• L1 Total off-road beginners

  For complete novices & experience seekers

  • Discover Mountain Biking

• L2 Rookies, roadies & returners

  For riders looking to learn the essentials

  • Singletrack Fundamentals
  • Singletrack Fundamentals (over 50's)

• L3 Intermediate & improvers

  For regular weekly mountain bikers

  • Singletrack Improver (Part I)
  • Singletrack Improver (Part II)

• Maintenance courses

  For any mountain biker

  • MTB Maintenance Workshop New

Singletrack Fundamentals for the Over 50s

Why a fundamentals coaching course?

You may be getting just a little long in the tooth, but mountain biking is becoming more and more popular amongst older people as a great way to enjoy the outdoors with the thrill and excitement that a round of golf simply cannot match.

Our Singletrack Fundamentals for the Over 50s coaching course is designed to give you the core skills to get out in the hills tackling technical trails with confidence and commitment in a group setting of like-minded people.

Following training you will see an immediate improvement in your riding and a boost in confidence. You'll understand how changes in your body position, footwork and where you are looking affect the way your bike behaves on singletrack trails. You'll be able to tackle steeper terrain, corner with greater control and negotiate small trail obstacles with ease.

When & where

This course is usually scheduled to run on the 2nd Monday of each month.

The venue for this course is:  Hurtwood Car Park 14, Radnor Lane, Dorking, Surrey RH5 6NW.

How to book

To view dates and book your place on this and other Singletrack School skills courses, please click on the button below. to open our bookings system.

You may also download the course's pre-course pack from the bookings page which details the schedule for your course, venue details, travel information and a full equipment list including some mandatory items. 

Course outline

The skills taught and practiced on the Singletrack Fundamentals course include:

• Bike Set-up
  Pre-ride checks
  An introduction to tyre pressures
  Saddle height & dropper seat posts
• The 5 Epiphanies of Mountain Biking
  
  Epiphany [uh·pi·fuh·nee] NOUN:
  "A moment of sudden insight or understanding"
  • The Standing Epiphany
  • The Looking Epiphany
  • The Speed Epiphany
  • The Trust Epiphany
  • The Braking Epiphany
• Body Position & Movement
  The Ready Position
  Natural suspension and saddle height implications
  ‘The Danger Line’ & ’The Danger Zone’
  Where to apply mass to the bike
  Should body position be relative to the bike or the planet?
  The cone of movement
  Dynamic weight shift
  Feet, footwear & pedals
  
• Braking
  Hand/finger position
  Brake timing & strategies
  Brake bias - software vs. hardware
  When to brake & when not to brake
  Dynamic weight shift to maintain control & reduce stopping distance
• Trail Obstacles (Rocks & Roots)
  The speed tipping point
  Confidence & trust
  The importance of breathing
  
• Trail Obstacles (Steep Terrain)
  Rolling drops & bomb holes
  Dynamic weight shift
  Entry | Section | Exit
  ‘The Looking Epiphany’
  The importance of breathing
• Trail Flow
  Bring it all together & finding your flow

Is this course right for me?

Please read the following description. If this sounds like you, then you're perfect for this course:

• You're fairly new to mountain biking or have not been riding off-road regularily for more than a year or so
• You have may have tried green, blue or even red graded singletrack trails before at a trail centre or similar venue
• You can already ride a bike and are familiar with the usage of your gears and brakes
• You can already ride comfortably on smooth trails such as tow paths, forest roads and easy bridleways
• You participate in formal exercise at least once per week, though not necessarily on a bike
• You can ride on flat or moderately steep terrain at a steady pace
• You can ride for at least two hours comfortably
• You are aged 18 and over unless accompanied by an adult also participating on the course

If this sounds beyond your current skill and fitness level, please choose our Singletrack Foundations day course instead. If a little basic, please choose our Singletrack Improver course instead or have a look at our choosing the right course FAQ page.

Typical programme

Although the course is flexible it will usually keep to the following programme:

Although the course is flexible it will usually keep to the following programme:

• 09:15-09:30 Arrival at course venue
• 09:30-10:00 Introductions, equipment check and bike set-up session
• 10:00-10.15 Warm-up ride into the forest
• 10:15-13:00 Singletrack skills coaching and practice
• 13:00-14:00 Lunch break back at start point (bring a packed lunch)
• 14:00-15:30 Coached singletrack ride
• 15:30-15:45 Review and next steps

At the end of your course you will receive

• Personalised Feedback
  to remind you of your performance on your course
• An Action Plan
  your coach will tell you what you need to do after your course to consolidate your new skills and progress your mountain biking into the future
• 30 Days Free Support
  if you have any questions about what you've learned or need any other advice

Optional afternoon guided ride

What better time to put into practice all your newly acquired skills than to join us in the afternoon for a superb guided singletrack ride around the local hills and valleys.

Our Singletrack Explorer guided rides are perfect for people who have attended our morning Singletrack Fundamentals course. The ride costs just £30.00 and usually last around 2 hours.

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