Are you looking for the best mountain bike but have lots and lots of questions and no answers to them? Then you need to go to the Global Mountain Bike Network website and check out their top videos filled with helpful info and tips that will help you understand the basics of mountain biking, what sort of components you need, what size your frame should have, and so on.
So, what is it?
The Global Mountain Bike Network is advertised as being the fastest-growing but also the largest mountain bike channel in the world. While this is certainly debatable, taking a look at their website will certainly prove that they have lots and lots of content on all things mountain bike, from bike components to maintenance, adjustments, all sorts of tips and tricks, and so on.
There are also funny sections that will probably make for quite a few pleasurable evenings.
The website was born in March 2014, and it’s actually the sister-website of the Global Cycling Network, but more mountain bike-oriented (duh!). Both websites are run by the Play Sports Network media company.
The website aims to be a valuable resource for passionate bikers, but also a lighthearted entertainment channel with the purpose of cheering up bikers after a rainy day, so you get anything from humor to adventure stories, how-tos, techniques, and so on, all packed in easy-to-watch videos that will have you spending hours in front of a screen, be it small or large.
In general, this website tries to teach avid learners how to ride faster by offering expert knowledge on riding techniques, positioning, and so on. You’ll also learn how to fix just about any part on the bike so you won’t have to spend lots of money at the bike mechanic shop the next time you have a broken part or you are upgrading.
You should also be able to get the skills to win world cups – just kidding, but you’ll still get quite a bit of knowledge regarding how pros do what they do, what it takes to win, as well as some pointers on how to start riding your bike seriously and build some discipline into your routine.
The network should also teach you how to dial your bike and make the tiniest of adjustments so the shifting is as smooth as possible and that the dreaded disc brake rotor squeak will be banished forever.
Finally, among all this mind-boggling info, there’s still some time to sit down and chat, exchange opinions, and just feel like a part of a greater community of like-minded people who enjoy riding their bikes just as much as you do.
Presenters
All that info has to come from somewhere, doesn’t it? Fortunately, the website has four dedicated presenters that would rather crash on the bike than give bad advice.
Martyn Ashton
Martyn has over two decades of experience riding all sorts of bikes. He is a former World Expert Biketrial Champion, so he certainly has a thing or two to teach about bikes. He’s been fortunate enough to win several British Biketrial national titles as well, and he holds a Guinness World Record for the Mountain Bike High Jump.
His Road Bike Party YouTube video went viral in 2012 and reached 14.8 million views. There, he took an expensive carbon road bike and did all the bike trial tricks you never thought were possible on such a bike. He’s an honest and positive person and you’ll have lots of things to learn from him.
Even though he suffered from a debilitating injury in 2013, he never gave up, and he now continues to push the limits of mountain biking while inspiring so many viewers with his kindness and perseverance.
Neil “The Don” Donoghue
Neil has ridden as a pro downhill racer for 14 years and managed several top 10 World Cup finishes. He’s competitive but also stylish, and these haven’t disappeared from his character, despite having retired from downhill racing a while ago.
Now, he is more into Gravity Enduro and has managed to win British Gravity Enduro national titles. He’s also quite a respected coach and a person who cares about helping others learn the skills necessary to reach their true potential on a bike.
Blake Samson
Born in Zimbabwe and now living on the Isle of Wight, UK, he has been to many places of the world as a professional rider, having competed in countless dirt jump but also slopestyle competitions. Although he’s more into dirt racing, he’s quite a tough all-arounder.
He’s also a passionate teacher and when he isn’t doing flips and 360 tucks, he tries to make other cyclists better. He’s also a very good friend of Martyn’s.
Andrew Dodd
This guy is an MTB fanatic and he’s been immersed into the mountain biking media for over 16 years. He loves all things mountain biking, from solo riding in the beautiful countryside to looking at the latest tech and gizmos on the bike market.
He’s also been around the world, documenting legendary riders such as Rachel and Gee Atherton, Hans Rey, and others. He also won the best print journalist Steve Worland award.
Sections
This website is split into several sections, each with its own focus and, of course, fun factor.
The Dirt Shed Show
This is a really funny weekly show that deals with all sorts of news from the mountain bike world, hacks, lots of funny fails, and so on.
You can find episodes on how to stay motivated and practice on your mountain bike even if you’re stuck at home, new bike day, whether we take mountain biking too seriously, or why it is important to support your local bike shop, especially in times of financial crisis.
How To
This section is pretty self-explanatory. You get a huge list of instructional videos on how to do just about anything on a mountain bike. Here, you get essential info such as how to stay safe when on a mountain bike ride, top cornering mistakes and how to fix them, how to lose weight and get fit for MTB, crash courses, and other really helpful stuff.
Here, you can even find semi-funny semi-serious advice such as how not to ride a hardtail or how to stop going over the bars when mountain biking.
MTB Maintenance
This is the go-to section for all sorts of technical stuff. Even if you’re not exactly a gear head, there are lots and lots of things to learn here, from how to choose a new MTB tire to how to clean and lube your drivetrain, how to avoid some of the most common mechanical problems on your bike, etc.
You’re not just going to learn basic maintenance such as cleaning, replacing cables, removing wheels, and the like, but also how to service your headset, how to replace broken spokes, how to tune an air shock, and the like.
There are also some really helpful tutorials on hacks to get home when you’ve got a mechanical and others that could really save your day.
Martyn Ashton
This is the section of the beloved presenter, where he shares some tips but also gives viewers an insight into someone who has never given up riding mountain bikes despite his debilitating injury.
Ask GMBN
This is an interactive show where viewers can ask questions that are related to mountain biking and the team tries to come up with the right answers in a video. There are many cool things to watch there, such as whether you can fix a bent dropper post, whether you should lube your rear suspension, when to replace clipless cleats, etc.
Features
The Features section is filled with awesome videos dealing with anything from mountain bike history to the world’s greatest trails, world cup reviews, presenter fails (this one’s quite funny), skill camps, and so much more.
Top 10s
While this is indeed named top 10s, don’t be surprised if you’ll find only 5 tips in some categories, which are actually just as helpful. You’ll get lots of tips on what to pack for racing and riding, how to get started with mountain biking, top MTB insults, and others.
GMBN Tech
This is the technical section where you learn whether SRAM parts work with Shimano parts, how to service pedals, the ultimate mechanic’s backpack, new bikes and components being launched, and others that should make any gear head happy.
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