Riding Blind! 8.5 Tips to Increase Your Confidence When Riding Trails for the 1st Time! [RNL S1, Ep 51]

Ride and Laugh MTB Podcast

Maximize the fun and excitement of mountain biking on a new trail for the 1st time, aka “Riding Blind!” Learn the top tips to boost your confidence, speed and flow on new and old MTB trails!!

Is it still riding blind if you’re following another rider? Dan rides partially blind (Pirate style!?) on the double black "Old Man Trail" at South Mountain in Phoenix, Arizona. Does a ‘big’ bike with more suspension travel, such as the Pivot Firebird or Yeti SB160 add confidence when riding blind on new trails? Sage discusses how he utilizes multi-day fasting to optimize health for mountain biking. Dan is surprised by what he learns riding his hardtail MTB on the famed National Trail at SoMo. Also discussed are clipped-in pedals vs. exposure, gap jumps at Hawes Trails in Mesa, AZ, pumptrack fitness, ideal tire PSI, anxiety vs. intuition and much more!

MTB Gratitude of the Week

Sage: DennyJenettyMTB “Rider Spotlight” series - Dennis interviewed TrailSage as part of his new “Rider Spotlight” series. Dennis is interviewing MTB YouTubers and riders with his unique perspective and sense of humor. Sage had a blast talking to Dennis and has gratitude for their friendship! Check out Dennis’s interview with Sage and support his Rider Spotlight series! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGD6BNe6Tgw

Dan: Meeting Kyle Anderson and Rob Drew! - Dan and “SoMo Jeff” met Kyle on a recent ride climbing up the gnarly National Trail at South Mountain. Kyle was as friendly as he was talented! This guy loves mtbing and was stoked to share some crazy lines and options we had never even considered! We then met Kyle’s good friend, the legendary Rob Drew himself! Rob was super cool and showed us how he climbs up the massive waterfall feature on National Trail. Awesome people, awesome riders, awesome day on the bike!

MTB Tip of the Week:

When riding a trail for the 1st time and following someone, JUST FOLLOW. Ask only about trail features that are above your comfort level. Don’t ask for too much detail, your job is to stay present and ride. The ride leader’s job is to shout-out any features you may not be comfortable with. Use the techniques discussed in this pod to slay new and old trails alike! You got this!!

Featured Riders:

Jeff W - https://www.instagram.com/jwinsor20/
A.J. - https://www.instagram.com/aj_steeber/
Jordan - https://www.instagram.com/jbowersrealestate
Kyle - https://www.instagram.com/mr_anderson480
Rob Drew - https://www.instagram.com/therobdrew/

Additional Links:

Sean at Sticks & Stones: https://www.instagram.com/sticksandstonestrailco/
Denny Jannetty MTB: https://www.youtube.com/@DennyJannettyMTB

The video version of this episode is also available on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/aUqafNj9oB4

The Ride and Laugh MTB podcast is hosted by Dan @the_ride_abides and Sage @TrailSage. Join us as we discuss all things mountain biking! Riding technique, MTB gear, bikes, nutrition, fitness, mindset and more! Feel the gratitude. Flow on the trails, Flow in life! Please enjoy the content then like and subscribe. Join the Ride & Laugh community in the comments and/or [email protected].

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