Sessioning the trail: practice makes perfect

Go back over those tricky sections to hone your technique

Published: November 22, 2015 at 4:00 pm

On long rides it's all too easy to cover tricky sections just once – perhaps not very well – and come away with a sense of disappointment at the end of the day that you didn't really nail it.

Related: Get fitter on every ride with Fartlek

Instead, try to session that taxing segment, hitting it more than once – not aiming necessarily for all-out speed but for how comfortable and controlled you can be through it.

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Once you've pushed back up the section and thoroughly scoped it out, come back to it with a different attitude. Go slightly more slowly and focus on your technique – things like line choice, where you've hit the brakes, and whether you hit certain roots or rocks – or experiment with different suspension settings or tyre pressures.

We often ride trails blind, but getting your technique, vision and line choice right on ones you know will make you ready for hairy situations in future. It'll also give you better appreciation of the trail you're on, or of a certain berm or jump – you just get more out of the experience.