They say the third time is the charm, and that might be true for the book Mastering Mountain Bike Skills. The first two editions set the standard for MTB skills books. The third edition … well … this is a whole new level.

If you want to ride like a pro, you should learn from a pro! In Mastering Mountain Bike Skills, Third Edition, world-champion racer Brian Lopes and renowned riding coach Lee McCormack share their elite perspectives, real-life race stories, and their own successful techniques to help riders of all styles and levels build confidence and experience the full exhilliration of the sport.

Mastering Mountain Bike Skills is the best-selling guide for all mountain biking disciplines, including enduro, pump track racing, dual slalom, downhill, cross-country, fatbiking, and bike parks. It absolutely captures the sport and offers everything you need to maximize performance and excitement on the trail. Learn how to select the proper bike and customize it for your unique riding style. Develop a solid skills base so you can execute techniques with more power and precision. Master the essential techniques to help you carve every corner, nail every jump, and conquer every obstacle in your path. Last, but not least, prepare yourself to handle every type of weather and trail condition that the mountain biking world throws at you.

Whether you’re a recreational rider looking to rock the trails with friends, are a seasoned enthusiast, or are aspiring to be a top pro, Mastering Mountain Bike Skills will improve your ride and dust the competition. Don’t just survive the trail — own the trail, and enjoy the thrill of doing it.

About the book

Published by: Human Kinetics

ISBN-13: 9781492544493

Size: 8.5×11 inches

Pages: 309

Photos/illustrations: hundreds

Available in both print and e-book formats.

Price: $24.95 + shipping. Shipping costs $5 within the United States, $35 to other countries.

Includes: When you buy a print copy of MMBS3 from this site, you get a discount code for access to the Lee Likes Bikes online MTB school. See videos of the skills in the book … and learn even cooler skills!

Order Mastering Mountain Bike Skills 3rd Edition here >>>

Contents

Introduction – Learn to Learn
1. Choose Your Weapon
2. Become One With Your Bike
3. Control Your Speed
4. Make Great Power
5. Carve Every Corner
6. Ride Down Almost Anything
7. Ride Up Almost Anything
8. Pump Bumps for Free Speed
9. Wheelie, Manual and Hop Like a Boss
10. Avoid Injuries
11. Handle Every Condition
12. Flow on Any Trail
13. Race Like a Champ
Glossary

What’s new in this edition?

The entire book is improved, refined and expanded. Lee’s been teaching for 12 years, and he’s starting to get really good at it! His experience working with more than 6,000 riders of all levels and styles informs every aspect of Mastering Mountain Bike Skills 3rd Edition. At the same time, Brian Lopes is much better at talking about what he does. MMBS2 was good. MMBS3 is a whole new level!

• The whole book is infused with deeper experience.

• Learn to learn. A philosophical approach to gaining kung fu skills.

• Mental skills from Dr. Jason Richardson, a BMX world champion and speaker, trainer and motivator.

• Combining basic skills to achieve higher levels of riding.

• Discussion of modern bikes, including plus bikes.

• Intelligent analysis of various wheel and tires sizes, from regular to fat.

• Gain deep mastery of your body, including the essential hip hinge.

• Dial in your attack position, then transcend it by learning to ride dynamically.

• Learn what to do with your elbows. Sorry, I was wrong about them being out all the time.

• Brake with higher power and potentially infinite traction, which means more confidence, safety and speed.

• Pedal more smoothly and more powerfully with less effort. Learn the ultimate kung fu pedaling techniques that will making climbing easier, and maybe even fun. These techniques are completely different from the ones in the previous edition.

• Generate dynamic traction — while staying perfectly balanced. Awesome for slippery climbs.

• Learn how to sprint like a BMXer. Make more power when you need it, and raise your entire power ceiling.

• Go beyond the basics of cornering to make every turn smooth, connected and powerful.

• Generate speed not only in berms, but in flat turns too.

• In turns, understand — finally! — how much to lean your bike vs. your body. The new approach is simple and idiot proof.

• Know when to corner with your feet level, outside foot down or with your pedals at an angle.

• Master an incredibly simple, universally applicable approach to riding down rocks, ledges and drops. Slow or fast, on the ground or in the air. It’s all the same, and you’ll love it all. Bonus: Rock a wheelie drop!

• Master an incredibly simple, universally applicable approach to riding up rocks, roots and ledges. Mellow or steep, grippy or slippery. It’s all the same, and you’ll love it all.

• The first edition introduced the idea of pumping terrain for control and speed. The second edition did a better job of teaching pump. The third edition takes pump to the next level. The new techniques are smoother, easier and way more powerful. Pump terrain like top pros. Make the world your very own Sine Wave of Love.

• Learn to wheelie, manual and hop in the old ways, then — when you’re ready — step up to the kung fu master ways. Completely new sections teach you how to ride over obstacles in perfect balance and with much more power. When you watch the best riders in the world, this is how they do it.

• Dial in your jumping with a simple approach that’s tied to your pumping skills. When you’re ready master the entire continuum from boosting a jump for max air to stay as low as possible.

• Are you in danger or just being a wimp? We help you figure that out, and we teach you how to talk with your inner lizard.

• Top exercises to prevent injury and improve MTB performance, from REVO Physiotherapy and Sports Performance in Boulder, CO.

• Learn to hack your Flow state so you can flow better and more consistently on your rides.

• Get enduro setup, practice and racing tips from pros.

And more!

What the pros say

“I’ve known Brian for years, and he is one of the best mountain bike riders I ever rode with. Reading his book is sure to take your skills to the next level.”

—Nino Schurter, MTB Olympic Gold Medalist (2016), Five-Time Cross Country World Champion

“Brian helped me achieve my dream to become a great bike racer. He showed me the dedication and discipline that one needs to make this happen. The experience Brian shares in his book will allow everyone to achieve their goals of becoming a better and safer rider.”

—Cédric Gracia, 4X World Cup and World Champion

“Working with Lee changed my world of mountain biking. He simply is THE best skills coach in the world. He took me from a pathetic off-road triathlete to an elite World Cup mountain bike racer.”

—Lesley Paterson, XTERRA World Champion and Professional MTB Racer

Sample spreads

About the authors

Brian Lopes has had an unprecedented career of more than 20 years as a professional cyclist. He has been labeled “undisputedly, the best all-around, world-class cycling athlete” by USA Today.

Brian started racing BMX at the tender age of four, turned pro at the age of 17, and competed in the BMX circuit for seven years. In 1993, he channeled his efforts into mountain biking and later earned both a fifth-place finish and recognition in the sport in his first MTB race. He then won his first NORBA National race, and he has never looked back. He has won more than 19 titles in his mountain biking career, including nine National Championship titles, six UCI World Cup wins, and four UCI Mountain Bike World Champion titles, first in 2001 and then again in 2002, 2005, and 2007.

His enviable race resume made the Lopes name one of the most recognizable in the sport of cycling. Known for his flawless style and competitive drive, he is an inspiration to bikers and action sport enthusiasts around the world. Nominated in 2001 for the ESPY Action Sport Athlete of the Year award, he won the NEA (World Extreme Sports) award for Mountain Biker of the Year in 2000 and 2001. He was featured in the Sony PlayStation Downhill Domination game as himself. In 2008, he was inducted into both the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame and the BMX Hall of Fame.

In 2013, Brian took on the role of fitness trainer, working with the Honda, Red Bull, and Troy Lee 250 motocross team. In this capacity, Brian worked with Jessy Nelson, Cole Seely, and Shane McElrath. This opportunity allowed Brian to share his knowledge on the mental and physical fitness that racing requires.

Brian is currently working as a lead athlete brand ambassador generating brand awareness, producing relevant media content, and providing insightful research and development intelligence with the goal of creating exceptional cycling products. He races at select events, and he resides in Laguna Beach, California, with his wife, Paula, and his son, Maverick.

Lee McCormack is the world’s leading mountain bike skills author and instructor. He has helped thousands of mountain bikers—from beginners to experts to world champions—ride better, safer, and faster. In his role as the skill development director for the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA), McCormack created the curriculum and wrote the manual used to train high school mountain bike racers and their coaches throughout the United States.

McCormack’s website, Lee Likes Bikes, is a favorite among devoted riders. The Lee Likes Bikes MTB School helps riders worldwide learn the skills he teaches in person. (Check out the site for videos showing the skills explained in this book, as well as more advanced skills.) As the founder and CEO of RipRow, McCormack is proud to be helping riders develop their skills and fitness off their bikes as well as on their bikes.

McCormack has been a mountain biker for almost 30 years, and he is still getting better, which makes mountain biking fun. He lives in Boulder, Colorado, with his wife, Arlette, and his twin daughters, Finley and Fiona. The whole family rides together whenever they can.

Order Mastering Mountain Bike Skills 3rd Edition here >>>