boulderjuniorcycling.org

BJC Skill Lesson Plans

Table of Contents

  1. Typical Practice Day Schedule
  2. Attack Position
  3. Braking
  4. Stop the pedals
  5. Shifting
  6. Slow Turns
  7. Fast Turns
  8. Controlled Turns and Balance
  9. Drop Offs and Absorbing Bumps
  10. Front Wheel Lifts
  11. Scootering and Mounts/Dismounts
  12. Mounting
  13. Carrying the Bike 2 Ways
  14. Barriers
  15. Race Starts

Typical Practice Day Schedule

1- Circle Up, Greetings, Sickness or Injuries?, Announcements   5 min

2 – Bike Safety Check (self)  3-5 min

  • ABCD Quick Check (Air-Brakes-Chain-Danglers-Quick Releases)

3 – Warm up (on or off bike) 10-15 min

  • 10-15 min of easy activity on or off the bike, including Range of Motion, balance and kinesthetic awareness, core, light strengthening work.  Get the riders moving and organized ASAP.   
  • Example: 2 laps of the park on bike, light jog with heel kicks, leg swings, arm circles, light plyometrics.  An example for running specific can be found here

or

  • 10-15 of riding a set course or follow the leader
  • Progressively faster / more complicated
  • Include 3x 20-30 second builds
  • Include 3 x progressive sprints

4 – SKD (Skill of the Day) Focus on One or Two Skills Each Day 15-30 min

  • Demonstrate – Try – Feedback and Correction – Try again
  • Goal is 20-30 reps of a skill with feedback across 2 or 3 different scenarios including the fitness and game component of the practice

5 – Fitness Component hour ( 60-75 min including snack break)

  • Try and tie the skill component to the fitness, this will help meet the goal of 20-30 reps across 2-3 scenarios
  • Plan your snack break, the most important time of the practice, to coincide with your lesson plan and planned trail location

6 – Game/Fun 10-15 min

  • Trying to tie it all in, once again, the SKD

7 – Wrap-up 5 min

  • Always leave time for circle up, announcements, prior to getting back to parents

Attack or Ready Position

Meet  : attendance, announcements etc. 

Warmup: Dynamic or Riding 

Dynamic Warmup 

10-15 min of easy activity on or off the bike, including ROM, balance and kinesthetic awareness.    

Riding Warmup

  • 10-15 of riding a set course or follow the leader.  
  • Progressively faster / more complicated
  • Include 3×20-30 second builds
  • Include 3 x progressive sprints 

SKILL OF THE DAY Attack Position

  • Why? Lower COG, drop offs, leaning in the corner, preload for step ups, jumps and sprints
  • Butt off seat – stand slightly up, knees bent
  • Heavy feet, Light hands
  • Bend at hips
  • Bend elbows, chest low
  • Bike body separation
  • Arms and legs as shock absorbers
  • Moving the body through all 4 quadrants of bike / body separation
  • Level Pedals

FITNESS COMPONENT 

For those who are familiar you can work in: mild drops, steps ups, braking, corners worked into the course.  For those unfamiliar have them roll downhills in the attack position

GAME/FUN

  • Limbo, how low can you go
  • Working the 4 quadrants of the bike

Wrap-up

  • Why attack?
  • When attack?

Notes

Stress get low when scared, opposite of what the brain wants to do

“Scaredy Cat” (leaning back, shying away from danger) vs. “Attack Cat”

Watch for level pedals, key to learn for future skills/safety.

Braking

Meet

ABCD Quick Check

Dynamic Warmup 

10-15 min of easy activity on or off the bike, including ROM, balance and kinesthetic  awareness.     Specific today will have a lot of “stop and go”

Or 

Riding Warmup

  • 10-15 of riding a set course or follow the leader.  
  • Progressively faster / more complicated
  • Include 3×20-30 second builds
  • Include 3 x progressive sprints

SKD Braking

  1. Back brake
  2. Back brake and attack position
  3. 1 or 2 fingers “raptor claws” on the brakes
  4. Add in driving the heels
  5. Gentle front brake with attack position
  6. Both brakes 
  7. Front brake only more aggressive
  8. Repeat on downhill
  9. Feathering or modulating the brakes
  10. Braking before the corner

Fitness Component

Make a course that involves several complete stops on a variety of terrain.  4 stops per lap x5 laps is 20 reps

Game/Fun

  1. Red Light Green Light
  2. Relay with a stop
  3. Obstacle course with mandatory braking/stopping
  4. Steep downhill, stop at the cone
  5. How close can you stop but not hit an object
  6. One handed braking

Wrap-up

  • Both brakes are key
  • 1-2 fingers
  • Attack position
  • Dropping the heals

Notes

  • Front brake phobia is common
  • Attack position and driving the ankles is key
  • Push the bike away or the rider back from the bike

STOMPING

Meet

ABCD Quick Check

Dynamic Warmup 

10-15 min of easy activity on or off the bike, including ROM, balance and kinesthetic  awareness.     Specific today will have a lot of “stop and go”

Or 

Riding Warmup

  • 10-15 of riding a set course or follow the leader.  
  • Progressively faster / more complicated
  • Include 3×20-30 second builds
  • Include 3 x progressive sprints

SKD Stomping the Pedals.   See this video.   Compressing the pedals so that the bike compresses and has a moment of “weightlessness” or gets airborne.   This is a key skill in more advance skills such as pumping, jumping, drops, and wheel lifts.

Roll standing with level pedals

Compress the bike with a short sharp down ward push on the pedals (and handlebars a bit)

As you come up from the compression, fully extend the legs and arms, getting weightless

Work on getting airtime

Work on timing.  Can a rider do this exactly as they approach a stick or crack in the pavement?

Progress to clearing a stick, or at least unweight over a stick or small curb, or cardboard box

Fitness Component

Route choice should have several easy to find times to stomp the pedals and load/unload the bikes

Game/Fun

  1. Relay with a stomp
  2. Obstacle course with mandatory stomp
  3. Clear the stick

Wrap-up

  • Short sharp load 
  • Quick unload
  • “Like timing your  jump with the press of an elevator button

Notes

  • For riders clipped in, avoid the pull up instead of the unload
  • Attack position and driving the hips down is key

Shifting

Meet

ABCD Quick Check

Dynamic Warmup 

10-15 min of easy activity on and of the bike, including ROM, balance and kinesthetic  awareness.     Specific to today will have a lot of slow legs and fast legs, running and riding.

Or

Riding Warmup

  • 10-15 of riding a set course or follow the leader.  
  • Progressively faster / more complicated
  • Include 3×20-30 second builds
  • Include 3 x progressive sprints

SKD Shifting

  • Basics of front and back shifting.  Which way is easier vs harder (front vs back)
  • Leg Speed vs Crushing a Big Gear….. Which is faster? Which has better acceleration?
  • Starting in a gear too hard vs too easy
  • Looking ahead and knowing when to shift.   Flat into an uphill to show success in this
  • Cross chaining + Parts of the related drivetrain

Fitness Component

  • Course or follow the leader ride that incorporates the following
  • Change in terrain…change the gears
  • A section in your hardest / easiest gear
  • A section in your ideal gear
  • A section you need to plan ahead to be successful

Game/Fun

  • Big/Easy Gear races
  • Relay that involves big gear one way, small gear the other
  • Race starts, selecting your favorite gear
  • Tag but limited to easy / hard gear.  Assign a gear to see the benefits / restrictions

Wrap-up

  1. Gears are needed 
  2. Parts of the drivetrain
  3. Easy vs hard gear
  4. Planning ahead

Notes

  • Car goes to a smaller gear to pass, you hear your parent’s car make a higher pitch sound as it spins faster, or think of the sound of a race car.

Slow Turns

Meet

ABCD Quick Check

Dynamic Warmup 

10-15 min of easy activity on and of the bike, including ROM, balance and kinesthetic  awareness.     Specific to today will have a lot of slow turns, figure 8’s, and 180° turns.

Or

Riding Warmup

  • 10-15 of riding a set course or follow the leader.  
  • Progressively faster / more complicated
  • Include 3×20-30 second builds
  • Include 3 x progressive sprints

SKD Slow turns

  • Ride slow, and balance on the center of your bike
  • Turn the handle bars, don’t lean very much
  • Turn your head to look where you want to go
  • Braking and balance…esp your front brake
  • Ratcheting 

Fitness Component

Course or follow the leader ride that incorporates many 180° turns, or tight turns.  Refer to shifting to plan ahead with the gearing

Game/Fun

  • 180° turn within a relay
  • Figure 8 in a parking stall / confined space…may have to start wider
  • Tag, capture the flag, bump in thump…any of the usual games but when you are ou you have to go ride a figure 8 in a certain area to come back in the game

Wrap-up

  • Look where you want to go
  • Feather your brakes
  • Ratcheting

Notes

  • If you ski and look at a tree, you hit the tree.  Lead with your eyes, or your chin or the belly button.  
  • Think of the belly button as a flashlight that leads the way.
  • Chalk to help draw the route (or water bottle spray)

Fast Turns

Meet

ABCD Quick Check

Dynamic Warmup 

10-15 min of easy activity on and of the bike, including ROM, balance and kinesthetic  awareness.     Specific to today will have a lot of medium speed turns.

Or

Riding Warmup

  • 10-15 of riding a set course or follow the leader.  
  • Progressively faster / more complicated
  • Include 3×20-30 second builds
  • Include 3 x progressive sprints

SKD Fast Turns

  • Separation of body and bike.  Butt off saddle
  • Attack position
  • Feet level vs inside foot up
  • Lean the bike not the body
  • Turn your head / hips to look where you want to go
  • Braking before the turn not in the turn
  • Weighting the inside hand and outside foot
  • Triangle with the arms, nose, handlebars

Fitness Component

  • Turns of various speeds/terrain in a course/route

Game/Fun

  • Gliding turn with inside foot off the pedal
  • How far can you lean the bike
  • Higher speed turns on a variety of terrain, flats, downhill, off camber

Wrap-up

  • Look where you want to go
  • Lean the bike not the body
  • Weighting of inside hand and outside foot

Notes

  • If you ski and look at a tree, you hit the tree.  Lead with your eyes, or your chin, or the belly button.  Think of the belly button as a flashlight that leads the way.
  • Really focus on leaning the bike not the body
  • Level Feet vs Inside foot up
  • Video/pics help fantastic with this

Controlled Turning and Balance

Meet

ABCD Quick Check

Dynamic Warmup 

10-15 min of easy activity on and of the bike, including ROM, balance and kinesthetic  awareness. 

Or 

Riding Warmup

  • 10-15 of riding a set course or follow the leader.  
  • Progressively faster / more complicated
  • Include 3×20-30 second builds and 3 x progressive sprints    

SKD  Controlled Turning and Balance

  • Teaching/review separation of bike and body.  The four quadrants.  Move the body front / back/ left /right in relation to the bike
  • Looking where to go and front brake is your friend
  • Slalom through cones
  • Split slalom, where the front wheel goes one side of a cone and the back wheel on the other side
  • Variable slalom/split slalom where the cones are not in a straight line, but require tight and wide turns, 180°turns, with a variety of speeds and terrain angles

Fitness Component

Working on a variety of tight and slow / medium / fast turns on progressively angled terrain, off camber terrain, and a variety of terrain

Game/Fun

  • Slalom Relays and Split slalom relays
    • Add in one handed
    • Carrying a cup of water where the team with the most water in the cup at the end wins
  • Obstacle Course with tight turns, 180° turns, figure 8’s higher speed of camber turns 
  • Slow races with tight turns
  • Pick up bottle from ground

Wrap-up

  • Look where you want to go and front brake considerations

Notes

  • Front brake engagement is often limited in riders.

Rolling Drop Offs / Absorbing Bumps

Meet

ABCD Quick Check

Dynamic Warmup 

10-15 min of easy activity on and of the bike, including ROM, balance and kinesthetic  awareness. 

Or

Riding Warmup

  • 10-15 of riding a set course or follow the leader.  
  • Progressively faster / more complicated
  • Include 3×20-30 second builds
  • Include 3 x progressive sprints    

SKD  Drop Offs

  • Review attack position
  • Push the front wheel down and away as you do a drop.  
  • Visualize head stays level when viewed from a side 
  • Timing so the wheel is being pushed to ground 
  • Butt is slightly off seat to absorb drops/bumps
  • Progress to bumpier terrain or a bigger drop
  • Pumping with legs and arms

Fitness Component

Pick sections of trails that have reasonable drops, and a variety of bumps and pumpable terrain

Game/Fun

  • Relays with a drop or bumpy section
  • Course with a drop or bumps
  • Follow the leader

Wrap-up

  • Review “Smooth is Fast”

Notes

  • Riders may want to keep butt on the seat, have them hover above seat.
  • Pump and absorb with BOTH arms and legs
  • On bigger drops make sure enough clearance for pedals/chainring/ bottom bracket especially with smaller wheel sizes.
  • Make sure level pedals, especially on smaller wheeled bikes

Front Wheel Lifts

Meet

ABCD Quick Check

Dynamic Warmup 

10-15 min of easy activity on and of the bike, including ROM, balance and kinesthetic  awareness.  

Or

Riding Warmup

  • 10-15 of riding a set course or follow the leader.  
  • Progressively faster / more complicated
  • Include 3×20-30 second builds
  • Include 3 x progressive sprints

SKD  Front Wheel Lifts

  • Sequence is compress to attack position, push up and back, as the arms straighten lift the chest up and lean back….all while shifting the weight back
  • Stand left side of bike with rear brake on.  Stress the brake is only on as you aren’t moving.
  • Go though the above sequence, STRESS it is not a lift but a shift of the weight back and the arms should be straight.  Lift with body weight not arm strength.
  • Try on bike on a gentle grass uphill (remind to let go of the brake)
  • Squeeze rear brake if going to far back
  • Add in power stroke
  • How high can you go? Can you hop off the back.  Work on timing with cones or sticks before going up a curb or something similar.
  • Can use a safety step….a rock/wood before a curb so if they time it wrong they can still roll up curb/obstacle
  • Manual Machine

Fitness Component Add wheel lifts over obstacles.

Game/Fun

  • Play typical Cross games, when out make a penalty loop with multiple wheel lifts to do before you get back in the game.
  • Obstacle Course with wheel lifts
  • Wheelie contests

Wrap-up Have the kids teach back to you the skill sequence

Notes

Riders will want to lift with arms, will be scared to flip backwards, and will pull up too early for an obstacle.  If in doubt riders pull up early but pulling up late is better

Manual Machine great for teaching

Scootering and Basic Mounts/Dismounts

Meet

ABCD Quick Check

Dynamic Warmup 

10-15 min of easy activity on and of the bike, including ROM, balance and kinesthetic  awareness.  

Or

Riding Warmup

  • 10-15 of riding a set course or follow the leader.  
  • Progressively faster / more complicated
  • Include 3×20-30 second builds
  • Include 3 x progressive sprints

SKD  Scootering / Basic Mounts + Dismounts

  • Scootering on a gentle downhill.  Correct foot on pedal.  Non drive and drive side 
  • From seated to scooter position and back onto seat
  • Slow scooter to walk on ground…. Gradually increase the speed.  Add in left and then right runs
  • Step through vs step behind
  • Walking bike and swinging leg over seat….gradually increasing speed and adding in a small jump

Fitness Component

Scootering mixed into the course.   Gentle downhills, adding in gentle turns

Game/Fun

  • Scooter Relays, both sides, slalom, turns, one handed
  • Obstacle Course with scooter, dismount, and basic mount…with turns!
  • Switching feet on the pedal while scootering

Wrap-up

  • Look where you want to go and front brake considerations

Notes

Drive side is difficult for most riders, explain why you generally avoid dismounts on this side

Mounting

Meet

ABCD Quick Check

Dynamic Warmup 

10-15 min of easy activity on and of the bike, including ROM, balance and kinesthetic  awareness. 

Or

Riding Warmup

  • 10-15 of riding a set course or follow the leader.  
  • Progressively faster / more complicated
  • Include 3×20-30 second builds
  • Include 3 x progressive sprints    

SKD  Mounting

  • Review scooter and dismounts, and both ways of stepping off the pedal
  • Walking next to bike, swing leg up and over, landing on inside of thigh
  • Speed up and adding a small hop…avoid the double hop
  • If double hop comes in slow it back down, add in running with a bit of a bounce to help avoid the double hop
  • Combo of dismount and mount…add in a carry

Fitness Component

Adding in dismount / mount to course

Game/Fun

  • Typical race course with mounts/dismounts
  • Course or relay with a get off the bike, run and do something and then come back and get on bike
  • Obstacle Course with mount dismount
  • Capture the flag, bum n thump, tag, garbage ball where the penalty is go into the mount/dismount zone and do 5 of each with coach approval and go back in the game

Wrap-up

  • Review the basics.  Avoid the hop and stutttttter step

Notes

Riders will want to hop and beginners may go from ground to scooter to leg swing over

Carrying the Bike 2 Ways

Bike Safety Check

Dynamic Warmup 

10-15 min of easy activity on and of the bike, including ROM, balance and kinesthetic  awareness. 

Riding Warmup

  • 10-15 of riding a set course or follow the leader.  
  • Progressively faster / more complicated
  • Include 3×20-30 second builds
  • Include 3 x progressive sprints    

SKD  Carrying the Bike

  • Review Mount and dismount
  • Describe and demo the suitcase and shouldering the bike
  • Non drive side is key
  • Show hand placement for each
  • Advanced riders discuss concepts like getting left pedal in correct position while carrying, momentum, and smoothness.

Fitness Component

Carrying the bike worked into the course

Game/Fun

  • Relays with a carry
  • A relay using the bike as a baton
  • Split slalom relays
    • Add in one handed
    • Carrying a cup of water where the team with the most water in the cup at the end wins
  • Obstacle Course 

Wrap-up

  • Two types of carries…when? Where do the hands get placed? How?

Notes

  • Bike weight and size for kids.  Water bottle cages.  Drive side vs non drive side

Barriers

Bike Safety Check

Dynamic Warmup 

10-15 min of easy activity on and of the bike, including ROM, balance and kinesthetic  awareness. 

Riding Warmup

  • 10-15 of riding a set course or follow the leader.  
  • Progressively faster / more complicated
  • Include 3×20-30 second builds
  • Include 3 x progressive sprints    

SKD  Barriers

  • Review mount, dismount, and carrying the bike
  • Walk Barriers w/o bike.  Lift the front knee kick the rear heel.
  • Run barriers w/o bike, Lift the front knee kick the rear heel.
  • Scooter into the barriers
  • Easy ride into the barriers
  • Discuss timing and braking.  MOMENTUM is key  

Fitness Component

Multiple barrier and carry options 

Game/Fun

  • Relays with a barrier
  • A relay using the bike as a baton
  • Obstacle Course with a “crazy barrier”

Wrap-up

  • Review “keeping momentum”

Notes

  • Kids often stop too far away and lose ground or they come in too hot and slam on the brakes and lost all momentum
  • Bike weight to kid weight ration is horrible!
  • Small Frames hard to shoulder carry
  • Barriers are almost knee high for the smallest riders

Race Starts

Bike Safety Check

Dynamic Warmup 

10-15 min of easy activity on and of the bike, including ROM, balance and kinesthetic  awareness.     Specific to today will have a lot of slow legs and fast legs, running and riding.

Riding Warmup

  • 10-15 of riding a set course or follow the leader.  
  • Progressively faster / more complicated
  • Include 3×20-30 second builds
  • Include 3 x progressive sprints

SKD Race Starts

  • Review the basics of front and back shifting.  Which way is easier vs harder (front vs back).  Apply this to Race Starts
  • How to change your gear without riding  (pick up back wheel and rotate pedals)
  • Call ups.  How they work and why.
  • Foot on pedal for power.  Hood vs drops for start (stability vs power)
  • Benefits of 2 difft start positions.  Straddling top tube vs on seat with foot on ground…Power vs quicker to get other foot on pedal
  • 15 second warning
  • Small groups in a variety of realistic start conditions (flat or slight uphills, wide open)
  • Rows with more confined course
  • Be safe. NO full gas paved starts with whole group. Small groups, short length.

Fitness Component

  • Race Starts.  Variety of terrain and length

Game/Fun

  • Relays with a Race start
  • Short Mass Start (within reason) course or obstacle courses
  • Mock races

Wrap-up

Call ups, position, gearing

Notes

  • Younger kids really struggle with changing gears on the spot and making sure they are fully in the correct gear. 

Key skills to Cover

Braking

Bike Body Separation

Cornering

Three ways to lift the front wheel