[Closed] STW MTB rider skill survey: I suck / I'm amazeballs

I suck at all of it but I've given up caring

Amazeballs at holding on, genuinely hit fairly big trees and carried on.

Suck at, just looking ahead and line choice

Think I just need to slow down it’s still fun a bit slower

Not great at 'shaped' jumps and fast, flat corners (these have always been, and still remain my bugbear). Steep left hand corners do my head in...

OK at drops (up to medium size).

Better at plugging away all day and winching, and twisty, tight singletrack.

Best at loose, rocky, tech stuff. Oh, and roots and mud (since that's pretty much all we have round here locally so I get lots of practice).

Mountain biking is a progressive sport

It's not a sport at all as far as I'm concerned. It's an activity or a pastime.

I'm just good at doing my best. I'd say I'm pretty average at most MTB disciplines but try to go fast up and down through effort and not ability.

Don't jump, wheelie or do anything else to earn any cred. Just ride and enjoy myself.

Oh, good at getting fit then fat then starting the cycle again.

I use to boast a basically competent pedalling action. But that seems to be deserting me

I suck but don't care about getting better technically.

Just want to ride more and for *further*. That's something I'm working on.

It's about where the bike takes me in the countryside much more than how fast I can then ride through it.

Suck at: jumps. Anything bigger than a 1ft high table top, and my brain says 'Nope!'

Very, very slightly suck less at: drops. I can force my body to overcome my brain on a 1-2ft drop after several run ups. Sometimes.

OK at: natural, rooty, loamy, and sometimes steep trails. I need to work on my flat corners and trusting tyre grip with the bike leant over.

I'm pretty good at on-sighting technical trails. I can generally go pretty fast first time.

I'm really good at incremental improvements on those same trails. I'll go back and tweak my lines to get a pleasingly fast run.

I've become terrible at jumping. Used to be ok. Now I'm shite 😄 see also wheelies and manuals. Never learnt, and I'm too old now.

I am a leading light in the discipline of freemincing.

Amazeballs at talking it up.
I suck at getting out riding enough.

No good at all at jumping.
Average at holding on and not falling off.
Pretty good sprinting and climbing steep and short at a reasonable pace (I have oddly big thighs for my size).
Better at going long distances.

i'm terrible at it all. I ride a rigid 26inch singlespeed and it saves me from hurting my self by beating me into submission. In a racing setting i seem to be able to ride things i push down at any other time, i think i might be a follower...

except sand, i seem to bea able to ride up, down and along sand on a non fat bike without falling off. i suspect its because its the only time i'me not that scared.

Suck: Anything steep/loose/hard

Amazeballs: Enjoying the moment for what it is. Bird spotting.

Suck - getting over mental blocks over certain features. Takes ages sometimes, just dithering, but eventually I will sort it then wonder what the fuss was about.

Amazeballs - ummm, dunno.

I'm pretty good at technical climbs...seem to have a decent sense of balance and manage to hang on long after my riding mates have dabbed or fallen off. Other than that I'm extremely average, but have fun being so. Mange to cover ground quickly enough and just about manage to hang onto the coat tails of better riders than me, but it aint slick and it aint pretty!

Enjoy jumping, well if you can count it as jumping, but get phased by gaps. I think I over think stuff...know the theory from several skills courses, but chicken out putting it to practice...even if the coach had me doing it during the course, when I'm out there on my own I'll usually bottle it.

Suck: anything slightly Gnar, have never got the rear wheel airborne intentionally.

Amazeballs: going up hills and going for miles.

I'm amazeballs at going round berms. I must be cos the lines everyone else seem to leave show that they ain't got a bloody clue!
I suck at going up hills. This makes me sad, cos I used to be good (ish).

By trailcenter weekend warrior mincer standards Im amazeballs at jumps and drops.

But only if Ive got some speed, I can't do the "rock garden" on Stickler or the drops on Seagull at Swinley. Neither is big but both are just the wrong sort of awkward.

I'm amazeballs at jumps, drops, super steep tech descents!

I suck at telling the truth.....

Hold on, is this thread the replacement for "racing"?

For it to feel authentic I'll need to stand in a pretent queue for a smelly portaloo while replying.

What Scotroutes said....

As a level 2 MTB coach and Mountain Bike Leader I am a lot better at helping others than perfecting my own abilities 😜

I've always been a consomethinge low level intermediate at most things I've done.

No different at riding.  Pretty average at most aspects. But happy nonetheless.

I am almost amazeballs at wheelies as long as they're up gentle hills! My brake feathering is crap,  so on flat ground I pick up too much speed.

Just ride; happy if I don't fall off.

Amazeballs - sliding across the ground on my face

Suck - wheelies

I can manual a bike length which is the absolute maximum needed, so I must be super amazeballs at that?

Not too bad at techy stuff...apart from going down...super steep right hand hairpins, and going up...still super steep right hand hairpins...for some reason they just don't work in my head. I can do left hand hairpins all bloody day long, it's bloody annoying when there's a left followed by a right haha

Rock Gardens, especially when the rocks are loose. I know it'd. Be better if I went faster, but I just get slower as I dab brakes and lump up against obstacles eventually coming to a halt. Hopeless.

Awesome at: Buying parts and building bikes out of said parts...

Suck at: Actually finding time to ride the bikes I have built.

I like to think doing it since 1998 pretty consistently means I‘m quite good. (I know, I know now I feel really arrogant and and gonna have a bike crash)

What I’m good at:
- Top 10 in masters in both southern enduro races I’ve entered, so going dh reasonably fast, on pretty much any terrain.
- Taught myself to jump a bit over the last year so what would have been a suck at is now a perfectly acceptable at for my needs (have hit some of the biggest Surrey hills jumps)
- Fitness is as high as it’s ever been so I’m fast uphill and can cope just fine with technical climbing. (Eg 175k gravel ride in 9 hrs a couple of weeks ago on a whim)
- crossing disciplines, currently have road, gravel and Mtb’s. Current mtb being a nice trek remedy. Have had xc race bikes and 36lbs coil bikes in the past. All bikes are great 😁

What I still suck at:
- wheelies and manuals, have practiced a bit over lockdown and it’s coming but never nailed these which feels like a missed opportunity given how much of my life I spend on bikes.

It’s nice to reflect and of course there are far better riders than me but I’m happy with where my riding is right now. Just need to find someone to ride with who can push me on further! Progression is so rewarding 👌

I suck at creating new threads but am highly skilled in missing the point of other peoples' posts.

I'd say I'm above average but have the advantage of having raced MX and Enduro from the age of 5 until my mid 20's at a pretty high standard. I even represented Britain at world level a couple of times (ISDE).
I do really struggle with big doubles though. Anything with more than a 10' gap and I have to watch other people ride it first then try and trick myself into doing it.
Much prefer steep tech to bikepark stuff.
Hoping to push my riding on further as we're moving to be close to the Tweed Valley trails soon.

When around crap riders I am average to slightly good. When around good riders I am useless.

Amazing at enthusiasm and encouragement for others
Suck at actually doing the riding myself - I can do it, but after 30+ years of doing it, I'd have thought I'd be pretty good at it, I reckon. I'm mediocre at best...however, that doesn't dampen my enthusiasm for it.

I’d say I’m above average but have the advantage of having raced MX and Enduro from the age of 5 until my mid 20’s at a pretty high standard

I think this is really useful. I am actually ok (at best) on slow technical stuff from riding BMX but am just not accustomed to the speed on a MTB jump or cornering. People who have ridden Mx or even motor bike generally seem a lot more comfortable with the speed.

Thoroughly average, excel at nothing, not particularly shite at anything MTB wise. One thing I really wish I was better at is riding trails blind, I pretty much always have to have a look at big drops and doubles before doing them.

It's one of the reasons I loved and did alright at Ard rock, kinda knew the course had nothing beyond me in it, so could let go.

By alright, I mean mid pack obscurity, as ever. It's my measure of success. 🙂

Suck at wheelies.

Amazeballs at keeping going long after all the sensible people have called it quits.

Suck at Wheelies, Manuals, Jumping, turning right

Amazeballs at Casing, Soaking up jumps instead of popping

Ok at Drops (It's just falling but with style), Riding trails blind because I can never remember them even if I've ridden them before 🙂

Good* at:
Climbing, tech, maintaining speed/finding flow, berms, riding tech blind, navigation, drops

Bad at:
Jumps where the takeoff is steep. My brain refuses to let me do it.
Holding the balance point of wheelie/manual. I can get it up to clear the front wheel, no chance of holding it.

*seemingly above average compared to the weekend enthusiast, but this translates into bottom 10% in 19-29 Enduro, and midpack Sport XC.

This is all pretty meaningless without a proper measure.

Anyone replying to this thread needs to ride a lap of Whites and then the Wall at Afan, followed by on of the FoD DH runs with the rest of us judging them for style. Like a STW come dancing judging pannel.

Can't jump for shit, hate really really steep stuff, pretty good at riding round and round for a very long time.

Im amazing at everything... whips, manuals and just popping of stuff. If you are not amazing at this it is because you are weak.

My name is Geex

I suck at riding a lap of Whites and then the Wall at Afan, followed by one of the FoD DH runs with a load of people judging me for style

I'm amazeballs at everything else

I’m not amazeballs at anything. To a pro DHer I’m rubbish. To a leisure cyclist I can ride pretty gnarly stuff. I have a serious mental block with doubles that aren’t tiny and steep tabletops. Not good with exposure or tight turns on very steep trails, too scared of heights. Am best at rough natural trails with lots of pumping, jumping, hopping and dropping to carry speed, or flat turns in filthy conditions.

Bad at jumping ok at everything else. I've walked on trails all over the world at some point but hey I'm enjoying myself and as I'm 50 in a few weeks I'm more than happy to be having fun and still loving it.

@Trimix

This is all pretty meaningless without a proper measure

I’ve always been a consomethinge low level intermediate at most things I’ve done.

This ^^ is me in a nutshell.

Getting better at light DH, jumps and drops. Hate gap jumps but force myself to take them on (smaller ones nothing too gnar!). Really working hard at cornering and berms and seen some recent improvements there. But coming from pond-weed abilities, you can only really improve!

Fitness best it's been in a very long time, which helps.

Main thing is, despite regularly being last in my category in the local DH races on my humble Boardman, it's by tenths of seconds (I console myself that I'm not too far off the pace!) and I thoroughly enjoy myself.

That's what it's all about for me, the fun.

I blather on about this at length in the current issue - I like to think I'm handy on north Lakes tech, but put me in the rooty slop of Grisedale and I feel like an absolute beginner again. Can't jump for toffee either.

I suspect I have the least technical ability of anyone who posts on here!

I've never been particularly great but getting back into mountain biking after a few years mostly road riding and even the few technical skills I used to have are now gone.

I'm amazing at avoiding riding my bike if it's rained anytime in the last week, if I know there's going to be any mud anywhere or if it looks like it might rain.

To be fair, when I was racing XC, I used to be OK (nothing amazing by any means but I've got a couple of wins in Sport and a few top 20% of field in Expert). Technical ability - I remember doing a skills session at Sherwood Pines and coming away from it SO much better and more confident, that stayed with me for about a year of racing before I went back to my old ways.

I do so little MTB now that I'm dreadful. Was talking to a mate a couple of weeks ago about some riding in Spain and the Alps we'd both done and he was saying about some of the stuff he'd seen me ride. I pointed out that if I tried any of that now, I'd end up on the deck before I could even think that it was a bad idea!

Amazeballs at steep techy trails where pedaling is not required

Suck at climbing or and any other time pedaling is required

I'm a thoroughly average weekend warrior. I've done some races (XC and Enduro) and not died or came last, but I'm not fit enough for the first one and not good enough for the second one.

I can generally find decent speed on stuff I've ridden a few times that isn't too techincal, but I'm rubbish at riding stuff blind.

I suck at wet roots, which isn't ideal living in the West of Scotland.

I'm a passable mechanic.

I'm technically decent but too conservative (small c!) to be really good, I very much don't want to break any bones so I don't go really fast.

I'm also fairly fit but too fat to be actually fast.

I've got good endurance and aptitude for ultra endeavours but because of the fatness it takes me too long to put in any good times on ITTs

So all of this means I'm nothing but mediocrity and un-realised potential.

I'm good at riding steadily for a relatively long time, fairly good at riding up hills, very good at reading a map and going exploring new stuff.

I'm rubbish at jumping, though I have acknowledged and partially worked on that. Booked a coaching day last year and am now at the point of coping/not crapping myself on jumps and actually going looking for little drops or bits to pop off.

I'm terrible at manuals and bunnyhops, which I intended to work on during lockdown and have done nothing about, because I've spent as much of it as possible riding steadily, often uphill, while reading a map and exploring new stuff.

I am pretty good at reading and watching How To… articles and videos, but my real super power is forgetting everything I have read and watched.

I have an uncanny ability to topple off my bike when setting off on any terrain; it really has to be seen to be believed.

I’m poop at everything else, but it makes my mate laugh, so that's okay 🙂

Amazeballs - talking the talk.

Rubbish - walking the walk.

Or, more accurately, pushing uphill.

Good:
Riding easy off road downhills at speed. On road, descending is my favourite thing.
A healthy approach to fear, mixed with a love of speed.
It's the only thing I can do well.

Not giving up.

Bad:
Pretty much everything else.

Bikes are ace.

I am naturally amazing at pretty much everything. Anyone who has ridden with me will testify to that*

* not really the biggest complaint i get is that im too noisy screaming while out of my depth on anything steeper than a kerb. aparently people use me as a guide as to whats coming up further down the trail 🙂

Mountain biking is a progressive sport (mainly)

Genuine Q - what does this mean, that it's about skills progression similar to the way BMX is?

Suck at jumps now. I used do jumps at a basic level, modest sets of doubles or the big rollers on a 4X track. Never got to the stage where I'd take the biggest lines there though, never felt totally relaxed (as you should) on that stuff really. Got out of that habit almost 20 years ago. Now just remember how to weight the bike to help with XC flow, seem to have 'micro-tech' skills left from those days, I can hop rooty bits at speed, pre-jump a slope to get speed from a trail etc or ride smooth.
I'm fairly confident on steep natural stuff but would have a wake-up call in BC I'm sure.

Tricks and stunts, a bit crap really. Ok on drops, unless I get the fear or riding tired or just not feeling it
Racing (enduro), mostly mid pack in age group with a few near the back and a few nearer the pointy end, getting less and less common as I get nearer the older end of the Vets.

Hmmm. Technically I'm okay, with a small 'o' I can jump, I can drop, I can turn, I can even turn while jumping a little bit.

I can ride DH a little bit, I even raced a couple of times a LONG time ago, my MTB 'Scout Badges' include, countless Alps trips, Whistler Bike Park, Snowden, pretty much every trail centre in Wales, according to Strava I'm even a top 10% (sometimes as low as 6%)on some descents.

I suck at confidence, show me an (ideally) manicured TC trail I know like the back of my hand and I'm verging on the cocky, I can throw the bike around with the best of them, cheeky 'French' lines, yeah no problem, but take me out of my comfort zone and I'm terrified, hell even trails I know well, add in a bit of mud, an unusually loose surface or a new section that's a bit steep and I go to pieces. The grips get squeezed, the brakes jabbed at, the saddle jammed between my knees, I'm a 15 year veteran with all the skill and grace of a Noob on his first wobble around the park on his BSO.

The saddest part is I can't be content with staying in my little comfort bubble, I hate it because on those rare occasions (getting rarer) when the anxiety doesn't come, I genuinely, honestly think I'm amazing, not as in "I could race world cups me" but the effortless way I move at one with my bike, I'm the sort of rider I'd love to be.

I'm also really fat, there is that too.

Genuine Q – what does this mean, that it’s about skills progression similar to the way BMX is?

I suppose you could say its progressed in the sense that watching something like Sprung or even early Earthed videos is often now little better than watching your competent mate.

Whereas watching newer stuff is almost a different sport to what we do at the weekends!

15 years ago no one backflipped an MTB, now its almost a staple trick (for those that can jump properly rather than us softcore trail wobblers).

Im amazing at everything… whips, manuals and just popping of stuff. If you are not amazing at this it is because you are weak.

My name is Geex

Have you ever ridden with Geex?
As annoying as it is for some people on here he's pretty handy on a bike.

My perception of myself as a rider has been "average", from when I was objectively "terrible" through to becoming "competent" and eventually "quite good sometimes".

The me of 15 years ago would consider me now very skilled, but the bar is always rising and my peer group always includes better riders. So I'[m still "average"

I'm decent on gnarly fixed rock though - and learning to ride in the home counties means I'm able to get speed out of a flatter trail.

Somewhere between a noob and riding god...

Happy to fit a trail gap of up to 15ft gap jump and hit 25ft tables.
Prefer technical single track style riding. If you go on starva times i’m top 10 on local trails and mid pack on trail centres and riding Mecca’s like Surrey hills or Peak District.

Have you ever ridden with Geex?
As annoying as it is for some people on here he’s pretty handy on a bike.

Yeah, I often discuss this with one of my mates/other Dads...
We got left behind and when the kids are riding with pro's it's like a different world and we feel crap. Watching the pro's you see them do what seems impossible without even paying attention.

Then we go somewhere else and see loads of people we are just as much better than and realise what we are doing seems just as impossible to them.

Not ridden with Geex (to my knowledge) but I'd truly expect to just be gobsmacked.

Have you ever ridden with Geex?

Nope. But i expect he is awesome. He told us of this fact on a very regular basis.

Everyone on this thread is being modest and it is thus missing his ego, so i thought i'd bring him in by proxy.

I'm great at planning rides but crap at actually going on them.

We got left behind and when the kids are riding with pro’s it’s like a different world and we feel crap. Watching the pro’s you see them do what seems impossible without even paying attention.

Haha - and this is why I go to hotspots like Rogate in the middle of the week.

We got left behind and when the kids are riding with pro’s it’s like a different world and we feel crap. Watching the pro’s you see them do what seems impossible without even paying attention.

Then we go somewhere else and see loads of people we are just as much better than and realise what we are doing seems just as impossible to them.

I agree with this.
The first time I rode at the ISDE (world team champs) I though I was the bollocks before the event. I had my arse handed to me on a plate and almost didn't even finish the first day.
Yet UK events I could run rings round all but a handfull of people.
But it inspired me to get better/faster/stronger and eventually do OK at international events.

It's all relative. I'm no longer bothered about being "fast" and have fun with people better/worse riders than me on almost every group ride I do.
Love getting dragged on by more skilful folks.
Love seeing people trying stuff they've never ridden before.

Suck: Jumps. Wasn't interested in it when I was getting into riding, now it won't take. I can do jumping on trails to clear stuff etc, it's just built jumps I'm hopeless at, especially if I can't see the landing (which I guess is another way of saying if it's any bigger than tiny)

Amazeballs: Braking. No seriously, if there's any grip to be found on the brakes, I can find it, even on the steepest and nastiest of surfaces. Sometimes it's really useful, mostly I use it for cowardly slowing down when I don't need to, but I'm still claiming it as it's something most folks can't do.

(overall: Andy Barlow called me competent once. I wish I'd got him to write it down)

I suppose you could say its progressed in the sense that watching something like Sprung or even early Earthed videos is often now little better than watching your competent mate.

Whereas watching newer stuff is almost a different sport to what we do at the weekends!

I know what you mean. As long as no-one expects me to keep up in that area : )

Love getting dragged on by more skilful folks.
Love seeing people trying stuff they’ve never ridden before.

- and that's what drives it, there's not much better than that feeling.

I used to suck at everything so i purchased a modern gnarpoon,now i still suck but with a longer bike.

This thread is so reassuring, I thought it was just me that was no good at jumps (the last one was 6 weeks ago and resulted in me hurtling into a gorse bush and cracking a rib).

I have since sold that bike in disgust - clearly not my fault.

Oh yeah, isaid you can only have one Suck & one Amazeballs, but i'm breaking my own rule and adding "steep,slippy or off camber, non bermed downhill turns" to my "suck" section.

I'd just fogotten how bad i am at these, but i keep grabbing the front brake in a panic and then wondering where my bike has gone as i slide down the slope on my ass...... 😉

I have since sold that bike in disgust – clearly not my fault.

Ha ha. I have a mate who's a bit like that. Everything is always his bikes fault.