How to Mountain Bike Faster, According to a Top Coach

Gene Hamilton is a mountain bike skills coach and the founder of Better Ride. He’s taught clinics around the world to thousands of riders who want to learn how to ride faster and more confidently.

In this episode, we ask Gene:

How did you get into mountain biking racing?
Once you realized that you had hit a wall in terms of your own skills development, how did you go about researching proper mountain bike skills?
Were there any surprises based on your early research, or any “aha” moments that stuck out?
How can riders take advantage of momentum to go faster on the trail without putting in extra effort?
Is it possible for mountain biking to be bad for our health?
What’s a mountain bike skill that separates pros from those who would consider themselves advanced or even expert riders?
Are some bike tires better at cornering than others? Which ones?
How has mountain bike skills training changed over the past two decades, in terms of the techniques and the skills you’re teaching?
As someone who has won Masters-level DH competitions, what tips do you have for staying fast and fit at your age?
Do you think today’s bikes make it easier for riders to go faster, or to have more fun? How much of performance comes down to the bike, and how much to the rider?

This first aired as a two-part episode on March 29, 2021.

Connect with Gene and his team at Betterride.net.

This episode is sponsored by Jamis Bikes. Singletracks is psyched that Jamis Bikes has come on as a sponsor of the podcast and is also a supporter of the website.

Jamis has been designing and building quality bikes since 1979, and they were among the first to produce mountain bikes beginning in 1982.

The brand has brought the world some iconic and award-winning mountain bikes over the past 40 or so years, and The Dragon has been the soul of the brand for decades. Introduced in 1993, the Dragon hardtail delivers the feel that only comes with high quality steel, and it’s done so for nearly 30 years running.

The newer Jamis Portal and Hardline full suspension bikes feature the innovative and race-proven 3VO suspension platform, built into both carbon and aluminum frame options.
You can check out this year’s all-new Dragon and 3VO bikes, along with the entire lineup of Jamis high performance mountain bikes at www.jamisbikes.com.