Mountain Bike Skills Programme for XC - XCO - ENDURO (Intermediate)
Author
Adam Henderson
All plans by this CoachLength
4 Weeks
Typical Week
3 MTB
Longest Workout
4:00 hrs
Plan Specs
cycling mountain biking intermediate
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Summary
This 4 week mountain bike skills training programme is ideal for:
- Bolting on to your current physical training programme for any XCO/XCM/Enduro intermediate level riders
- A stand alone programme for any riders who are new to riding mountain bikes off road.
- Ideal 4 week technical preparation before a technically challenging course.
The plan includes a number of workouts focused on technical goals. Coaching points are included to improve your skills whilst riding out on the trails!
Created by Adam Henderson, a British Cycling Level 3 mountain bike coach who has worked with British National Champions on their technical riding skills in the past 15 years!
Testimonials:
"Adam's attention to detail is unparalleled. He can give you small bits of advice which in the bigger picture make a huge difference to your riding."
Nick - 2018 British National Mountain Bike Champion
"It's amazing what a bit of extra advice can do for your controlled speed on descents and free speed out of bends!"
Mike - Multiple 'Iron' man Finisher
"I found that for the cost of a new tyre, coaching fast tracked a lot of improvements."
Johnny - 24 Hours Single speed Champion
Stats
Sample Day 1
1 hour of fun! Flat area with space (empty car park or similar).
3 areas to focus on:
CORNERING (Warm Up)
FRONT WHEEL LIFTS
REAR WHEEL LIFTS
CORNERING:
- Lean the bike away from your body
- Keep chest down and head up
- Inside pedal up/outside pedal down
FRONT WHEEL LIFTS:
- Use your hips to drive back and down towards the rear axle
- Pull on the handlebars from your shoulders whilst keeping arms straight
- Shift your bodyweight to initiate the lift.
REAR WHEEL LIFTS:
- Start in a low position attack position
- Drive your hips up and forwards towards your handlebars
- Point your toes down as you move forward
- No front brake allowed
Sample Day 3
Standing starts.
Warm up thoroughly on a gentle loop (fireroads)
Complete 5-8 repetitions of a standing start with a sprint of 10-15 seconds before entering a technical trail section.
Aim to recover on the technical trail and have a full recovery before each effort.
Sample Day 5
This session is designed to help you carry more momentum down the trails.
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STEP 1: Warm up! Identify faster, smoother lines on this run. Stop and look for those inches! Wider or higher entrances on switchbacks for example.
STEP 2: Brake (if needed) before reaching the corner. Do it EARLY!
STEP 3: As you release the brakes go light (light hands and feet. As you enter the turn let the bike TIP/LEAN as it ROLLS into the corner.
STEP 4: Push your heels down (by extending your legs and lift your outside elbow towards the exit to maximise speed out of the turn.
This should feel awesome!
STEP 5: Have your vision focused on the exit and beyond! Soft focus on the corner.
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Remember to avoid the temptation to pedal! Instead focus on body position and look for rollers, berms and trail features you can 'pump' for speed.
The rest of your ride should be spent riding at HR zone 2 and drifting to zone 3 on the climbs.
Sample Day 8
1 hour of fun! Flat area with space (empty car park or similar).
3 areas to focus on:
CORNERING (Warm Up)
FRONT WHEEL LIFTS
REAR WHEEL LIFTS
CORNERING:
- Lean the bike away from your body
- Keep chest down and head up
- Inside pedal up/outside pedal down
FRONT WHEEL LIFTS:
- Use your hips to drive back and down towards the rear axle
- Pull on the handlebars from your shoulders whilst keeping arms straight
- Shift your bodyweight to initiate the lift.
REAR WHEEL LIFTS:
- Start in a low position attack position
- Drive your hips up and forwards towards your handlebars
- Point your toes down as you move forward
- No front brake allowed
Sample Day 10
Complete in a flat area with space (empty car park or similar).
Effective braking. Great for when you are flying down a trail and you need to stop in a hurry.
How to:
- Start in a low attack position
- As you gradually squeeze the levers progressively whilst keeping your weight pushing through the your feet.
- Drop your heels to drive all the force into your pedals. This will allow you to brake harder with more grip.
- Keep your hands light whilst you are braking.
- You can brake hard even in rougher terrain, maintain your light hands by balancing the forces into your feet.
-----------------
DRILLS:
- Choose a straight section of trail. Get up to speed and then try braking within shorter distances. Repeat until you are consistent.
- Alter the balance of front to rear brake. Many riders press both brakes equally instead of using their brakes independently.
Your front brake can be used to scrub off a lot of speed when travelling in a straight line.
- Try braking on different gradients whilst maintaining a central position.
CAUTION:
- Avoid sharp pressing of either brake to avoid being out of control of your bike.
- Start slowly and smoothly and then be more purposeful with your braking.
Sample Day 12
Choose a location, loop that is familiar and contains single track features.
Skills focus on:
VISION:
- On approach to trail features, aim to gaze through them.
- Look for points of grip! Use these areas to brake, turn or pedal.
- Allow your bike and body to flow together.
- Avoid being fixated on the trail features you want to ride away from.
Sample Day 15
1 hour of fun! Flat area with space (empty car park or similar).
Effective braking. Great for when you are flying down a trail and
How to:
- Start in a low attack position
- As you gradually squeeze the levers progressively whilst keeping your weight pushing through the your feet.
- Drop your heels to drive all the force into your pedals. This will allow you to brake harder with more grip.
- Keep your hands light whilst you are braking.
- You can brake hard even in rougher terrain, maintain your light hands by balancing the forces into your feet.
-----------------
DRILLS:
- Choose a straight section of trail. Get up to speed and then try braking within shorter distances. Repeat until you are consistent.
- Alter the balance of front to rear brake. Many riders press both brakes equally instead of using their brakes independently.
Your front brake can be used to scrub off a lot of speed when travelling in a straight line.
- Try braking on different gradients whilst maintaining a central position.
CAUTION:
- Avoid sharp pressing of either brake to avoid being out of control of your bike.
- Start slowly and smoothly and then be more purposeful with your braking.