I was an early adopter of Ryan's programs many years ago when I was trying to improve. At the time, I was frustrated with a lot of the poor coaching videos and content on YouTube when he announced the program so I jumped on it immediately.
I found similar, I learned some from him as it applied to skills on the bike, but I was really surprised by his approach to the things that weren't hard riding skills. I'm someone who really has a hard time mentally moving beyond progression alone to the point rides are sometimes a pass/fail for me, severely effecting my mental state and view of riding - Ryan kinda helps push people beyond that and he gave me a new perspective on enjoying all the other aspects and not being hung up on my perceived failures. These are things I picked up on from my in-person coach also and other teachers in my life, but Ryan is one of the few (I'd say Simon Lawton does this also) content creators that I think really helps get that message across while still teaching the skills. IMO one of the best things a mtb coach can do is teach their students that it's ok to need space to learn, to look around and find a more balanced approach to enjoying the ride while still pushing yourself - I think Ryan does a pretty good job at this, at least it helped me find different ways to connect with riding and enjoy it that weren't so wrapped in a sense of progression.
In contrast, I think a lot of other media formats like YouTube seem to emphasize progression and make riders feel inferior or push them into skills they aren't ready for. It's an easy trap to fall into. Sometimes what new riders need to hear isn't how to manual, jump, etc - they need to hear that it's ok to not ride that feature today, it's ok to take time to learn advanced skills, and that there are other ways of viewing riding than some of these hard skills people focus on.
He does a good job presenting the skills, also, but what I walked away with was more than just how to ride a bike and I think that's evidence of a good teacher. The only real feedback I had at the time was that I think beginner riders need a more guided approach to what skills to focus on, their tendency is to jump straight to things they see on YT like manuals, jumps, etc - but they need to emphasize skills like body position and braking first. Not sure if he's updated this or not, as I was a subscriber probably the first few months he had the program and haven't seen what's there since. The content was always there, I think folks jumping in for the first time needed big red arrows to those things, because they tend to jump to things that seem more romanticized.
Anyway, all his programs have been great for me - it's not a replacement for an in person coach - but I still walked away with a lot and his approach to the mental aspects of riding are really refreshing and helpful, it's not something you see a lot of in the mtb space.
Feb. 5, 2025, 6:28 a.m. - Shinook
I was an early adopter of Ryan's programs many years ago when I was trying to improve. At the time, I was frustrated with a lot of the poor coaching videos and content on YouTube when he announced the program so I jumped on it immediately. I found similar, I learned some from him as it applied to skills on the bike, but I was really surprised by his approach to the things that weren't hard riding skills. I'm someone who really has a hard time mentally moving beyond progression alone to the point rides are sometimes a pass/fail for me, severely effecting my mental state and view of riding - Ryan kinda helps push people beyond that and he gave me a new perspective on enjoying all the other aspects and not being hung up on my perceived failures. These are things I picked up on from my in-person coach also and other teachers in my life, but Ryan is one of the few (I'd say Simon Lawton does this also) content creators that I think really helps get that message across while still teaching the skills. IMO one of the best things a mtb coach can do is teach their students that it's ok to need space to learn, to look around and find a more balanced approach to enjoying the ride while still pushing yourself - I think Ryan does a pretty good job at this, at least it helped me find different ways to connect with riding and enjoy it that weren't so wrapped in a sense of progression. In contrast, I think a lot of other media formats like YouTube seem to emphasize progression and make riders feel inferior or push them into skills they aren't ready for. It's an easy trap to fall into. Sometimes what new riders need to hear isn't how to manual, jump, etc - they need to hear that it's ok to not ride that feature today, it's ok to take time to learn advanced skills, and that there are other ways of viewing riding than some of these hard skills people focus on. He does a good job presenting the skills, also, but what I walked away with was more than just how to ride a bike and I think that's evidence of a good teacher. The only real feedback I had at the time was that I think beginner riders need a more guided approach to what skills to focus on, their tendency is to jump straight to things they see on YT like manuals, jumps, etc - but they need to emphasize skills like body position and braking first. Not sure if he's updated this or not, as I was a subscriber probably the first few months he had the program and haven't seen what's there since. The content was always there, I think folks jumping in for the first time needed big red arrows to those things, because they tend to jump to things that seem more romanticized. Anyway, all his programs have been great for me - it's not a replacement for an in person coach - but I still walked away with a lot and his approach to the mental aspects of riding are really refreshing and helpful, it's not something you see a lot of in the mtb space.