Tips for Perfecting Your Cycling Skills and Style

You cannot see yourself ride

What a movement feels like from the saddle and what it looks like from outside are often quite different. A turn that felt smooth may show a stiff upper body. A stop that felt gentle may reveal a lurch. Because you cannot watch yourself while riding, outside feedback is one of the quickest ways to find habits you did not know you had.

Two sources are especially useful and cost almost nothing: video, and honest comments from friends. This page covers how to use both well. It focuses on the feedback process itself, rather than on fixing particular faults, which is a separate topic.

A safety note: filming should never distract you from riding. Set the camera up and then ride past it, or ask a friend to hold it. Do not hold a phone while riding. Wear a helmet and suitable protection, and practise skills in a flat, traffic-free place. Any new skill carries some risk, and review does not remove it.

Getting useful footage

You do not need special equipment. A phone propped on a bag or held by a friend is enough.

• Choose a safe, clear spot. A smooth, flat, traffic-free area with space around it, such as a quiet car park where permitted. Make sure the camera is placed well away from the line you will ride, so nobody and nothing is at risk.
• Film from the side first. A side view shows posture, arm and leg bend, and body position. Then try a view from behind or in front for line and balance.
• Keep the camera steady and level. A wobbly clip is hard to judge. Landscape orientation usually works best.
• Film the same simple task each time. Slow straight line, gentle turn, smooth stop. Repeating the same exercise lets you compare clips over weeks.
• Capture several passes. One clip may be unusually good or bad. A few give a fairer picture.
• Check the light. Overcast conditions or an evenly lit space make it easier to see detail. Avoid riding into the sun while filming.

If you use a bike camera mounted on the bike, such as a small helmet or handlebar camera, follow the manufacturer’s instructions for mounting and make sure it cannot come loose or distract you.

What to look for when you watch

Watch each clip a few times, with a different focus each time. Slow playback helps if your device offers it.

1. Posture. Are your elbows bent or locked? Are your shoulders level and loose? Is your head up?
2. Eyes and head. Where does your head point? Good visual focus means looking ahead through turns, not down at the front wheel.
3. Line. Does your path look smooth, or full of small corrections?
4. Weight and balance. Does your body stay close to a neutral riding position, roughly centred over the bike, or do you lean awkwardly?
5. Movement. Do your pedalling and steering look steady, or jerky?
6. Braking and stops. Does the bike slow evenly, or lurch near the end?

Try to describe what you see factually before judging it: “my elbows are straight in the corner” rather than “I look terrible”. Pick just one or two items to work on at a time.

Asking friends for feedback

A friend watching in person can notice things a camera misses, such as how tense your face looks or how you respond to a surprise. To get helpful comments:

• Ask a specific question. “Do my arms look stiff in the turn?” gets a clearer answer than “How did that look?”
• Ask for one observation. Too many comments at once are hard to use.
• Ask what they see, not what to do. Description is more reliable than advice, and you can decide what to change.
• Listen first. Resist explaining or defending yourself while they speak.
• Pick the right person. A more experienced rider, or someone who rides in a similar style, tends to give more relevant feedback.

For a deeper level of feedback, a qualified instructor can watch you in person. Cycling coaching is not essential, but a single skills lesson sometimes clears up a habit that months of solo practice have not.

Turning observations into practice

Footage is only useful if it leads to action. Try this simple cycle:

1. Film a short, simple exercise.
2. Watch it and pick one thing to change, for example “keep my elbows soft in the turn”.
3. Write that cue down in a few words.
4. Practise with just that cue in mind for a short session.
5. Film the same exercise again and compare.

It is normal for progress to be slow and uneven. Sometimes a change feels odd at first because the old habit felt comfortable. Give it several sessions before deciding it does not work. If a change feels painful or unsafe, stop, return to your earlier method and seek advice from a professional.

Keeping a simple record

Store clips in a folder labelled by date, and add a line about what you were working on. After a month or two, watching early footage next to recent footage is often encouraging. It also shows where your style is developing, which helps you decide what to emphasise next. Using simple notes alongside this, much as you would with skill goals, keeps the focus on steady improvement.

Sharing footage with care

If you share clips online, think about privacy. Avoid filming other people without their consent, and consider whether the location or your own details could be identified. If you want comments from strangers, remember that online advice is of mixed quality. Treat it as ideas to check against what you can see and feel, and be cautious about anyone urging you to try something risky. Some skills, such as flips and tailwhips, are only for trained riders at skills parks with qualified instruction.

Be kind to yourself

Watching yourself can feel uncomfortable at first. Most people dislike their first few clips. Remember that the purpose is information, not judgement. A calm, curious attitude makes feedback easier to use, and over time you may find the footage shows progress you had not noticed.