Todays focus is working on specific skills within your group. We want to do this while collecting miles out on the trails. Your goal as ride leaders is to keep pedaling and look for the opportunities in the trail to have your groups stop and practice a specific skill in the trail. You can also utilize the rock garden and little pump tracks if necessary. Please do not take your groups on the big jump track. We are all safer on our bikes when we practice good technique. Let’s help our riders learn that good technique as well.
Talk about and demonstrate the skills your group will focus on before heading out on the ride. While riding, speak up as ride leaders and remind the kids what they should be working on or tell them what they are doing well to re-emphasize the skills.
Starting next week, we will move our focus towards getting a little more race ready! Now that we are starting to get ride groups a little more dialed in and been working on base miles for 4 weeks, we will be moving on to our 2nd block of team training next week! Let your riders know, we will continue to work on our basic skills but also begin some interval speed work, race specific skills, and race specific training. So get ready to have some fun!
Off Limit Trails:
- Limelight (Rush)
- Jacob’s Ladder
- Levitate / Zooropa / Vertigo
- Maple Hollow DH
- Jump pump tracks
- Any trail where riders in your group intentionally jump their bikes. This means if riders jump, that trail immediately becomes officially off limits to that group until the group gets permission from the head coaches.
Trails only Pink, Black, Silver & Red can do:
- Upper Rush (which is the section from the Peakview Trailhead down to the upper intersection with Canyon Hollow by the s-curves and bridge, and includes the following named trails: Rush Flow, Through the Trees, and the upper part of Exit Stage Left)
- Middle Rush (which includes the section of Exit Stage Left from the intersection with Canyon Hollow by the s-curves and bridge down to where Rush crosses the lower part of Canyon Hollow)
- Lower Rush (which includes the section from where Rush crosses the lower part of Canyon Hollow down to the five-way intersection)
PINK / BLACK / SILVER / RED
15 minute slow easy warm-up. We’d like these groups to find trails to practice their downhill techniques and cornering. This will likely best be accomplished by working the same corners repeatedly so think about finding a small loop to repeat somewhere without a lot of traffic. Use stationary spotters to provide feedback on form and lines. Consider using your phone to take some photos / videos to review with the riders. Focus on getting center of gravity low on the bike and leaning the bike instead of turning handle bars (i.e., seek more bike body separation). If you have riders in your group that are more comfortable with these skills, let them help demonstrate and teach their peers.
ORANGE
15 minute slow easy warm-up. While climbing, focus on balance / holding a line (front wheel not turning from side to side) and maintaining enough space between you and the rider in front of you so you don’t have to stop if they get hung up on something. On the downhill, focus on getting down into a better ready position, bend the arms and knees, high elbows, looking ahead on the trail, and getting the rider’s weight balanced appropriately over the bike.
YELLOW / GREEN
15 minute slow easy warm-up. On the climb: shifting, shifting, shifting. On the downhill, practice looking ahead and slowing down a bit before you get to an obstacle or turn instead of slamming on the brakes in the turn or technical area. We can always use more reminders in our ready position also.
BLUE / PURPLE
15 minute slow easy warm-up. Use the flat area around the pond to first practice lots of shifting and finding all the gears. Continue shifting lots and talking through the shifts when you start climbing on the trails. Remind and emphasize the fundamental skills (level pedals, get off the saddle, ready positions, and not following too closely so they can clear the tricky sections even if the rider in front of them doesn’t). On the return ride, focus on descending skills (remind riders to cover their brakes, be in ready position with level pedals, moderate / controlled speed, picking a line, etc.).