We get this question a lot. Usually it comes with a "but" attached:
"Untamed looks cool, but I'm probably not fit enough."
"I'd love to join, but I'm not good enough on a bike yet."
"It sounds fun, but I don't actually want to race."
If any of these sound familiar, keep reading. Because all three are totally valid concerns — and none of them are reasons to count yourself out.
"I'm Not Fit Enough"
Here's the thing: Untamed isn't a fitness test. It's a development program. We meet you where you are.
Yes, there's a fitness component. We believe that stronger riders are more confident riders — and confidence is what lets you commit to lines, stay loose on rough terrain, and actually enjoy the hard parts instead of just surviving them.
But the workouts scale. If you're coming in cold, you'll start at a different level than someone who's been training all winter. That's fine. The point is progression over 12 weeks, not showing up already fit.
We've had athletes join who hadn't done structured exercise in years. By week 12, they weren't just fitter — they were riding things they never thought they could.
"I'm Not Good Enough on a Bike"
Good. That's why you're here.
Untamed takes all skill levels. Literal beginners. Riders who've been at it for years but feel stuck. People who are fast on smooth trails but sketch out on tech. People who crush tech but can't carry speed. All of it.
The 12-week structure exists specifically because skills take time to build. Week 1 isn't about sending big features — it's about fundamentals. Body position. Braking. Cornering. The stuff that everything else is built on.
By the time we're working on more advanced skills, you've had weeks of coaching and repetition to build a foundation. You don't need to show up "good enough." You just need to show up.
"I Don't Want to Race"
Neither do a lot of Untamed athletes. And that's completely fine.
The program includes 4 event days. These are opportunities to apply what you've learned in a different environment — longer tracks, timed runs, some structure. But pinning a number on is not required.
Some people discover they actually love racing and had no idea. Some people do the events untimed just to challenge themselves. Some people skip certain events entirely. All of these are valid ways to participate.
"Race team" is the vibe — it's about pushing yourself, training with intention, and having a crew — but it's not a requirement to actually race. If your goal is just to get better and have more fun on your bike, that's enough.
"I'm Already Pretty Good — Why Would I Need This?"
This might be the most important section.
If you've been riding for years and consider yourself a solid rider, you might wonder what structured coaching could offer you. Here's the thing: being fast and being technically efficient aren't always the same thing.
Most of us are self-taught. We figured things out through trial and error, watching YouTube videos, mimicking faster friends. And that works — to a point. But self-taught habits aren't always optimal habits. You don't know what you don't know.
Experienced riders often have the biggest breakthroughs in Untamed. Why? Because small technique tweaks compound. A slightly better body position through rocks. A more efficient braking zone entry. A subtle shift in how you weight corners. Individually, these are tiny. Stacked together over a full descent? That's where time falls off.
Video review is humbling. You think you're doing something — and then you see the footage. Your weight isn't where you thought it was. Your head drops in sections you didn't notice. You're braking where you don't need to. It's not criticism, it's data. And data is how you improve.
If you've been at roughly the same level for a few years — fast enough, comfortable on most things, but not noticeably improving — that's a plateau. Plateaus don't break themselves. Structured feedback and focused skill work is how you push through.
Some of our most satisfying coaching moments come from riders who showed up thinking they didn't need much, and left riding fundamentally differently.
What 12 Weeks Actually Looks Like
Here's the rough breakdown:
Weeks 1-6 (ish): Skills-Based Training. This is the foundation work. Body position, braking technique, cornering, line selection, technical features. We break things down, drill them, refine them. Whether you're a beginner building from scratch or an experienced rider cleaning up old habits, this is where the real technique work happens. Fitness training runs alongside to build the strength that supports good riding.
Weeks 7-12 (ish): Implementation & Refinement. Now we take those skills out of drills and into real trail application. Longer descents. Varied terrain. Event days where you ride under a bit of pressure. This phase is about making the skills automatic — so when the trail gets steep and rough, your body does the right thing without you having to think about it. Coaching shifts to fine-tuning and troubleshooting as you apply what you've learned.
The exact split depends on the group and conditions — some years we spend more time on skills, some years implementation comes earlier. But the structure is always: build the technique first, then apply it under real conditions.
Throughout all 12 weeks, you've got coaching support, video review, fitness guidance, and — maybe most importantly — a crew of people going through it with you.
So... Is It Right For You?
Untamed is right for you if:
• You want to get better on a mountain bike
• You're willing to commit to 12 weeks
• You have (or can get) a functioning mountain bike
• You're open to being coached
That's it. Fitness level, current skill, racing ambitions — none of that determines whether you belong. The only requirement is wanting to progress.
Registration is open now. If you've been on the fence, this is your sign to jump.
