| Error |
Correction |
Drill/Test Reference |
| Athlete stops pedaling when changing gears. |
Athlete must keep pedaling while changing gears. Instruct in "soft pedaling" or moving the pedals without any great force. |
Shifting Gears Drill |
| Athlete doesn't change gears despite changing terrain. |
Review proper selection of gears while riding alongside the athlete. |
Hill climbing/descending drills |
| Athlete looks at gear levers while changing gears. |
Encourage athlete to keep looking in the direction he/she wants to go versus looking down when changing gears. |
Shifting Gears Drill |
| Athlete is pedaling too slowly and struggling while going uphill. |
Encourage athlete to anticipate changing terrain and switch gears in anticipation. |
Shifting Gears Drill |
| Athlete has bike in too easy of a gear, causing uncontrolled spinning. |
Ride alongside athlete to help him/her understand changing terrain and switching gears in anticipation of change. |
|
| Athlete's gears don't seem to be working properly due to shifting errors (derailleur is making excessive noise, chain comes off). |
Review proper gear selection and shifting techniques to determine if gears aren't working due to mechanical reasons or due to human error. Review how to "feather" the derailleur for extreme gear combinations where they may be "cross chained." |
|
