Stefan Herrmann was downhill world champion in the 1996 Masters, prepared Sabine Spitz and Manuel Fumic for the Olympic race in London and has known the mountain bike scene since his early days. Born in Franconia, he founded his riding technique school back in 1997, the MTB Academy. Over the past 20 years, more than 10,000 bikers have learnt cornering techniques, bunny hops and dropping from him and his coaches, some of whom are highly decorated. To mark the anniversary, we spoke to him about 20 years of methodology, motocross and misadventures.
How did you come up with the idea of setting up an MTB school in the first place?
I used to be a tradesman, which I never liked. I've always been a good sportsman and I'm good with people. So, at the age of 18, I started training as an instructor for skiing and canoeing. I tried to create new perspectives with the club courses. At the age of 24, I stopped my drive to become a motocross pro, I was lying around on the floor too often and I didn't have the money. The mountain bike is an adequate and fully-fledged substitute. Here I achieved professional status and achieved some international successes. This phase of my life ended in 2000 and I managed a smooth transition with the MTB Academy, which I had already founded in 1997. In between, I had also studied sport. So I was ideally placed to set up an MTB school, because there was nothing like it yet.
And how was that received?
The first few years were tough and instructive. With a great team behind me, I managed to establish the topic. And that you don't have to be ashamed when you book a riding technique course. Because back then, there was a lot of inhibition. In the meantime, it has become a large market in which I have done pioneering work. Many big names have learnt from me.
Do bikers learn faster today because of better material or better bikes?
You ride better and sometimes you learn better because the better bikes make manoeuvres or passages possible that would not have been possible before. These experiences give the learner new ideas that serve the learning process and that they can build on.
What is the all-time favourite manoeuvre that people want to learn?
The bunny hop of course, riding hairpin bends and jumping.
Which skills and tricks did bikers want to be able to do in the past, and which ones today? Or are there no differences?
As already mentioned, the bunny hop and hairpin bends always work. In the last few years, dropping and rear-wheel transfers have been added.
How long does it take to learn to ride a wheelie?
An average biker will need about four weeks. But only if they practise for an hour three times a week.
Your most bizarre experiences in 20 years of the MTB Academy?
Oh, there were a few. On a tour in the middle of a mountain, a female biker signalled that she wasn't feeling well. She then took out a blood pressure monitor. Based on the data, we then initiated a rescue. The second was a farmer on Mallorca who didn't want to let us continue in the nasty weather. It was raining horizontally and we were shivering at eight degrees Celsius. It was only when our local guide negotiated with us that he relented. Incidentally, the trail was marked on the map as an official hiking trail. A mishap happened to me once:
I forgot my own bike at the dirt camp in Provence when loading the shuttle. It was only when I was unloading that I realised a bike was missing and it was mine. We once had an MTB camp in Todtnau with 70 centimetres of fresh snow. After the trail was no longer recognisable, we rode down the meadow like skiers criss-crossing. But I've also experienced some nasty things on bikes: forks installed at 180 degrees, handlebars mounted incorrectly (gear lever upwards) and much more.
What do most hobby bikers do wrong?
You have stretched your arms and bent your legs. As a result, your arms are under tension and your centre of gravity is too far back. Another consequence is that the leg muscles become over-acidified. Many bikers also hold the handlebars too tightly and have problems with correct gaze control.
What drives you to despair when teaching?
Nothing.
What's the most common saying you've heard in 20 years?
(Laughs) In dirt we trust!
Which biker impresses you the most?
Everyone who rides for themselves and has fun, no matter how good.
Which move can you not do yourself, but would like to be able to do?
No Foot Can Can, but I'm still learning that one.
How high was your highest drop?
Is this the Lehner courage question? I have no idea.
Which bike park is ideal for learning?
Every bike park is worth it! Just go there and make up your own mind. Every park has its own character and has something to offer. There is currently no model park for riding technique training, Saalbach and Geisskopf are the closest. Because my standards are high.
If you had to take a riding technique course yourself, who would you want to take it with?
Honestly, with me. No-one has gained more experience, dealt with the subject so intensively, ridden at a high level themselves and studied sport. And second only to trained ski technique coaches. You don't learn to ski from a ski touring guide either.
Why don't you offer 1-day crash courses?
Mountain biking is a complex sport. Compared to skiing, the centre of gravity is much higher, you only have one track and the terrain is much more varied. It is therefore important to teach beginners many techniques: Basic position, balance, braking, cornering techniques, heels up and down, ground shapes, VR/HR lift, bunny hop and the right line choice. These are techniques for a basic course. In my single trail and enduro flow camps, there are also more advanced manoeuvres. This can't really be done in one day. Above all, a certain number of repetitions are necessary for each technique until old movement patterns are overplayed.
