Learning how to ride

Jeroen Sijbom

Jeroen Sijbom

— 2 min read
Learning how to ride

Yesterday we did something completely different. A very welcome change in our daily workout. Not only because we are rarely ever riding on MTB trails anymore, but also because we lack an important part of what is needed for the Cape Epic: Riding Skills.

Although riding a mountain bike for year and struggling my way down technical descents, I never had any lesson how to actually do it. Its important for 2 reasons in my opinion. Firstly, you can faster without falling or having mechanical issues. And secondly, having the skills to approach a downhill with the right skill set, will be way less demanding for your body and mind.

Normally I would just google or ask ChatGPT how to do it, but in this case I'm not sure if that is the best approach. Luckily my personal trainer turned out to be a very experienced and certified MTB instructor. A private clinic sounded like a very good investment for the good cause. And indeed it was, because man, we did learn a lot. Sometimes a bit too much to execute all at once, but Im 100% certain this will bring us a lot further! Maybe we need another session before the race to see if we can still improve!

So what did we learn you ask? Too much to write down here, because Han was talking just as much we were riding. That sounds silly, but the theory behind it is half the work. Understanding how the bike reacts to what you do on the bike is key and hard to explain when you are riding 20 meters in front of your teacher. So summarizing, the clinic has teached us how:

  • To play with our centre of gravity and how we can use it for more control and grip
  • Your feet position can influence grip and breaking distance
  • To set the right pressure to tires and suspension
  • To take banked corners like a pro
  • To attack the trail and be in control
  • To scan and really see the trail

All in all a very useful day. And all the credits go to Han (allride.cc). If you ever want to make a next step in riding your MTB and impress your friends, I would definitely recommend booking a clinic with Han.

#KeepChasing

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