MAD Bike Skills
You need to understand the five points of contact with the bike and know how to use them to develop and maintain control. This article will show you how.
The goal is to expand the rider’s “Bag of Tricks” with skills and create options for dealing with group rides and race situations. When the body can take over the job of reacting (instinctually), the mind is calm and free to make efficient decisions on the road.
A rider must be aware of the five contact points of the bike, and know how to use them to develop and maintain control. The bike is an extension of our bodies, for example, the rider must learn how to gain leverage over the bike much as we do with a tool, a pair of skis, or a horse. This requires changing pressure and weight over the five contact points of the bike (handlebar, saddle and pedals).
The Path Towards a Goal is Not a Straight One
Thoughts on cycling training program design, and how to best build your personal training plan.
A well-designed training program will incorporate progressive overloads of stress and recovery phases for adaptation to occur. A comprehensive training plan will consider the athlete’s experience level, time constraints, strengths, weakness and goals.
The athlete must train all of the energy systems to be efficient and make it to the podium. Interval training will increase the athlete’s ability to ride hard and recover quickly.
When the athlete follows a training plan, that investment brings quality to the workout whether it’s a short interval session or a long slow endurance ride.
Recovery rides and active recovery days are important, if not more important and will contribute to the adaptation phase for growing stronger. Train hard rest hard.
Following a systematic training program will not be enough to succeed, every good plan and training diary needs to be reviewed periodically, and the coach and athlete may have to adjust the training program approach.
The best coaches in the world focus on at least 5 basic fundamentals.
Getting to the Next Level
Advice on how young cycling athletes can reach the next level in their training and athletic career.
Making the right choice in finding the correct coach to help reach your goals is very important, the right fit means everything. The path towards a goal is not a straight one. Great athletes are born, but champions are coached. An athlete and coach on the same page can navigate through the obstacles of the demanding sport of cycling.
I have been coaching at USA Cycling’s Junior Development Road camps since 1998. One of the first things I do in the introduction is ask the riders, “who has a coach”. Early on, only three or four riders would raise their hands. Now, more than 75% raise their hands. I believe that this is a direct reflection of the largest and talented Junior athlete pools in many years.