Mountain Bike Master: Essential Skills and Advanced Techniques Made Easy [Paperback]

Mark Langton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 28, 2008

"Do you dream of whoosing down tight, technical single-track with ease or expertly bunny hopping over deadfall? Well, stop dreaming, Mountain Bike Technique will help you master basic off-road moves, so you can perfect your riding technique. Veteran mountain bike author Steve Jones explains why and how his technique works and offers a wealth of important information, including: How to perfect the art of braking; how to navigate different terrain such as sand, rock, and mud; and the secret"

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Menasha Ridge Press (August 28, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0897324358
• ISBN-13: 978-0897324359
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #992,832 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #89 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Individual Sports > Cycling > Mountain Biking

More About the Author

As a mountain bike coach for more than 20 years, I have coached thousands of riders and have boiled down the best tips for efficient riding.

I got involved with the sport of mountain biking back in 1983, but I'd been riding in the hills on bicycles all the way back to 1969. We raced our modified Schwinn Stingrays on downhill tracks we built ourselves, pre-dating the BMX and mountain bike craze by at least a couple of years, and trail-building by cyclists by several more!

From the very first ride in Caballero Canyon (Reseda, California), I was hooked, and there was no looking back. A couple of years later I took up racing, and in 1987-1990 I was a Yeti factory sponsored rider, attaining the rank of Expert in both the downhill and cross country. I still race downhill from time to time, but I'd rather just ride the fantastic trails we have here in the Santa Monica Mountains and Rim of the Valley Corridor.

An interest in journalism led me to a position in 1987 with Mountain Biking magazine, and for over seven years I helped edit the magazine during the mountain bike boom. I was also very fortunate to have covered the races and ridden with some of the very best mountain bikers in the world, including John Tomac, Ned Overend, Greg Herbold, Cindy Whitehead, and Cindy Devine. At the same time, land access advocacy began heating up, and I found myself shoulder to shoulder with others in the Los Angeles area who wanted to keep trails open to mountain biking. We formed the Concerned Off-Road Bicyclists Association, and I served as a Steering Committee member for over 13. In 2009 I joined the Board of Directors and in 2010 I was voted in as the organization's President.

In 1987 I began teaching mountain bike skills for the Learning Tree University. In 1992 I helped CORBA implement the Introduction to Mountain Bike Skills class, which I still teach today. All of my racing and riding experience, along with seeing the best racers in the world, has enabled me to develop a teaching style that quickly identifies areas where you can improve. This is the essence of Mountain Bike Master.

I believe that mountain biking is a lot like golf, tennis or skiing. There are biomechanical movements that are not necessarily intuitive to the rider. However, just a few minor adjustments in technique can make a huge difference in your control and proficiency. If you want to get better faster, you need to know the fundamentals of mountain biking technique. Whether you're just getting into mountain biking or have been riding for years, I guarantee you'll learn some valuable tips.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars I wouldn't bother, May 17, 2010

By 

Cato - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Mountain Bike Master: Essential Skills and Advanced Techniques Made Easy (Paperback)

The book should have been called "a brief introduction to advanced techniques." Despite the fact that the book is supposedly teaching "advanced technique," the author provides far too little description of the techniques discussed to be useful. Each "technique" is given little attention, and there is no discussion of common pitfalls, things to avoid, etc. Additionally, there are too many wasted pages on fluff like "how to set up your bike" and the outdated references to "modern cliples pedals." Also, the book does not explain when/why you would choose one technique other another--i.e. when to use a "manual wheelie" or "torque wheelie." I guess the "made easy" part of the title means "dumbed down to the point of uselessness."

The other major drawback is pictures--or lack thereof. The pictures were black and white and there were not nearly enough of them to visualize the techniques being described. One of the pictures on "cornering" just showed the author on his bike with his wheel turned---no lines showing the different approaches through the turns, line of sight, etc....in fact, you could not even see the turn! Also, the author makes distinctions between off-camber cornering and other types of turns, but again, no pictures to show what he means. Most of the photos in the book are extreme close-up so you cannot get a feel for the context of the trail or set up for the move being described.

The book may be useful for a teenager who is just getting into mountain biking and wants a very basic introduction with a taste of advanced technique. However, if you are are roadie switching over to offroad and know the basics of bike set-up/basic handling and are looking for a detailed skills manual, look elsewhere, as this book is not worth the money.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice book, May 17, 2009

By 

Calvin Chin (Singapore) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mountain Bike Master: Essential Skills and Advanced Techniques Made Easy (Paperback)

Intermediate rider here. I've read Brian Lopes' book which covers all disciplines. This book is targeted more towards the XC/ Technical XC rider. I'm an OK rider, not great, and learnt a few things from the book. Highly recommended.

Content wise, the pictures were b/w which was disappointing for a book this price.

3.0 out of 5 stars Short but a good first book of off road skills., November 6, 2011

By 

Darren Thurman - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Mountain Bike Master: Essential Skills and Advanced Techniques Made Easy (Paperback)

First off, this book is very short, 79 pages covering actual skills. This would probably be a good first book for someone new to the sport. I agree with the other reviews, that many skills are not covered in great detail, but the author does cover a number of skills that are not in many of the current skills books. (Starting a stopping on a significant slope.

While most of the book was way too basic for me, the section on pedal kicks was a revelation. I've struggled with learning to wheelie for years. I'm not sure what was different about his explanation, but I've made more progress in the day since reading the segment, than I have made in the last year.
Also, I commend the author for leaving out the obligatory (and soon to be out dated) section on mountain bike technology.

I think that the Lopes, McCormac book is the best skills book for me, but this is still a good entry level book for people new to the sport. Despite being so outdated, I would recommend Will Nealys "Mountain Bike!" as a great beginners book. Gone too soon Will!