Over two days we will take you from novice mountain biker to confident off road riding a variety of different terrains and features, ready for new adventures. Our two day mini break includes outdoor Pilates, enabling you time to focus on stretching and building strength in your body whilst listening to the sounds of the birds, feeling the earth beneath your hands. Locally sourced food (where possible) will be served for lunch both days.
Mountain Bike Coaching Mini Break – South Downs
Day 1
Our mountain biking mini break starts at the picturesque Queen Elizabeth Country Park, winner of volunteer built trail of the year 2019. The first day we look to improve your mountain bike technique through fundamental skills coaching.
Techniques covered will include:
Bike setup check – we’ll make sure your bike is set up properly
Body position for smoother riding – understanding the physics behind riding modern mountain bikes well
Balance – how correct balance, posture and movement can rapidly improve your riding helping you ride consistently over anything you encounter
Cornering foundations – how to maintain traction, conserve your speed and hit the best lines in and out of turns
Safe and effective braking
Pedalling for consistency
Wheel lifts and unweighting
After an outdoor Pilates class where the focus is on stretching and realigning your muscles a delicious lunch will be served before a little more time on the trails to practise what you learned in the morning.
Day 2
We meet at a car park on the South Downs Way with epic views of the coast and miles of singletrack to choose from. Our qualified guides will take you on a journey around some of the best singletrack trails along the South Coast. From the roller coaster chalk rolling hills of the South Downs Way to the swooping woodland singletrack trails found all along the length of the Downs, we can ensure you have the perfect fun filled mountain bike adventure to end your weekend on a high. Lunch will be provided, you will need a bag big enough to carry your packed lunch on this day.
This is a great way to fast track your mountain bike skills, improve your confidence and get out and explore new places with like-minded people, who knows you may make a new riding buddy or two!
Take a look at all our mountain bike mini breaks here.
If like many people, you’ve made your new year resolutions to get outdoors more, get more exercise, and get fitter and happier in 2020, then there’s no better way for the whole family than taking up mountain biking. There are mountain bike coaching centres in the UK and wales, and it’s so beneficial for your health.
It’s easy to stay at home, warm and wrapped up in winter, but it’s much better to encourage your family to head outdoors, get some fresh air, and share an adventure!
Biking is shown to improve your heart health, and vastly improve your cardiovascular fitness. Mountain biking uses a large muscle groups that require a lot of oxygen, forcing your heart to work steadily, improving your heart health by 3 – 7 per cent.
Cycling is much less stress on your joints than running, and mountain biking is a low impact sport. You’ll get a complete workout with fewer risks of injury with other higher impact activities.
Regular moderate exercise will boost your immune system, keep you healthy, and ward off all those winter colds and flu. Exercise will also release endorphins, which are the body’s way of feeling good and getting more energy, and also boosts serotonin which helps prevent depression and anxiety.
The act of cycling downhill on rough terrain helps increase your balance, reinforces muscle memory, and improves coordination. Mountain biking gives a whole body workout, as opposed to mostly just legs with other cycling.
It’s also very social, and a great opportunity to get yourself in to nature, fresh air, and most importantly, it’s extremely good fun! Get in touch today if you want to know more about mountain bike coaching in the UK.
Now that the clocks have gone back and we’re firmly into winter, it might feel like you’re not able to get out on your bike anywhere near as much as you do in the summer months.
After all, by the time you finish work it’s already dark, and you probably don’t feel like you have opportunities to go mountain biking, apart from at the weekend.
But last month British Cycling suggested you might want to have a go at mountain biking in the dark. This isn’t as crazy as it may sound. For a start, there are some great, high-powered and lightweight cycling lights available that will mean you can illuminate the trail ahead of you.
The organisation pointed out that it’s a great way to experience trails you know well in a whole different way. Only being able to see as far as your lights allow will mean that your trail feels more exciting and exhilarating.
As British Cycling points out: “Holes seem bigger, slopes steeper and you’re never quite 100 per cent sure what might be lurking around that next bend.”
If you’ve been finding your local mtb trails a little tame, riding them in the dark could be the perfect way to inject a little more excitement.
Of course, another big bonus to going mountain biking in the dark is that it gives you back the evenings to enjoy on two wheels. And if you’re not sure you’re ready for this challenge, invest in some mtb coaching before you hit the trails after dark.
Cycling News recently looked at some of the things you need to think about when you’re buying lights for your bike. For mountain biking, consider a helmet-mounted light rather than one that’s fixed to your handlebars. This is because a light on your helmet will illuminate what you’re looking at, rather than just the track in front of your bike.
This is a special post by a young man called Finlay who was meant to be coming and having coaching with us whilst over in the UK from Australia. Sadly Finlay hurt himself (riding his bike of course) so couldn’t come for any riding. However he did write us a little post on riding and his dreams of down hill podiums.
Good luck Finlay!
Where does it start? The desire to go faster, to go longer, to go higher? For those who don’t know me, I’m Finlay. Currently 16 years old with a dream to become a pro downhill mountain bike racer.
At the age of nine I discovered some small jumps in my local bushland. On the heaviest BMX of the century, I was petrified to send this foot jump to flat. Later I learnt about bikes that are designed to do this sort of thing, bikes that have gears and suspension. That summer I worked all weekends to save for a mountain bike. By the end of the summer I had saved $700. A short drive to Nannup and I had a Giant Talon. It was love at first sight, the fresh paint job, 2×9 gears and a front fork. What else does a beginner need? In my Nike trainers and green tee, I was flying down local trails. With a hardtail rocks felt like boulders, with my xc tires roots were like ice and all jumps had a hard landing.
Years down the line I now have a 2014 trek session which is my main bike. My mates and I raced each other down the local trails. From there I started to race in state rounds. I fell in love with racing and have wanted to do it as a career for a long time. I’m now doing bigger jumps and going faster than I ever could have imagined. I still want to go bigger, faster, longer and higher. I wake up every day thinking that I could win a world cup because if others can do it why can’t I? I’m dedicated to working out, eating healthily and lots of practice riding. The thing that gets me up at 6am to train and what I think about when I go to bed is that I can win a DH world cup, and one day maybe I will.
Christmas, a time for celebrating, eating a little bit too much and exchanging gifts with loves ones. It can be hard to know what to buy for people and with so many people to buy for it can all get rather costly! If you have a mountain biker in your family or friends circle here are some handy present ideas for cyclists all under £25.
Attention to detail has reached new heights with Lourí. Hand made in the UK by people who know materials and know cycling. This is more than a strip of hook & loop the strap which comes in frame and seat post options is perfect for tucking away all your ride kit essentials like an inner tube and multitool. Compatible with road and mtb tubes.
Mountain bikers love getting muddy but a dirty bike tends to not work so well the next time you want to get in the saddle, with this chain cleaner and lube kit can help your rider get out on their bike and keep it running smooth through the muddiest of conditions.
Everyone knows that keeping your neck warm and the drafts out makes winter riding more fun. The addition of microfleece to a neck tube from Grip Grab makes the HeadGlove Thermo a cold weather wonder.
Why not treat your cycling loved ones to time on the trails or perhaps even a family coaching or adventure ride. we stock gift vouchers from £25 and they can be used towards any coaching, guiding or weekend away on our website.
A mountain bike must have perfect for any room of the house a classic trail map art print either of their favourite location or the whole of the UK mapped out so they can tick them all off.
Now, a Christmas staple but to cyclists they are a fashion statement colour, length, material these all matter to cyclists! Get this right and you will be in their good books forever! Have a little peak at their kit to find the best matching socks to keep those feet toasty this winter.
We hope our christmas gift guide was helpful! We have tried where possible to pick UK small brands for our gift guide as we believe in helping small businesses thrive. Have a super Christmas and adventurous 2020!
If this will be your first winter season of mountain biking, you’re in for some different conditions to what you may have experienced during the summer. Even if you’re a seasoned mtb rider, it never hurts to remind yourself of the essentials when it comes to tackling wet and muddy trails.
Luckily, off-road.cc has some handy tips to help ensure you stay safe and enjoy those winter trails. Don’t forget that we also run mtb courses in South Wales, so come and see us if you want some extra tuition and guidance.
The first piece of advice is to remember to look up. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? But it’s easy to get distracted by puddles or particularly muddy stretches of track. Just remember that you need to keep your eyes on where you want to go though.
The other reason this is important is because it keeps your weight centred on the bike. This is really important when you’re tackling muddy trails, as too much weight front or back will either cause your wheels to dig into the mud or to slide out.
Braking can be a tricky skill to master on a mountain bike, but it’s really important that you give it extra thought when it’s muddy. Start braking earlier than you would in dry conditions and with less power to prevent your wheels from locking up and sliding.
If you think you’ll need some motivation to keep riding during the winter months, think about signing up for an event or two in the spring. That will give you something to aim for and could provide the extra push you need to get out on those trails when the weather is a little less inviting.
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