Offroad skills training - fitness...

jolyon_russ · May 15, 2008

So I've booked myself on the Offroad skills course for July 13-14 and was wondering if I can do anything specific to raise my fitness beforehand.

I've not been riding for almost a year due to my last bike was stolen and after taking an F800GS out for a test ride about an hour and a half was pretty knackered the next day.

Since then I've been cycling to work partly to save money but also to try and raise my general fitness level.

So, apart from riding can anyone suggest some specific exercises to prepare myself for the off-road skills. I have a push bike, some free weights and live in very hilly part of north London.

Jolyon

Tim Cullis · May 15, 2008

Take something that weighs 200kg, drop it on the floor, then take one end and stand it up again.

Seriously though, the worst bit for me was walking besides the bike over rough ground controlling the speed of the bike with the clutch. This is probably easy if you are tall, but I am not.

Mind you, on one of the courses it was 32c in Wales and that was really severe.

jolyon_russ · May 15, 2008

I don't think my free weights go that big :mmmm

Loiq · May 15, 2008

appart from picking the bike up :blast

and walking and clutch control circles and all that, take a camel back I was drier than the desert... after sweating buckets trying to get the affectionatley named bastard bike from hell back out of a ditch.... :blast

oh and take headache tablets for the hangover on the second day.... :augie

other than that just be careful don't ride beyond your limits :blast

(mental note to self next time I break my hand try and get a refund or film it for you've been framed) and have a good time... :thumb2

Slowdown · May 15, 2008

I joined British Military Fitness and feel miles better. There's loads of classes on London and quite a few other places around the country too. I found the Off Road Skills more mentally than physically demanding. But I had an XCountry and didn't drop it much.

If a balanced diet for you is a pie in each hand and the only exercise you get is reaching for the remote control you may suffer.
Otherwise you'll be ok.

The best practice for the course is sitting on your bike learning how to do lock to lock figure of eights, IMHO.........

jolyon_russ · May 15, 2008

Argh, camelbak - another thing I need to buy and so much choice:

http://www.cyclestore.co.uk/rangeViewer.asp?categoryID=80

Slowdown · May 15, 2008

jolyon_russ said:
Argh, camelbak - another thing I need to buy and so much choice:

http://www.cyclestore.co.uk/rangeViewer.asp?categoryID=80

They provide tons and tons of free water in little bottles and plenty of stops to drink it, so don't just buy a Camelback for this. Unless you're itching to flex the plastic....

jolyon_russ · May 15, 2008

I'm not a pie muncher, but not a marathon runner either, have been fair weather cycling to work for the past month or so.

Flexing of plastic is to a bare minimum at the mo, trying to save for the impending delivery of my F800GS

Blue Sweeper · May 15, 2008

7 pints in the Abercrave Inn the night before should do it. :beer:

Taff · May 15, 2008

Slowdown said:
They provide tons and tons of free water in little bottles and plenty of stops to drink it, so don't just buy a Camelback for this.

Exactly. Personally I wouldn't use a Camelback, it's just more weight to lug around and believe me you'll be sweating like a pig anyway. When I went on the course the stack of free water bottles were about 6' high :eek

and you'll soon pick up the nifty way to transport a couple of bottles on the course.

Don't worry too much about your fitness level, there were some seriously unfit ones on my course and they coped ok.

Slowdown · May 15, 2008

Seriously though, speaking to Simon Pavey about such things ('cos I was worried about fitness too) he said the best thing to work on before a course is slow speed manoeuvring skills. And you know - he's right!

The worse you are a slow speed riding the more you'll fall off. And the more you fall off the more knackered you'll get. And the more knackered you get the worse your slow speed riding becomes.......... ad infinitum

jolyon_russ · May 15, 2008

Does riding a mountain bike slowly count as slow speed riding?

When I took the 800 out for a test ride I did do some laps of a busy car park to see how it was at slow speed, felt quite comfortable, that's speed bumps, reversing cars and 2up. I'd say my balance it pretty good as well which is probably half way there.

Ya know what, I reckon I'll be fine!

:gringo

Jolyon

davegs · May 16, 2008

Off road

found the worst bit was when you satrt, you have to walk around the bike
(1200) keeping it upright with your hands, then holding the bars with your left hand, swing your leg over and get on the bike, all ok so far. As my leg was going over the seat the whole lot fell over on top of me and every one
had hysterics. Picked it up ok but that was the only prob, good day out well reccomended'
dave gs.

STUBBS · May 16, 2008

plenty of liquids and just enjoy your self pre worrying will taint the experience :thumb2

Loiq · May 16, 2008

old but still good... :thumb2

shready · May 30, 2008

As others have said, practice figure of '8's and circles at low speed, getting tighter.

You will have to do these on stoney ground whilst standing on the pegs.

Personally, I would take a CamelBak or cheapo alternative, far more convenient IMO.

Dress lightly and have thin off road gloves if possible, you are gonna sweat.

I booked for three nights and stayed over on the last day, worth it because you will be knackered.

It's not really fitness you need, it's stamina (I don't think that is the same is it?). The course is quite fast paced at times and you will drop it, if you don't you're not trying hard enough

I broke two ribs, ouch!

Above all, ENJOY, it's a great course

Slowdown · May 30, 2008

shready said:
It's not really fitness you need, it's stamina (I don't think that is the same is it?). The course is quite fast paced at times and you will drop it, if you don't you're not trying hard enough I broke two ribs, ouch!

Above all, ENJOY, it's a great course

While I too thought it a great course - I didn't find it fast paced at all. At the time I thought it slow, but with hindsight(what a wonderful thing) I think it was just about right. Although I'd loose that 'have a go on another bike' thing and just spend more time practising what you've learned.

Ruts hold no fear for me anymore!!!

araspitfire · May 30, 2008

jolyon_russ said:
Does riding a mountain bike slowly count as slow speed riding?

Jolyon

I believe so... My past experience on motorcycles before I took the course included a 350 Honda on-off road bike and a bit of very unskilled gravel road riding... followed by a 12 year break from motorcycles... I did, however do a fair bit of mountain biking during that time, and got comfortable riding slowly down rough single track technical... Add to this a total shattering of confidence of laying my 1200 on it's Right side 3 times (once on gravel) during the 1.5 years preceding...

Never dropped the WOBMW 1200 by accident once....

I think the confidence that I could ride slowly, plus the 'it's not my bike, don't care' feeling... allowed me to have an easy go of it. Worst part for me was the committed bits like the long downhills... rear wheel slipping along... grip of death till at the bottom feeling... As long as I could slow the bike down to a walk I was fine...

This all transferred beautifully to my trip to Morocco a few months later too... didn't drop it once over 12 days of similar riding

Al...

shready · May 30, 2008

Slowdown said:
While I too thought it a great course - I didn't find it fast paced at all. At the time I thought it slow

I thought it started slow too but it quickly gathered pace.

I was in the middle group of the 3 and the 2 guys running the group pushed it too far too quickly at times. On day 2 I dropped back a group and found the instruction far better from Gary Taylor who was running it.

One thing to definately do is get the lead instructors mobile no onto your mobile.

I don't want to go into why I advise this but they did make a big mistake.

David Lee · May 30, 2008

I did the Level 1 course last year after only having had my GS for 4 weeks or so and after a 15 year layoff from any sort of bike riding.

Had a great time on a 1200GS,

Fell off more than most in my group but survived undamaged and wore my Rallye Pro 2 gear. Hired the boots from WOBMW.

I spent far too long worrying about what might happen before going and didnt sleep much the night before but quite honestly, these guys are good at what they do, put you very much at ease and listen if you tell them you are running out of steam... I'm 50 and not very fit at all.

The best advice has already been given earlier.....ride within your limits and set your own pace. Above all enjoy it. I certainly did.

Dave :bounce1

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