MTB Coach Shares How to Time Mountain Bike Jumps and Break Bad Descending Habits

Jeremiah Stone is a mountain bike skill instructor who has taught hundreds of riders across the western USA with Ninja Mountain Bike Performance and the Sedona Mountain Bike Academy. He’s also a freelance trail builder and machine operator in addition to being a skilled rider.

In this interview, we ask:

How did you develop your own mountain bike skills? Did you have a coach?
Do you think today’s mountain bikes make it easier to be a good biker, compared to the equipment that was available in the old days?
Timing seems to be a big factor when it comes to landing jumps or clearing doubles. How can riders develop a good sense of timing and speed?
Why is it easier to ride a technical feature once you’ve seen someone else ride it first?
What are some common bad habits when it comes to technical trail descending?
Beyond improving physical fitness, are there skills that can make climbing on the bike more tolerable?
Do you have any tips for helping riders overcome their fear of trying something new? How does that advice change for someone recovering from a traumatic crash?

This episode first aired on February 22, 2021.

Connect with Jeremiah on Instagram @vitabrevis and learn more at ridelikeaninja.com.

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.