2014 is starting out rather damp, but thankfully my first coaching session of the year was well-timed to take advantage of one of the few brief haituses that have occurred between the near-incessant downpours.
Rob wanted to improve his confidence, especially on rocky descents and so, after some practice moving around the bike and riding smoothly, we tackled Coed y Brenin’s infamous False Teeth section (part of the MBR and Beast trails).
False Teeth contains some of the steepest drops in Coed y Brenin, including ‘The Cavity’ – a 12 foot bombhole laid with heavy rock slabs to cushion your fall should things go wrong. As with any feature you’re not sure about, it’s wise to have a look at it before you ride it, and then build up speed gradually.
Rob did really well, using early braking to control speed before the drops, and good weight shifting to maintain balance on the steep stuff.
Afterwards Rob said “I didn’t think I’d be riding anything like that by the end of today!”
All in all it was lovely day out having fun on the bikes and improving skills, made all the better by the kind weather.
Here’s looking forward to many more rain-less coaching sessions in 2014!