How to train a newbie...Such a waste.

adzsubtract

I recently found someone at work who shelled out on a GT Aggressor LE with Revelation Forks. I invited him on a ride, to show him some trails as he said that he had only been out 6 times in a year and all he'd ridden was a tow path. As all rides tend to start he was met with quite a large hill on a path to get to the traills and after climbing 1/4 of the way got off and started to push and this continued throughout the ride. I've suggested that he rides to work, promoting the idea of saving cash and getting better at riding up hills as he lives at the top of a hill, but he doesn't seem interested as it involves pain. He finds the idea of driving to the trails and riding them, but as they are at the top of a hill he will have to ride up at some point. Am I fighting a lost cause to try and get him to ride his bike like it needs to be ridden, i.e hard? Any ideas to try and get him loving uphills?

Herbie The Dog

Suggest a skills course with a trained coach.

Although he can ride his bike how he sees fit can't he? Maybe he's not into MTB as much as you or I are?

Let him learn at his pace but continue to invite him along on your rides...he should get better as time goes on. If not...suggest a skills course with a trained coach.

Plus...I've been riding 20 plus years...and I still don't love uphills.

Mojo_666

So long as he is riding is the main thing, so long as he is going out regular then his fitness will improve and he might be inclined to ride even more, but convincing someone to ride to work, ride to the trails and on the trails themselves when unfit might just put them off..........just take him out to the same trail every weekend for 4 weeks and you will both see the improvement.

Starting an exercise regime is hard and it does hurt and it does take time.

getonyourbike

It sounds like he just can't be bothered to put the effort in and not particularly his lack of fitness which is the problem.

Thewaylander

getonyourbike wrote:

It sounds like he just can't be bothered to put the effort in and not particularly his lack of fitness which is the problem.

This if someone doesn't want to put the work in to be fit to ride, they just like the idea, it isn't gonna happen. and in the mean time he will be making your rides pretty miserable. not everyone is cut out to do a sport some people are just lazy when it comes that.

paulbox

I say get off his back and let him do what he wants to do.

If he catches the bug then so be it, but you sound like a pushy parent to me...

adzsubtract

Thanks for the replies, it just seems to be a waste, but I will invite him this weekend and see. I know that if somone pushes me I wont do whatever they want me to do.

desweller

Go round the trail beforehand and leave a doughnut at the top of each hill

FunBus

can i come riding with you DesWeller??!

Keith1983

I think your thread title says it all "How to train a newbie" you don't train him he needs to train himself. You can try and motivate him and help him out with hints and tips, the most improtant thing is to not let him ruin your enjoyment! Well done for trying to get someone else involved in cycling though!

Monkeypump

PaulBox wrote:

I say get off his back and let him do what he wants to do.

If he catches the bug then so be it, but you sound like a pushy parent to me...

This.

By inferring that he MUST ride hard and love hills you'll just put him off. More reasonable encouragement might work better, then once he starts to see an improvement he can go a bit harder.

popstar

Don't waste your time. Unless he shows interest in it there is no point in painting MTB world in rosy colours. Been there, done that. Although I still keep encouraging my apprentice though.

bentes

He reminds me of a friend of mine about 10 years ago who was very into mtb, bought all the magazines, saw all the tv specials and so on. So he bought an entry level xc bike.
But riding xc was too boring and it's "old men sport", so he bought a high-end freeride machine. Again he knew all the components, riders, taped every show, but riding... not a chance.
We don't have trail centers around here but there are some tracks that are used by downhill riders for training and races, so I took him there so he can test his bike. Riding uphill was a nightmare because the bike was so heavy and he barelly had any cycling hours on his legs. Once we got to the top and rode the downhill trail he took forever to get down. Me with my old 80mm xc hardtail passed him and had to wait more than 10min on a 6~7min trail.

Result: complaints all the way home because that was not a downhill or freeride trail and that next time we had to go to a place where we could drive uphill and one of us should stay in the car to bring it back down. He never rode again, even though I kept inviting him.

Mind: I wasn't pushy at all, always respected his pace, was cheery and we stoped as many times for rest, water and food as needed.

Some people are just not cut out to be practical mountain bikers, only theoretical.

cooldad

popstar wrote:

Don't waste your time. Unless he shows interest in it there is no point in painting MTB world in rosy colours. Been there, done that. Although I still keep encouraging my apprentice though.

That's because you are a sadist and like seeing apprentice crash and die.

specializedsteve

perhaps hes embarassed? i know i am when i have to stop and my mate has to wait at the top. just keep inviting him, as some guys have said, he will eventually get better and as he does he might enoy it more as he gets fitter and try harder. eventually you will see him improve too.

or just arrange to meet him at, say 2pm, you get there before hand, do a lap or two then ride with him and you may be glad for the rests too.

Atz

adzsubtract wrote:

Am I fighting a lost cause to try and get him to ride his bike like it needs to be ridden, i.e hard? Any ideas to try and get him loving uphills?

Maybe just be a pal and ride with him when he wants to ride and let him do his own thing. Why on earth do people want to push people into riding things they don't want to. As long as he's enjoying riding his bike when he does ride, it's good.

nickthegreek78

Hi I have just got myself a new hardtail MTB after not ridden for 18 years 32 now and have started going out with someone who is 55 and is very fit and a enduro xc rider anyway he has been taking me out and teaching me how to ride doing all types technical sections climbs etc etc .

Anyway my point is that if your mate wants to learn and get fit then it will be upto him I was out friday with my MATE TRAINER !!!! And his mate and there age combined was more than treble mine and they were alot fitter than me and on most climbs they were 50yds ahead of me but I did not give up and stop once and cycled through the wall.
"ALL BECAUSE I WANT TO GET FIT AND RIDE BETTER NOT BECAUSE THEY WERE TELLING ME TO DO IT!"

Had my bike for just over a month been out bout 10 times and so far I have gone from just over 16 stone to just over 15 stone so I have lost a stone and the cycling gets harder everytime he takes me but I know that it will only benefit me in the long run!!

rockmonkeysc

Maybe downhill or freeride would be more his thing.

specializedsteve

Have you tried asking him?

does he want hints and tips?
does he find the downhill sections worth the climb?

Just chat to him, maybe he does it for the social side?

You wont know if you dont ask.

let us know how you get on tho.

tiredout

Hi

Just because people buy a good bike, they may not want to do too much on it other than easy rides.
In the short time I have been MTBing I have had a few people come with me with differing outcomes. My Dad (65 yrs old) a die hard roadie for 50 yrs said I was mad to buy a heavy slow tractor of a bike :shock: but then I lent him mine to do a bit of off roading, now he has a hardtail and rides 90% off road and has also got his mate into it . I also have a mate I lent a bike to, took him to a trail center rode with him, took him home and he loved it but will never do it again until I take him because he cant be bothered to sort it out :? . On another level a mate bought a brand new bike, lock, helmet, camelbak, gloves etc etc, rode once, got a puncture brought it round for me to fix then its sat in his shed for the last 3 months .
My kids are bike mad and my wife wont go near a bike.

some you win, some you loose :roll:

mattyg2004

The hardest part about jumping back on a bike after a lay off is your not as good as before.

I was VERY good on a BMX when I was younger/fearless. Falling off didnt hurt back then either.

Now I'm 36 just under 17 stone. when as a kid i had to run around in the shower to get wet.

I had a little off last year doing a bunny hop over a speed bump and my shoulder is still not right.

And my fitness suck big time.

When I was young I'd ride 5 miles to see if a mate was in and if not would just ride home.

I am getting fitter and I do enjoy it its a slow process but each ride i notice I'm getting further and further before I start to feel it.


I ride with a mate who'll go out for a 10 mile run 3-4 times a week up until a few weeks ago I couldn't ride for 10 miles.


Niggling little injuries are also a stopping factor. I've pulled something behind my knee/ top of calf. thats taking forever to heal so have to ride easy. But my brain says go for it my body says shut the hell up and get a bacon butty.


Luckily my super fit mate was 19 stone 18 months ago so knows the process of getting fit even though he's 10 yrs younger. And whilst he pushes me he knows I'm not a quiter.


Go easy on noobs.

You were one once

Atz

mattyg2004 wrote:

Niggling little injuries are also a stopping factor. I've pulled something behind my knee/ top of calf. thats taking forever to heal so have to ride easy. But my brain says go for it my body says shut the hell up and get a bacon butty.

You need to channel Jens a bit more... http://www.owenphilipson.com/blog/2010/ ... t-up-legs/