Youth Cycling Coaching and Mentorship

The importance of a varied 'Education' on the bike

Youth cycling coaching is about fun and trying many different disciplines to gain valuable experience. The value of a varied 'education' on the bike can be seen in the current professional ranks, with many top professional riders combining road racing, mountain bike, cyclo-cross and track racing successfully. Indeed, over-specialisation at an early age can lead to injury and burnout. Even if your longer term goals are focused on one discipline, the transferable skills, such as a powerful seated sprint and high leg speed from track racing or the bike-handling skills from off-road racing are hugely valuable.

At this stage, all riders will be combining sport with full-time education and we are in a good position to advise on how best to manage this and create a healthy balance without excess stress and overtraining. In the Youth category, riders develop physically at different rates and this can often be a key determinant of race results. As you grow older, late developers catch up, so it is important to keep things fun and remain patient. Now is also the time to form good habits, from nutrition and sleep to bike maintenance, as the habits and skills you develop now will last a lifetime.

As well as multidisciplinary events throughout the UK, many Youth riders choose to race abroad, with popular stage race events in the Netherlands attracting hundreds of Youth riders from all nationalities and a large British contingent. These Youth Tours offer a fantastic opportunity to gain valuable experience and make new friends and we can advise on the practicalities of racing abroad and making the most of the opportunities available.

Cycling can be an expensive sport and we offer a bespoke Youth cycling coaching and mentoring service for Youth category riders at a reduced rate of £60 PCM. This includes all the features of our Level 1 coaching plan with additional post-event feedback.