When it comes to working on your bike handling skills, I tell my athletes that there is always room for improvement regardless how accustomed you are to riding your bike. Why:? Because we never know how we are going to react in times of emergency unless we have practiced or experienced those emergencies. And because bike accidents happen in milliseconds, a little practice could be the difference between falling down (it hurts) or staying upright and having a good training day.
Holding the Clinic before the Saturday morning ride will give yourselves time to understand what you have just learned and you will be able to practice those drills on the ride. Below is a summary of what to expect at the Bike Handling Skills Clinic.
Straight Line Riding (sounds easy until you start thinking about it) Very important in group riding
Navigate through Cone Line: Teaches basic steering techniques
Looking Back while riding between a Row of Cones: Learning the technique of which way to counter-steer as you look back for a riding partner, traffic etc.
Cone Pick-up: Be comfortable picking up cones both right & left side while riding your bike past them. (will have extended cones for those that haven’t done this before) Purpose: Balance drill: Being comfortable about leaning right or left (adjusting a shoe, replacing a water bottle, even going through a tunnel)
Drag Braking: Learn to get out of trouble at VERY LOW SPEEDS: Simple drill but one of the most important.
Front Wheel Hopping: Emergency measure if you find yourself in a diagonal rut (driveway entrance)
