Skills Training

When lockdown first kicked in 6 months ago I started working from home. A morning ride before barricading myself into the home office (bedroom!) became the routine. Without races to train for I started exploring different local trails, reacquainting myself with some old favourites. These were generally more traditional South Downs bridleways. Doubletrack ribbons of white chalk across the grassy hillsides. Great riding and fantastic views!

An opportunity to escape, relax and keep fit, but on the whole these rides weren’t the most technically challenging. OK there were some fast, steep and rutted descents, but not the twisting, rooty singletrack usually encountered at a Gorrick or Southern regional race for example.

As isolating rules were slowly relaxed and I could finally share the trails with my buddies again, I found the gap to the wheel in front often widened to more than 2m social distancing when things got technical! I’d gone soft!

Technical riding has always been my weakness, but by the time I’d wobbled my way to the end of some trails my friends weren’t even in sight! After a particularly embarrassing display one weekend, I made a resolution. At least one ride each week would be around the local singletrack heaven of Whiteways. My hope being that I’d hone my skills on the twisting trails.

The challenge I faced with my plan to get more practice is that during these mid-week rides I’d be on my own. Riding solo I know I don’t push the bike as hard, or ride as fast as I do on a Sunday when I’m spurred on by chasing other wheels. In a group there is of course peer pressure, a testosterone fuelled one-upmanship that doesn’t want to be shown up in front of your mates. There are others to follow, show you what is possible and the best line to take. Also, importantly, in the back of your mind you know that there is somebody there to help pick up the pieces should something go a little wrong!

I selected two Whiteways Strava segments to track my progress. Sections where my friends would normally be casually chatting at the end by the time I eventually showed up! Their best times on Strava were under 2 minutes, while mine was at least 15 seconds further back.

Instead of riding from home, I packed the bike into the back of the car, to make the best use of my time. During the first ride of four repeated runs I got down to around 2.05 on both trails. Importantly though I had built my confidence. I could feel I was faster in corners during my other rides that week. The following week on my first run, with fresh legs, I blitzed the trail. My times under 2 minutes and on the coat tails now of my friends. That Sunday I followed them through one of these sections and was actually held up! I didn’t say anything and later that week I went out covertly to ride the trails again. I won’t mention it too them, but if they do consult Strava one day, they’ll see that I’m now ahead of them and in the top 10 fastest times!

This little challenge has been great motivation and was the perfect competitive training exercise ahead of my first post lockdown race this weekend.