Preparing for the Event
You dont have to be as fit and fast as Sarah Ulmer or Hamish Carter, but you will have more fun on your bike and at the Kids Bike Jams if you are fit, and have been out on your bike practising.
So to help you get ready for the Jams heres some training suggestions;
5 - 7 Years
If your child is doing the short child and parent course, they will be cycling 2-4 km, depending on venue.
This is designed to be a fun participation event, not a race, so the best thing is to make sure your child can cycle off road, over bumps and round the odd obstacle! It is not suitable for children who are still on trainer wheels.
To prepare them, take them out a few times before the day on grass or four wheel drive type track, that has some bumps! Get them used to going over tree roots and uneven ground.
Practise them starting and stopping by themselves, as well as going around trees or cones.
Those children who are relatively new to cycling might need to go out a few more times for up to 30mins to build confidence, as when there are lots of other children around them they tend to lose concentration!!
Once they are more confident, find a few slopes they can whiz down and practise braking etc. Take them out for longer.
7 - 9 Years
Your course will be 4 .5km - 5.5 km, which is likely to take up to twice as long off road as on a smooth pavement.
This is a rough guide, and days and length of time will depend on initial fitness, but for 5 kms, you need to be fit enough to cycle continuously for 30 mins off road.
|
|
Week 1 |
Week 2 |
Week 3 |
Week 4 |
|
Day 1 |
Bike 20 - 30min (1) |
Bike 30 - 40min (1) |
Bike 30 - 40min (1) |
|
|
Day 2 |
|
|
|
|
|
Day 3 |
|
Bike 40 - 50mins (2) |
Bike 40 - 50mins (2) |
Bike 30 mins - practise skills |
|
Day 4 |
Bike 20 - 30min (2) |
|
|
|
|
Day 5 |
|
Bike practise skills (3) |
Bike practise skills (3) |
Short ride |
|
Day 6 |
|
|
|
|
|
Day 7 |
|
|
|
Event |
Where possible all practises should be off road, even if its just on the local playing fields.
Week 1
(1) Ride on the flat, making sure you go for at least 20mins.
(2) Make it interesting. Make a course for yourself that takes you over some bumps (tree branches are good for this). Practice going in between trees. If you dont have any trees near by, use some cones or an old pair of shoes.
(3) On this ride go to a river or park and practice riding on dirt track, over roots, grass and gravel. Also practice going up small slopes just be careful on the way down. Make this ride a longer ride about 40mins.
Weeks 2 and 3
(1) Ride on the flat, making sure you go for 30mins. Go a little bit faster than in week 1, but remember to still be careful.
(2) Make the course a little bit harder. See how fast you can do it and then try and beat your time.
(3) On this ride go off road ride to a river or park and practice riding of road, on grass and gravel. Also practice going up hills just be careful on the way down. Make this ride a longer ride about 40mins.
(4) On this ride, do a few sprints. Find a park and mark out 50m (you dont have to be exact) and then race up and down it, having two minute rests in between each one.
10 -13 Years (More Experienced)
You will be riding 9 - 10 kms depending on venue, you dont need to be super fit but be able to comfortably ride for 45 mins.
This programme is a rough guide, and days and length of time will depend on initial fitness. However, your child will need to be able to ride for 45 or more minutes. As a rough guide off road cycling usually takes twice the time the same distance would take on a pavement or road.
|
|
Week 1 |
Week 2 |
Week 3 |
Week 4 |
|
Day 1 |
Bike 30 min (1) |
Bike 40 50 min (1) |
Bike 40 - 50 min (2) |
|
|
Day 2 |
|
|
|
|
|
Day 3 |
Bike 30 40 min (2) |
Bike 35 - 45mins (2) |
Bike 40 - 55 mins (3) |
Bike 35mins (2) |
|
Day 4 |
|
|
|
|
|
Day 5 |
Bike 40min (3) |
|
|
Bike 30min skills practise |
|
Day 6 |
|
|
|
|
|
Day 7 |
|
Bike 40 min - skills |
Bike 40 min - skills |
Event |
Where possible all your practises should be off road, even if its just on the local playing fields.
Week 1
(1) Ride on the flat, making sure you go for at least 30mins.
(2) Make it interesting. Make a course for yourself that takes you over some bumps (tree branches are good for this). Practice going in between trees. If you dont have any trees near by, use some cones or an old pair of shoes.
(3)On this ride go to a river, wood, or park and practice riding on dirt track, over roots, grass and gravel. Also practice going up and down slopes just be careful on the way down. Make this ride a longer ride about 40mins.
Weeks 2 and 3
(1) Ride on the flat, making sure you go for 35 - 45mins. Go a little bit faster than in week 1, but remember to still be careful.
(2) Make the course a little bit harder. See how fast you can do it and then try and beat your time.
(3) On this ride go to a river bank, wood, or park and practice riding on dirt track, over roots, grass and gravel. Also practice going up and down slopes just be careful on the way down. Make this ride a longer ride about 40mins.
(4) On this ride, do a few sprints. Find a park and mark out 50m (you dont have to be exact) and then race up and down it; having two minute rests in between each one.
Fun off road
For all age groups we advise that you try and get to the venue or a local mountain bike area and have some fun on the tracks.
For information on where to go - get a copy of the Classic NZ Mountain Bike Rides (edition 5) book, it's great and is available at most bike shops.
Suggested MTB tracks - but check out the book first!
-
Auckland - Woodhill Forest, Whtiford Forest, Hunua Ranges
-
Rotorua - Mountian Bike Mecca, and one of the first purpose buit parks - Whakarewareaw
-
Taupo - Craters of the Moon
-
Hutt and Wellington - Hutt River track, Rimutaka Incline, Makara Peaks (not suitable for small kids and real beginners), Karipoto Gorge - return trip to river and back - rocky, Koro Koro Stream track, Whitireia Park - Titahi Bay
-
Canterbury - Bottle Lake, Hammer Tracks, Lake Sumner
-
Invercargill - Oreti Beach, Sandy Point
-
Otago - Naseby Forest, Ranfurly
-
Dunedin - Swampy Summit
Tips from the Experts
"Be sure your bike is in good condition, and tyres are inflated properly as you don't want a puncture. Be careful not to go too hard at the start, and give other riders room. Always look well ahead down the trail so you have time to see what obstacles are ahead, and look for the smoothest parts of the course to ride on. Carry a drink bottle, and look for flat or smooth places on the course to drink. But most importantly........ relax, and have fun! Good luck!"
Mark Leishman, Bike Wise MTB Bike Team
"Every mountain bike race can be very different so it helps to ride the course before you race and visualise how your gonna ride it.
Find out which foods work best for you before hard exercise. If it's a long ride, carry energy food in your pocket and carry water or know where the feed stations are. Don't forget your puncture repair gear. Before the race its important to eat a good carbohydrate meal and drink lots and warm up.
When hill climbing, lean your weight forward and more if its steeper, use a consistent pace, keep an even pedal stroke to keep your traction, look to the top and don't stop, aim to catch your breath on the downhill. When going downhill, momentum is the key, keep your centre of gravity back and relax, brake before corners not on them, go for a smooth flowing ride and fly over obstacles. Only look where you want to go"
Myra Moller, NZ Secondary School MTB Bike Champ
"I would have to say that the most important thing for young riders to remember is to relax. This applies to both climbing and descending. When climbing, try not to tense your fingers and toes. Pedal with a smooth action, and try to feel comfortable on the bike. When descending, keep your head up and let your body flow over the bumps. Don't try to be too aggressive, as this will not make you faster... instead, learn where your limits are, and ride just below that level.
Finally, have heaps of fun! This is what our sport is about, weather you are a beginner or professional."
Kashi Leuchs, Professional MTB Biker
Other Tips
Punctures Its really easy to get a puncture when mountain biking, so make sure you can mend inner tubes, and change a tyre. Practise the course - if you live near enough.
Bike gear get your brakes and gears all checked out. Learn how to repair a puncture and change an inner tube.
CLUB RIDES
Most clubs do not take kids out under the age of 16 years. But check out the NZ Mountain Bike web site www.mountainbike.co.nz/clubs, to see what clubs near you are doing.
Here are some links that will help you on your way....
