Radnut Admin Winter is around the corner. The weather will turned damp. As a result riding opportunities are harder to come by. What do you do to scratch the mountain biking itch in the deep dark months of winter?
We do this year round of course, but now there is so much more time to kill we started running out of content from our usual channels. Thus the search box on YouTube has been hit to find out what other channels are out there that we may not have seen or heard of previously. Below are some of our firm favourites, some channels we watch regularly and a few new ones that we’ve found more recently and that look promising.
What Is A Mountain Biking Youtube Channel?
Mountain biking YouTube channels are exactly what they sound like. They are YouTube channels that upload videos of mountain bikers riding trails, races, events and whatever else our favourite riders get up to. They are often very nicely filmed to give that ‘feel’ of actually riding with these pros. Some are very high quality, others not so much.
Different people have different opinions about whether a translation from on-bike video to video of still images is ‘acceptable’ or not. Some people hate it. Some people, like me, don’t mind at all as long as the content is of good quality and the sound is of good quality.
A lot of people get very angry when they see on-ride videos which are simply still images or video clips run in a slideshow. The options are there to do what you want with the videos after you’ve purchased them.
How To Choose the Best Youtube Video channel?
So you’re looking for the best mtn bike video channel on YouTube, but how do you choose? It may be as simple as choosing the most subscribed channel, or it may be as complicated as viewing a bunch of preview video clips to see which one fits your taste. All it takes is the time, effort and a few clicks. Here are a few guidelines to help you make your decision:
Purpose of Youtube Channel
Let’s say you want to focus on the pros- the professional cyclists. These riders make for very entertaining viewing, but what happens when you’ve seen every post from every pro rider (and you HAVE, right?)?
You can, of course, mix it up and start watching other riders who aren’t pros, but this can be more difficult to find, and they may not be at the same level as the pros. Let’s say you want to focus on the pros- the professional cyclists. These riders make for very entertaining viewing, but what happens when you’ve seen every post from every pro rider (and you HAVE, right?)?You can, of course, mix it up and start watching other riders who aren’t pros, but this can be more difficult to find, and they may not be at the same level as the pros.
Newbies can also be a viable option, but again you may quickly lose interest in watching the same people over and over.
Another option may be to follow a specific rider and the people that are riding with that rider. The disadvantages here are that if you want to watch live events as they happen you won’t be able to, and that if you like watching one rider and two of the people riding with them, you will have to choose whether you want to see the friend, or the rider.
Location
Certain areas of the world have a high concentration of mountain bikers. As a result, YouTube also has a lot of channels related to those areas. The Cotswolds has several, the Peak District has more than you can shake a stick at. The south west of England has also got a few, and it also has some people who travel around and shoot amazing video which is then uploaded to Youtube. Of course, the USA has some YouTube channels but the language and accent of some of these guys can be hard to understand at times.
Themes
A very popular option is to choose a theme, or a style. Trail videos and race videos tend to be popular in summer months, when people are riding at the weekends, and starting to spend a lot more time on their bikes. The season looks like it’s slowing down now, and racing videos are picking up.
A theme would be themes such as downhill, enduro, or freeride. This is a good way of keeping your interest as the videos tend to be more diverse. If all the videos you watch are from one rider, you may soon become less enthusiastic.
Content Quality
Obviously you want the quality of the video and sound to be good, but some people like to watch high quality videos, and some people can’t stand them. Most of us enjoy the classics such as The Syndicate (Traillife, Transitions, or “The Syndicate session”) with superb tales and amazing footage of everything from the North West, to the Alps and beyond. Most of the big names do this type pretty well also.
Style Of Presentation: Just The Ride, Or The Experience?
This one is an oldie, but still a goodie. The most popular video format is the video clip with the rider’s commentary, with titles, and maybe a music soundtrack (depending on the rider of course). People who prefer a ‘just the ride’ format may have chosen an edit channel, such as The Syndicate edit session, or from Rob Warner, or from one of the other MTB edit channels, but don’t be fooled into thinking this is all that’s out there.
Still Image Photo Album Style Video
There are plenty of riders who, rather than filming video snippets whilst out riding, have decided to separate the ride footage and the other footage into two different videos. This can be a very good way to watch the edit of a ride, and highlights of the season. This means you are able to get all you want and more from a specific edit, rather than the short ride-by-ride action, and it also allows the rider to include bits that wouldn’t otherwise make the edit, such as slow motion, stills, or highlights. Still images are a great option – it’s often the shows of epic riding that grab the viewer much more than on-bike footage alone.
The Loam Ranger
This product was recommended by Emma Williams from BikeBrave
The whole family usually gets stuck in, riding the best trails in the world and covering the latest gear, trail centers and events. My favorite video is Razors Edge Mountain Bike Trail, Canmore, Alberta. It’s worth checking out!
Gee Milner
This product was recommended by Harley McClellan from Base Camp Cyclery
I’d suggest Gee Milner’s Youtube channel, Dream Builds. They’re beautiful bike builds & I just find them really soothing… especially for someone passionate about bikes, brands, and part maintenance.
Global Mountain Bike Network
This product was recommended by Ayesha Holloman from Outdoorish
This YouTube channel has almost 7 million views up (May 2020). Their main content includes road anything that is road cycling related and sometimes they put out guides, tutorials and covers some behind the scenes events.
Dirt Magazine
This product was recommended by Ayesha Holloman from Outdoorish
Obviously, this channel is mostly about biking in dirt. It covers everything from World Cup Downhill to the Enduro World Series and many more. It’s the best channel to watch for those who love extreme biking.
