Matthew Sterling

In 2019, at age 17, Matthew won the Innsbruck Crankworx Pro Dual-Slalom title and took 10th place in the Pro Downhill and second in the Pro Whip-Off contest at the U.S. Open. He also won the U.S. national title in downhill for his age category.

1. First tip: Always warm up and do your stretches. Staying hydrated with electrolytes throughout your riding is also critical. It’s also important to ease into your speed the first couple of laps. I never feel comfortable the first couple of laps because it always takes me some time to get used to the location, terrain, conditions and bike setup. Allowing yourself to get comfortable with all of these things will limit your risk of getting injured and help you to know when and where you can challenge yourself.

2. My second tip is knowing when to pump. I come from a BMX background, so it gives me the advantage at certain times. Pumping helps to conserve energy by saving your legs from pedaling. Pumping generates speed and helps with flow. Of course, you need to have the right conditions to allow you to pump. For example, one of my favorite World Cup races this year was Leogang, Austria. The course has a long BMX-style straight that allows for a lot of pumping. I really took advantage of this in my race run, and as a result, I had a top-10 finish.

Check Out: Meet The Riders And Their Rides: Pivot’s Matthew Sterling

Besides racing in the pro ranks in both dual slalom and downhill, Matt is also a rising star in the world of dirt jumping.

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