forget that they have way more experience than you, and by copying them it could mean total disaster, so please trust your instinct over your ego.

In summary, learning a new skill is more complicated and takes more dedication and time than you may be led to believe, a lot more! But it is possible if you are realistic, follow a series of complete progressions, and seek feedback when you run into trouble.

And lastly, if you’re having fun with the practice process, learning becomes a convenient side effect.

What is Ryan Leech Connection?

RLC is an online mountain bike learning platform established in 2015 by Ryan Leech. Ryan has been a coach and a professional rider for the past 24 years and is currently sponsored by Norco, Shimano and Marzocchi.

Ryan began developing tutorials to share his knowledge and skills with members of his community and quickly began to devote 100% of his time to this platform.

These courses are designed with thoughtful progressions to help every rider assess their current skill, and practice with appropriate progressions. For example, the cornering course contains 49 video lessons and the jumping course contains 76 lessons.

Along with detailed progressions, you also get 24/7 access to a world class coaching team. Ryan’s network of coaches and ambassadors provide detailed and customized feedback to anyone who has a question. If you submit a video, make a comment or send an email, you can expect to get personalized feedback within 24-48 hours.

Online MTB Skills Coaching Actually Works!

Over the last 4 years, RLC has helped thousands of riders reach their goals. We’ve received an overwhelming amount of positive feedback from our members and we’ve seen them make some serious progress in their skills.

Want to know more about RLC and become a member? Learn more here.