Here is a complete look at what exactly is Barefoot Pedaling, why experiencing a performance dip is common and why most of the advantages attributed to clipless pedals simply are not true. Enjoy!
Last night at my MTB Skills & Fitness Boot Camp we went over cornering. Cornering is one of the Holy Grails of riding – riders that can do it well go faster with less effort. However, as I learned over the course of two Better Ride camps with Gene Hamilton it also a bit counter-instinctive. Left on their own, most riders simply develop bad habits.
Cornering breaks down into 3 basic steps:
1) Turn with your hips. Set up for a turn with the hips by pointing your belly button the direction you want to go. Read more…
Last night I held the first session in my new MTB Skills & Fitness Boot Camp. This is a basically my twist on integrating what I do with what I have learned from guys like Gene Hamilton. After taking the Better Ride coaches certification camp with Gene in February I’ve been itching to unleash this new vision and it is finally here!
Here is a quick rundown of how it works…
I got some requests from people after my original Barefoot Pedaling post about how to pedal with the aid of the clipless interface. After thinking about it I realized it should be exactly how you run but clipless pedals allow you to change that natural rhythm. This video explains exactly how you should pedal, how clipless pedals allow you to change that and why this also means that there is no “dead spot” in a pedal stroke.
-James Wilson-
There’s a running joke among smart coaches in the fitness field – if you want to get into great shape look at what everyone else is doing and do the opposite. Most people go to the gym and do something like this:
- Walk on a treadmill for 10 minutes
- Some light stretching
- 3 sets of 10 reps on a machine based circuit or a bodybuilding based workout where they split body parts up, pick 2-5 exercises to “hit the muscle from different angles” and do 3 sets of 8-12 reps of each exercise
- 30-60 minutes of watching t.v. or reading a magazine on the elliptical trainer
Based on this you have a blueprint for what really does get results:
I just had my newest article for Pinkbike.com posted today, be sure to check it out. It covers some great exercises and strategies for improving you ability to corner. If you have any questions or comments leave them there and I’ll get back to them ASAP.
Click here to read the pinkbike.com article
-James Wilson-
