Coach Your Mates Part 3

How to help your friends ride better, learn from more skilful riders, and work on your weaknesses

- Andy Barlow 

In the last issue we looked at how to create a productive learning environment for you and your pals, and the numerous ways in which different people learn. We broke down how to structure your riding so that you can accelerate your learning, and we talked you through how to make progress confidently. Hopefully you’ve had a chance to ride your bike loads in the last few weeks and you’ve managed to put some of this advice into action.

In this issue we are going to look at how to continue using that feedback without having to run a specific session, and how to continue learning when you’re riding on your own. We’re going to encourage you to discipline yourself so you can stay on top of your weaknesses and hopefully show you that, scary as this sounds, it can actually be a lot of fun! We’ll also break down how to ride with a pal and either explain how you do what you do with weaker riders, or follow a stronger rider and learn from it. After all, the more people that are riding at a higher ability the more people there are to go on adventures with you. Right?

THE COACH

ANDY BARLOW

Before joining Dirt School Andy liked to win things — races like the Scottish XC Champs and the Scottish Downhill Champs. Since 2009, though, he’s coached some of the world’s best riders with Dirt School and helped bring on the BASE MTB course at Borders College in the Tweed Valley. But what Andy really likes to do is communicate those pro techniques to everyday riders.

TWO STEPS S FORWARD…

Dirt School’s coaching app lets you see the right and wrong techniques in slow-mo