Seems my enthusiasm for mountain biking has started to rub off on many of my students and their families. Over the last few weeks quite a few of my kids have been excited to tell me that they have new mountain bikes (and not the Wal-Mart variety either).
So, I have been tossing around some ideas for a bike handling and skills clinic one of these weekends.
I have some ideas for skill drills like the standard weave through the cones and such; but I really want to put a trail riding signature to these exercises.
For example I think a cool thing to do would be place an 8'-10' long 2x10 on the ground and have the kids try to ride the length of it. Then progress to a 2x8 and then a 2x6 and finally a 2x4. The result being after trying the 2x4 it would make the 2x10 feel like a super highway. Then just as they start to get bored I raise the 2x's off the ground; first an inch and then maybe going as high as 6".
I'm also thinking taking some varying sizes of firewood logs and placing them on flat land as if they were log overs. Starting with just one small split log that is barely 2-3" big and then adding larger/more logs as the riders learn to lift the front wheel and use momentum to carry them over the firewood.
Obviously the key is slow and easy progression for developing the skills; but the side effects to all of this skill development is developing confidence in their abilities and trust in the bike. Two of the very same things that effect all of our riding.
If anyone has used some other methods and ideas for teaching folks to ride more confidently, please share them. Keep in mind this will be done under zero to very little budget.
Thanks Everybody
Rudy