5 tips to choose your MTB skills coach
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- Опубликовано: 17 ноя 2024
- Are you enjoying free how-to-MTB videos? Here are some tips to help you decide who to watch for fun and who might make a good coach for you.
Learn more about my system at www.leelikesbikes.com.
Have fun out there!
i tend to use a mix of what i see in how-to videos, picking out whatever makes sense and feels right to me. i've definitely seen two how-to videos for the same skill where one of them mentions something that the other is also doing but doesn't mention.
Hi Lee. I hate to be an echo chamber, but you are absolutely bang on with this video. I chose a coach who is local and coaches professional xc & dh riders, which in my mind gave them 'credibility'. Did a couple basic courses about line choice and technical descending, which I found very helpful. All was great until I did the jumping and drops course and the introduction to both of those skills was to learn manualling. Not only did this not feel good, but when you watch the same coaches on their socials, they are not entering a manual for the jumps or drops, they are much more neutral on the bike. Even worse, I didn't get the technique consistent, and had maybe 20 minutes with the coach trying to improve at manualling, before doing so off of 3-5ft drops and 5-10ft tables. It would be fair to say the handful of people on the course that day all had atleast one moment in the dirt.
I want to be coached because I want to be safe, I have a job and responsibilities to put food on the table. After falling a bunch of times trying the manualing techniques within a week of the course, I called it quits and have done my best to adopt the approach from your website's courses. Amazing how a few webpages explaining your methods has made me a faster and more confident rider compared to in-person coaching. Building up my old hardtail again as that geo actually fits my RAD (funny, as I was told by the other coaches the bike was too short) and I'll be sessioning pump tracks and jumps this winter for row/anti-row. ✌
@@maxflame21 I’m sorry you endured bad coaching, but it led to this, the greatest comment in RUclips history. Have fun out there man!! And when you’re ready let’s do a zoom at your local jump spot. Don’t forget too … you get a free Zoom chat with me … the link is on the main member page. 🙏🏼🤘🏼✨
This! Again, brother, your content focuses on MTB but slides into all aspects of our lives. 🙏 🤙 ✨
@@MichaelHoulden thank YOU brother
Lee! I would like you to be my coach, but I am a MTB nerd living in New Zealand. When selecting a ‘real life’ coach, what questions can I ask to find out about their methods before committing to working with them?
Hi Katie!
Thanks for writing.
We can work together on Zoom very well. I do this with people all over the world. I can guarantee I'll do a good job. :)
www.leelikesbikes.com/mtb-coaching-on-zoom
Some things to explore with a potential coach. This is a bit of a brain dump.
- What you you want or need? Put another way, where are you in your journey? You want a coach who is at the least well into the phase you're in. Example: Let's say you're a racer. You want someone who has done the racing thing. If you're looking for peace and flow, make sure your coach rides in peace and flow.
If you just need some very basic tips, you can use a beginner coach. But be sure to assess everything they tell you.
- Ask about their method. Which cert are they using? To what level?
Warning: the big certifications I know of (PMBIA and BICP) have logical issues that will limit your experience. The exact method isn't as important as the coach having a coherent approach. Ask about the approach as a whole and make sure the coach really understands and communicates it. Does the approach include bike fit, mobility, mindset? Having a cert has zero influence on how smart, sensitive or natural of a teacher the coach is.
If the coach tells you to be anywhere on your bike other than normal force in the bottom bracket, that's a big red flag.
- Ask them a tricky question or challenge them and see how they react. Make sure you feel comfortable in their presence. If you sense any tension in your body while interacting with them, take note.
- Get reviews from people you know. Ask specific questions. Most will start with "it was great" because they love mountain biking and want to be nice. Ask about sticking points and how the coach handled them.
- How old are they and how much experience do they have? Great coaching is not directly an age thing, so I'm not saying to avoid young people. But, in general, more years and more experience doing the work brings on wisdom and the ability to handle a wider variety of situations. Also, there is no real training pathway* in mountain biking to be a great coach and communicator. Experience in other careers is a big bonus.
- Who is this coach as a person? A coaching relationship is a relationship. If you don't resonate or they can't understand you and speak to you as at least a peer, keep looking,
I hope that helps. Let's try a Zoom (money back guarantee).
www.leelikesbikes.com/mtb-coaching-on-zoom
Lee
*If all continues to work out, I'll be a Professor of MTB at Colorado Mountain College next year. I'm working to legitimize this as a profession.
@ thanks Lee, that is a big help. I’ve started making notes about what my goals could be and I’m giving the Zoom option serious consideration!
@@katiehallam4064 awesome!! Also consider joining me at www.llbmtb.com. The site serves as a great training manual, and it includes comments and zoom with me.