Downhill skills for Iain

Iain came to me from Bristol and wanted to develop his skills as he races downhill in the 661 series at the forest of dean. I began with my skills check and I found body positioning and looking faults. I changed his set up also and I set to work.
The drop technique came first and I showed why his new skill set applies both physically and mentally. I was able to teach Iain how to begin to style it in the air too.



I then moved us onto the skills trail and worked on pumping and using the acquired energy to link in the following berm and flat corner. Soon I added a rock garden and switchback and bermed corner too. As we moved down the trail I used a fly out to show why the skill set can be used to either jump or absorb sections to maintain speed.

All the time as we moved down the trail we added the previous sections to it. Next up I worked on linking the drop technique and cornering together by line choice and braking technique.

Iain was now riding the trails 14 sections end to end and was so much faster and controlled. Each run was smoother and any errors were identified and corrected by himself as he moved through conscious reaction to unconscious action.
Next up I worked on manualing tabletops and doubles and this took a little while but then it began to click.
We rode the alpine switchbacks and used his mental skills questions to overcome a peripheral fear to do so.
We moved onto another singletrack to work on his fluidity and linking sections together and he was really beginning to fly.

This trail ended in a drop and I showed why it could be done 3 different ways too!


Lastly, I developed his jumping skills to a level where Iain could comfortably ride a 9ft gap jump and link it with the following berm with consummate ease.

Our session ended after Iain had ridden the gap section a few times and the adrenalin of the session took its toll and tiredness began to show.
An amazing session Iain and I look forward to your riding updates.
High 5!