Cross Country Mtb
skills course
All 3-Day courses taught by Gene Hamilton
what They’re Saying
Client Testimonials
Learned a lot today about riding bikes faster and more efficiently, uphill and downhill.
So psyched to get back to the basics and get faster!
Thanks again, you were a great part of my
Your instruction,
Just wanted to give you an update and let you know that I am starting to experience the delayed effects of your camp.
I knew when the camp ended that I was leaving with some new skills that were helpful immediately. But I also knew there were other skills that were going to take more practice, patience and time.
Well, I’m starting to see them. I’ve been practicing descending the way you instructed us but until the last couple of weeks, I knew I was still faster descending the way I always had – I was just more comfortable that way. But in the last couple of weeks, it all kind of clicked. I’m not winning any downhill races – yet – but all of a sudden (and it really did seem to happen pretty suddenly) your techniques took over and instead of just using them at low speeds only when I thought about it, I was using them all over the trails and feeling pretty comfortable.
Tonight was the first night of practice cyclocross races. The cornering techniques I learned in your camp last weekend rock on the cross bike. I was able to carry speed through the corners and off cambers that I could only dream of last year!
I actually found myself cranking up the speed before the corners instead of braking.
Nobody else is using this technique.
I found myself keeping pace with stronger riders just on cornering skill alone. Imagine after I’ve had a few weeks to practice.
I had best time of my life on a mountain bike at your camp, and look forward to doing another one next spring.
Learn the Skills to Get
Faster
More Efficient
Balanced
In Control
Ready to race FASTER, ride with more CONFIDENCE, ride more EFFICIENTLY, and SHAVE MINUTES off your race times?
The best athletes in the world across all sports disciplines spend less than 20% of their training time actually doing the sport, the other 80% of their time is spent on structured drills to master the core, fundamental skills of the sport.
Gene has spent 33 years coaching and developing this course to help you. This is not a “follow a pro rider down a trail” course.
His course is structured, drill-based, and a lot of work. It is designed to help you continue to improve long after it’s over.
He has coached many of the best US racers: National Champions Mitch Ropelato, and Jackie Harmony, EWS stars Cody Kelly, Shawn Neer, and McKay Vezina, Olympic BMX Sliver Medalist Mike Day, National Dual Slalom Champion Luca Cometti and over 100 more pro downhill and Enduro racers.
Gene is a pretty good racer too. In 16 seasons as a pro downhill racer, he has won a Silver (2002) and two Bronze Medals (2006, 1999) at the UCI World Masters Championships. He also won the 2019 US National Championships.
Core Skills Learned in a Cross Country MTB Skills Course
During a three-day weekend in Gene’s Cross Country Race Course, you will be taught proper riding techniques, the core skills of mountain biking, and given drills to take home that will allow you to eventually master these skills.
Your mental skills will also improve and you will leave with a much greater understanding of how to Mountain Bike EFFICIENTLY, race FASTER and SMOOTHER.
The Core Fundamental Skills of XC Mountain Bike Riding and Racing are NOT INTUITIVE.
Correct Body Position so you ride everything on the trail consistently eg. jumps, drops, off-camber, roots
Vision - How to Look Ahead Correctly. We all know to look ahead but few racers do it as well and consistently as Greg Minnaar. Gene will teach you how your vision works, how to look ahead and give you vision drills to practice at home
Bike Set up for Optimal Riding and Control
How to Corner like a Pro! With take home drills to master your cornering
Advanced Cornering Technique
How to Brake to Go Faster
How to Use Your Brakes for Speed
Correct Technique for Uphill and Downhill Switchbacks
How to Manual
How to Clear Large Obstacles
How to Interpret the Trail to Ride Fast and Smooth
How to Pump the Trail for Free Speed
How to Clear Obstacles and Smooth out the Trail with Bump Jumps
Course Goals
The goal is to teach you the core skills of mountain biking and apply them directly to Cross Country Racing.
With this goal in mind, Gene along with Guest coaches Greg Minnaar, Marla Streb, Ross Schnell, Sue Haywood, and many other professionals in the sport, have designed a progressive 3-Day Skills Course to teach you the core skills of mountain biking and Cross Country racing.
Gene’s XC MTB Skills Course will help you with both the MENTAL and PHYSICAL sides of mountain biking.
These are the non-intuitive skills that eluded Gene Hamilton, BetterRide Founder and Coach after 15 years of riding and kept him from reaching his potential.
Learning and becoming proficient at these skills will allow you to ride in balance and in control making you a more efficient and confident rider.
When you take a Mountain Bike Skills Coaching Camp from BetterRide it is not uncommon to find yourself with a diverse group ranging from Pros to enthusiastic riders looking to take their riding to the next level. Everyone is taught the same core skills.
These core skills of mountain biking are not inherent and are not learned from experience.
Sports are not learned by doing, they are learned by practicing core skills using drills.
If sports were learned by doing, top level
Layout Of The 3-Day XC Race MTB Skills Course
Gene teaches drills for each skill so you can practice after the course and master these skills, ending the frustration of not riding to your potential.
A Typical XC MTB Skills Course runs from: 8:45 am until +- 3:00 pm.
Each day starts with 3-4 hours of skills instruction and drills in a local park followed by 2-3 hours of on trail practicing and riding on trail.
FIRST, he'll teach you the goal of the skill and explain - HOW to do it so you understand the skill & WHAT it should feel like.
THEN, he demonstrates the skill, so you can see it done and know what it should look like.
NEXT, you'll practice the skill using drills in a safe learning environment (so you don't resort to old habits and/or survival instincts) while Gene encourages and assists you.
Once you have a good understanding of the skill and have done some practice, we apply the skill out on the trail.
-2023-
Course Dates & Locations
Phone: 435 260 7696
Email: admin@dev.betterride.net
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