Category: BALANCE

This workshop is a little ‘SAME SAME BUT DIFF’, today we will be looking at the ABBCD Check but on the MTB. As it’s a very different machine mechanically we need to do things slightly differently.

As we have touched on before, when it comes to bikes we always need to make sure we are taking care of our gear so they;

• stay in good working order
• don’t break from neglect
• don’t malfunction and cause us to crash and hurt ourselves

Today we will be taking you through the ABBCD Check as it applies specifically to a MTB as well as some basic mechanics activities.

From Workshop 10 we can remember that ABBCD stands for:

• A – Air
• B – Bar plugs
• B – Breaks
• C – Chain
• D – Drop!

VIDEO: ABBCD with MTB

QUESTIONS: Get into groups, lift your bike up and drop it a SHORT height from the ground – what sound does it make? How does it sound different to a BMX?

INTEROCEPTION: TORQUE IT UP!

Grab a Torque wrench from the toolbox, what happens when we get to the correct torque? Where did you feel it? What did you feel?

To keep things (bikes, car, us!) running smoothly we need to do some maintenance from time to time. If we are talking about a friendship it might mean checking in to see if someone is ok if you haven’t heard from them for a while.

When we think about bikes we always need to make sure we are taking care of our gear so they;

• Stay in good working order
• Don’t break from neglect
• Don’t cause a crash or injury through failure.

Today we will be revisiting the ABBCD Check as well as teaching you how to change a tyre.

The ABBCD Check stands for:

A – Air
B – Bar plugs
B – Breaks
C – Chain
D – Drop!

VIDEO: Lighthouse Youth Projects 101s – Flat tyre repair

QUESTIONS: Get into groups, grab some tools and see if you can repeat the steps to take the wheel of a bike like you were going to change the tyre.

INTEROCEPTION: LET’S GO NUTS

Grab a spanner, try and tighten the wheel nuts, how does it feel? Where did you feel it? What did you feel?

In this workshop, we are going to be looking at:

• teamwork
• inclusion
• adaptability
• decision making.

and how these skills play their parts within the cycling fraternity, as well as how important they are to help you to become engaged in your local community.

From what we have learned so far, you probably wouldn’t take a road bike down a super hard downhill MTB trail, right? And whilst you could ride a long travel MTB up the road to the top of a hill, it’s probably going to be really, really hard!

Decision making becomes a factor when we decide what bike we might rider on what terrain and whether our skills will allow us to ride without crashing. Being able to take a few moments to assess the risk vs your riding ability and your surroundings can make a huge difference in the outcome. Ideally where you avoid ending up in an ambulance!

GUEST RIDER: PRO RIDER VISIT!

ON THE BIKE: DIRT JUMPERS AND MTBs
Today we will be rolling out to a cool local riding spot to see how a specific bike can be used for different terrain.

QUESTIONS: Where do you think you have made a bad decision and what would you have done differently? Your mentor’s will kick off with some of their experiences to get you started.

INTEROCEPTION: PARK n DIRT!

Ride your bike on the skate park and then on the pump track, think about your HANDS. Where did you feel it? What did you feel?

MTB FOCUS!

In today’s environment, it’s pretty rare to learn skills that cannot be adapted to be used in many different areas of life. Bike riding is actually very similar. There are many different types of cycling you can choose to do, where the skills you have for each are transferable. 

The idea of transferable skills is what we will be focusing on in this workshop.

These are the main categories of bike riding:

• Road cycling
• Mountain biking
• BMX
• Commuting.

Within each of these categories are sub-categories for instance, Mountain biking has Cross Country or XC, Enduro, Marathon, Freestyle and Downhill.

VIDEO: Intro to MTB – BIKE SETUP & MTB RIDER READY

VIDEO: Intro to MTB – RIDER READY

ON THE BIKE: RIDER READY!

As a group try riding through in waves demonstrating the RIDER READY position. See if you can:

• Communicate clearly what the RIDER READY position is to another person
• Hold the RIDER READY position so we can go HIT THE TRAILS!

INTEROCEPTION: MTB TIME!

Think about how different it feels to ride a MTB.

What does it feel like? Where can you feel it?

Living life at light speed can seem exciting but sometimes it can all get a bit too much. We can get burnt out, too tired, fall behind in the things that really matter and become pretty unhappy.

This workshop will focus on the importance of the following skills;

• Self-discipline
• Negotiation
• Resilience
• Adaptability.

A good analogy for adapting to this style of life is how we might approach a jump on a BMX. Come in too fast and unprepared and there is a pretty good chance you will crash and get really hurt.

Taking those extra moments to exercise self-discipline, slow down and assess the risk can make the jump a lot safer and really, really fun.

VIDEO: Lighthouse Youth Projects – Jumping

ON THE BIKE: PUMPING

AIM OF THE GAME – basic skills and air time!

Today we will be working on the basics of jumping, and how focusing on the basics and deliberate movements can actually translate into some sweet air time!

INTEROCEPTION: PUMPING!

Where did you feel it? What did it feel like?

Oooo sounds deep, doesn’t it? Well kind of…

Today we will be looking into where you can ride safely, the basics of goal setting and how this can help in all areas of life.

Think of life as one big road trip. You can go through life without any goals and everything might be just fine. Sometimes though, the simple act of identifying a goal and working towards it can be very satisfying and take you on a path you never expected.

Goal setting can be extremely varied. Goals can be:

• Short term or
• Long term

Short term goals could be:

• ‘by the end of the week I’m going to ride my bike three times’

Long term goals might include thing’s like:

• getting your drivers licence
• saving up for a new bike
• Finishing the school year
• Deciding to go to TAFE or University

Even long term goals can be broken up into small achievable goals, this makes the BIG seem not quite so big and also gives you a sense of achievement and satisfaction along the way.

Today we are going to put that into practice with setting a goal for EVERYONE to try their hand at a BUNNYHOP!

VIDEO: Lighthouse Youth Projects Bunnyhop instructional video

ON THE BIKE: RE-VISIT BUNNYHOPS!

AIM OF THE GAME – BUNNYHOP – It’s time to revisit our bunny hops to see if we can jump over the limbo poles. Your mentors will be reminding you of the bunnyhop basics to get you off the ground! 

ACTIVITY (no questions this week – WHOOP!)

Where to ride safely:

Plan your route from home to school, skate park or trails using the Cycle Instead Interactive Map.

INTEROCEPTION: PUMPT!

Everyone head outside, grab their bikes and practice Pumping on a feature.

Where did you feel it? What did you feel?

This week we will be focusing on FOOD & NUTRITION and giving you some easy ways to look at what you’re eating and if this is going to make you feel the best when you’re getting on with living life to the fullest.

It’s safe to say that if we don’t put the right ‘fuel in’ then we might not feel the best. Does anyone know what happens if you put normal petrol in a car that has a diesel engine? IT’S NOT GREAT!

When we eat the right foods, we expect to get the following benefits:

• More energy – and more consistent energy levels
• Easier to maintain a healthy weight
• Lowering instance of things like obesity, heart disease, diabetes. 

VIDEO: How To Fuel For Cycling | Bike Ride Nutrition Explained

ON THE BIKE: ADVENTURE TIME

AIM OF THE GAME – to go visit a local healthy food option and compare the differences between what you might eat at home or what other foodservice companies (the dirty big M) might offer.

INTEROCEPTION: HUNGER GAMES!

Think about when you are hungry, where did you feel it? What did you feel?

In this workshop, we will be focusing on CODE SWITCHING.

WHAT IS IT?

Code-Switching is changing your existing behaviours that might be classed as negative and switching them up for something more positive.

An example might be if you swear a lot? Try changing the words you use to make them less offensive.

Where Code Switching is really important is when we are on our bikes, when we are SHARING THE ROAD.

Today we will investigate what is respectful and correct road use, and also how obeying the law and relationships with the Police come into play.

Key points to remember from today will be:

• Showing leadership
• Being respectful to others
• Influencing positive behaviour
• Communication.

CHATTING POINT: BRIAN BLYTHER

VIDEO & ON THE BIKE: LIGHTHOUSE YOUTH PROJECTS 101S – Pumping

AIM OF THE GAME Use the skill of pumping to get pace or air at our riding spot! If you can’t master the skill, make sure you code switch when you get frustrated!

INTEROCEPTION: FREE YOUR MIND

Today it’s an activity of your choice – BE CREATIVE!

Week 3 hey, nice work! This week we will be working on our communication skills and also on self-reflection.

Communication skills are useful in so many ways and areas of our lives. Being able to listen well means you may be better at following instructions. Improving your communication skills may help you become better friend by being able to talk about things that are making life tough.

We need communication skills to tell others how we are feeling which can also make activities like teamwork work a lot better. It’s really hard to know what exactly is going on in someone else’s brain and that goes for others trying to work out how you might be feeling.

If you can do your best to put this into words it can create a positive outcome for everyone.

VIDEO & ON THE BIKE: LIGHTHOUSE YOUTH PROJECTS 101s – BUNNYHOPS

AIM OF THE GAME – GET HOPPING – Today we are going to see where you’re all at with a bunnyhop and think about how we can improve on this skill!

If you can already bunnyhop, AWESOME! But think about what you can do to go higher or longer.

If you’re having a bit of trouble, DON’T STRESS! Think about one thing you can focus on to practice and improve!

INTEROCEPTION: HOP TO IT!

For this activity, we would like everyone to try and do a bunny hop!

• Where did you feel it?
• What did you feel?

Today it’s all about keeping safe in the environment you are in. So what does that mean when we are at school, on the bike or even out with our crew on the weekends?

RISK ASSESSMENTS form a big part of staying safe – a Risk Assessment is where you look at your surroundings and determine:

• What is a risk?
• How can I limit it with my behaviour or changes in behaviour?
• Do I want to continue as is or change my behaviour to reduce or remove the risk?

If we look at riding bikes there are a few important things that we can do to lower the risk to ourselves and others around us.

VIDEO: BMX Rider Ready

ON THE BIKE: Local riding spot scope out.

INTEROCEPTION: HELMETS AWN!

Today we are going to do some simple helmet adjustment.

• Where did you feel it?
• What did you feel?