Mastering Mountain Bike Skills - 2nd Edition

I bought 2 copies of this book, one for myself and one for a friend that is just getting in to mountain biking. I grew up riding and racing BMX, have raced MTB's (XC) and just got back in to trail riding after a several year absence.Reading through this book, I identified with many of the techniques that Lee and Brian describe. Many I picked up very young from the BMX days and some I learned from the MTB experiences. Since I no longer race and all my trail riding is for fun the seriousness of it all is not the same, but the skill level is still a goal. I was pleased to see that many things I do now are considered (at least as I took it) as fundamental in the skill set one needs to be a "good" rider.There are several parts of this book that I'm using as a guide for techniques that I need to work on, namely jumping. I've never been much of a jumper and trial and error when leaving the ground is (IMO) a painful way to get better at this particular skill. I quickly realized when reading this book some of the mistakes I've been making for a long time. Take offs were in the wrong position, eyeing the gap and being way to stiff in the air. It all makes perfect sense and it's a part of my riding that will take time to learn correctly.A recurring theme in this book is how they describe to ride "pedals heavy and hands loose" This is a common mistake that newb's to the sport make, they death grip the bars and don't keep enough weight on their legs. Sounds simply enough, but it's a universal mistake that's made by beginners and something I always teach when I take a new person to the trails.I did notice a few of the reviews were a little negative towards some of the lingo used by the authors. All of it made perfect sense to me (Yes, hauling the mail = hauling a$$), but I've been around bikes and riding for a very long time. Keep an open mind and your sense of humor, as there are some witty parts to this book. It would be boring if it were written any other way!One thing I definitely noticed is I could tell when the different author(s) were writing their respective parts of the book or sections. Lee definitely has the coaching point of view to his prose and Brian has the racer/hardcore side of it.If you take just one thing away from this book, it's the section on FLOW. Read it, learn it, practice it and enjoy it. Once you really learn how to read a trail and use it to your advantage (as opposed to fighting it or working against it) riding becomes so much more enjoyable. In closing, unless you're a really high level rider or pro, there's something in this book that will help you get to the next level. Definitely worth the price and a great read.

First: I have almost 15 years of mtb riding. About 12 of them were spent - to use Lee's words - sucking.I always enjoyed riding though but got stuck in a rut. I read quite a few useless books during that time. Then I discovered MBUK Magazine, bought Trials ace Martyn Ashtons book, ditched my SPD pedals and lycra outfit and started over from scratch, learning the basics on flats and with knee pads. Track stand, hops etc. etc. Trail riding became a lot more fun.I stumbled over Lees Facebook page one day and there was a piece on suspension and riding a bigger wave. What he wrote made instant sense. I'm an engineer but in this case, someone just needed to nudge my brain pattern. A lot fell into place. I went out and tried his advice 'heavy feet, light hands' to great effect. There was flow!So I got the book. I reckon, even if I read ten or twenty books before, there will be something new in this book thats worth while. I went through it in a few days.As I write this, I've just been out riding and messing around with the 'attack position' on a familiar piece of trail. I tried it going down a set of stairs and some steep descents. It worked flawlessly. I went down stuff that scared me before with unbelievable ease and I went over lumps and bumps smoothly. I had to try it again and then again. I forgot myself briefly and went back to my old ways and promptly hit the ground.I'm gonna re-read and practice and yeah, there will be 'braaaap'.So, this book is really good. I wish someone gave it to me years ago. I spent so many years doing stuff plain wrong or just not knowing.

I started riding MTB in my mid 40s and eventually realised I needed some help to get more out of it and enjoy my riding more (plus reduce crashes!). I found this book early on at Amazon and elsewhere and wondered if it would be a little dated given the original date of writing but eventually bought it anyway. What a great choice. It is very detailed so if you just want a once over lightly you might find it a bit much. For me it was just fantastic. I have read it cover to cover when I first got it and have reread many chapters multiple times often getting something new out of it each time. using this I have been able to hugely progress my riding to the point that I recently bought a jump bike (at age 50) and have started doing dirt jumps. Not to jinx things but, so far, without catastrophe and yesterday was riding a jump line with my 15 yo son and while he is still a lot more comfortable (less scared) than me it was amazing to me that we were even riding the same stuff albeit at different levels. What stands out most for me about this book is the writing. So many coaching books in any sport are either motivational claptrap or endless technical detail written in an extremely dry boring style. Lee strikes a perfect balance between relevant detail and entertaining style. If you want to progress your MTB riding I cannot recommend this highly enough. Geoff, Nelson NZ

When I was first recommended this book by a friend I dismissed the idea completely offhand, wondering how much I could actually learn from sitting down with a book about a sport that involves being so active but, sitting in front of the computer one night, I decided to shell out and see if it was any good. I have to say, I have been very, very impressed.The book is beautifully laid out, instructions are sharp and clear and the language used is simple and easy to understand. Covering everything from choosing which bike to things I will ever have the ability or courage to try, this bike is a complete guide to improving your enjoyment of mountain biking. I can honestly say that my riding has come on so far since making this purchase, highly recommended by an initial sceptic!

One of the best books I have ever owned, it is detailed with great pictures and explanations, taking you through everything from why different mountain bikes are designed the way they are through to your own bike how to tweak it and set it and of course how to improve your riding, the overriding enthusiasm of the authors just makes it great, if you don't believe me buy it, you will not be disappointed.

This is a very informative book, with an excellent layout and approach to explaining techniques. The language style as mentioned by other reviewers is a little 'californian dude' but this does not necessarily detract from its ability to impart useful knowledge to any mountain biker wishing to better understand where they may be going wrong and to reinforce one-2-one training skills courses.

Recently got back into MTB after a break of 15 years & got this as a sort of refresher. So glad I did, some of the things I already knew but there's lot I don't and it's been a great help to polish up my skills and enable me to go faster on the trials

Being fairly new to Mountain Biking I wanted a book to give me some guidance. This book is great, it is well written with helpful descriptions, diagrams and photo sequences. It covers the basics as well as more advanced techniques in good detail. I purchased a couple of other books at the same time, however this is by far my preferred read to fill that skills gap.