My First Mountain Bike Lessons: From Terrified to Trail-Worthy
If you’ve followed my Chronicles of a Newbie Mountain biker, you probably have figured out I’m new to this whole thing. And maybe a bit nervous about it. Well, okay, I started kinda terrified. (If you haven’t, click here to read the post: Chronicles of a Newbie Mountain Biker Month 1.)
Home base, when not in a van or in an amazing Thousand Trails Park, is Colorado, and folks there take things like mountain biking seriously. I have friends who have had serious surgeries because of it. Yet, they keep doing it. So naturally, one way to mitigate the terror in my heart was to take a few lessons. That need became readily apparent when my first ride up a hill that was more of an anthill than a real hill left me gasping for air. Just because I had ridden a bike as a kid and a Peloton for eight years didn’t mean I knew how to ride a real bike on a real trail.
So, I decided to seek out a lesson or two. Jack Karavan and I were heading to Georgia soon, so I knew we’d find some great lessons in that awesome state. I settled on Mulberry Gap Adventure Basecamp, adjacent to the Pinhoti Trail system. There, I met my first coach, Misty. You can read all about my Georgia Adventures at time at Mulberry Gap by clicking here!
Coach Misty is a PMBIA (Professional Mountain Bike Instructors Association) certified instructor. We had a few emails about my goals, which included not cracking a rib, avoiding facial reconstructive surgery, and generally learning a thing or two while having a good time. We decided on a three-day plan: morning lessons with afternoon free rides to implement those lessons.
Watch The Video!
While I love blogging, creating videos is a passion. Check out the Live Free RV YouTube channel — I take you along for the adventure and cover full-time RV living, mountain biking, trip reports, and campground reviews.
While you’re there, be sure to subscribe and turn on notifications so you’re always updated when I drop new content — usually every Wednesday and Sunday.
Day 1: Back to the Basics!
Mulberry Gap has a great beginner training area with small berms and jumps. It was the perfect place to start. We covered how to stay balanced and how to float on the saddle.
We started on very flat land that had a smidge of a downhill. Just enough that you could point your front wheel down! And we spent basically two hours working right there, making loops!
Misty teaches a “high ready, low ready, neutral ready” position, with the reality being, you are always in some state of motion between them. These positions are really about making sure, as we would say in ski parlance, that your “center of mass is balanced over your base of support.” In other words, if you treat the mountain bike as though it were an extension of your body, and you are one with the bike, you and the bike are balanced!
The first few lessons were all about finding balance on the bike and getting used to this 40 lbs object moving underneath me!
Taking It To The Trail.
Misty and I had agreed to work together a few hours each morning, and then I’d go to easy trails and test the principles. Frankly, as a ski instructor, I’ll tell you – I wish I could do that with my guests. You learn the basics and then you go play with them to solidify the movement patterns. It’s actually far more effective than continuous instruction.
And solidfy I did.
After my morning lesson, I went on to ride Pinhoti 3, a lovely ride through a lush forest which gave me many opportunities to work on the skills I had just learned!
From climbing to descents – I got to practice that good balance and weight distribution for the terrain and my objectives!
Major Realization: None of what I learned was intuitive. I wouldn’t have just magically gotten it on my own. This is why a lesson adds so much value; I didn’t know what I didn’t know. Having a certified coach who taught me what a collective group of professionals agree are good movement patterns set me up for success.
Day 2: Refine and Ride
Day Two was fun. We largely refined and worked on Day 1’s skills. We added in cornering and more efficient climbing and gear usage. After my morning lessons, I took my newfound skills to the trails, riding the famous Bear-hoti (a combo of Pinhoti and the Bear Creek Loop).
We did a lot of repetition. Which is critical for learning. And I don’t regret that at all. Like all good coaches, Coach Misty used one skill to build on the next.
So, for example, on day 2 we started adding more upper body positioning such as wide elbows. And we exaggerated some movements. But day 2 was about adding some smaller details and refning the larger ones!
Taking It to the Trails!
So if you haven’t guessed, this is my favorite part. And “Bearhoti” was my favorite ride! In the video for this post, I”ll show you the oldest known tree in Georgia. Pretty awesome! But seriously this was and remains one of my favorite rides. It was a dense forest. It was pretty. And I took my first fall and lived to tell about it. Hint: mountain biking falls do hurt more than skiing. So make sure to wear that protective equipment!
Major Realization: YouTube videos and “bro wisdom” are largely just wrong. Yeah, I said it. I had watched a series of YouTube videos to get ready for my first time in the wild. None of them covered these fundamentals. They were more worried about teaching you how to bunny hop (a marginally useful skill) than how to be well-balanced on the bike.
Day 3: Building Confidence.
On our last day, we started building more speed and letting the bike do the work. It was a cold and rainy day, but I was ready. I started to test the movement patterns that I would later need for more serious riding. It was the day my confidence started to click into place. Oddly, bikes kind of want to stay in balance—part of your job is to let them.
Lookin' Solid on Day 3!
Okay so not to drag or anything, but after 3 days of MTB lessons I started to feel pretty darn good. And, you know, I started to actually look like I might actually know what I’m doing!
All kidding aside. The difference wasn’t just visible. My confidence substantially benefitted and I started to feel more willingness to try newer and more difficult terrain.
Plus, it sorta set me up for my new love of riding bike parks. Something I candidly wasn’t sure I would be willing to do!
My Before and After
Before my lesson, I couldn’t climb a small hill without getting exhausted, and I was terrified on even the most basic trails. After just three days, I was confidently riding the flowy loops and tackling some of the climbs I had previously only dreamed of. It was a dramatic improvement that took my riding from “scary” to “fun.”
The Gear Factor
A great bonus of taking a lesson was learning how my gear could help me. My coach taught me how to properly use my gears for climbing and how to adjust my tire pressure for better grip. I now felt like I was riding a bike designed for me, not just a random piece of equipment.
Ty's Takeaways
So as a PSIA certified ski instructor and a PADI Dive Instructor, what do I think about mountain biking lessons – worth it or skip it?
Totally worth it. But I say that with a caveat….
Make sure you read my article on picking the right instructor by clicking here! Because I promise you – now that I’ve actually had a few lessons – not all mountain bike instructors are equal. Some stand above the rest! Here are my top take-aways:
- The Patterns Aren’t Intuitive: You’ll learn so much that you wouldn’t get just by osmosis.
- Fear Reduction: Knowing you are doing something “right” helps reduce your fear, which increases learning.
- Establishes a Good Base: Taking lessons early is a huge benefit. By establishing a solid base of movement patterns, it makes learning more advanced skills much easier.
- Get a Certified Instructor For Your First Lessons. Okay this is key. Certified instructors follow an educational SYSTEM. They don’t just make stuff up. Each skill builds on the one before it so that there is a rhyme and reason to why they introduce skills when they do. They teach you recognized movement patterns that other experts agree are best practices. While there are many great instructors out there who aren’t certified, at least for your first few lessons, I highly recommend finding one who is! Which is why Coach Misty was so great – she followed a recognized educational system with ideal movement patterns that allowed one to quickly master the intricacies of balance, bike body separation, and other necessary fundamentals.
- It Was Fun: It was a great way to meet a new community and enjoy a new sport.
Chasing great mountain biking, camping smart, and living full-time in an RV. Hard-won wisdom. Zero fluff. Live Free. Adventure Often
Quick Links.
Get My Favorite Goggles/Sunnies at 20% Off!
If you’re thinking about upgrading your trail eyewear, Good Day Optics is where it’s at. Their goggles are crazy comfortable, stay clear when I’m sweating up climbs, and hold up on dusty, rocky descents. Plus, they’ve got the best return policy in the industry — if you’re not 100% happy, they’ll even take them back scratched. So you can try them risk-free and, when you buy through the link below, it helps support this blog and the videos I make each week. Appreciate you being here. Ride. Camp. Repeat.
Check Out The Georgia Adventures!
From Van Lifin’ to Mountain bikin’ my month in Georgia was epic and I made lifetime memories. Read all about them here!
Georgia: Unexpected Delights and Southern Charms
Discover Georgia’s hidden gems! From epic mountain biking trails in Aska & Mulberry Gap to the charm of Jekyll Island & Savannah, see why Georgia unexpectedly became my 2nd favorite state. A beginner’s guide to exploring the Peach State’s diverse beauty.
My Van Life MTB Adventure: Finding Flow (and My Limits) on Georgia’s Mountain Bike Trails
A 47-year-old van lifer’s journey learning to mountain bike in Georgia. Honest reviews, great trails, and beginner-friendly stoke.
Chronicles of a Newbie Mountain Biker!!
Join my on my epic journey as a 47 Year Old Newbie Van Lifer and Newbie Mountain Biker!!! Each Month I’ll take you on the journey with me as I tackle new states and new trails. I’ll share with you the gnarly falls, the injuries that seem to linger and the adrenaline fueled jump runs that bring so much bliss.
Watch The Videos Here!
Read the Blog Posts!
Other Mountain biking Wisdom!
Make sure to check out my Mountain biking Hub page by clicking here! There you will find trip reports, Chronicles of a Newbie Mountain biker, and all my latests posts! Here’s more wisdom and advice – most of it learned the ahrd way!
The Geometry of a Mid-Life Reset: Starting Mountain Biking Later in Life
Starting mountain biking later in life is a complete mental and physical exodus. Learn how to navigate the learning curve and find your flow on trail.
How to Pick a Mountain Bike Coach: A Guide for Beginners
Ready to get better at mountain biking? This guide helps you pick the perfect coach for your style and goals. Learn what to look for in a great MTB instructor.
A Little Bit About Me.
I started writing this blog as a way to capture the adventurous and free lifestyle I’m privileged to live. I’ve traveled to over 28 countries and 35 U.S States. I’ve lived aboard in multiple countries and averaged over 100 days a year of travel for work. I’ve skied and hiked all over the world – and my new obsession is mountain biking.
What I bring to you isn’t AI generated. It’s based on my feet on the ground – or sometimes conversations with locals. Click here to read more about me! Also, head on over to my Itinerary an Destinations page to see where I’ve been, where I’m going and get state-by-state information!