dismount and carry the bike for a bit, we were told to take a few steps and then launch ourselves forward off the left foot onto the bike, where our feet will hit the pedals, clip in and we can be on our way. Travis seemed to master this quite well, but this was the hardest part for me. I instinctively wanted to launch off my right foot since it's my dominant foot, the one I always use to start pedaling or jump into the air or to start a sprint. Telling my left foot to launch was difficult and I was able to do it a handful of times, some of those resulting in my pelvis missing the seat or catching the very edge and busting my pubic bone and as much as that hurt, I was certain I was fairing better than most dudes when they attempt this for the first few times. Hitting the pedals was really hard and I mashed my ankles on the pedal edges a ton. We then put all the pieces together and rode around in circles following Bill, dismounting, carrying, remounting and repeating and then he just watched us for a bit, doling out advice and letting us practice. Travis was new to her bike and I was on the road with mine for so long that we forgot how tiring it was to ride around on grass! Gotta practice riding off road or do some more mtbing.
Lastly, we were ready to go over a barrier! Bill had us practice running at it next to the bike and just going over with the bike to get used to the height and how it feels running at it. A barrier stands 16 inches high so it's not like a hurdle, but being short, I had to really pick up the bike to get it over without banging my back wheel on the top of it. We do this a few times and then the moment we were waiting for was here: riding and going over the barriers! Travis and I lined up and we started towards the barrier and 1-2-3, we were over! Woo-hoo! Success!!! We practice this some more, picking up speed and working on all the parts to make it better. *Bliss* When you put it altogether, it looks something like this:
We ended shortly afterwards, not having enough time to work on cornering, but Trav and I were a bit tired and ready to pack it in anyway. The three of us chit-chatted for a bit, asking questions and learning a final bike handling drill before we headed back to our cars and started back home. Next month we will be heading back up to Easton to meet with Bill to work on cornering, another important skill for cross racing. Thanks Bill for a great clinic!
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