Ride
Riding off the beaten path requires a different set of skills than one would use on paved paths or roads. That much should be obvious just by looking at a mountain bike. City bikes, commuter bikes, and road bikes are all different.
There are many ways to improve your off trail expertise and comfort. Riding with someone who is markedly better than you are is a very good way to gain experience and confidence. This rider has a mentor/riding buddy who has been into serious bike land for 50 years. He’s an expert, but won’t claim it. He is though. Riding with him, on or off trail, is always a learning experience, whether it’s on a road bike or a mountain bike. His suggestions and his “watch this” demonstrations aren’t possible to get any other way. As a result, this riders skills, comfort on and off trail, and expertise have increased greatly.
Another method to improve your skills is to take a class. As has been mentioned in this column before, REI and Total Body Fitness are good options for classes. Your local bike shop may have lessons or contacts for lessons. Ask them.
Watching videos, made by the experts, is another way to wet your appetite for learning. One of the more interesting aspects of these videos is the step-by-step explanation of how, and why, the rider is doing what he or she is doing. Of course, if it’s necessary for you to go through, in your head, all the steps of how you get over a log, you’ll crash while you’re thinking about it. It’s good to hear the how to, but then you must get out and ride enough so that doing it is automatic. After that, you become the teacher. Ride well.