Tour du Compétence

TOUR DE COMPÉTENCE

These are cycling drills and skills to practice every ride. No matter how long you have been riding a bike, it is also a good idea to spend 10 minutes each ride working on a skill; it will help you stay safe, better adapt to scenarios while riding, and make you a better cyclist. The skills will range from beginner to advanced bike handling drills and mechanical challenges too; so check in to this page as we post each "stage".

Stage 1:

HAND SIGNALS (link):

Practice while on a painted line to stay nice and straight
Right turn
Left turn

Stop
Slowing
Gravel or glass
Train tracks or speed bumps
Drinking while riding
AND SHOULDER CHECKS!

STAGE 2:

RIDE OVER SMALL CURBS (video):

Use a driveway or parking lot
Start with your wheel being 90 degrees to the curb

Try different approaches
Try different speeds (note: if you go too slow you'll be unsteady)
Try different angles (note: if your wheel is too parallel to the curb it will slip and slide rather than go over the curb)

STAGE 3:

REMOVE REAR WHEEL (video):

Start in hardest gear on your cassette
Loosen skewer, doesn't need to be removed
Whack the wheel to release

Put your wheel back on:

Line up your chain in the smallest cog with chain on the top and bottom of the cog
Push the derailleur and guide wheel through brake pads. Your bike should fall in to place
Tighten and do up the skewer
Make sure your brakes aren't rubbing

STAGE 4:

CONE DRILLS (video):

Set up cones or water bottle or marks with chalk starting at 8-10 paces apart

Weave through the cones, start with lots of distance around cones (turning), then a straighter line (leaning)
Practice different speeds
Move cones closer together

STAGE 5:

SINGLE LEG DRILLS: (video):

Unclip one leg and pedal with the other
Stay stable and ride in a straight line

Focus on equal pressure on the pedal for the whole circle
Keep your bike moving forward smoothly
Try easy and hard gears

STAGE 6:

RIDE SLOW (video):

Start on a straight line
Try different gears

Keep upper body relaxed and look well ahead
Try different surfaces: grass, gravel, sand

STAGE 7:

RIDE IN CIRCLES (video):

Start with a bigger circle and then go smaller
Choose a speed that you are comfortable with, then try slower and faster

Look where you want to go
Push gently with your inside hand to get the bike to lean and turn
When coasting keep inside foot up and outside foot weighted

STAGE 8:

SAFETY ROLLS (video):

Skill for learning to tuck your head and arms in and landing in a way to prevent injury
Great for other sports too
Excellent skill for daily life; how often have you tripped on a sidewalk or fallen down a stair
Fun to practice with all members of your family

This one might seem strange, but practicing how to fall is a great skill to have. At the beginning of Petrina's riding career she had a coach who took their athletes in to a gymnastics gym and learned how to safely roll and tumble. She's convinced it's the reason that she never broke a bone or had a concussion while racing, including the season she went through 6 helmets in racing crashes.

STAGE 9:

PICK UP A BOTTLE (video):

Pick up a bottle from the ground

Start from a higher surface if you struggle with this one

STAGE 10:

DESCENDING POSITION (video):

Practice on small hills then big hills
Feet at 3 and 9 o'clock position
Squeeze your knees to your top tube

Hands in the drops
Elbows in and body low
Look where you want to go
Look far ahead

STAGE 11:

BRAKING (video):

Use both hands equally
Bike should stop at same time foot touches ground
Start slow and build up to an emergency brake situation

Foot on ground should be to the side and a foot from your bike

Keep your brakes engaged until you begin to move again
Resume speed with foot starting at 3 o'clock, big push, pedal, sit, clip in, and keep looking far ahead the whole time

STAGE 12:

DIFFERENT SURFACES (video):

Ride on grass, grave, sand
Ride different speeds

Ride in straight lines, big circles, little circles, weave
Brake and skid

stage 13:

RIDE NO HANDS:

First piece of advice, just try it; if you over think it it is harder
Why? Learning how your bike reacts to small cues from your body and finding your balance point help with bike handling and control
Find a quiet road

Lift both hands at the same time (lifting one then the other changes your balance point)
Starting on a gentle down slope and coasting is easier, then try pedalling
Sit all the way up
Try doing a turn no hands
Put on and take off arm warmers

STAGE 14:

BUNNY HOP (video):

Drill for getting over road obstacles like a pot hole or stick
Practice lifting both wheels off the ground

This demonstration is NOT a drill for getting over curbs where you need to get your front wheel up then your back wheel over, here is link to that skill

STAGE 15:

WEEKLY BIKE CHECK (video):

Check your brakes, pads, spokes, and rims
Double check your quick releases are done up properly
Examine your tires and confirm you have a working tube and CO2 in your saddle bag
Check that all your bolts are tight: handlebars, saddle, bottle cages
Confirm your bearings are tight: wheels, headset, bottom bracket

Clean and lube your bike - EVERY WEEK! (video)
If you haven't cleaned your bike for awhile use this link as a guide
We really aren't kidding, you should be cleaning your bike every week
Just in case you are skimming these guidelines, keep your bike clean!
We have our eyes on some of you, there have been lots of reminders, please clean your bikes

STAGE 16:

CHECK YOUR EQUIPMENT:

Check that cleats aren't worn down and bolts are tight
Check the ratchet on your shoes, is that bold tight?
Shoes can be cleaned in the washing machine, add with towels

Wash your helmet with soap and water and check for damage; dents, cracked foam, broken straps. Helmets should be replaced if damage is present or you fall and hit your head.
Wear your helmet in front of a mirror and check that straps are in the correct place; helmet should be in the middle of the forehead, buckles in place below ears, chin strap has room for 1 finger or less from chin