Dismounting and remounting.
Getting on and off the bike is trickier than it looks for beginners… and even some experienced racers.
Firstly, you’ll need to control your speed up to the obstacle so that you are not travelling too fast when your feet hit the ground. Giving yourself enough time to start the process is key: leave it too late and the process will be a rushed mess or, even worse, you won’t be off the bike before you need to be. Have your hands on the hoods so that you can feather the brakes.
For right-handed riders, unclip and swing your right foot round the back of the bike over the rear wheel so that all your weight is through the left foot still clipped into the pedal. For you to be able to continue in a straight line you will need to lean your body and bike to the right with the top tube pressed against your hip.
As you approach the obstacle, place your right hand onto the top tube and put more weight through your hands and unclip your left foot to hit the ground running. I prefer the “step off” method, rather than step through, just because stepping off can be used 100% of the time while step through cannot be used on slower dismounts.
When you need to remount the bike, put both hands back on the hoods and run a few steps with the bike to get up to speed. Shove the bike forward with your hands and take off from your left foot, swinging your right leg over the saddle and gently landing the inside of your thigh on the saddle before sliding on. As quickly as possible, get the right foot down onto the pedal and push away hard on the pedals. This process should be reversed for left handed riders. Of course you can follow all of these tips but if it does go wrong just remember to style it out!
If you have any further questions don't hesitate to get in touch with ian@veldcoaching.com