2024 MTB Planner For Achieving Your Riding Goals

On 12/26/2023

As the 2023 MTB season is winding down (for many of us) it is time to prepare for next season. If you are serious about becoming the best Mountain Bike rider or racer you can be, now is the time to act. Use my 2024 MTB Planner For Achieving Your Riding Goals

All the knowledge in the world is worthless without action.

Below is an abbreviated version of the questionnaire I use with my full-time athletes to evaluate their season and design their training program for the next racing season.
Use this to evaluate your riding “performance” in 2023 and plan to Mountain Bike your best in 2024!

At some point, this fall or winter take a break from riding (if you haven’t already).

Two weeks off the bike can do wonders for you! Hike, travel, surf, relax, read, do anything but ride your bike. Your body needs a break from riding and so does your mind.

Don’t worry, two weeks off the bike won’t hurt your fitness much and for most of us, it will make us stronger as we give ourselves enough time to recover from so much time spent on our bikes. A lot of time on the bike is not always the best thing since it becomes really easy to create in-balances and overuse injuries.

During your break set your goals for 2024. They are your goals so I won’t tell you what they should be as we all want different things out of riding and life.

I will tell you to set measurable goals that you feel are within your reach if you work enough.
In fact, too high a goal makes it is easy to give up and too easy a goal doesn’t motivate you.

Examples of great goals my students have set are: “Clean Widow Maker Hill!”, “Improve my max squat by 15% by April 1st.”, “Shave 10% off my fastest time on the long loop at McDowell by May 10.”

If you are a racer be careful to not just set outcome goals, set performance goals too, as it is impossible to control how your competition performs!

For example: I really wanted to win the World Masters Championships in 2006, but I had no idea who would show up or how hard they had been training (two things I can not control). so just setting the goal of winning might have set me up for failure despite possibly having my best performance ever.

Although one of my main goals was to win that race my other goals were:

Shave 7% off my race times from 2005 (where the tracks are the same in 2006),
Increase my max squat by 50% (to where it was when I was 35) by April 15th, to
Decrease my 40 meter sprint times (on my downhill bike) by 20% by July 15th.

For each of these goals I set:

Sub goals. Examples: Increase max squat by 25% by Jan, 1. Increase my cornering exit speed.
Process goals. Examples: Do my cornering drills for 10 minutes 5 days a week. Work up from one five-minute imagery session a week to six 10 minute imagery sessions a week by July, 15.
Once you set your process goals focus on the process, not the outcome!

If I achieve or surpass all of my sub goals and process goals I will know I have done everything in my power to perform at my best on race day. In fact, I did this and I ended up third. I didn’t win but I prepared and raced my best.

After I got over the disappointment of not winning I was pretty proud of my effort!

Schedule your training and drill time! You may have great intentions but life has a way of interfering. My schedule often wasn’t detailed enough, for example, I had Wednesday and Sunday as my interval day but often Wednesday evening would come I had not done my intervals. Scheduling my intervals for 10:00 am every Wednesday and 2:00 pm every Sunday would have been better.

Adjust your schedule. A schedule is designed to help you, not be a dictator that makes you feel guilty when you can’t follow it. If you realize you have scheduled too much in a day adjust it so you have time to follow it.

Do you keep a riding/training diary? A diary is a big help in the following exercise and throughout the season since it helps you find factors that lead to changes in performance.

If you haven’t kept a training diary in the past, start now. A training diary helps you learn what parts of your training are working and what parts are not. Reviewing it can explain “peak” performances and poor performances and is a great confidence booster by tracking all the hours of training you have put in.

Your training diary should contain all information that affects your performance:

morning HR (heart rate),
recovery HR,
weight,
hours slept,
hours of training,
time spent doing skills drills
time in HR or power zones,
time using imagery,
mood,
what you eat, etc.

Once you have established your diary it will be easy to find out “why” and test eating, sleeping, and training concepts.
Why did I feel so strong today? Why did I feel so sluggish last week?

Simply look for patterns. For example:

“When I do my vision drills before my ride my Strava times drop by 10%”
“Wow, every time I eat pizza for dinner I feel sluggish two days later.”
“When I eat a big breakfast and do a morning ride I feel weak (need to eat earlier or lighter?)”,
“Surprisingly I climb strongest the day after doing my favorite workout including squats and ab work”.

If you really want to ride at your best start a diary today. Google docs/drive is the perfect tool. Just set up a spreadsheet and once you get it rolling it will only take five minutes a day to keep up.

Here is the abbreviated version of the questionnaire I use with my full-time students to help you analyze your 2023 season and help you set your goals for 2024.

Download the Printable PDF version

Step One:

Assess your racing season and your riding ability. Honestly and objectively answer the following questions about your 2023 season.

Did your skills improve over the course of the season?
What are your strongest skills? (cornering, jumping, steep descents, steep climbs, technical climbs, etc.)
What skills need the most improvement?
How did the season go physically?
Did you start strong and get stronger as the season went on?
Did you fade in late July and August? Why?
Did you have the optimum combination of sprinting speed and endurance?
Did you pick 3 to 5 big races/rides to peak for? Were you able to peak for those races?
How was your mental game?
Were you confident and riding to your potential or did you find yourself riding below the level that you know you are capable of? Why?
What factors helped your confidence this season?
What factors hurt your confidence this season?
Did you have a comprehensive training program? (mental, physical and skill) What part of your program worked? What parts didn’t work?
Did your riding/racing improve as the season went on?
Did you create and write down concrete goals?
Did you reach your goals?

Step Two:

Print out and answer the following questions to evaluate your strengths and
weaknesses to set the foundation for your 2024 season training program.
The answers below are examples to help you. Please edit and add your own goals. Don’t stop at 3!

Riding/Racing Goals:

Career goal: Racer, Win World Championships. Passionate rider, Ride the Whole Enchilada trail in less than 3 hours.
Three-year goal: Racer, Consistently be within 10% of winning pro time. Passionate rider, increase skill to the point of being able to confidently ride double black diamond trails in British Columbia.
This season’s goal: Racer, Greatly improve my cornering and obstacle skills so I can be much more efficient. Passionate rider, Greatly improve my cornering and obstacle skills so I can be much more efficient.

Physical Training Goals, to allow me to reach my goals:

Increase my squat by X%.
Improve my balance by doing balance exercises for 5 minutes every time I go to the gym.
Do more intervals and fewer junk miles.

Skills Training Goals, to allow me to reach my goals:

Example: Work on my cornering body position to increase traction in flat corners by doing drills 1 and 3
Example: Work on my fundamental body position when seated and when standing, the hinge (see this article)
Work on my obstacle skills, especially getting up and over obstacles without losing momentum (see this article)

Mental training Goals, to allow me to reach my goals:

Practice imagery 3 times a week for 10 minutes
Practice all riding skills deliberately by doing the drills correctly to improve my confidence (nothing improves your confidence more than competence in the skills needed to ride your best)
Improve my ability to put mistakes behind me and return to the now while riding/racing

Read this article on creating a Step by Step plan to ride at your best.

Step Three:

Act on your training program! Ride. Workout. Visualize. Constantly update your goals and training program based on improvement or lack of improvement.

REMEMBER, unwritten goals are just dreams. Goals you write down you will commit to and strive to reach.

For more inspiration read my article on Exceeding Your Mountain Biking Goals By Not Focusing On Them.

What skills produce the biggest results? Check out my hierarchy of skills article to get the biggest bang for buck practice wise: Hierarchy of Skills

Good luck next season and feel free to call or e-mail with any questions.

Cheers
Gene

Comments

0 Comments

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

Rider Reviews

Thanks again, you were a great part of my succees for 2005. I had the best year of my life. Part of which at the age of 52, I entered numerous mtn bike races, podiumed 5 times and won the Texas Mountain Bike Racing Association series for my division.

Your instruction, professsionalism and emails went above and beyond all expectations.

Kent Wells
2016

Thanks Coach Gene for your time the last 2 days! Your coaching is spot on! I’m so lucky to have had the chance to spend this time learning from the most passionate mountain biker out there – one who cares about the sport and all the techniques that go into it! Total respect! That’s all I have to say! If anyone is questioning or “thinking” about signing up for his camp- DON’T , just do! Thank you Gene!!!!

Gretchen Wavro

This was by far the best use of both money and time in regards to my mountain bike training.
Its 3 days of my life I will never forget.

Jim, BetterRide Camper

The results are starting to trickle in as I have the time to ride some of my local rides that I track my times on. I’m astonished!

My descending time from the summit of Chimney Gulch to the Beaver Brook cross over dropped from a personal best of 6:51.0 to 5:46.0, for the bottom section it went from a personal best of 13:42.0 to 10:12.2. Considering that I really haven’t had enough time to practice a lot yet, I’m stunned at the improvement. I can also say that I felt more in control than I used to and I cleaned a section I’ve never had the balls to even try before.

Again Gene, I can’t thank you enough. The camp was great. Your ability to break skills down into digestible parts, watch riders and help them refine techniques, your humility and sense of humor make you a world class coach. I’ll be taking your next level two clinic this year and probably a refresher next year.”

Mark Forgy
Expert XC racer, Mountain Bike Fanatic

Just wanted to give you an update and let you know that I am starting to experience the delayed effects of your camp. I knew when the camp ended that I was leaving with some new skills that were helpful immediately. But I also knew there were other skills that were going to take more practice, patience and time. Well, I’m starting to see them.

I’ve been practicing descending the way you instructed us but until the last couple of weeks, I knew I was still faster descending the way I always had – I was just more comfortable that way. But in the last couple of weeks, it all kind of clicked.

I’m not winning any downhill races – yet – but all of a sudden (and it really did seem to happen pretty suddenly) your techniques took over and instead of just using them at low speeds only when I thought about it, I was using them all over the trails and feeling pretty comfortable. Now I find myself only reverting to my old techniques when I come into a corner already off balance. Anyway, thanks, it’s a great feeling – can’t wait to use them on race courses this year!

Sarah Kaufman
Top Pro Endurance Racer

I just wanted to let you know that I’ve had big improvements in my racing this year after taking the betteride course (about 10 minutes improvement from last year). I got 2nd place in the beginner category at Eldora, then placed 15th out of 35 in the Sport category at Winterpark in my first ‘sport race’. I passed people on the downhill for the first time in these two races, and am feeling much more confident on the downhills (I hit 31.5 mph max on a tight singletrack in the Eldora race).

Jonathan Jones

Tonight was the first night of practice cyclocross races. The cornering techniques I learned in you camp last weekend rock on the cross bike. I was able to carry speed through the corners and off cambers that I could only dream of last year!

I actually found myself cranking up the speed before the corners instead of braking. Nobody else is using this technique. I found my self keeping pace with stronger riders just on cornering skill alone. Imagine after I’ve a had a few weeks to practice.

I had best time of my life on a mountain bike at your camp, and look forward to doing another one next spring.

Chris Cornelison
September 24, 2010

I took your Neshaminy clinic in June. I wanted to fill you in on my race results. I raced all season in the Midatlantic Super Series in Women’s Sport. I won the overall championship! I am so happy that I won! I will be moving up to Elite next year.

I’ve been doing the drills you taught for 20 minutes, twice a week. I almost always preride my race courses. I work on hard sections to figure out the best lines. Since the clinic, I have noticed that my balance has improved tremendously.

So, Gene… thank you for the clinic. I still tell all my riding buddies about it. Especially how you break down the mechanics of everything that you teach. I let them know how you explain the physics behind the techniques. I tell them that the learning environment you provide is the perfect way to learn something, practice it, and really get it. I’d love to do a refresher course.

Angie Wallace
September 15, 2009

Attending Gene’s camp in Sedona was one of the best decisions that I’ve ever made. You can read skills articles and watch the youtube videos all day, but these will never engrain the skills needed to become a good mountain biker.

Gene’s course teaches you all of the primary skills, and then he drills them into you. You repeat these drills under his watchful eye until the become engrained. It’s been about 9 months since I attended the course and I still hear Gene correcting me if I’m going about an obstacle or turn in the wrong position.

I still make every ride a learning experience because of what he taught, and my riding has improved immensely as a result. Thanks Gene!

Steven Peyton
August, 2018

Just wanted to show you what your lessons made me do this past weekend! If you click on the photo or link to the photo album look through the album and on the 2nd page, bottom row, there’s a great shot of me doing what you taught me to do with my elbows-totally Brian Lopes style.

I was impressed to see myself doing that-a big change in my riding style and I know it’ll make me faster in the long run.

So thanks and I may have some time coming up where I can make it to one of your camps-I’ll let you know.

Amanda Riley, Kenda, Titus, Hayes Team
Winners of 2008, 24 hours of Old Pubelo

Thanks again for holding the camp last weekend. I was finally able to get out and ride yesterday on the falcon trail (loop that goes around the Air Force Academy). There are two sections that I have had problems with in the past. One is a tight turn with two drop offs that are oddly spaced and the landing slopes off into some bushes. I’ve ridden the trail a dozen times and walked that section most times. Once I tried it and endo‘ed into the bushes. When I rode it yesterday, I cleared it with confidence.

I kept repeating to myself “Do or Do Not – There Is No Try” I relaxed, saw the line I wanted to take, found my balance and went through the section very controlled – it was great!

The next section is a steep switchback climb with a ton of sand. I have never made that turn, although I have tried to every time I’ve ridden the trail. This time I approached the switchback using the techniques and strategy you taught us. The result – made it! No problem!

The last thing I noticed is that the whole ride was smoother. I focused primarily on the vision techniques – and body position skills. The ride felt slower than what I normally ride, but it was actually six minutes faster! Absolutely amazing!
Brad
Oct. 8, 2008 (5 days after his 3-day coaching session)

My son took your camp in winter park at age 14. He is 16 and just completed the Laramie Epic (30 miles) last weekend. He placed 2 in the age bracket 0-29. He continues to use your techniques and tips. Smooth is fast! Your worksheets are worn out and weathered from continued use! Worth it….you bet!!!

Sheila Palmer
July 2019

Your camp gave me the confidence to go out and try a few races this summer. My first race was in the beginner 40 to 45 age class in the “Point to Point” cross country race in Winter Park. While I certainly did not break any records – I at least had a respectable finish and more importantly had a total blast.

My second race was a Super D (much more my style in that there is MUCH less uphill cranking) at Winter Park where I got a second place finish in my age group. 3rd race was a Mountain States Cup Super D race in Copper where I came in tenth. Again no records but still having a total blast.

My friends the same age as me think I am crazy doing this stuff but I think they are crazy to be sitting on their arses. Again, thank you for giving me the confidence to go out there and try some racing and hopefully in the near future I will be in another one of your camps!

Will Edgington
September, 2009

Thanks for the e-mail. By the way, after completing your camp in Arizona, I dropped 5 minutes off my previous best lap time at the 12 hours of Temecula mountain bike race (59 to 54 minutes). Obviously, this was a significant breakthrough.

I’ve also noticed that by being a smoother and more efficient rider and by decoupling my body from the bike, I exert less energy and travel faster. “Looking to victory” works like a charm. Most importantly, the basic skills I was exposed to in your camp (and continue to develop) have made mountain biking more enjoyable.

Keith
January 2008

I’ve been wanting to pass on a personal success story. I participated in my first mountain bike race in Copper Harbor, MI. I placed 6th in my age group (over 6 min. behind 3rd place) on a very technical course. Considering the field, I was happy with the results.

My goal after the BetterRide camp was to be in the top 3 in the same race with a similar field. With my new found skills I placed 1st this time with 2nd place over 7 min. behind. I tore it up! Thanks, I’m always telling people that no matter how much they think they know how to ride a mountain bike, they owe it to themselves to attend one of your camps. A year later I still practice my skills every time I’m out.

BTW, a while back you suggested some reading material. I chose Body, Mind Mastery by Dan Millman. (in audio book form). Not only do I feel it helped my mountain bike skills with things like, how tension is counter productive and how the “opponent is not the enemy, but instead the teacher” it also helped me in my own personal life. Good recommendation!
Keep up the good job.

Rich Schmit
April 2011

Gene and fellow BetterRiders!
I have been smiling all day long today, thinking about our rad weekend together! I taught 4 of my kids how to do wheelies today and they thought I was super cool for a solid 5 minutes until they had it completely mastered and were smoking past my on their rear wheels.

Thank you forever, Gene, for sharing your passion and deciding to teach. An empowering, motivating, completely exhilarating weekend. I feel like a little kid on Christmas morning with my new toy. It was a total honor to cross paths with you all!

Currently standing on one leg while I brush my teeth and dictate this email…
Jen

Friends took the 3 day a while ago and really enjoyed it.

I didn’t think I was ready for that but I hired him privately for most of a day. Best experience going. It helped my skiing also. Eyes, eyes and balance via movement on the bike.

Steamboat in the rain…..

John Rostenbur

MTB Skills Camp in Fraser, CO. It was amazing. Phenomenal skills coach, Coach Gene Hamilton, literally broke down the fundamentals of mountain biking in 3 days. Super fun fellow campers. Enjoyed every bit.

Now I need to practice and strengthen some new neural circuits. If you want to improve your MTB skills, no matter your level, take a course from Better Ride.
Patricia George

Thank you, Gene! I thoroughly enjoyed your skills camp. One of the most effective learning environments I have experienced to date. Now it is all about due diligence!

I am interested in a “day with Gene in Moab” and future course offerings.

Ryan Bertram

Gene, The first thing I did was buy some cones. My drive way is pretty steep so can do switch backs there. My pedal wheelies are coming along. Yesterday I had a bit of a breakthrough ride with my vision. On a ride with some small drop offs I realized by using the vision technique I was more balanced, more comfortable and jumped further without trying.

That was the best clinic I have ever done. Thanks for the reading list. I’ve read a number of those books but I now have more to read.

Don Leet