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Ninja Mountain Bike Performance - Skills Clinics, MTB Jump Ramps and Bike Stands

Alex Martens

2,173 REVIEWS – 5 STAR RATING ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Alex is very fortunate to reside in Bentonville, AR, one of the fastest-growing mountain bike towns in the US. He loves Mountain Biking but bikepacking and gravel adventures are also in his wheelhouse. His favorite moments instructing are when a technique clicks in someone’s head and suddenly their confidence in riding blossoms!

Home Base

Bentonville, AR

Other Gig

I own and run Ozark Bike Guides in Bentonville, AR.

Instructor Certifications

PMBIA Level 1, WFR

Favorite Type of Terrain or Feature

Rock Gardens!

Favorite Trail Snack   

Fancy mixed nuts, no peanuts!

Favorite Post Ride Food or Drink

Apple or banana on the way to grab a local, craft beer.

Favorite Riding Tip      

Look where you WANT to go, not where you don’t want to be. This simple idea is easily practiced outside of riding as well.

Favorite Riding Partner

My good friend Bailey, he is my ultimate bikepacking, type-2 fun partner in crime!

How did you get into Mountain Biking?

Working at a local REI-type store in high school and they hosted an employee campout where I got to ride a real mountain bike on real singletrack for the first time. Soon as I had the money I bought my first Mountain Bike and haven’t stopped having fun since.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live and why?

The region around Bentonville is pretty great for all kinds of outdoor fun, close to the coast and the Rockies, and most importantly its where my family lives.

Looking to ride with Alex? Join him in one of our Arkansas clinic locations or check him out on IG @alexmoutdoor @ozarkbikeguides

Who doesn’t want to be a Ninja!?

I'm a road Triathlete that lucked into a XTERRA World Championship slot via the lottery last year. Being a road...
Ninja Mountain Bike Skills
5
2014-03-19T14:36:25-07:00
I'm a road Triathlete that lucked into a XTERRA World Championship slot via the lottery last year. Being a road triathlete, I had very little experience and no technical skills on a mountain bike. I took the Ninja beginner and then intermediate classes almost back to back. Richard is a great teacher, and taught the sequential skills that matter most. He does a great job of "breaking things down" with the what and the why, and illustrates the information well with his demonstrations, all the while, delivering it with a sense of humor and enthusiasm. Richard's instruction helped me successfully get through a very technical course in Maui without major injury! Yea, thank you Richard!!. Whether a complete beginner or an advanced rider, I promise you can take a lot away from his classes.... and, let's be honest ...Who doesn't want to be a Ninja! ~ Ray S.  

Team Eastlake Cycling Team thank you for your time, energy and expertise…

I’ve been coaching road & track riding for years. Got into mtn bike riding because of the terrain near our...
Ninja Mountain Bike Skills
5
2015-09-28T07:52:14-07:00
I’ve been coaching road & track riding for years. Got into mtn bike riding because of the terrain near our home AND my daughters like to ride in the dirt. Took classes through the high school league to be more acquainted with the fundamentals skills and acquire more knowledge of the NICA league rules. Coach La China and staff broke down the skills for our team riders in a fun and engaging process. Team Eastlake Cycling Team thank you for your time, energy and expertise to bring our riders to a new level of confidence. ~Ron G.

My riding has definitely improved!

I really enjoyed the Intermediate/Advanced clinic with Aaron in Palmer Park, Colorado Springs. Aaron made sure that every skill was...
Ninja Mountain Bike Skills
5
2017-06-05T14:12:03-07:00
I really enjoyed the Intermediate/Advanced clinic with Aaron in Palmer Park, Colorado Springs. Aaron made sure that every skill was practiced thoroughly. He was paying attention to every move and detail and was very patient. My riding has definitely improved since than and I have been practicing the skills a lot on single track. The best advice I received - visualize yourself doing it! I definitely recommend this class to bikers of all levels. ~Yana Brown

You don’t know what you don’t know …

I consider myself a strong intermediate MTB rider; I love highly technical downhill single track trails.  A friend suggested I...
Ninja Mountain Bike Skills
5
2017-06-05T14:46:29-07:00
I consider myself a strong intermediate MTB rider; I love highly technical downhill single track trails.  A friend suggested I take a multi-day skills clinic to help get to the next level.  After a brief search I found that Ninja Bike Skills 3 day skills clinic up in Big Bear CA. If you have never taken a class then the old adage "you don't know what you don't know" probably holds true; it did with me.  While it the clinic started off simple, the skills taught build on one-another to ensure you have solid foundation basics needed to safely leverage the higher skill stuff taught at the back end of the class. Richard and Aaron brought two great perspectives as one is a XC/Edurance/Enduro rider and the other is dedicated to gravity downhill.  The teaching style was simple and actionable.  All the Ninja instructors are very knowledgeable and very passionate about MTB which is infectious and make the class fun. I would highly recommend to any level riders who have never had any instruction in MTB skills.  Plus if you take the class at a place like Snow Summit Big Bear, you get to ride amazing trails!! ~Greg A.

As good as it gets is appropriate!

Woohoo!  As good as it gets is appropriate! Richard is not only a great rider, he is a great teacher!...
Ninja Mountain Bike Skills
5
2014-03-19T14:37:09-07:00
Woohoo!  As good as it gets is appropriate! Richard is not only a great rider, he is a great teacher! I would encourage everyone to stay away from the mind trap that buying a more expensive mountain bike is what you need to ride better. Spend the money on lessons instead, and I know you will be happier (and safer) in the long run. I can't say enough positive things about the Bike Skills clinics. ~ Chris G.  

Within one hour we we clearing a 5 foot jump easily and with confidence!

Wow, a friend and I just did a one day private lesson with Richard and I can’t believe how much...
Ninja Mountain Bike Skills
5
2016-04-07T12:54:41-07:00
Wow, a friend and I just did a one day private lesson with Richard and I can’t believe how much we learned. I’ve been riding for over 10 years but with all self taught skills. We wanted to learn fundamentals the right way and Richard took us through all of that (along with critical bike setup) and the intermediate stuff that they teach in one day plus he spent an extra hour at the end to teach us jumping which I had always been nervous about. Within one hour we we clearing a 5 foot jump easily and with confidence, we even learned to move the bike in the air on a crossed take off and landing. I think my favorite part though was riding fast on the very gnarly technical descent. We will be booking up more private lessons during the summer at Big Bear. Thanks Richard you are a very good teacher! ~John U.

Aaron was a great instructor!

I took a Fundamental Skill clinic last weekend and learned so much! I've been riding for a few years and...
Ninja Mountain Bike Skills
5
2017-06-05T14:15:04-07:00
I took a Fundamental Skill clinic last weekend and learned so much! I've been riding for a few years and felt stuck and was not improving at all. Aaron was a great instructor! Very patient and broke down everything step by step and we repeated the skills until we felt comfortable. I look forward to mastering the skills I learned and taking another clinic in the spring. ~Jody Hachenberger-Amend
5
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Ninja Mountain Bike Skills

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