It's average. Or all over the place. Depends on tech riding areas. Just make a poll to check stuff off, start there. New England has plenty of ride clinics.

 

Skill sets are going to vary depending on location. I recently moved from a place with lots of technical riding where track standing, manuals, bunny hops, ect.. were required on a normal ride. On my new local trails it's rare to have to do any of that.

 

As far as I remember most people who mountain bike think they can corner, descend and ascend well until they start riding with more experienced riders, then they realize that their skill set is quite basic. I remember when my wife finally realized that what she thought was cornering wasn't the cornering that the more experienced riders were doing and she started to go out and ride with the main purpose of those rides being cornering. She got to the point that she got faster and more confident on everything she rode. She could then ride with a faster group of people and began working on her climbing.

I'd say that the first thing average bike riders need to do to further their progression is to start with the bike. Understand and manipulate pressure, adjust fitment on the bike, get tires better suited to your terrain, work on your suspension settings.

Once that is dialed in I would start on cornering. Learn the limits of your tires, the sounds they make as they approach their release points, what to do at mid turn drop aways and mid turn step ups. How to steer from your hips, your shoulders or with your brakes. Once a rider has mastered cornering, you will find yourself approaching climbs and descents much quicker. Learn the climbs first. Learn to climb in all gears, hard and easy. Learn how to change direction, stall or hop an obstacle and how to attack a climb or just putter up it.

All these skills will be put to use in descending, which considering the inherent danger is the last place to build your skill. Your cornering and ascending skills will be helpful here, understanding your suspension, your tires and how to navigate obstacles while climbing will inform how you descend and what to do when you reach an obstacle that you weren't expecting.

Finally there are the little moves: The wheelie, the nose wheelie and the bunny hop. All should be practiced and used as all have a place in every aspect of mountain biking. These are great items to work on at a progressive terrain park if you have one or in an urban setting if you don't (stairs, ramps, curbs, etc).

 

Totally depends on the type of riding (terrain, climate, type of bike, etc.) The very basics for descending IMO would be keeping your weight back, relying mostly on the rear brake while feathering the front, keeping the knees bent with the pedals level and using your legs as shock absorbers, staying loose (don't stiffening up), looking 10-20 feet ahead and not right in front of the tire, and keeping enough speed to roll obstacles. Those basic skills will take you a long way...all the way to the scene of the crash, anyhow.

 

The problem is relativity and self assessment. I always think of the quote from the movie Napoleon Dynamite, "You got like 3ft of air that time."

Problem is that very few people can properly define their own abilities.

Sure, I think I am a good rider. Compared to whom? My friends? Sure I am generally in 1st or 2nd position. In the greater metro area trail club that has racers? Generally in the 40-50th percentile. When I tried a local competition that brought together the tri-state and whoever else wanted to come? I was probably in the 30th percentile. So as you can see, the further I get away from my own abilities, my local crew, and whatever else? It becomes more obvious how much of an amateur I really am.

However when I am just riding by myself, I feel like a rockstar.

Hell, I would even say this is the case for the simple abilities as the OP mentioned. "Cornering" is a pretty loose term. Ride the flat portion of a high banked berm, riding the middle of a high banked berm, or riding the rim of the high banked berm are very different abilities. Taking a 180 switchback without dumping all of your speed is another. Again, what you are feeling while doing it versus what you actually look like are generally different as well.

Bunny hop, wheelie, manual, track stand, j-hop, etc may be easier to classify, but as many know, doing them and doing them correctly can be different. (Such as using clipless pedals to assist with lifting a bunny hop versus using your suspension, etc. Thinking you are j-hopping, but having your rear tire slam into whatever you are trying to hop, etc.)

 

Bunny hop, wheelie, manual, track stand, j-hop, etc may be easier to classify, but as many know, doing them and doing them correctly can be different. (Such as using clipless pedals to assist with lifting a bunny hop versus using your suspension, etc. Thinking you are j-hopping, but having your rear tire slam into whatever you are trying to hop, etc.)

I had to look up j-hop. Luckily, I learned how to do that when I was like 12.

 

Average skill set? Good question.

It is hard for anyone to define this. "Average skills" really depends on your local riding scene. Some places have whole different definitions of average.

You can really see this if you use Strava. I travel a lot and ride in a lot of different places. In some places the local riding community is really fast, in others it is not.

 

I'm a lot older now, and every year I seem to lose
a little.

 

It's DEFINITELY got a huge local component.

Compared to locals who use Strava, at least, I'm VERY mid-pack when it comes to speed (this seems to be one of those places where speed is generally prioritized highly by many locals). That becomes apparent when I show up for a group ride with folks who have a very wide range of skills. There are just some guys who could drop me on any bike, any time. But there are also probably just as many riders who have the same difficulty keeping up with me. Most riders tend to stay within sight, either in front of or behind me. I frankly don't care enough about going fast to work that much harder on it. But when it comes to technical skills, I'm better than average. That said, I've still got plenty of room for improvement. And that I do care about.

Cornering is something that all riders here have to work on a fair bit. There aren't a ton of trails where bermed corners are common. We have fewer than 10mi of trails that really feature more than one built berm. We have a lot of flat and a fair number of off camber turns. Hardly any true switchbacks, though. But our trails are extremely twisty. Some of them are wide corners you pretty much have to pedal through. Some are really tight. There's one trail where the wheelbase of my bike makes the tight turns really tricky. So I would say that locally, an average rider can corner pretty well in general, even if that average rider could still stand to do better.

One thing we don't have a lot of are rocks. So skills necessary to negotiate tricky rocky sections of trail are a lot less common in the general population. I really like rocks, so the skills necessary to ride rocky stuff are things that I like to practice and session on the trails. There are still things that are tough to practice. Riding down ledges isn't really a problem for me. But riding up them is a really major area I could improve. But locally, I really lack for good places to practice them. That became really obvious on my recent trip to Las Vegas. I rode LOTS of ledgy trails there. I was MOST of the way there with the skills, so my other skills did transfer a good deal. The biggest thing I was missing was related to the necessary pedal position and getting my rear wheel up to the top of the ledge. I would approach the ledges with my pedals perfectly level. On bigger ones, I'd get well up onto them, but when it came time to give my pedals a little kick, move my body forward, and lift my rear wheel, I wouldn't have enough space for that pedal kick. My pedal would hit the upper side of the rock. So while I was there, I started working on raising my leading pedal some as I approached a ledge up. I was only there a week so I didn't have enough time to perfect it, but I did make notable improvements in that department before I came home. I'll have to build backyard obstacles if I want to practice at home, though, because there is nothing like that kind of trail feature here locally. We have logs over the trails, which are different in some respects. I have been working on getting over bigger logs lately. Stuff where I lack the BB clearance to just lift the front wheel and ride over it. That skill would transfer over to ledges quite well, but I'm just not there. At least, not for the height of the ledges I was working on. I'm at about 1ft for the logs I can reliably apply this skill to. The ledges I was working on were in the 2+ft range. Again, I need some backyard obstacles, I think.

Just yesterday I was doing some playing around. I was at a shop nearby (the owner has contracted out with me to make a map and I was down there talking to him about a recent draft), and he and his employees have built some obstacles amongst the landscaping around the shop. So the owner and I grabbed a couple of demo Santa Cruz 5010's and were riding the rock walls around the flower beds and the pond, playing around on the little jumps, trackstanding, and whatnot.

I'm excited for the bike parks going in locally to be able to work on some of this stuff. A small one got built last year. I haven't visited yet, but it's got some berms and a few wooden features. Two more are being built right now. One is being built by the local police dept and is geared a little more towards kids, though I expect it'll be just as fun for adults. It's getting a pump track and some skills obstacles. A bigger one is being built about an hour and a half out of town on some land that was strip mined and is now owned by the county who has decided to build the bike park with a strong focus on progressive features. It's going to have roughly 16mi of trail, and will include a pump track, a separate kiddie area, space for jumps and bigger drops, and stuff like that. That one really looks like it'll be a place I can practice/learn things. I have a couple of friends who are certified mtb instructors who are giving a skills clinic there when it opens.

 

It's DEFINITELY got a huge local component.

Compared to locals who use Strava, at least, I'm VERY mid-pack when it comes to speed (this seems to be one of those places where speed is generally prioritized highly by many locals). That becomes apparent when I show up for a group ride with folks who have a very wide range of skills. There are just some guys who could drop me on any bike, any time. But there are also probably just as many riders who have the same difficulty keeping up with me. Most riders tend to stay within sight, either in front of or behind me. I frankly don't care enough about going fast to work that much harder on it. But when it comes to technical skills, I'm better than average. That said, I've still got plenty of room for improvement. And that I do care about.

Cornering is something that all riders here have to work on a fair bit. There aren't a ton of trails where bermed corners are common. We have fewer than 10mi of trails that really feature more than one built berm. We have a lot of flat and a fair number of off camber turns. Hardly any true switchbacks, though. But our trails are extremely twisty. Some of them are wide corners you pretty much have to pedal through. Some are really tight. There's one trail where the wheelbase of my bike makes the tight turns really tricky. So I would say that locally, an average rider can corner pretty well in general, even if that average rider could still stand to do better.

One thing we don't have a lot of are rocks. So skills necessary to negotiate tricky rocky sections of trail are a lot less common in the general population. I really like rocks, so the skills necessary to ride rocky stuff are things that I like to practice and session on the trails. There are still things that are tough to practice. Riding down ledges isn't really a problem for me. But riding up them is a really major area I could improve. But locally, I really lack for good places to practice them. That became really obvious on my recent trip to Las Vegas. I rode LOTS of ledgy trails there. I was MOST of the way there with the skills, so my other skills did transfer a good deal. The biggest thing I was missing was related to the necessary pedal position and getting my rear wheel up to the top of the ledge. I would approach the ledges with my pedals perfectly level. On bigger ones, I'd get well up onto them, but when it came time to give my pedals a little kick, move my body forward, and lift my rear wheel, I wouldn't have enough space for that pedal kick. My pedal would hit the upper side of the rock. So while I was there, I started working on raising my leading pedal some as I approached a ledge up. I was only there a week so I didn't have enough time to perfect it, but I did make notable improvements in that department before I came home. I'll have to build backyard obstacles if I want to practice at home, though, because there is nothing like that kind of trail feature here locally. We have logs over the trails, which are different in some respects. I have been working on getting over bigger logs lately. Stuff where I lack the BB clearance to just lift the front wheel and ride over it. That skill would transfer over to ledges quite well, but I'm just not there. At least, not for the height of the ledges I was working on. I'm at about 1ft for the logs I can reliably apply this skill to. The ledges I was working on were in the 2+ft range. Again, I need some backyard obstacles, I think.

Just yesterday I was doing some playing around. I was at a shop nearby (the owner has contracted out with me to make a map and I was down there talking to him about a recent draft), and he and his employees have built some obstacles amongst the landscaping around the shop. So the owner and I grabbed a couple of demo Santa Cruz 5010's and were riding the rock walls around the flower beds and the pond, playing around on the little jumps, trackstanding, and whatnot.

I'm excited for the bike parks going in locally to be able to work on some of this stuff. A small one got built last year. I haven't visited yet, but it's got some berms and a few wooden features. Two more are being built right now. One is being built by the local police dept and is geared a little more towards kids, though I expect it'll be just as fun for adults. It's getting a pump track and some skills obstacles. A bigger one is being built about an hour and a half out of town on some land that was strip mined and is now owned by the county who has decided to build the bike park with a strong focus on progressive features. It's going to have roughly 16mi of trail, and will include a pump track, a separate kiddie area, space for jumps and bigger drops, and stuff like that. That one really looks like it'll be a place I can practice/learn things. I have a couple of friends who are certified mtb instructors who are giving a skills clinic there when it opens.

you need more POI to get up ledges

You actually need to get used to throwing your weight forward.

Im in the 50th percentile on most of my trails except my home trail where I am in the 75%ile. So In my area Im very average. Strava is a good way to see where you stand.

 

Although your personal application of basic skill sets may vary from location to location I do not think the fundamentals change at all. Proper pedaling, cornering, balancing, dropping, landing ect will not change. How ,when, where, what will vary from ride to ride and even line to line. If I had to make a list of basics that all of us should strive to improve on it would be .
Cornering
Pedaling
Braking
Looking (line choice)
No matter how good you are these can always be better. Every other skill is an extension of the above or a variance of it based on your particular ride location, weather , trail conditions or ride line. Get better at these and you will ride better under all conditions.
Climbing

 

Skills or application of skills, wane under pressure i.e. you can practice a skill all you like, but until it's used in a game (on a ride w/ others) situation, you won't know you really have that skill in your tool belt.

Whether or not you like to go fast, this is the greatest testing zone of skills... doing the mentioned above (by others) at mach-chicken will show mastery of said skills.

Tis why the Pro's look to go - faster, higher, further ^^

Citius - Altius - Fortius (pretty close)

-----------------------------------------------------------
#1 resolution... Ride it like I stole it!!

 

Skills or application of skills, wane under pressure i.e. you can practice a skill all you like, but until it's used in a game (on a ride w/ others) situation, you won't know you really have that skill in your tool belt.

Whether or not you like to go fast, this is the greatest testing zone of skills... doing the mentioned above (by others) at mach-chicken will show mastery of said skills.

Tis why the Pro's look to go - faster, higher, further ^^

Citius - Altius - Fortius (pretty close)

-----------------------------------------------------------
#1 resolution... Ride it like I stole it!!

Very much agreed but unless I am mistaken the OP is looking for skill drills to practice so they can improve their riding ability. You always need to master walking before running. Yes the final result won't be whether or not you are good at a drill but how accurately you can use the skill from the drill in real world riding and speed is definitely the equalizer.

Sent from my SM-G920W8 using Tapatalk

 

Yes, locale has a huge bearing on ability. Some areas offer really fast descents which call on cornering and braking skills, while somewhere else has slow chunky rocks that require good timing/pedal skills, body English...

A well-rounded rider has seen a lot of different terrain and conditions, and maybe ridden a few different kinds of bikes. Not many riders pursue that specifically (it's usu. more by happenstance), so an "average" rider is someone who can ride average terrain at average speed. The rider surpasses that "average" designation when they begin to adapt to varying conditions.

Someone once made the analogy to "an encyclopedia of MTB skills". They knew they were getting good when everything that came at them trail-wise was easily referenced in their encyclopedia of MTB trail features.

btw - to expand ones skills, you might watch some skilled women ride - they seldom use brute force in lieu of finesse and skill. They are so smooth and effortless.

-F

 

The skill set possessed by the median rider is probably actually rather simplistic, but only because of how many riders in the sample size are going to be at the very entry level of skills progression.
Even moving towards the mean for that data set, it's not going to be much more impressive - but it'll be at the top end of what most people think of as mountain biking.

That tool belt will still probably contain going down dropoffs that are close to half a wheel diameter with some safety margin, climbing up ledges or steps at at least half that height, and being able to make some weight adjustments fore/aft for climbing and going over technical stuff. Probably includes log rollovers, and wheelies of some description.

May sound harsh, but that's basically all the tool kit required to get out and ride.

I've found that threshold braking, even pedaling, leaning appropriately into corners, looking down-trail, and relying on hip/center of mass movements are not that common, and when put together basically constitute the transition to advanced-intermediate riders in context of the mountain biking population as a whole.

[ETA] Totally spot on - watching riders like Rachel Atherton, Jill Kintner, Anne-Caroline Chausson, Anneke Beerten, Emmeline Ragot, and Manon Carpetner is like watching a top notch skills clinic, just at 1.3x speed.

 

...

I've found that threshold braking, even pedaling, leaning appropriately into corners, looking down-trail, and relying on hip/center of mass movements are not that common, and when put together basically constitute the transition to advanced-intermediate riders in context of the mountain biking population as a whole.....

^^^This is very astute. I found that I got faster just by starting to work on these skills. I am far from consistently good at any of them, but just the fact that I'm aware and I practice and get it right 1/2 of the time makes me faster than (or closer to) many of my local peers, including those with superior fitness. So it's definitely a significant step up in skill level.

Sometimes I feel stupid giving away these kinds of skills tips. I need every trick I know to keep up as it is. :lol:

-F

 

 

I never much thought about my skillset, until I went to Moab last October. All of a sudden, I'm looking at trail maps for the area and seeing black diamonds and double-black diamonds. These were the trails we were going to be riding. Then, I watched some Youtube videos of some them got seriously freaked out.

I started to question how my skills from Northern California would transfer to the trails we would be riding. It turned out not to be a problem, as none of use have huge egos and were willing to admit that some parts of some trails were not rideable with our skillset and we simply got off and walked. That being said, I rode things I had never ridden before and wasn't sure was even possible given my skillset and my bike (which is decidedly cross country, a 2004 Superlight).

All I can say is... I want to ride Moab again.

 

okay

 

For whatever reason, the average mountain biker is obsessed with speed and distance over skill. And, sad to say, they rely more on bike upgrades than training to make marginal gains in speed and distance.

The average mountain biker, who's skill set includes at most the short wheelie and rear wheel skid, regards other skills as a sort of magical ability a person must be born with. Like, hey look at that guy bunny hop a log in flats. Nice to be him! So easy for him! And they'll make excuses like yeah I tried to bunny hop once but I hurt my shin and it was just impossible. I don't have the physiology for it. My bike is wrong. Etc.

But if the average mountain biker spent half as much time practicing basic skills - track stands, j-hops, endos, manuals - as they spent researching the latest and greatest bike parts, they might actually get faster or gain some skills. And maybe they might realize that riding with style can be more fun than killing yourself against the clock. That mountain biking can be an art.

I sometimes ride with a few dudes that have been riding for way too long (even racing), that still have to walk just about everything they can't bash through, or roll down easily. They shun the more technically challenging trails as too much work (meaning walking)... but if they're having fun, so be it.

As kids, we spent hours and hours, weeks and weeks, doing nothing but practicing all that stuff on the bmx, just to kill time. I can still sit on my handlebars and pedal backwards - very useful. People who can't do a manual and ride it out, don't know what they're missing....simple pleasures.

 

Braking technique often is a greatly underestimated factor that separates a novice from an average rider.

Also positioning and posture is something that you can easily observe being different in novice and average riders.

Very basic things, yet very easily turns you into a noob when not executed masterfully. Coincidentally, this is what many successful skills clinics focus on.

 

Braking technique often is a greatly underestimated factor that separates a novice from an average rider.
Also positioning and posture is something that you can easily observe being different in novice and average riders.
Very basic things, yet very easily turns you into a noob when not executed masterfully. Coincidentally, this is what many successful skills clinics focus on.

Really not surprising - it's an area where the most gain and long term benefit can be generated from a small amount of time spent, and skills clinics are always about how much 'keeper' information can be conveyed quickly: those two things do the most to build confidence and control.

I also think a lot of the emphasis on 'learning skills' focuses too much one some of the more party-piece oriented stuff. Sure being able to execute a good track stand is cool (I'm only 75% of the way there), but trying to learn to do it from a poor or questionable foundation position is what causes a lot of newer riders to decide that those skills they researched on the internet aren't really that helpful - which further reinforces bad technique. This is a lot worse with manuals and bunny hops - and probably why so many riders don't really get proper technique sorted out for those.

Being able to do a manual, bunny hop, endo, track stand, lateral rut hop isn't actually as impressive, all of that stuff should come after refining more basic stuff. Anybody breaking out the pitchforks - think of it this way: it's possible to find trails that don't require wheelies or bunny hops to traverse up and down - but good luck finding a trail that doesn't benefit from good position, braking, and cornering.

Learning key basics like position, braking technique, cornering technique should come first, and THEN build the concept of making every bike movement around hip movement should be the introduction to performing a manual, which then cascades into j-hop, bunny hop, and stoppie.
Skipping that step is just a recipe for learning with pain as a demotivator.

 

I don't know about avg skill set, but I do know if you want to rapidly improve your skills, head to some MTB mecca with loads of different trails, that have more tech, climbs etc than you have at your home trails. I did this back in '07 and '08 and there was lots of stuff I got off and walked, but I also tried lots of stuff I wouldn't have thought to try and my riding improved drastically, would love to head back there to see what I'm capable of tackling now 9 years later.

Actually right now in a kind of slump, riding like crap, guess I'm a bit burned out riding the same trails for 9 years, really need to go visit someplace new/different and re-energize the desire to ride again.

 

Interesting responses so far. The OP was not looking for a roadmap for improvement, though those responses are welcome, as they may inspire other readers. I just wanted to have a candid discussion about the general appetite for focused skill building in the MTB community, and in particular, the 'why' of it.

I ride in the Midwest, in an XC heavy heavy area. Any discussion of improvement generally revolves around lighter bikes, lower lap times, and fitness. Riding road miles is common advice for improving one's mountain biking. The focus is all fitness, even though the average rider arguably has no definable skill set.

If you look up instruction videos, you'll often see things like bunny hops listed as 'basic' bike skills. But can an average rider perform a 1' hop over a log on the trail consistently, or cross a 2' log over without dismounting? My experience says no. How many riders have a firm understanding of cornering technique, can hop or manual or track stand proficiently? And can pump effectively to generate speed? Or have mastered basic jumping? Unless I'm way off base, I think you're talking about sub 1%ers.

I have stood on both sides of the fence. My first few years, even though I tried lots of trail features and even rode numerous black and even some double black trails, an honest self evaluation revealed that I didn't really have a tangible skill set. Sure I could ride most things rollable with decent balance and a little body english. But I couldn't make a list of skills with actual names. So I changed my approach. Watched videos. Read instructional bits. Practiced things. And it has paid off. I could probably list off dozens of skills or combinations of skills that I've become proficient in, due largely to small changes in the way I ride each day. I will pump, hop, jump, manual, nose bonk, and track stand on pretty much every trail I ride every day. Ordinary trails ridden in an extraordinary way.

Please don't take this to be in any way elitist. We are all on our own journey and I was a beginner not so many years ago. It's just that I've come to realize that just riding a trail in it's most basic form and experiencing a trail with a more developed skill set are profoundly different experiences, and I want more riders to experience the latter. I want to spread the good word, if you will. Progressive riding needn't be reserved for the elite, nor is it inherently dangerous. It just requires a little shift in focus for the sport in general and a little tweak in how we ride each day.

 

Not quite sure about your response, I totally agree that in general most MTBers don't actually make time to practice improving their skills, but then I also don't believe that if you can't or don't want to jump, hop, pop, or nose bonk off every little thing and instead enjoy navigating over the actual obstacles, maybe even slowly, that no one should push their judgement of that not being fun.
I for one do not enjoy more speed and using it to be hoping over obstacles, rooty or rough sections, I enjoy riding through, maybe slower, picking my lines and actually riding over, sometimes chainring hitting the obstacles.

Interesting responses so far. The OP was not looking for a roadmap for improvement, though those responses are welcome, as they may inspire other readers. I just wanted to have a candid discussion about the general appetite for focused skill building in the MTB community, and in particular, the 'why' of it.

....I think riding is all about speed and the ability to hop/pop over trail obstacles and that's the only way to have fun.

 

I just wish i could manual.... :-/

 

Making up for a lack of capable equipment could be considered skill too.

The pro XC racers are doing stuff, on their anemic bikes with hardly any tread or suspension, that other people would only really do on their bigger bikes. Or at least are trying to:



*** Note: this is a crash reel. Don't go assuming a majority of XC pros are dirt roadies without skills to ride something like this, based on all the sketchiness/failure seen in this mere clip. Top World Cup XC pros are seemingly beyond mortal.

Hucking it like a missile would be my kind of showmanship-type skill.

 

A dropper post might have helped

 

I'd like to have this discussion without the defensive responses, if possible. This is not an anti XC racing post. I'm advocating for skills progression, which in itself should offend nobody.

The simplest way I can put it is this:

The average rider(or average XC racer) could benefit greatly from a skills clinic or some personal skills instruction/practice. Not replacing fitness training, but in addition to it; in balance with it. It would enhance riding enjoyment, speed, flow, and efficiency for most riders who ride for typical reasons, and with typical ambitions. The average rider knows and recognizes this to be true.

Despite recognizing this, and in contrast with most skill based sports, the average rider will likely not choose to do anything about it. It is cultural and widespread.

I'm simply asking: What are the reasons that this is the case? What are the barriers? I seek understanding.

 

Absolutely agree with LeDuke, the fitter I am, the better I ride tech because I'm not blown and winded and can link together longer sections, climb more technical sections without resting etc. Fitness is a BIG key to riding better, but a lot of people don't get that, they only think about trails pointed straight down and want to go as fast as they can, hoping over every little obstacles using said speed.

I agree that most would benefit from some form of skills coaching or practicing areas they are weak on, but how can you ask for non defensive responses when you are pushing YOUR definition of what kind of riding is fun? Who says fast is fun to everyone, everywhere? Who says everyone thinks "efficiency" whatever that is in MTBing,is fun? Who says people don't enjoy themselves as much going slow and purposefully down a trail? Not everyone likes to fly down and over a trail "missing" every obstacle, some don't push so hard because, well honestly they just can't afford to get injured.

I'd like to have this discussion without the defensive responses, if possible. This is not an anti XC racing post. I'm advocating for skills progression, which in itself should offend nobody.

The simplest way I can put it is this:

The average rider(or average XC racer) could benefit greatly from a skills clinic or some personal skills instruction/practice. Not replacing fitness training, but in addition to it; in balance with it. It would enhance riding enjoyment, speed, flow, and efficiency for most riders who ride for typical reasons, and with typical ambitions. The average rider knows and recognizes this to be true.

Despite recognizing this, and in contrast with most skill based sports, the average rider will likely not choose to do anything about it. It is cultural and widespread.

I'm simply asking: What are the reasons that this is the case? What are the barriers? I seek understanding.

 

okay

 

I'll argue that combining what Fleas and Lynx are talking about right there is a BIG part of why injuries still happen.

Most people who just want to go ride are just shooting for the minimum skill level to feel confident - which works provided they're not getting that tired, or sore from riding for an extended period of time, or starting to feel the effects from heat/dehydration/low nutritional energy/poor VO2 conditioning... then that bare minimum skill approach very quickly becomes inadequate for the terrain and speed, and crashes happen.

The statistics on WHEN (during the day) those crashes go down are really quite telling.

LeDuke - I'm absolutely and totally with you. I was a bottom quartile scorer on the standard PFT testing, but I was always one of the fast three in my battalion for the combat fitness test maneuver under fire test, despite having to fireman carry guys 20lb or more heavier than me. Same deal with marksmanship under duress - not a range high scorer on fixed range slow fire, but the last three qualifications I dropped precisely one round out of 200+ on the rapid fire, and Table II-III qualifications (the latter two in full gear). It's not that I'm a very good shot, I just knew how to 'suck less' when I'm tired - something I'm still not good at mountain biking.

Fundamentally, it's just that the types that are always trying to grow their skill envelope and execution of precision are going to wind up being more skilled because of time spent critically evaluating their own skill application. Without that step, the tendency is almost always to be 'good enough', which is good enough until it isn't. When I'm pushing pace nonstop up over the top of a climb into the descent, my skillset totally meets the heuristic of 'good enough... until it isn't'.

 

Some riders want to get better... they'll actively search out information on how to improve their skillset..


Others just want to ride... If parts are too hard they'll walk.

They still ride 80% of what everyone else does (ymmv)

I'm in the first group, I want to improve - be the best I can be etc.

Life is busy, and by the time I have enough time to be able to truly practice skills ^^ I'll be too bloody old >.<

PS - getting into the sport and learning skills as a kid is the way to go for mind...
None of my riding buddies like to huck, they'll go the chicken route. I don't practice huckin, but as a kid that's what we did - finding jumps, making jumps i.e. repetition... & that skill has stayed with me... I love getting airborne =)

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#1 resolution... Ride it like I stole it!!

 

PS - getting into the sport and learning skills as a kid is the way to go for mind...
None of my riding buddies like to huck, they'll go the chicken route. I don't practice huckin, but as a kid that's what we did - finding jumps, making jumps i.e. repetition... & that skill has stayed with me... I love getting airborne =)

Yeah, riding BMX bikes as a kid and jumping anything and everything in sight has stuck with me as well. Same for bunny hops, manuals, wheelies, stoppies, etc.

 

Nice discussion here. I've got so far to progress in all areas, and would love to do a full on skills camp, but short of that i've learned a lot from youtube and some local riders and continue to apply my understanding to my riding every time i'm out.

I'm still quite young in the sport, and my skills are progressing faster than my cardio, but i'm trying to grow evenly in both regards. I have some chronic health issues that have made it difficult for me to push too hard with my fitness, but nonetheless i'm still growing slowly. I learned on a hardtail bike, and then decided to go fs, ending up with a bike on the burly/longer travel end of the spectrum, which has definitely has put me in the slow up the hill faster down camp, although that wasn't my intention. I'm thinking in time pushing my fitness with a heavier bike will pay off. I'm starting to get out of my granny gear on my 1x more now, that feels like progress. =)

I love technical climbing, it's one of my favorite mtb pursuits, but am often limited by my fitness in these situations too. I spend time sessioning things but have yet to learn how to tackle a steep rock ladder without exerting a lot of juice. I'm sure these skills will grow in time.

All of this is somewhat of a tangent from the OP's question, but I agree with many here; it does seem to have a lot to do with where you ride. If you are really interested in expanding your skills that won't hold you back, but I don't think most people are. Most of the local riders here haven't even ventured beyond our local flow network up to Grand Junction to ride (which is about an hour and a half away). I try to get up there every week. The networks there absolutely fantastic for practicing technical skills, and will probably always have features beyond my skill set.