5 Reasons You Should Get Mountain Bike Skills Coaching?
Ok, yes we’re a bit bias, but we really think that one of the first upgrades you should get for your bike is a skills coaching session. Imagine spending £1000’s on a bike and just wheeling it out onto the trails with zero knowledge of the potential you can unleash from it. Let alone the complex geometry, how it effects the ride and how to work all the levers and knobs that come with it.
We have decades of experience in getting the best from bikes and riders. So in no particular order here’s 5 reasons that we think you’d most likely benefit from a skills lesson.
1: Knowledge:
Rome wasn’t built in a day, but you can reach a higher standard of almost any skillset with a very simple tool, and that tool is knowledge. If you know where you are and what you need to move forward then you have a lot of power. Most skills look easy when you see others do them. Thats because they have collected knowledge and worked hard for them.
The difference between inspiration and aspiration is a real and very wide gap. Being inspired by watching someone is great and a fantastic motivator, but to change that inspiration to aspiration, you’re gonna have to give it time. A skills lesson can give you an idea of what advantages you already have and how to best apply them to good technique. Sometimes its just a small adjustment. Some weight here, a push there, a look in a certain direction. Once you have a few pointers that work for you, you’re off on your journey.
2: Feel Safer:
No-one wants to fall off their bike right? The fact is that if you have a bit of knowledge about how it might happen, then it’s easier to prevent. When you have some skills to lean on, you start to have thoughts around the most intelligent way to negotiate trails, not just go hell for leather in a “speed is your friend” type scenario.
Our brain’s risk centres like this approach, it allows it to say “let’s do this” Also, if you do have a fall, it would be nice to be able to look back and find out what actually happened by analysing your mistake? Again, this potentially helps our lizard brain succeed the next time we hit the same bit of trail. In a the learning style of “better not do that again” instead of “I’m not going there again”
3: Get to Know Your Gear
Why are my bars so wide? Are my tyres any good? What is rebound damping? Any good instructor will look towards helping you setup your bike for optimum performance. It’s amazing how many riders we see that don’t know the basics of bike setup and therefore are at a significant disadvantage before they even get out on the trails. A well set up bike in good working order is the first step to feeling comfortable on the trails.
Get to know your dropper post from your lockout lever, your compression from your rebound and your experience will just be better before you’ve even started learning!
4: The Physical Presence of an Instructor.
There’s a lot of great books on MTB Skills but of late, the main resources are Youtube videos from various creators. Some of whom are extremely gifted riders and very good instructors too. But all of them will likely agree that in such a physical activity there is no substitute for the presence of a real instructor, right there on the trails to help with your progression. Someone to position you correctly, to demo for you, to correct your mistakes and celebrate your successes!
Videos and text can describe “how to do things” as well as show you the end result very effectively. But there is no nuance, no-one to interpret the information and to be your cheerleader when you eventually try it all. A real, flesh and blood instructor is key to this.
5: The Absolute BUZZ of Confidence.
Confidence is a funny thing. It depends on what level you are confident at! But thats really the point. Some peoples idea of mountain biking is just a ride in the forest, others, a super steep, technical day out on the gnarliest trails. Whatever level you operate at, wouldn’t it be nice to know that you are doing it the best way that you can. To leave the house safe in the knowledge that whatever you get up to, you’ll be doing it to the best of your ability.
There is no better feeling than taking part in any activity with the knowledge that you are absolutely nailing whatever you are doing. And the buzz of finishing ANY mountain bike trail safely, efficiently and with the minimum of drama is the best feeling in the world!
So, 5 Reasons You Should Get Mountain Bike Skills Coaching.
Of course there are waaay more than 5, but the benefits of Knowledge, Feeling safe, Knowing your bike, having a mentor and feeling confident are just a few reasons you should consider getting skills coaching. In just a few short hours of low pressure participation, it’s our experience that almost any rider can benefit from a little outside observation and evaluation. It’s a beautiful thing indeed!
Ridelines have a ton of options for Mountain Bike Coaching at Innerleithen and Glentress as well as being able to travel anywhere to deliver them. We have both half day and full day private sessions for specific personal goals as well as group courses focussed on core skills at various levels of ability.
If you found this useful, give it a share on your social media channels and if you have any questions or contributions, please do contact us.
Ridelines 2019