MBL

After attending the excellent Trail Cycle Leaders course last year, it was a natural progression to want to take things a bit further and attend the Mountain Bike Leader course. After the quality of TCL and the high standards of tuition, booking with Cyclewise again was a no-brainer.

There is always a plan and I had tried to get Adrian, Dave and myself (from the TCL course) and my good mate Chris on the same course. We all booked, we all paid but, at the last minute, work got in the way and only Dave and I made it. We joined Rob and Anne at Hawkshead YHA for an excellent two days of bike-related topics including leadership, coaching, map reading, mechanics, route planning, emergency procedures and (most importantly) riding your bike with new friends.

Rich Martin (Cyclewise), Anne, Rob and Dave wait for me patiently at the top of the warm-up climb, day one.

The first day comprises a good-value session on wheels. Hubs explained and dissected, pawls poked, freehubs twirled, teeth admired and spokes tweaked. Craig Scott ran the mechanical portion of the day, ably assisted with some nuggets from Dave (Workshop Manager at MSteel Cycles). As usual I learnt lots and took away a few bits of homework, plus a list of new tools that I didn't know existed.

We had a spin across Claife Heights after lunch and were treated to a skills display by Craig, Rich and (Bouncing) Rob (the Bunny-Hop king). Practice is the key - I know this, but I feel less comfortable in Safeways car-park or the local skate park than Rob does and I am more likely to be arrested for loitering at my age. I have my secret practice spots at home and have visited them already, brushing up on some skills I should have learnt thirty years ago - If I was actually riding a bike back then.

Back to the classroom for some lesson planning and route cards for the following day. Rob put his feet up with a glass of wine and Dave and I went out to the car park down the road to try and work out why we bunny hop using 'willpower' rather than weight shifting. Work in progress ... 

Day two and we are off into Grizedale for a mix of follow-the-dots trail centre riding on sections of the excellent North Face trail and some brilliant off-piste trails 'hidden' away; and generally only a few yards away from the groomed routes followed by the majority. These little gems are embedded in my memory for the next time I up there with an evening to spare and my lights charged.

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You sure Rob ? That looks like a supermarket car park ...

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We conducted a one-to-one coaching session on cornering at speed / berms and came away with a few more ideas to to help us all deliver things more effectively. Not surprising  that practice is also the key here and the ability to have plan B ready at all times. I guess it is easier with a raw talent that manages to simply 'do' exactly as you ask, but with normal riders, who already ride in a certain way, there are things to unpick before you can build - as Anne found out when she asked me to stop riding like a plank. Credit to Anne that she spotted the fact I am comfortable with the direct approach and that I resemble a bit of 'four by two' on a bike !

It's over all too soon and the sun sets on another great trip to the Lakes, we leave with a list of skills to practice, tools to buy, things to fettle, books to read, things to teach and much pedalling to do before we can contemplate assessment. The aim is to be ready for later in the summer.

There are lots of changes afoot in our great sport with the continued discussions about a single governing body to represent both the Scottish Mountain Bike Leaders Association and British Cycling with a single set of qualifications and a single focused, well-organised team to help develop and administer all disciplines within our sport. My dealings with BC have been fantastic thus far and they are a very professional bunch. I am very pleased that Craig and Rich are at the centre of this and can think of nobody better to represent Mountain Biking as we take the sport forward.