We’re super-psyched to announce three new ambassadors this month. RLC has hundreds of comments and questions that flow in through our courses each month, and every one is caringly responded to by Ryan and the RLC coach and ambassador team. Gareth, Kai, and Olly have all progressed with thanks to RLC in the past and are ready to mentor!

Gareth Hanson's love of the outdoors has manifested itself over the years (in no particular order) with rock climbing, snowboarding, kitesurfing & of course mountain biking. Gareth started his love affair with the sport around 2005 and has since savoured trails right across the UK and Europe. His attitude to bike ownership is very much N+1 and feels no bike stable is complete without at least: a hardtail, long travel full susser and now (controversially?) an e-bike. Over the past 2 years, Gareth has qualified to level 3 mountain bike coach and leader, and runs his own coaching and guiding business in the UK.

Welcome Gareth!

...

A graduate challenge! If you know how to Wheelie and Manual, then THIS challenge is for YOU!

For clarification, the big distinction that many confuse is that manuals are standing, wheelies are seated. 

Learn how to Wheelie - The 30 Day Wheelie Challenge!

Learn how to Manual - The Manual Master Class!

Let me know how it goes!

Your Coach - Ryan

Meet Jeff Neitlich, RLC Curriculum Expert

Audio Interview by Ryan Leech

RLC Curriculum Expert, Jeff Neitlich has completed virtually every RLC course and is well known for both his skills practice ethic and his well-considered responses to member questions. In this must-listen interview, Ryan explores Jeff's approach to learning and practice in more detail and uncovers advice anyone can use to get more from their skills training. Interview length: 30 mins

[Interview starts]

Ryan: Well, it's good to be on the phone with you Jeffrey Neitlich. Is that pronounced right?

Jeff: It's actually Neitlich.

Ryan: Neitlich, Neitlich.

Jeff: You did better than most.

Ryan: Cool. So Jeffrey Neitlich and do you like Jeff or Jeffrey?

Jeff: Jeff.

Ryan: Jeff is good. Okay. Cool, Jeff. And maybe you could just give a real quick sort of, kind of high-level bio of who you are?

Jeff: Okay. Well, I am a 55-year-old physician. I have been a...

Here's RLC Ambassador, Graham Gedge's pick & write-up from our monthly, member-only, Videos Around the Web digest. 

The film highlights the benefits of exploration off the beaten track and requires a high degree of skill. Both to work out the route and then to ride it. It is also fantastically shot with excellent use of the drone, showing the rock forms and scale of the rider in the landscape. I watched the film and wanted to jump in the car and drive 9 hours to ride!

During the month of October, members of the Ryan Leech Connection (RLC) have the opportunity to work on their track stand and/or jumping skills with other RLC members in closed and separate online groups. 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)

WHAT IS A PRACTICE JAM? 

A practice jam focuses on doing drills and exercises with others to work on specific skills.

HOW IS A PRACTICE JAM DONE ONLINE?

At the start of each week, everyone in the group posts what they plan to work on, how often, where, etc. By the end of each week, everyone posts an update on how their practice session(s) went. Posting videos of practice sessions is encouraged. Feedback is given if asked for.

HOW IS THIS DIFFERENT THAN USING THE COMMENTS FEATURE ATTACHED TO INDIVIDUAL LESSONS IN THE RLC COURSES?

Online practice jams are: 1) time-limited; and 2) done with a group.  The online Q&A that happens in the comments attached to RLC lessons occurs over months or years and is...

Ryan Leech Connection (RLC) - Online Mountain Bike Skills Coaching -  has just launched a new app, giving users access to all of the site’s videos, lesson, and coaching right at their fingertips wherever they are. The new app (available on iPhone and Android) will expand the customer experience by offering quicker access to course materials and easy reference to trailside lessons; all with a clean and intuitive interface.

RLC is an online mountain bike skill coaching membership program created by professional rider Ryan Leech that offers step-by-step video tutorials and interactive, personalized support from both the coaches and the community. RLC member, Kai Ashbee, describes it as “more of a community than just an online tuition site. It's full of like-minded people from all over the world that all love riding bikes, learning new skills and having fun along the way." Ryan has been coaching mountain biking since he was sixteen and...

Here's Ryan's pick & write-up from our monthly, member-only, Videos Around the Web digest.  It resonates with Ryan as an ex pro rider: 

"I generally only watch longer videos if there is a reason beyond just pure entertainment - this one was philosophical, and I could relate because of my own history as a pro. It leaves me wanting more though, not the riding footage, which was magical, but the philosophy, especially because the words were not written by the subject of the film. I"d love to hear directly from Brett. Does this video leave you with any lingering questions about the mindset of a pro - or how about whether a pros mindset is actually quite similar to that of a recreational rider?

For example, one of the messages was that after achieving his goals he could do something different or increase the challenge - and it seems as though he chose to increase the challenge - but why? I think a sequel is in order!

Late in my career I kept...

Have you crashed lately? Could it have been avoided? If so, how?

This clip was from a stunning alpine ride in Revelstoke BC and shows my first crash in over a year. I was fortunate to only acquire a few scratches.

My goal as a mountain biker is to never crash, and this one could have been prevented. I was going just a little too fast on an unknown trail, slightly slower would have been just as much fun and perhaps even more pleasurable.

It's a lofty goal, but not a naive one - I know I may crash again, but if I'm able to stay true to my goal the reasons for the crash will be largely outside of my control.

What's your crash philosophy?

I'm Griff Wigley, one of several online coaches for Ryan Leech Connection, and like many of my RLC colleagues, I'm taking some of the courses while coaching in others. Currently, I'm doing both in the Jump With Confidence course.

I've progressed to where I'm a solid beginner on small tabletops. When members pose questions or post videos of their practice sessions for the initial stages of the course, I've not only got the lesson material fresh in my brain. I've got my own recent struggles and practice session experiences to draw on when I respond to them.

Here's a recent example from the course, about 1/3 of the way through. The student was having trouble getting much lift jumping a small gap with a rather steep launch ramp. He submitted a video, with his questions focused on his body position as his rear wheel left the lip of the ramp.

Looking at his approach, however, it seemed to me that part of his difficulty began much earlier. So I took a screengrab of the...

Every month, the RLC ambassadors and coaches scour the web looking for quality mountain biking videos that really reflect the Trail - Bike - Body - Mind - Flow ethos of the Ryan Leech Connection. This was our favourite edit this month... 

Following your dream is never easy, but cliche or not, if you want it bad enough, you CAN make it happen. This is the amazing story of young lad from Nepal who wanted to be a mountain bike racer and guide - a big enough deal if you’re based in Vancouver let alone Kathmandu - grab a brew or a beer and check out  Rajesh’s amazing story here...