1/05/2011

Welcome to TakeAim Cycling!

       The new year is here and presumably some of you have a few goals to meet. As you might have read from the "mission statement" on the right of this blog, my goal is to help mountain bikers of all levels improve their trail riding skills. The benefits of being a more technically capable rider is far reaching for the overall enjoyment of such a great sport. Here is a list of why skills coaching is beneficial:
  1. Safety: The better you are at handling your bike in a variety of terrain the safer you ride.
  2. Efficiency: Instead of fighting the trail, you work with the earth to save energy while gaining speed. An efficient rider can also ride longer, extending your range of exploration.
  3. Less Mechanicals: A smoother rider has better control of their bike, and will have to visit the bike shop less. Or the hospital
  4. Broadened Horizons: The better a rider you are, the more places you can ride confidently. 
  5. More Fun: A smoother rider scares themself less, can think more about the surroundings instead of the bike and will have a solid skill base to improve upon for future skills.
  6. Racing: A mountainbiker and a road racer enter a mountain bike race. The roadie has all the numbers from training to prove they are much more fit and stronger than the woods rider. The mountainbiker wipes the earth with the roadie. Why? Practice... An efficient mountain biker has the advantage that a regular coaching program doesn't cover. 
      I learned to ride a mountain bike from riding with better riders. Early on I believed that paying for lessons seemed counter to the nature of mountain biking. Over the years I have changed my tune after countless experiences of providing helpful tips to people that immediately made them better and more confident riders. I grew up taking tennis and swim lessons twice a week for years and looking back on that experience I believe in the power of repetition with a good coach.
        For the past few years I have coached and given skills lessons to friends and aquaintences. I now plan to bring the things I've learned in my past seven years as a professional cyclist to anyone who wants to progress in their riding.

Thank You

Harlan Price

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