I Help Everyday Dirt Bike Riders Ride With More Confidence — And Spend Less Time Fighting Their Bike
Hey, I'm Kelley Fager, founder of MXHideout.
I've been riding and working on dirt bikes for more than 25 years, but I'm probably not the kind of riding coach who's going to tell you that the answer to everything is to go faster, send it, or just get more seat time.
Most of the riders I help aren't trying to become professional racers.
They want to ride trails with their family and friends.
They want to make it up the hill without panicking halfway up.
They want to turn around on a tight trail without tipping over.
They want their dirt bike to start easily and run the way it's supposed to.
And most importantly, they want to come home from a ride smiling instead of exhausted, frustrated, or injured.
That's what MXHideout is about.
You Don't Need To Be The Fastest Rider To Be A Good Rider
There's a strange problem in dirt biking:
A lot of riding advice is taught by very skilled riders who have forgotten what it's like to be a beginner.
“Carry more speed.”
“Just commit.”
“Stand up.”
“Give it more throttle.”
That advice might work when you've been riding for years.
It doesn't help much when you're worried about whiskey throttle, stalling on a hill, washing out the front tire, or holding up your friends.
I know because I've had to work through many of those same problems myself.
I wasn't the naturally gifted rider who jumped on a bike and immediately knew what to do.
It took me years to understand how much easier dirt biking becomes when you stop trying to overpower the bike and instead learn the fundamentals that give you control.
Throttle and clutch control.
Balance.
Braking.
Body position.
Looking ahead.
Choosing the right bike.
Setting the bike up properly.
And knowing what the bike is telling you when something doesn't feel right.
That's why one of the ideas you'll hear from me over and over is:
Confidence > Speed.
Speed can come later.
Control comes first.
Why I Started MXHideout
I started MXHideout in 2009.
At first, it was simply a way to share what I was learning about dirt bikes.
But over the years, I kept noticing the same thing:
A lot of dirt bike information makes something relatively simple sound complicated.
Whether someone was trying to choose their first bike, learn how to use the clutch, fix a bog, jet a carburetor, or get comfortable riding trails, they were often overwhelmed by conflicting advice.
I've made plenty of mistakes myself.
I've bought the wrong parts.
I've chased tuning problems.
I've used bad riding technique.
I've tried things that didn't work.
And I've spent a lot of time figuring out why they didn't work.
Eventually, that became the purpose of MXHideout:
Learn More. Ride More.
The more you understand your bike and the fundamentals of riding it, the less time you spend frustrated, guessing, or sitting on the sidelines.
And the more time you can actually spend riding.
What Makes My Approach Different?
I don't teach from theory alone.
What I share comes from a combination of 25+ years of riding, working on my own bikes, diagnosing and tuning customer bikes, coaching riders, and testing what actually works in the real world.
That matters because dirt biking isn't always as simple as repeating what a service manual or another rider says.
I've seen bikes where the “obvious” jetting change wasn't actually the problem.
I've watched riders blame themselves for struggling when their bike was too tall, too powerful, or poorly set up for them.
And I've watched riders make surprisingly fast progress when we fixed one small fundamental instead of telling them to try harder.
That's the approach I try to bring to everything on MXHideout:
Diagnose the actual problem. Simplify it. Fix the fundamentals first.
I've Helped Riders Around The World — And Right Here In Minnesota
MXHideout has grown from a small dirt bike website into articles, YouTube videos, step-by-step training, and personalized coaching used by riders around the world.
But some of my favorite work happens face-to-face.
I offer private beginner dirt bike lessons at my property in Oak Grove, Minnesota, where I work with riders who want to become safer and more confident without the pressure of trying to keep up with an experienced group.
I've coached complete beginners as well as experienced riders who simply never learned some of the fundamentals correctly.
The goal isn't to see how fast I can make someone ride.
It's to help them feel more in control of the motorcycle so they can safely progress at their own pace.
Real Riders. Real Progress.
The goal isn't to turn every rider into a racer. It's to help everyday riders feel more comfortable, capable, and in control of their bike.
“Managing throttle control has made a huge difference in my confidence riding.”
Doing drills with Kelley helped me learn how to comfortably switch gears and brake, allowing me to ride more confidently with my sons. I'm able to adjust without overreacting, which has definitely helped me not crash as much!
— Amber Storbeck, Minnesota
“It made an instant difference in my cornering.”
I'm not expecting to be a professional motocross rider. Just enough to get myself to a better level. I feel now that I could do the intermediate grade. It's all about technique and getting around your track quite safely.
— Paul Scrivener, New Zealand
Whether you're starting from scratch or you've been riding for years, the right fundamentals can make riding feel dramatically easier.
I Also Help Riders Get Their Dirt Bikes Running Right
Riding confidence doesn't mean much if your bike won't start or bogs every time you open the throttle.
Carburetor tuning became another major part of what I do because I've spent years learning how to diagnose the difference between:
- Rich and lean jetting
- Pilot, needle, and main-jet problems
- Air/fuel screw adjustments
- Accelerator-pump problems
- Carburetor problems vs. engine problems
- Poor starting, hesitation, bogging, and inconsistent throttle response
Today I offer local carburetor diagnosis and tuning through Fager Powersports in Oak Grove, Minnesota.
I've worked on everything from modern 2-stroke and 4-stroke dirt bikes to older bikes that haven't run properly in years.
My goal isn't to replace parts until something works.
It's to understand why the bike is behaving the way it is and fix the actual problem whenever possible.
Who Is MXHideout For?
MXHideout is especially for the rider who thinks:
“I'm probably too old to be struggling with this.”
You're not.
A lot of the riders I hear from are adults who started riding later in life, returned after decades away, or bought a dirt bike so they could ride with their kids or friends.
You might be perfectly comfortable in everyday life and then suddenly find yourself nervous about a rocky hill or frustrated because you can't make a tight turn without putting a foot down.
That's normal when you're learning a completely different skill.
You don't need to prove anything.
You need the right progression.
MXHideout is for you if you want to:
- Choose a dirt bike that actually fits your size, experience, and riding style
- Learn the fundamentals without feeling embarrassed about being a beginner
- Build confidence on trails, hills, corners, and technical terrain
- Understand why your bike isn't running correctly
- Learn basic maintenance and carb tuning instead of blindly replacing parts
- Ride longer with less fatigue
- Keep improving while reducing unnecessary risk
- Have more fun riding with your family and friends
If you're looking for advice about hitting huge jumps or shaving seconds off your motocross lap time, I'm probably not the best person for you.
If you want to become a capable, confident trail rider who understands your bike, you're in the right place.
Where Should You Start?
You don't need to read everything on MXHideout.
Start with the problem you're trying to solve right now.
🏍️ “I Want To Become A More Confident Trail Rider”
Start with my free Trail Confidence Guide.
I'll show you some of the most common mistakes that make trail riding feel harder or scarier than it needs to be — and what to work on instead.
🌲 “I Want Personalized Help With My Riding”
If you're in Minnesota, I offer private dirt bike coaching for beginners and trail riders at my property in Oak Grove.
We'll work at your pace on the specific skills holding you back.
🔧 “My Dirt Bike Isn't Running Right”
If you're trying to diagnose a bog, starting problem, rich/lean condition, or carburetor issue, start with my dirt bike troubleshooting and jetting resources.
⚙️ “I Want Someone To Tune My Carburetor”
If you're near the Twin Cities, I offer dirt bike carburetor diagnosis and tuning through Fager Powersports in Oak Grove, Minnesota.
🏁 “I'm Trying To Find The Right Dirt Bike”
I've tested, owned, ridden, and worked on many different dirt bikes over the years, and I've created guides to help you understand what type and size of bike actually makes sense for you.
A Little More About Me
I'm based in Minnesota, where I've spent most of my life riding, working on bikes, and learning by doing.
Dirt bikes are a big part of my life, but they're not my whole identity.
A few random things about me:
- I'm a follower of Christ who happens to ride dirt bikes.
- I've raced off-road, but I don't consider myself a professional racer.
- I once got licensed for and raced an 8-second drag bike.
- I'm a connoisseur of root beer, pizza, and pancakes.
- My music taste somehow includes both classical and metalcore.
- I'm the fourth of seven kids.
- When I'm not on a dirt bike, I also enjoy skiing, eMTB riding, bowling, baseball, and drag racing.
And yes, after all these years, I'm still learning.
That's part of the fun.
Why I Keep Doing This
One of the most rewarding things for me isn't hearing that somebody became faster.
It's hearing something like:
“I finally rode that trail without being scared.”
Or:
“My bike starts and runs better than it ever has.”
Or seeing someone who showed up nervous at the beginning of a lesson riding around confidently a couple of hours later.
Because dirt biking should add something to your life.
It should give you something to look forward to.
It should give you time outside, challenges to overcome, and experiences with your family and friends that you'll remember.
You don't need to be the fastest rider in the group to get that.
You just need enough control and confidence to enjoy the ride.
Stop Surviving Trails. Start Riding Them.
If that sounds like what you're looking for, I'll help you get there.
— Kelley Fager
Founder, MXHideout
Oak Grove, Minnesota
