Gene Hamilton is a former pro downhill racer who created one of the first mountain bike skills courses in the late 1990s. Today Better Ride holds clinics around the US, teaching regular riders and pros alike how to ride fast.

In the first half of our conversation, Gene answers:

How did you get into mountain biking racing?
Once you realized that you had hit a wall in terms of your own skills development, how did you go about researching proper mountain bike skills?
Were there any surprises based on your early research, or any “aha” moments that stuck out?
How can riders take advantage of momentum to go faster on the trail without putting in extra effort?

And we're just getting started! Tune in next week for part two of our conversation where Gene shares the skills that separate the pros from advanced riders, his favorite tires for cornering, and how our understanding of bike skills has evolved over the years.

Connect with Gene and his team at Betterride.net.

--Keep up with the latest in mountain biking at Singletracks.com and on Instagram @singletracks

Episode 131 - Backwards Chat