Can We Ride Like Jackson Goldstone and Gracey Hemstreet? | Lessons from World Cup MTB Racers

Can everyday mountain bikers learn to ride like World Cup pros Jackson Goldstone and Gracey Hemstreet? While their speed and style might seem out of reach, the truth is: they’re using the same fundamental skills that all riders can develop.

In this episode of the Donuts and Bikes Mountain Bike Coaching Podcast, Paul and Kristian dive into what makes these elite racers so good—and how you can apply those lessons to your own riding.

🎧 Topics covered include:

• Why World Cup DH racers still use the same foundational MTB skills
• The difference between position and movement on the bike
• How consistent movement improves bike control
• The role of strength and fatigue in maintaining stability
• Why riding taller may give you better control
• How to connect why you're moving with how you move
• The power of quality movement for better trail performance
• How jump training builds timing and coordination
• Adapting to new terrain by refining your jumping skills
• The importance of social support in rider development
• What separates top racers from the rest of us
• The role of mindset: positivity, happiness, and grounded performance
• Experience vs. skill—and how mentors shape growth
• Why reflection leads to mature riding decisions
• And of course… a donut from down under 🍩🇦🇺

Whether you're a weekend trail rider or chasing race goals, this episode is packed with practical insights to level up your riding.

Thanks to our Season 4 partners:

Tsuga - Durable and innovative gear, crafted in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, for the rides we all dream of. Borne in Boone, perfected in Pisgah

tsuga.us

Local Lion Coffee and Doughnuts - Local Lion uses a 1930’s award winning recipe is a craft rooted in tradition creating the experience of authenticity and flavor  

local-lion.com

Support the show

SUPPORT THE SHOW! Like what we’re doing? Support us on Patreon for just $3/month. Your help keeps us delivering high-quality, independent content for mountain bikers and coaches worldwide. You're fueling better riding, smarter coaching, and the sport’s growth.
👉 patreon.com/donutsandbikes

FIND US ON INSTAGRAM: Get the latest updates, episode drops, and behind-the-scenes content. Follow @donutsandbikes.

MTB COACH EDUCATION: Instructors and coaches—want to grow your skills or get certified? Explore the Global Syndicate of Mountain Bike Coaches at www.gsmbc.pro.

DISCLAIMER
The views and opinions on The Mountain Bike Coaching Podcast: Donuts & Bikes are those of Kristian Jackson, Paul Howard, and guests, and don’t necessarily reflect the views of GSMBC, PMBIA, or others mentioned. Guest content reflects personal opinions and is not intended to offend or misrepresent any person or group.

LIABILITY DISCLAIMER
This podcast and its authors disclaim all responsibility for any damages resulting from use of or reliance on the content.

Want to get faster in corners? Maybe braking is the key.
In this episode, we break down the real role brakes play in cornering and how better braking can actually help you go faster. Paul and Kristian dive deep into the skills, habits, and mindset you need to unlock more control and confidence on the trail.

In this episode:

• Fitness check-in with Paul and Kristian
• Corners, direction changes, forces & traction
• Getting grip — how to make your tires track where you want
• Braking myths (and why they’re holding you back)
• The variables: shape, surface, and speed
• Braking on modern trails
• Awareness and braking — a two-way street
• Why skills coaching matters for braking
• Bad habits from the era of terrible bikes and brakes
• Where to start: the fundamentals of braking
• Brake levers, biomechanics & body position
• Feeling connected with your bike
• Why “being centered” makes braking better
• Modulation: what it really means
• Creating pressure for better braking performance
• Braking to stop vs braking to not speed up
• "2-1-0 / both-back-none" braking explained
• And… donuts — same treat, new tactic

If you want to corner faster, start by braking better.

Thanks to our Season 4 partners:

Tsuga - Durable and innovative gear, crafted in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, for the rides we all dream of. Borne in Boone, perfected in Pisgah

tsuga.us

Local Lion Coffee and Doughnuts - Local Lion uses a 1930’s award winning recipe is a craft rooted in tradition creating the experience of authenticity and flavor  

local-lion.com

Support the show

SUPPORT THE SHOW! Like what we’re doing? Support us on Patreon for just $3/month. Your help keeps us delivering high-quality, independent content for mountain bikers and coaches worldwide. You're fueling better riding, smarter coaching, and the sport’s growth.
👉 patreon.com/donutsandbikes

FIND US ON INSTAGRAM: Get the latest updates, episode drops, and behind-the-scenes content. Follow @donutsandbikes.

MTB COACH EDUCATION: Instructors and coaches—want to grow your skills or get certified? Explore the Global Syndicate of Mountain Bike Coaches at www.gsmbc.pro.

DISCLAIMER
The views and opinions on The Mountain Bike Coaching Podcast: Donuts & Bikes are those of Kristian Jackson, Paul Howard, and guests, and don’t necessarily reflect the views of GSMBC, PMBIA, or others mentioned. Guest content reflects personal opinions and is not intended to offend or misrepresent any person or group.

LIABILITY DISCLAIMER
This podcast and its authors disclaim all responsibility for any damages resulting from use of or reliance on the content.

Interview with Neko Mulally – The Goal is the Same: How to Go Fastest from Start to Finish

This week, Kristian and Paul sit down with the one and only Neko Mulally — professional downhill racer, bike designer, commentator, and Team Owner of Frameworks Racing.

Neko is a true powerhouse in the world of downhill mountain biking, and we were thrilled to catch up with him amidst his packed schedule. In this episode, we dive into everything from racing strategy and coaching insights to bike design, technique, and what it really takes to go fastest from start to finish.

Whether you're a seasoned rider or just a fan of the sport, this conversation is packed with insight and inspiration. Tune in and enjoy the ride!

• Who is Neko?
• How did Neko learn to race?
• Lessons in training
• How to get better at technique 
• Determination and racing
• Origins of determination
• Grit and Success
• The link between determination and creativity
• What characteristics does Neko look for when building his team
• The journey to running a team starts with a bike
• Frameworks as a risk-taking endeavor
• Why details matter
• Meeting Asa – investing in success
• Angel – Attention to details
• The performance relationship between details and resilience 
• Anna – the perfect fit
• How a lot of racers are within a small window of finishing time, but all do it differently
• How different body types impact technique 
• Is it better to have technique before strength or strength before technique?
• How to get the 2% more out of performance: Is it technique or other Performance Factors?
• Critiquing technique vs. Pros and Cons of choices
• Techniques are just tools
• The racing triangle: Technique, Bike Set up, and Strength
• At the race – you’re there to take the test, not to study
• Pros and Cons of access to coaching for young racers
• The value of sports psychology and racing in reframing success in racing and life

Thanks to our Season 4 partners:

Tsuga - Durable and innovative gear, crafted in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, for the rides we all dream of. Borne in Boone, perfected in Pisgah

tsuga.us

Local Lion Coffee and Doughnuts - Local Lion uses a 1930’s award winning recipe is a craft rooted in tradition creating the experience of authenticity and flavor  

local-lion.com

Support the show

SUPPORT THE SHOW! Like what we’re doing? Support us on Patreon for just $3/month. Your help keeps us delivering high-quality, independent content for mountain bikers and coaches worldwide. You're fueling better riding, smarter coaching, and the sport’s growth.
👉 patreon.com/donutsandbikes

FIND US ON INSTAGRAM: Get the latest updates, episode drops, and behind-the-scenes content. Follow @donutsandbikes.

MTB COACH EDUCATION: Instructors and coaches—want to grow your skills or get certified? Explore the Global Syndicate of Mountain Bike Coaches at www.gsmbc.pro.

DISCLAIMER
The views and opinions on The Mountain Bike Coaching Podcast: Donuts & Bikes are those of Kristian Jackson, Paul Howard, and guests, and don’t necessarily reflect the views of GSMBC, PMBIA, or others mentioned. Guest content reflects personal opinions and is not intended to offend or misrepresent any person or group.

LIABILITY DISCLAIMER
This podcast and its authors disclaim all responsibility for any damages resulting from use of or reliance on the content.

Donut holes are the “missing piece” at the center of the pastry. Our Donut Hole “Mini-sodes” are short, bonus content that focus in on a single idea. This first one asks the question “what can mountain bike coaches learn from Mountaineering Guides?”

In this field recording, Kristian sits down with Josh Whitmore, Apprentice Rock and Alpine Guide, and Certified Ice Climbing Guide with the American Mountain Guide Association. Josh also is owner and head Coach at The Mountain Bike Skills Factory and is a Mentor for the Global Syndicate of Mountain Bike Coaches. He also has a great donut story! 

Support the show

SUPPORT THE SHOW! Like what we’re doing? Support us on Patreon for just $3/month. Your help keeps us delivering high-quality, independent content for mountain bikers and coaches worldwide. You're fueling better riding, smarter coaching, and the sport’s growth.
👉 patreon.com/donutsandbikes

FIND US ON INSTAGRAM: Get the latest updates, episode drops, and behind-the-scenes content. Follow @donutsandbikes.

MTB COACH EDUCATION: Instructors and coaches—want to grow your skills or get certified? Explore the Global Syndicate of Mountain Bike Coaches at www.gsmbc.pro.

DISCLAIMER
The views and opinions on The Mountain Bike Coaching Podcast: Donuts & Bikes are those of Kristian Jackson, Paul Howard, and guests, and don’t necessarily reflect the views of GSMBC, PMBIA, or others mentioned. Guest content reflects personal opinions and is not intended to offend or misrepresent any person or group.

LIABILITY DISCLAIMER
This podcast and its authors disclaim all responsibility for any damages resulting from use of or reliance on the content.

Getting better at mountain biking is all about performance. Often in mountain bike coaching, we focus on skills as a target to improve performance. While this approach may be effective in some cases, technical skills may not be the factor holding a rider back. We call these factors the performance factors, and they impact riders differently depending on their stage of development. In this episode, we dig into these factors, how they impact ordinary joes differently from pros, and how we as coaches can use these factors to increase performance.

In the show, we discuss:

• Defining Pros vs Joes to highlight what factors impact riding other than skills
• What is performance? How do we understand this concept on bikes and in coaching?
• The relationship between performance and motivation
• The Six Performance Factors:  Equipment, Environment, Psychological, Physical, Tactical, Technical
• Where do we start if we want to make an immediate change?
• What are the timelines for change?
• How do the performance factors work together?
• What really holds us back from performance?
• What does pressure to execute do to performance?
• Why so psychological factors underlie most other factors?
• Why is strength such an important component?
• How is efficiency related to performance?
• How do technical skills appear in performance?

And of course, the donut of the day!

Thanks to our Season 4 partners:

Tsuga -- Durable and innovative gear, crafted in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, for the rides we all dream of. Borne in Boone, perfected in Pisgah.

tsuga.us

Local Lion Coffee and Doughnuts -- Local Lion uses a 1930’s award winning recipe is a craft rooted in tradition creating the experience of authenticity and flavor.  

local-lion.com

Support the show

SUPPORT THE SHOW! Like what we’re doing? Support us on Patreon for just $3/month. Your help keeps us delivering high-quality, independent content for mountain bikers and coaches worldwide. You're fueling better riding, smarter coaching, and the sport’s growth.
👉 patreon.com/donutsandbikes

FIND US ON INSTAGRAM: Get the latest updates, episode drops, and behind-the-scenes content. Follow @donutsandbikes.

MTB COACH EDUCATION: Instructors and coaches—want to grow your skills or get certified? Explore the Global Syndicate of Mountain Bike Coaches at www.gsmbc.pro.

DISCLAIMER
The views and opinions on The Mountain Bike Coaching Podcast: Donuts & Bikes are those of Kristian Jackson, Paul Howard, and guests, and don’t necessarily reflect the views of GSMBC, PMBIA, or others mentioned. Guest content reflects personal opinions and is not intended to offend or misrepresent any person or group.

LIABILITY DISCLAIMER
This podcast and its authors disclaim all responsibility for any damages resulting from use of or reliance on the content.

Are mountain bike coaching and instructing the same thing? How are they similar? Why are the different? Does it matter? If so what does this mean for the mountain bike industry? In this episode Paul and Kristian take on this questions to discover how the answers impact the impact we have as coaches and instructors. 

In this show:

• Paul and Kristian explain the radio silence of the last year
• What's coming up in season 4!
• An update on the Global Syndicate of Mountain Bike Coaches
• A historical perspective on mountain bike instruction
• How focusing on performance factors shifts the focus from instruction to coaching
• Coaching and relationship building
• Outcome vs process goals
• How efficiency helps determine a coaches role
• Why teaching styles natter
• The "greyness" between instructing and coaching
• Connectedness and the human factors
• The role of fun as a tool 
• Metrics for success
• Paul's Donut of the Day!

Thanks to our Season 4 partners:

Tsuga -- Durable and innovative gear, crafted in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, for the rides we all dream of. Borne in Boone, perfected in Pisgah.

tsuga.us

Local Lion Coffee and Doughnuts -- Local Lion uses a 1930’s award winning recipe is a craft rooted in tradition creating the experience of authenticity and flavor.  

local-lion.com

Support the show

SUPPORT THE SHOW! Like what we’re doing? Support us on Patreon for just $3/month. Your help keeps us delivering high-quality, independent content for mountain bikers and coaches worldwide. You're fueling better riding, smarter coaching, and the sport’s growth.
👉 patreon.com/donutsandbikes

FIND US ON INSTAGRAM: Get the latest updates, episode drops, and behind-the-scenes content. Follow @donutsandbikes.

MTB COACH EDUCATION: Instructors and coaches—want to grow your skills or get certified? Explore the Global Syndicate of Mountain Bike Coaches at www.gsmbc.pro.

DISCLAIMER
The views and opinions on The Mountain Bike Coaching Podcast: Donuts & Bikes are those of Kristian Jackson, Paul Howard, and guests, and don’t necessarily reflect the views of GSMBC, PMBIA, or others mentioned. Guest content reflects personal opinions and is not intended to offend or misrepresent any person or group.

LIABILITY DISCLAIMER
This podcast and its authors disclaim all responsibility for any damages resulting from use of or reliance on the content.

Berms, turns and cutties... cornering is rad so listen in to part 3 of our series on cornering to help get you 'learning ya turning'!

Cornering can quickly become complicated due to the variety of skills, biomechanical movements, terrain configurations, and speeds. This episode aims to simplify the rotational component of cornering that can help intermediate and advanced riders drive the bike through corners.
 
We start this week's episode with a quick chat about being inspired by older shredders from different sports and reviewing 1 year of Donuts & Bikes... and then we get stuck into cornering!

• What's missing from some cornering tips... any pet peeves?
• What when do we rotational movements? 
• The importance of Position, Braking & Line Choice before Rotation
• When do we need rotation and using speed and intensity for more relevant, applicable demonstrations
• Who has more control? The rider or physics?
• What is rotation and how to use one body part to start teaching rotation... 
• What are the 'usual suspects' and what are some of the less common body parts or movements, people can be aware of to improve performance
• Example progressions for developing rotation
• How coaches can analyze a riders movements to improve lessons
• How to use effective feedback to drive performance
• DONUT OF THE WEEK: the legendary 1 kilogram Crocodile Dundee Donut!

Support the show

SUPPORT THE SHOW! Like what we’re doing? Support us on Patreon for just $3/month. Your help keeps us delivering high-quality, independent content for mountain bikers and coaches worldwide. You're fueling better riding, smarter coaching, and the sport’s growth.
👉 patreon.com/donutsandbikes

FIND US ON INSTAGRAM: Get the latest updates, episode drops, and behind-the-scenes content. Follow @donutsandbikes.

MTB COACH EDUCATION: Instructors and coaches—want to grow your skills or get certified? Explore the Global Syndicate of Mountain Bike Coaches at www.gsmbc.pro.

DISCLAIMER
The views and opinions on The Mountain Bike Coaching Podcast: Donuts & Bikes are those of Kristian Jackson, Paul Howard, and guests, and don’t necessarily reflect the views of GSMBC, PMBIA, or others mentioned. Guest content reflects personal opinions and is not intended to offend or misrepresent any person or group.

LIABILITY DISCLAIMER
This podcast and its authors disclaim all responsibility for any damages resulting from use of or reliance on the content.

If you’ve ever wanted to nail down your endos, stoppies, nose manuals, nose pivots or euro turns, then this episode is for you! In this weeks episode we dig into why everyone should learn these tricks (maneuvers) and just how much they can transform your overall skills and riding, anywhere and everywhere. There's a number of different ways to teach these maneuvers, but listen in as we dig into some examples to help transform your riding or coaching... 

• Friends with the front of the bike
• Difference between maneuvers and skills
• Using maneuvers to develop and transform fundamental skills very efficiently

ENDOS - rear wheel lift as the bike stops
Phase 1: BRAKE & BRAKE - CONNECT & TIP
Phase 2: BRAKE & BRAKE - DISCONNECT, SCOOP & POKE

• Using a static demo to feel the forces in an endo 
• Using emergency stops to introduce the core skills of endos
• Releasing the front brake for confidence and safety to bring the back wheel down
• Building confidence through repetition of correct form and technique 
• Using the ‘scoop’ and ‘poke’ to ‘disconnect’ to manage risk and make the endo higher!
• Why we don’t teach people how to crash… but what can we do to help keep them safe when learning these tricks. 
• Using lines and numbers to quantify the timing and improve execution

STOPPIES - rolling endo, using the brake to slow down/stop
NOSE MANUALS - stoppies without the braking (using terrain, technique & speed)

• Patience is key… master higher endos with scoop and poke, before starting stoppies
• Stoppies - efficient and safer way to increase mileage and get comfortable with forces pushing the rider onto the handlebars 
• Ideal terrain and equipment for stoppies
• Stoppies ideal for slow speeds and technical terrain
• Nose manuals great for learning to balance with the front of the bike at speed, for style!

NOSE PIVOTS - An endo with steering & rotation to pivot on the 'nose'
EURO TURN - rolling nose pivot as the bike is still moving forward
BRAKE & BRACE | STEER & ROTATE

• "Steering" = OUT and IN to create rotational momentum and set up the turn
• Why applying both brakes for all these maneuvers can help
• Using cones and markers to help timing and coordination for nose pivots and euro turns
• What's the progression from Endos to Euro Turns and what's the timeline?
• Stoppies through an arc to build into Euro Turns
• Slow in, fast out for smoother Euro T

Support the show

SUPPORT THE SHOW! Like what we’re doing? Support us on Patreon for just $3/month. Your help keeps us delivering high-quality, independent content for mountain bikers and coaches worldwide. You're fueling better riding, smarter coaching, and the sport’s growth.
👉 patreon.com/donutsandbikes

FIND US ON INSTAGRAM: Get the latest updates, episode drops, and behind-the-scenes content. Follow @donutsandbikes.

MTB COACH EDUCATION: Instructors and coaches—want to grow your skills or get certified? Explore the Global Syndicate of Mountain Bike Coaches at www.gsmbc.pro.

DISCLAIMER
The views and opinions on The Mountain Bike Coaching Podcast: Donuts & Bikes are those of Kristian Jackson, Paul Howard, and guests, and don’t necessarily reflect the views of GSMBC, PMBIA, or others mentioned. Guest content reflects personal opinions and is not intended to offend or misrepresent any person or group.

LIABILITY DISCLAIMER
This podcast and its authors disclaim all responsibility for any damages resulting from use of or reliance on the content.

Are adults just big kids? The answer, as always, is yes and no. Adults present some specific challenges in the way the learn as compared to kids. In this episode your hosts focus on three important ideas to help your understanding of how to coach adult riders: Connectedness, Language, and Mindsets. Here we dig into:

• Creating connections that foster trust
•  How the coach is a guide through cognitive terrain as much as the physical terrain
• How adults sometimes need to re-learn how to learn
• The connection between language and performance
• Remembering to have fun
• How to use positive self-talk
• The relationship between judgement and emotions
• Belief in performance as a key indicator of success
• The power of objectivity
• When not to coach
• Three Mindsets -- Beginners, Growth-Oriented, and Sustainers
• Dealing with burnout
• The Donut of the day! 

Support the show

SUPPORT THE SHOW! Like what we’re doing? Support us on Patreon for just $3/month. Your help keeps us delivering high-quality, independent content for mountain bikers and coaches worldwide. You're fueling better riding, smarter coaching, and the sport’s growth.
👉 patreon.com/donutsandbikes

FIND US ON INSTAGRAM: Get the latest updates, episode drops, and behind-the-scenes content. Follow @donutsandbikes.

MTB COACH EDUCATION: Instructors and coaches—want to grow your skills or get certified? Explore the Global Syndicate of Mountain Bike Coaches at www.gsmbc.pro.

DISCLAIMER
The views and opinions on The Mountain Bike Coaching Podcast: Donuts & Bikes are those of Kristian Jackson, Paul Howard, and guests, and don’t necessarily reflect the views of GSMBC, PMBIA, or others mentioned. Guest content reflects personal opinions and is not intended to offend or misrepresent any person or group.

LIABILITY DISCLAIMER
This podcast and its authors disclaim all responsibility for any damages resulting from use of or reliance on the content.

How can we keep coaching and riding into old(er) age? In this episode, your hosts reveal that they are not youngsters, while also divulging a few clues on how they've managed to keep the stoke for riding and coaching over the decades. This discussion builds from the last episode and expands these ideas to adult mountain bikers. Listen in for details on: 

• Adults vs kids – what are some differences in how they learn and how they ride?
• Riding and getting older
• Inspiration and riding
• Why learning as an adult is difficult 
• Growth mindset and why this matters
• How how we think impacts how we learn
• Getting older or getting busy? – The relationship between cause and effect and performance 
• How to use self awareness and inner dialogue as tools
• Lifestyle choices and learning
• The Happy to Maintain Mindset
• A Donut of the Day that sets the bar for Donuts of the Day.

Support the show

SUPPORT THE SHOW! Like what we’re doing? Support us on Patreon for just $3/month. Your help keeps us delivering high-quality, independent content for mountain bikers and coaches worldwide. You're fueling better riding, smarter coaching, and the sport’s growth.
👉 patreon.com/donutsandbikes

FIND US ON INSTAGRAM: Get the latest updates, episode drops, and behind-the-scenes content. Follow @donutsandbikes.

MTB COACH EDUCATION: Instructors and coaches—want to grow your skills or get certified? Explore the Global Syndicate of Mountain Bike Coaches at www.gsmbc.pro.

DISCLAIMER
The views and opinions on The Mountain Bike Coaching Podcast: Donuts & Bikes are those of Kristian Jackson, Paul Howard, and guests, and don’t necessarily reflect the views of GSMBC, PMBIA, or others mentioned. Guest content reflects personal opinions and is not intended to offend or misrepresent any person or group.

LIABILITY DISCLAIMER
This podcast and its authors disclaim all responsibility for any damages resulting from use of or reliance on the content.