Riding Over Obstacles

Objectives:

Student Objectives:
1.  The students will use their bodies as shock absorbers.
2.  The students will demonstrate good balance in riding over obstacles.
3.  The students will understand how to use momentum to get over obstacles.

Teacher Objectives:
1. No one ride without a helmet.
2. The students will get plenty of practice time.
3.  The lesson should contain over sixty percent of activity time.

Equipment
Bicycles, helmets, and pads. A hill with trails that contain obstacles.  It would be good to have several trails for all abilities.

Instant Activity
Steering Challenge

Set Induction
When you are out on a tail sooner or later you will run into a obstacle. The type of obstacle you can ride over is a rock, branch, rut or ledge.  You will not be able to ride over boulders or logs.  Has anyone rode over small obstacles while riding down the road?  On level ground it is much easier to control the bike.  Today the challenge will be to ride over the small obstacles while also riding down hill.

Progression
1.  Flat surface (black top).
2.  Slight hill.
3.  Easy mountain trail.
3.  Steep hill
4.  Advanced trail

Task
When riding down the hill:
1.  Keep your speed up until only a couple feet away.  If going uphill, keep pedaling.
2.  Use your body as a shock absorber.  Bend the knees and elbows.
3.  As you approach the object, stand up slightly, your weight should be on the pedals.  Pedals should also be level with one another.  Do not brake.  The bike tire should be perpendicular to the obstacle.
4.  Once the obstacle is reached, shift the weight to the back of the bike and grip the handlebars tightly.  When the front tire hits, absorb the impact by bending the elbows and knees.  The front wheel will rise towards you, that is what you want.
5. After the front tire clears the obstacle, push the handle bars away from you.  do not lock the elbows.  This should help your weight move back onto the front tire.
6.  Now stay off the seat and let the rear tire roll over the object.
7.  Ride on!

Refinements/cues
1.  Use the momentum you have established.
2.  Body is a shock absorber.
3.  Suck in and pull on handlebars.
4.  Weight back and off the seat.
5.  Let rear wheel roll over.

Challenge
1.  Clear all obstacles while riding down the hill.
 
 

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