Not riding much, but still riding better

Lee,

Just a note to say thanks!

I became a dad this year, so getting on actual trails hasn’t been a priority. But I’ve been working my way through Mastering Mountain Bike Skills, and I recently checked out the video that the guys from TrainerRoad put together about their clinic with you.

After ~2 months without any trail time, I finally had a couple hours this weekend to get out. I headed down a local favorite descent with zero intention of trying for speed. Instead, just thought about floating over the bumpy stuff, braking in the “heavy spots”, and leaning the bike over in the turns.

Result: I felt far more in control, had way more fun floating and dancing over the shape of the trail, and ended up just 2 seconds behind my PR.

Once I make time to dial in the muscle memory, I’ll be far faster than I was, and have more fun.

Thanks!

Chris Raser

Chris!

Thanks for reaching out. This makes me very happy.

Dude, 2 seconds is within the 3-second satellite sample rate and thus statistically the same as a PR! So there.

The book Mastering Mountain Bike Skills v3 was a crazy-stressful amount of work, and it’s great to know it’s helping people. That book is a huge improvement from the previous version, and it contains a lot of my new thinking.

The crew at TrainerRoad are fantastic. Not only did they hire me for two days of private coaching, but they also made a killer video, podcast and blog post. Check them all out at the TrainerRoad Blog.

Here’s the video:

Dad power!

Some Dads get older and fatter and slower, but some — men like us — get older and maybe fatter but not slower. We have to be more focused in our work and our play, and as a result both can get a huge upgrade.

If you want to get better (and have more fun, because ability and fun scale together), it’s all about focused practice. Whatever you do, do it mindfully. Focus on one aspect of technique: light hands, heavy feet, leaning the bike in turns, dropping your heels while pedaling, rowing through berms, whatever.

The book is helpful. Videos are better. Classes are even better. Next level, in case you want to ascend that high, is training on a RipRow. That machine (as seen in the TrainerRoad video) embeds perfect skills right into your body. It works so well that during the winter I only ride a mountain bike one weekend a month, while I’m teaching out of state.

The rest of my training is thoughtful pedaling and RipRowing. Usually at home or very close by. And I’m riding better than ever (and I’m less fat than I’ve been in a long time).

Keep it up. Grab that KOM.

Lee