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Alkali
Finally work, health and time allowed Annie and I to take advantage of my birthday present for her last year - a training session with Tom Dowie.
Despite poor weather predictions for chicksands we set off today a little anxious but willing to learn. After finally locating the bike park we met Tom, it turns out he and his dad run and maintain the place, and for such a small place here is a lot crammed in, 4 cross, down hill, single track etc. Lots of short runs, ideal for sessioning and developing skills.
After a quick chat and a couple of warm up loops Tom devised our four hours, pumping technique (which was the basis for most of what we did), berms and corners, drop offs and jumping.
Pumping was clearly explained, the different places to do it and the effect that timing it differently has on speed of attack etc. Annie picked it up quickly but I was very rigid and robotic, too much road riding has left me very static on a bike, my saddle had to be dropped four or five inches to get me to start moving myself up and down. Sometimes I got it, others I timed it too late or too early which would result in the bike kicking back into me.
For turns it was suggested we consider footwork, body, looking and speed. I was poor at getting my outside foot down and turning my belly button to where my eyes were looking. He got me to slow right down and put the technique into practice, suddenly it became clear and my turning speed increased and I found myself racing higher and faster round the berms.
Throughout the day Tom asked what we knew, talked things through demonstrated and then got us to have a go. Feedback was simple action points, clearly given, and reiterated as we repeated the activities. It really helped both of us improve. I am sure he is used to working with much more skilled riders but he was never condescending and always gave supporting comments. Tom was willing to explain things to me when I looked baffled, confused or when I became frustrated at my inability to get my body to do the things I wanted it to. The timing of pumping did not come naturally to me, it took a number of goes getting it wrong, getting selected bits right before the penny started to drop for me.
Drop offs have tended to be something that both of us would roll down, and even then rather jerkily. Dropping wrists and heels made just rolling off them so much more fluid. Annie had not been keen on becoming airborne but with Toms tuition we both found it easy to preload our legs and lift off at the lip of the drop off, we were learning to fly.
At chicksands there is a caravan knocking out Thai food, so we all stopped for green or red curries and gathered our energy. It was fantastic and felt well earned. Later I saw the Thai chef pack up the caravan and then pull his own bike out to go and practice his own skills.
Neither of us thought or rigid fatbikes should leave the ground, but quickly we were shown that pumping to conserve energy at the bottom of a jump and then lifting weight up at the exit and we could just float upwards. Everything we learned today seemed easy and natural under his skilled tuition, nothing felt forced or like we were wrestling with our bikes. Smooth take offs rather than snatching at the bikes led to easy landing.
The challenge for us now will be to apply what we learned today when we return to familiar trails. We hope the skills will become incorporated and allow us to enjoy our off-roading more, with a little more grace and ease.