Archive for the ‘coaching’ Category

On the Road

Thursday, April 22nd, 2010

Not that I admit very often to it but since it was a lovely day today I took off on the road bike for a couple of hours.

I know, darkside content, but still with the prospect of the Friday Night Series of Mountain Bike Races ahead I needed some training and road riding is a great way to get the miles in and base fitness going. I may be about 4 months too late to even start to aim for a podium place but hey I enjoyed the ride.

So what did I learn today on the road – well you get plenty of thinking time to look at your bike set up so I started thinking – the saddle nose is slightly too low forcing me onto the drops more than is comfortable, my neck hurts, even with a proper roadie helmet my neck is just not used to that position of being on the drops and having my head up and I need to go shopping for some better padded gloves, the mountain bike gloves I have have no padding on the hands – great for my MTB but not so good when you spend time on the hoods with no padded hands.

Then this got me thinking , maybe this is what new mountain bikers are like on the Intro and Novice courses – a little uncomfortable, a little wary of going over loose stuff in case they wash out and haven’t got completely suitable kit that works for them.

Maybe it is good once in a while to force yourself back to basics and experience life as a novice sometimes – its all too easy to take things for granted on a mountain bike but you forget what the new rider feels like.

Just don’t tell anyone I was on the road bike though eh – it’s not good for my reputation!

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Friday, April 16th, 2010

This week is National Tick Prevention Week and since its not too well know but can be potentially very serious I’ve taken the liberty of giving you some more info.

Tick on Skin

Thetford, the Lakes and the New Forest are all great mountain bike areas but also the best places in the UK for finding ticks as well – that said I’ve had a chat with a woman who was bitten in her garden in Birmingham!

Prevention
Use DEET from the chemist in a spray form, Calendular Oil (as a natural repellent) and long sleeves (year right for the summer!) to prevent them coming close to you.

If you don’t them carry some get some tick removers in your first aid kit – we do – yes seriously they are in the first aid kit for instructing with – I feel I have to add that no one has ever needed them yet though!

For more info and some pictures please see the Tick Prevention Week Website or see the Woodlands Site.

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Funding for Mountain Biking groups

Thursday, March 11th, 2010

I know there are quite a few youth groups and schools that would love to offer mountain biking to their young people but due to the cost they just cant afford the bike hire and guide, plus the paperwork is prohibitive for some – then we found out there is some funding out there.

Talk to your local Bike club who if you are in their area (Leighton Buzzard is!) then they may be able to fund you have some capital for bikes or equipment and hire a technical leader in – if nothing else speak to your local Country Sports Partnership – you never know what funding they may have up their sleeves!

If nothing else – I hope we’ve helped you get a few more riders out there

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Its the simple things

Sunday, March 7th, 2010

I know it doesn’t take much but maybe the cold of recent times is beginning to freeze my brain?

First by the end of a days instruction the milk in the hot chocolate from the flask was going a little sour -now you can’t beat a nice warm drink when you’ve finished the day and are washing down the bikes so its a pretty essential problem to overcome. So up pops a friends wise words:

“Well why don’t you used powdered milk and water then?” – BINGO! problem solved, back on the warm drinks.

Then I was trying to be healthy and when counting up the fruit and veg I eat each day there are very few days that I actually get my ‘five a day’ yet my diet isn’t unhealthy – having plenty of fibre & protein but watching the saturated fats. Then I was reading the newspaper and it says to ‘add dried fruit such as dates and apricots’ to your meals as a supplement – out goes the maple syrup and in come the dried fruit – a bit chewy but good enough for me when I’m in an ‘thou shalt have a healthy diet moment’ – It’ll last at least 3 days!

Why are some things so obvious that I just don’t see them – cold weather freezing the brain I think – now we have the sun roll on the warmth

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different sports

Friday, February 26th, 2010

Why is it that sport transfer beautifully across yet others are rubbish – I spoke to a guy a while and have just taken him on a days private instruction. He used to do motocross racing and now just skis and runs but had bought a bike so booked a day with me to get the most from it.

Once I heard his background in sport you know that the chances are he will pick up correct lines to take across things quickly if he already isn’t there with it from the skiing, bike balance should be good with the motocross skills – just needs a bit more fitness to pedal with rather than twist the accelerator. On the day, once I’d done the basics he started off rather tentatively, once he settled down he got into the riding and started to enjoy himself and by 4pm was a different rider to the one that started at 10am. He admitted it all had started to come back to him, the feel of the bike, how to control the wheels from slipping by minor balance adjustments, front wheel lifts etc.

Yet take horse riding – we know who you are that horse ride a lot and then book the Intro course with us as you are all gripping the saddle! – STOP and take a look at where your legs are – they give you less balance and slow down your reactions on the trail if you are gripping the saddle so just make sure they in a similar line to your feet – good poise and a great start to controlling the bike.

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