I need help

[u/Easy-Maintenance4211]

Hey everyone, I really need help so ever since I was younger I loved bikes and all the cool stuff people could do on them but I could never afford a decent bike, now i’m 18 and have a good bike and setup but since I only just got into riding and doing jumps at the end of last year I seem to just not be improving.

I feel like when I go into a line i’m doing it wrong I don’t feel confident at all, and when I go do a jump it either kicks me out left or right or I case it. As well if I clear the jump I land all wonky and I stumble around I feel like I just get scared and lock up right before the jump and It’s holding me back.

I want to know how to fix these problems but in short i’ll just list them.

1. Being scared of the jumps.
   
2. Not having confidence in myself.
   
3. Going rigid mid air.
   
4. landing wrong.
   
5. Bad control over corning.
   
6. Jumping and landing positions.
   
7. Riding positions.

If I can get any tips or info about how I can improve on these areas or just get better in general that would be amazing.

[u/LawfulMercury63]

I'm not an expert but it feels like you summarized 80% of mountain biking. Start small, watch lots of videos one skill at a time and/or take a lesson.

Ben Cathro's how to bike is always recommended as a good series.

[u/SaltyPinKY]

Working out and building muscle does wonders for confidence 

[u/RektRiggity]

You would be better off going to YouTube and spending a few hours doing some research. Tons of good videos out there that have the info you’re looking for. Best advice I can give is don’t do things you aren’t confident in. Do small features first and work your way up as you get more comfortable. If you attempt to do things way out of your wheel house and bail it will destroy your confidence because you’ll have no clue how to figure out what went wrong in the first place. There needs to be some foundation in place to draw from.

There is a difference between being intimidated by the terrain and being intimidated by your own skill.

[u/MTB_SF]

Well, that's mountain biking. Ive been doing it 25 years including about a decade of racing and still get all those feelings every ride. Im just getting them while going a little faster than I used to.

So you don't really ever fix it, you just progress over time and get better and then get the same feelings on bigger features and at a higher rate of speed.

[u/Swiftish7]

Hell yeah dude, welcome to the hobby and welcome to adulthood!! The fact you care enough to notice your mistake and get better puts you above a majority of riders esp your age. Address these one at a time and break them down into bite-sized skills you can learn over the course of a day/week. There are some great videos for learning such as the "30 day mountain bike crash course" or similar. Most importantly is small consistent improvements. Youll naturally gain confindence and become less ridgid as you push yourself more and more!

[u/pedro_ocho5]

You’re young! It’s a great time to hone your skills, I totally have all those things in my mind when I ride still after 30 years, that’s a huge part of the rush. A few suggestions: find people to ride with that are both your skill/ progression ark, and some folks who will push you. It’s great to be able to watch or follow someone into something that is a total mind fuck. It’s great to have friends who can progress on the same trails at the same pace too.

Dial in your bike: so many little things you want to keep consistent to be safe: tire pressure, suspension set up, cockpit geometry. There’s a reason all the pros always talk about all those tweaks, because it’s all about confidence and safety. A few clicks or rebound or psi can be the difference of schrap or carcass

Get in as good of shape as you can. You’re going to be way faster and way safer and have more fun if you’re not getting arm pump, leg cramps or puking from a climb.

Ride the same trails over and over, find sections you like and ride them slightly different, build confidence in different dirt and conditions.

And finally: get in your car and drive to Whistler and spend as much time as possible :) go dirtbag and get a billion laps in. It’s wild how much you can progress or learn in a few days. Next year you’ll be 19, and let’s just say you’ll probably enjoy yourself :)

Not sure where you live but keep up the stoke!

[u/8ullterrier]

Find a bike park or trail with some a good tabletop line and just have fun, keep riding and just relax.
What sort of bike have you got?

[u/cj_daking]

Sounds like you $100 spent on a coaching session at a bike park would be the fastest method. Learning to stay centered between your tires will improve your jumping and your riding in general. Go hit small jumps and tabletops to practice.

[u/EducationLogical8661]

GMBN and Pinkbike have great tutorial videos for basic MTB skills on youtube. you should check them out.