tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5314040691117703213.post1108179655666524906..comments2023-06-16T02:17:43.532-07:00Comments on UK BIKE SKILLS: Building Tina's ConfidenceUK BIKE SKILLShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17008536743734940809noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5314040691117703213.post-20865370258587275322010-05-17T14:57:46.087-07:002010-05-17T14:57:46.087-07:00hi tony, thanks mate, i'm just back from ridin...hi tony, thanks mate, i'm just back from riding glentress and innerleithen. <br /><br />right from the start i noticed how much more confident and efficient i was at riding switchbacks. although i knew that looking forward was what i had to do last year, i clearly hadnt been doing it!! i was amazed at the difference.<br /><br />my awareness of my heels and concentrating on keeping them down enabled me to tackle rooty bits much more confidently than last year. <br /><br />these two techniques meant i spent more time on the bike and less time walking. that helped my mental and emotional state which is probably my weakest area.<br /><br />the highlight for me though was the steep rocky descent on the climb up innerleithen, just before the quarry. i walked it last year. <br /><br />this year i made sure i got there well before everybody else so that i wasnt tired from the climb and trying to keep up with the others. <br /><br />i looked at it, broke it into sections, walked down the first bit, rode the rest so i could dismiss that from the equation then came back to plan my line and approach. i knew it was within my capability. i checked where my eye needed to be at each section and planned my approach to get the line right from the entry around the corner. i thought about my body position, speed management and footwork. somehow though i just couldnt bring myself to do it even though i knew i 'could' do it. <br /><br />then the friends i was riding with came along. fifteen of them rode it but four of them walked down. thats when the final bit fell into place for me. i found the committment which had been the lacking dimension. once i had found that committment, i concentrated and descended calmly and confidently, i was over the moon.<br /><br />i didnt take the risks i took last year, my drop technique and landing is not controlled enough as yet so i played it safe and didnt attempt many drops that i did last year including those at the top of spooky wood.<br /><br />i need to go down to that BMX track and get my pumping smoother and find a nice little drop to practise take off and landing before coming back for my next course :)tina potternoreply@blogger.com