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Learning How to Learn Mountain Biking Skills

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Griff Wigley
1133 Heritage Drive
Northfield, MN 55057 USA

Mobile: 507-319-5541

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►2018 (2)
- ►December(1)
  - Being an mtb student makes me a better coach
- ►April(1)
  - Developing construction skills for a skills park: a work in progress
►2017 (20)
►2016 (49)
►2015 (39)
►2014 (71)
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Instagram: MTB Geezer

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While sessioning the new elevated boardwalk skinny this week at West Lake Marion Mountain Bike Trail in Lakeville, I happened to meet the guy who designed it, Sam Fox-Johnson

The skinny passes through two pair of trees that not only form a narrow passageway. But the trees are also adjacent to each other, all of which requires some delicate maneuvering of your bars, shoulders, elbows and pedals. You then have to make a tight turn to exit as the height of the skinny peaks at 40 inches

Although I was able to clean it both directions (no balance dabs with bike or body parts), I wasn't able to get through it without any scuffing of my bar ends on the bark of the trees at least once. Next time!

Props to Sam, Larry Sauber, and volunteers from the Lakeville Cycling Association and @wolf_tooth_comp for building a difficult fun feature that is unique in the Twin Cities metro area

FYI, this elevated boardwalk skinny is one of a half-dozen advanced technical features that is packed into an X loop right near the trailhead parking lot

#mtb #mtbiking #mtnbiking #mountainbiking #mtbikegeezer #mountainbikes #mountainbike #mtblife #mountainbiker #mtblifestyle #mtblove #mtbculture #mtbaction #mtbporn #mtbinstagram #mtbgram #outsideisfree #moreskillsmorefun #mtbtechnique #mtbtechnicalskills #mtbskinnies #wolftoothcomponents #westlakemarion #westlakemarionmountainbiketrails

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I took my 6-yr old granddaughter for her first ride on a MORC mtb trail yesterday: the beginner loop at Murphy-Hanrehan Singletrack

It went fine but she has a disturbing tendency to show-off, both on the trail and in the parking lot. I'm not sure where she gets this from

#takeakidmountainbikingday #takekidsmountainbikingallsummer
#mtbikegeezer #murphyhanrehan #MORCpics #morcmtb

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A dozen+ mountain biker friends of Superior Cycling Association president Tim Kennedy held a group ride and party in his honor yesterday

Yes, he's entered advanced geezerhood soon, hence the birthday cake

But it was also to acknowledge his profound influence on the development of singletrack trails in Cook County, MN

Most recently, he spearheaded the multi-year effort to raise $1.2 million for the development of the 17-mile Jackpot mtb trail between Tofte and Lutsen, most of which we rode yesterday

#mtb #mtbiking #mtnbiking #mountainbiking #mtbikegeezer #mountainbikes #mountainbike #mtblife #mountainbiker #mtblifestyle #mtblove #mtbculture #mtbaction #mtbporn #mtbinstagram #mtbgram #outsideisfree
#superiorcyclingassociation #jackpotmtbtrailmn

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RIDING STEP-DOWN JUMPS
Back in August, I was having trouble riding a feature on the Eagle Eye run at @welchvillage. It seemed be a combo jump/drop.

I learned that the feature was called a step-down jump and that there's a lesson devoted to it in the @ryanleechconnection Jump With Confidence course by instructor Kat Sweet of @sweetlines.

Before I returned to the park to attempt the jump again, I figured out how to add a temporary booter of bricks and boards to the drop at my local bike park so I could practice. See the photo and the 28-second video of a practice session.

I went back to @welchvillage last Friday and rode all three step-down jumps on that run with my buddy @jjdecoux, a more experienced jumper than me. (He's in the white helmet and green shirt in the 58-second video. I'm in black.) See the 58-second video of Jason's and my attempts.

I was happy with the results as my confidence grew with each attempt. I concentrated on pressing all the way up the lip of each jump, (especially the rear wheel) and then unweighting.

My landings seem fine, though I noticed later watching the videos that I was a bit nose-heavy on a few, though never to the point where I was freaked.

I also noticed that upon take-off, my toes were often pointed down. That's likely due to my unweighting but it seems to be bad form to not level out the pedals quickly to prepare for a more solid landing.

I'm eager for feedback on any of the attempts of mine in either of two the videos.

#mtb #mtbiking #mtnbiking #mountainbiking #mtbikegeezer #mountainbikes #mountainbike #mtblife #mountainbiker #mtblifestyle #mtblove #mtbculture #mtbaction #mtbporn #mtbinstagram #mtbgram #outsideisfree #stepdownjump

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I recently learned that @plymouthmn_gov, a suburb about an hour away from me, has a composite pump track. I paid it a visit yesterday

After 4 short sessions of 45-seconds each (both directions) I recorded this one-miniute video (portions speeded up) in which I felt like I was getting the hang of it. The sensation of gaining a little speed around a berm was new to me

I'm hoping that getting better at pumping on a pumptrack will help me improve my timing and overall agility for jumping

Any of you pump track experts have suggestions on how to improve my form?

FYI I’m wearing a @learnerlab t-shirt that’s says LEARNER

#mtb #mtbiking #mtnbiking #mountainbiking #mtbikegeezer #mountainbikes #mountainbike #mtblife #mountainbiker #mtblifestyle #mtblove #mtbculture #mtbaction #mtbporn #mtbinstagram #mtbgram #outsideisfree
#plymouthpumptrack #pumptrack #pumptracknation #pumptrackmtb

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Good times with Michael Knoll (@michaelscyclespl and @michaelscycleschaska and @behindbarsbicycleshop) yesterday at @welchvillage

We tried and somewhat failed to solve this fun optional feature on Eagle Eye. Is it a drop or a jump or a ?

#mtb #mtbiking #mtnbiking #mountainbiking #mtbikegeezer #mountainbikes #mountainbike #mtblife #mountainbiker #mtblifestyle #mtblove #mtbculture #mtbaction #mtbporn #mtbinstagram #mtbgram #outsideisfree

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On Tuesday, I rode (out and back) a 6-mile segment of Jackpot, a 17-mile mountain bike trail that the Superior Cycling Association (SCA) is about to open along the North Shore of Lake Superior between the towns of Tofte and Lutsen

It's an intermediate-level flow trail that's loaded with optional advanced and expert-level options: jumps, drops, skinnies, rock gardens, you-name-it

@rocksolidtrails out of Copper Harbor MI is the trail contractor, with a bit of sub-contracting trail work from Grand Marais-based @dirtcandydesigns

My wife Robbie and I had lunch at @omc.smokehouse in Duluth with SCA president Tim Kennedy before we departed for home yesterday. Tim has led SCA's multiyear effort to raise the money to construct this trail -- over $1 million in grants and sponsorships

Destination MTB trail? Yes. Epic? Yes. Buttery-smooth dirt? Yes. Roller-coaster fun and technical obstacles for nearly all levels of riders? Yes. Jaw-dropping scenery? Yes

Tim indicated that the trail will unofficially open sometime in September. The US Forest Service is the land manager that will make the official decision. The grand opening celebration is slated for next year

A tip of my hat (helmet) to @fbstanton for alerting me to this trail. And to Adam and Mica Harju @magicshell24 (Dirt Candy subcontractors) for the awesome rock drop that they just built. See my photos. I didn't ride it since I was alone but it's right up near the top of scary/hard/fun technical drops that I've seen in Minnesota

#mtb #mtbiking #mtnbiking #mountainbiking #mtbikegeezer #mountainbikes #mountainbike #mtblife #mountainbiker #mtblifestyle #mtblove #mtbculture #mtbaction #mtbporn #mtbinstagram #mtbgram #outsideisfree
#superiorcyclingassociation #jackpotmtbtrailmn

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ONE-HANDED TRACK STAND CHALLENGE: What else can you do with your free hand while balancing?

In the recently concluded @ryanleechconnection Online Practice Jam on Baseline Balance Skills, there emerged a challenge to participants

What else can you do with your free hand while maintaining balance with a one-handed track stand?

We had a few entries -- I chomped on an apple. But @ryankleech thought it might be fund to widen the informal competition so let's do it

Yesterday, I decided to up my game by taking a selfie of the apple chomp

Who's next?

#mtb #mtbiking #mtnbiking #mountainbiking #mtbikegeezer #mountainbikes #mountainbike #mtblife #mountainbiker #mtblifestyle #mtblove #mtbculture #mtbaction #mtbporn #mtbinstagram #mtbgram #outsideisfree
#trackstand #trackstanding #mtbtrackstand #mtbtrackstands #ryanleechconnection #trackstandchallenge

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A gravity playday with the gang at @welchvillage MTB Park
#mtb #mtbiking #mtnbiking #mountainbiking #mtbikegeezer #mountainbikes #mountainbike #mtblife #mountainbiker #mtblifestyle #mtblove #mtbculture #mtbaction #mtbporn #mtbinstagram #mtbgram #outsideisfree #WelchMTBPark #chairliftserved #bikepark #mtbbikepark

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I introduced my granddaughter Ava to some Northfield area mountain biking over the weekend. We got dirty.
#takeakidmountainbikingday #takekidsmountainbikingallsummer
#mtbikegeezer

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Learning How to Learn Mountain Biking Skills

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