This month I am going to do a manual challenge where I manual on the flat for at least 30 minutes. From tomorrow I am going to video my training as well so that I can see what I am doing wrong.
05/12/17
Started the manual challenge today was able to consistently manual one parking space width ways and my best was 1 3/4 space widths. Not very impressive but I know where I need to improve. Mainly I was too upright and using my arms instead of getting over the back of the bike and finding the balance point.
Tomorrow I am going to go to a local pump track for an hour or so and then I am going to go to the same place as today and practice manuals again. I am going to take some cones as well so that I can mark out 20m to focus on the 20m and not just one or 2 spaces. I plan to focus on getting lower and over the back of the bike as well.
06/12/17
Did another 30 minutes in the Bath Track car park this morning and made a bit of progress. I concentrated on getting my weight over the back of the bike to get the front wheel off of the ground instead of using my arms and in the 30 minutes practising I increased from half a parking space width to one and a half spaces. I then went to Frome pump track to practice getting my weight over the back of the bike and keeping my arms straight. This is where I made the most progress today going from nose bonking the first 2 doubles to tap manualling them at lower speed by the end of the 45 minutes at the track. All in all I rode 4.2 miles too in the hour and 15 minutes that I was training today.
07/12/17
Was sore when I woke up this morning so I decided to go to the pump track first this morning. Did 30 minutes on the pump track and my manauls are getting smoother and easier. Went to the Bath track car park again on the way home and did my 30 minutes manual challenge which was a struggle as my legs, back, shoulders and arms were all sore. I concentrated on getting my weight over the back axle and keeping my arms straight and I am slowly getting better. I was consistently getting 1 1/2 car space widths and I managed 2 spaces about 6 times over all. Still can’t find the balance point yet but hopefully soon I will and then I should start getting longer distances.
12/12/17
I haven’t done any manuals for a few days as it has been too cold and snowing. Also it is hard to fit in when I am on the early shift! I will try and do some tomorrow lunchtime as I don;’t want to loose the progress that I made last week.
16/12/17
Went to the track today and managed to manual the first jump on the second straight a few times so my manual training last week worked. There is still room for improvement but still I am making progress and I was able to manual it at a much slower speed than I would have been able to before.