Let’s rock a clinic in California

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Hey all, I’m heading to California for two weeks of pump track building and skills teaching, and a slot opened up. Who wants to rock some clinic action?

Here are some options:

Monday, Jan. 24: SoCal
Tuesday, Jan. 25: SoCal or Norcal
Wednesday, Jan. 26: NorCal

First to confirm gets it.

I can meet you and/or your crew at a local spot for some skills, drills and on-trail kung fu. This is always super fun, and I guarantee it will blow your mind! Clinics include signed books (BMX or mountain).

If you’re interested, please email me right away, and we’ll work out a time and place.

Rock!

— Lee

Learn more about my clinics.

Paul Bunyan riding

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Last weekend’s Left Hand Canyon OHV downhill training session featured special guest stars, some sturdy hiking and a snowy descent down North Red Trail.

With video!

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You’ve changed my riding

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Lee,

I’ve been riding Mountain bikes for about 30 years. I rode the second Rock Hopper in Anedale park. 100% self taught and I’m quick on the trails and old school downhill aka super d. (recently took 2nd at the Otter). I took your technique teaching class in Berkeley. That class completely changed my riding style, and opened my eyes to a whole new realm of possibilities.

[letter continues]

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7:1 and stoked

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Today was an excellent mission at Left Hand Canyon: 175 minutes pushing a bike up hills; 25 minutes riding the bike down hills.

Featuring a first descent of North Red Trail.

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NorCal high school coach training 2010

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The science and art* of mountain bike skills training got its pro card last week in NorCal. I went out there to teach high school mountain bike coaches how to teach mountain bike skills.

*Science first

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Join me for a clinic in Berkeley

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Hey all, there might be room in my NICA coach training session this Friday. I’ll be doing a classroom session (explaining my teaching model) plus three hours of drills on the bike. This is the nitty gritty — the keys to the kingdom. You’ll learn how to ride your bike better (and you’ll learn how to teach too).

8:30 Check in & Coffee/Tea
9:00 – 12:00 In the Classroom Skills Clinic with Lee McCormack
12:00 – 12:45 Lunch and Q&A with Lee McCormack
12:45 – 3:45 On the Bike Skills Clinic with Lee McCormack
4:00 – 5:00 Coaches/License Test (if applicable)

Registration fee is $125. All proceeds go to the National Interscholastic Cycling Association.

If you are interested, email me at lee@leelikesbikes.com. I’ll know about space availability Wednesday (tomorrow). We need to get this sorted out by Thursday.

Today I’m starting the drive to NorCal.

Sweet!

Breaking chains

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This summer I’ve been teaching some new pedaling kung fu, thanks to BMX coach Greg Romero and a winter of study on my trainer and neighborhood hills.

My clients and I been focusing on developing high torque while maintaining perfect balance on steep terrain. Everyone one is pretty stoked, but we’ve been breaking chains. Just yesterday we snapped one and pulled one off an apparently worn cassette.

The good news: You’re more powerful than ever.

The bad news: You need a new chain.

Lots of learning this week

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I am pinning it hard to finish the NICA coach training manual before my clinics in NorCal next week. So far the book is 90 pages long and full of my best coaching kung fu. (Yes, I will make it available to everyone.)

As part of this adventure, yesterday I interviewed the crew at the Boulder Center for Sport Medicine about bike fit and pedaling technique. That was illuminating. Stay tuned for tidbits.

Also and not directly related: Yesterday I got a one-on-one cyclocross clinic from Brandon Dwight, national CX champ and owner of Boulder Cycle Sport (we are trading pump fu for ‘cross fu). He is a good dude and amazingly graceful in the ‘cross sense. I learned a ton and will practice diligently for my CX debut this fall. Stay tuned!

OK, back to the manual.

Progressing

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Lee,

It was some time ago, that I talked to you about learning to jump and drop. Well I am proud to report that I finally learned, and am finally comfortable. The last two weekends we rode Winter Park, and for the first time I just rode all the jumps and drops with all the confidence I needed. My braking and cornering needs work, but at least I have visible progress in my riding skill. I guess I will have to read Mastering Mountain Bike Skills 2nd Edition, the first edition help me a lot with my skill progression. I now try to ride more relaxed (tea cup fingers), weight in my feet (huge for jump take-offs and not getting bucked off), and looking beyond my front tire. So thanks, and keep up the good work.

Sincerely,

Daniel

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Willow at Worlds

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Lee,

I hope you and your family are weathering the fire — how scary! I live in Littleton and can see the smoke from my house. Keep everybody safe and we’re happy to help in any way.

I participated in your skills clinic for the Colorado Mountain Bike coaches clinic in June. What an awesome event and I loved your information! I hoped to join Gil, Grant and Connor at the Colorado Springs event, but we had other events that day. If you have more skills clinic later this year or next year, we will definitely participate.

I saw this picture from Worlds race in Canada and I thought about you. What great position and technique Willow Koerber is portraying in this photo! She gives me inspiration.

Take care,
Erlinda

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Riding through V-shaped terrain

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Hi Lee,

I wrote a while back asking advice about hopping the dreaded bucking log. I’m still having some timing issues to get a solid bunny hop going, but after picking up MMBSii, I’ve realized there’s a ship load of pumping and cornering technique for me to master that are really improving my flow! I’ll conquer the log some day.

Anyway, I’m having a hard time with “V” shaped terrain: Steep 15′ or so down to a tiny creek with a few rocks and then back up the other steep side. The bottom of the “V” is narrow enough that my front tire starts going up the other side before my back tire is done going down.

I’m having a very hard time figuring out what to do with my body position and bike while making the transition at the bottom. In fact, I’m not really sure what I’m doing. As the rear tire hits the rocky bottom, I seem to have all 200+ lbs of my weight multiplied on it, making a rough transition that ends up with a pinch flat 1/3rd of the time (that’s better than a few years ago before practicing the heavy feet technique when the forks would bottom out and almost through me over the bars!).

I know you are a busy man with the family and your various bike-related events, but I would be stoked to learn the technique for this type of terrain!

As a side note – I have a hardtail 29er and keep my seat at XC height.

Thanks Lee!

– Eric

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Mayhem and confidence: leelikesbikes interview

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I did this email interview for Chris O’Brien writing for Examiner.com. Might as well post it here.

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