Global Cycling Network did my first proper race on Sunday. Dead last and loving it. Actually found the skills fairly easy as a mountain biker, but need to get some fitness which I’m sure Emma has in bundles!! Ps, what’s going on with Emma’s cables? :/
I love follow this series since that is interesting see develop and I sure Emma will be good in cyclocross. I also got some tip and will try it on my MTB but now are the roads still good and I continue use my road bike.
I am indeed! Bought my first CX bike a week ago, did a proper training session last night, I didn't fall over, so I think it went well! Dismounting and lifting have come pretty naturally, Re-mounting is probably the toughest skill for me at the start! Lifting can be awkward, but I'll get it! 100k gravel race in less than two weeks, first cross race just under 4 weeks away.
Well, I think she's honest about her fears (and cudos for that!) but downplaying her skills. After all, having to learn from scratch doesn't mean that you won't end up being bloody good at it. ;)
This is a great series...Simon understands the mechanics and can explain them well...and Emma is open about her fears and conquering them. I've recently gotten back into cycling a bit after not doing any for 35 years - this and GMBN are great sources of information for everything from technique to gear and maintenance of said gear. Keep up the good work. :)
Emma and Simon have a great chemistry and professionalism for video.That is quite helpful to both experienced and novice riders.Loved Emma's cyclocross learning experiences.
Coaching breakthrough, Si !!! Well done! You got Emma to tell you how to corner rather than you telling her. That's a great example of an athlete-centred approach to coaching. Keep asking open questions that make Emma think (she doesn't does that a lot anyway) but try to use them to focus her thinking on what's important. When you tell her "That's brilliant, you nailed it," ask her to tell you what she did to nail it. Then you're being a better coach and she's getting better, more specific information. I'm enjoying your work!
Emma is comfortable enough to show her fear. I have no doubt that this will probably not be her "first love", but, Emma is game to give it her best shot. GCN should not leave us viewers in the dark as Emma improves her skills and puts her power to Terra firma! Her power to weight ratio will make her a contender in no time!! By the way, nice looking dog at the end of the video!
oh Emma, i love you for this one "i'm not hapy unklicking my right foot when the left one's still in". everybody keeps laughing at me because i'm usually not happy either.... thank you so much for being honest!
I just keep watching these over and over, they are so good! I did my first two cx races in 2018 and already bought my license for 2019, so it's a done deal, I'm racing the whole season!
Cecil Henry, Wiki says "Pooley has lived in or near Zurich in Switzerland since 2006, and in December 2013 completed her PhD in geotechnical engineering at ETH Zurich, supervised by Sarah Springman, a former British triathlete who is a vice-president of the International Triathlon Union.[10][14][54] She received an honorary Doctorate of Civil Law from the University of East Anglia in July 2012"
Even though I have no desire to try cyclocross I am enjoying this series, both Emma and Simon are inspirational, they just inspire me to get my bike out and ride. Thanks both.
I'm a beginner in the mountain biking and cyclocross scene where cornering and descending still freaks me out. Seeing a superhero like Emma admit her fears and willingness to start completely from scratch is really helpful to me
God love Emma when her thinking goes off at a tangent. God love all her companions for staying patient whilst she waffles. So so funny - but very informative
Thanks GCN!! This series has been amazing. I've been joining CX practices on Wednesday nights so these videos have given me a few things to focus on each week. Keep it up Is & Emma!!
@@gcn Had my first race this weekend. I'm hooked and I'll be trying to squeeze as many races in as possible! I'll be keeping an eye on the channel for future tips.
It's amazing to me how much Emma over-analyses everything. I release my mind and my legs follow, riding isn't as theoretical to me but I come from a BMX and MotoX background. I think she was on to something with falling to understand the limits, perhaps extreme corner 😜
I remember a fairly old GCN vid on bike handling skills where Dan advised skidding around on wet grass. I'd certainly start with that before actually going for proper corners and definitely before pratting around on gravel! Consequences for falling there are so much worse than grass!!
I was mountain biking yesterday (crazy I know) and I finished the ride just before a cx race started on that trail. Looked very cool. I can fit 30s on my road bike so I ride cx occasionally but never raced 😀
Nice discussion about cyclocross riding being a perishable skill, much like snow/ice driving is. Just goes to show the need for practice. Good job again guys
Good stuff, but I don't think Si and Emma can comprehend quite how hopeless some of us are. Heretical tips from a fat lad at the back, which have meant I've moved from being a bit frustrated last season to having a blast this year are 1) I dropped my saddle by 1cm from my road position. Thinking about going even lower 2) Ditched the SPD's for MTB flats with studs, and fell running shoes (Inov8 Mudclaw...others exist) 3) Stopped carrying my bike. I wheel it; it's a great support on off-camber, takes weight off my feet running uphill, and in all other circumstances makes a rather fetching zimmer frame. 4) Going to single speed shortly. I only need 4 gears anyway; twiddling, pushing, freewheeling and running.
Just now getting into cycling and I think i will concentrate w/ cyclocross. These series are great!! Im going to have to look for these gem places in Maryland so I can actually practice. Any local folks have any ideas?
Consider changing the saddle to a cross/xc saddle specific, Emma 's saddle looks to have a slight riser on the rear part of the saddle which make it difficult to slide to the rears. With Emma's petite structure,consider the most narrow saddle she can ride with comfort. These two features will allow her to pivot the cycle with confidence and not hang up on side/rear of saddle.
The Berlinickerin yeah she needs a 50/51 cm frame. I suspect this is 52 cm, with is for people between 5,6 - 5.9. I doubt that she is this height, so a slightly smaller one would likely be beneficial, although not entirely necessary.
Practice in a figure of eight pattern choose wet grass or loose gravel also do some mud the faster you can go will help and Yes sticking your leg out for balance is spot on also learn to kick out back wheel use a touch of brake or lean back and out in a jerk manoeuvre the more upright your bike is while doing this the better it is and yes entry speed does count also learning to skid helps a lot
I have motocrossed from when I was 6 and have always favoured my tail brakes because that way I could drift into the corner. Braking force came second, it's about speed and timing I guess. Now I will have to find out if the same principal applies on a gravel bike 🤔
I am watching and enjoying Emma's videos and her quest on CX. I admit I enjoy CX/Gravel riding more than road. Any chance we'll see a new channel? GGN - Global Gravel Network hosted by Katherine?
Is Emma going to attempt the 3 peaks race next year then ??? That'd be a good video.... I personally learnt all the basic techniques of off-roading on a rigid MTB some 25 years ago (and I still trail ride on my hardtail front suspension MTB's as I like that)....I bought a CX bike some 4 years ago and still use the same techniques when I'm riding it and it's all to do with your centre of gravity, line choice, braking, using your arms and legs as suspension and generally getting used to gnarly stuff with the odd crash here and there....I do find that I have to ride on the hoods when I'm off-road, and I did notice that Si is on them but Emma's on the drops....!!! Perhaps the fellas from GMBN could give some advice and some crossover ?
Part 1 was in some local woods. Part 2, Ashton Court in Bristol. Part 3, sone amazing mountainous scenery. I can only assume part 4 will be on the moon......
Is it me, or did Emma lapse into a sciency bit in the middle... the square of the circumference minus the slipperyness of the mud times the speed of the approach plus or minus a dangly foot.
I did my first mud riding today. Was quite fun. Some mountain bikers had to get off their bike. Me nope I just went straight through the mud with my CX bike. Still need to learn how to dismount and mount fast though. That shit seems scary as fuck to me.
I didn't hear anything about fore-aft weight distribution in a grassy corner. You want the rear tire to break lose before the front. I find if you're too far back your front will break loose first which usually leads to a crash. Any thoughts on that, Si?
It would be nice, if you would do more color grading. There are some shots here where the grass looks really dull and almost greyish and others are just absolutely amazing.
You should let your leg hang but not actually let it touch the floor unless you start to slide, it dosent need to do anything unless you begin to break traction. But as you say you ave to be careful around large rocks that might catch your foot
Are you following along with this series or trying cyclo-cross for the first time yourself? Let us know! 👇
Global Cycling Network did my first proper race on Sunday. Dead last and loving it. Actually found the skills fairly easy as a mountain biker, but need to get some fitness which I’m sure Emma has in bundles!! Ps, what’s going on with Emma’s cables? :/
I love follow this series since that is interesting see develop and I sure Emma will be good in cyclocross. I also got some tip and will try it on my MTB but now are the roads still good and I continue use my road bike.
Following :) Lots of these things I actually do when cycling through snow
I am indeed! Bought my first CX bike a week ago, did a proper training session last night, I didn't fall over, so I think it went well! Dismounting and lifting have come pretty naturally, Re-mounting is probably the toughest skill for me at the start! Lifting can be awkward, but I'll get it! 100k gravel race in less than two weeks, first cross race just under 4 weeks away.
I firmly believe I will also finish DFL, but if I don't get hurt and enjoy myself, it will be a worthwhile experience!
Appreciate how honest Emma is about her skills and fears.
Well, I think she's honest about her fears (and cudos for that!) but downplaying her skills. After all, having to learn from scratch doesn't mean that you won't end up being bloody good at it. ;)
How Emma would corner: 1. approach 2. detect angular gravel 3. Get a PHD in it 4. exit the corner and continue xD
Holyyyy shitttt thx. M happi now
This is a great series...Simon understands the mechanics and can explain them well...and Emma is open about her fears and conquering them. I've recently gotten back into cycling a bit after not doing any for 35 years - this and GMBN are great sources of information for everything from technique to gear and maintenance of said gear. Keep up the good work. :)
Hey! Glad you liked it and are making a return to bikes - cheers for the support!
Simon is good
Emma is so humble and understated. A very encouraging role model for men and women alike!
Si-clocross with Emma! Like it!!!
Emma and Simon have a great chemistry and professionalism for video.That is quite helpful to both experienced and novice riders.Loved Emma's cyclocross learning experiences.
Coaching breakthrough, Si !!! Well done! You got Emma to tell you how to corner rather than you telling her. That's a great example of an athlete-centred approach to coaching. Keep asking open questions that make Emma think (she doesn't does that a lot anyway) but try to use them to focus her thinking on what's important. When you tell her "That's brilliant, you nailed it," ask her to tell you what she did to nail it. Then you're being a better coach and she's getting better, more specific information. I'm enjoying your work!
Emma is comfortable enough to show her fear. I have no doubt that this will probably not be her "first love", but, Emma is game to give it her best shot. GCN should not leave us viewers in the dark as Emma improves her skills and puts her power to Terra firma! Her power to weight ratio will make her a contender in no time!! By the way, nice looking dog at the end of the video!
I reckon she will end up winning her first race!
Yep!
oh Emma, i love you for this one "i'm not hapy unklicking my right foot when the left one's still in". everybody keeps laughing at me because i'm usually not happy either.... thank you so much for being honest!
I just keep watching these over and over, they are so good! I did my first two cx races in 2018 and already bought my license for 2019, so it's a done deal, I'm racing the whole season!
we have seen Si teach Emma CX , but when are we seeing , Emma explains her PHD thesis to Si?
Does Emma have a PHD???
That would be a long video
Cecil Henry, Wiki says "Pooley has lived in or near Zurich in Switzerland since 2006, and in December 2013 completed her PhD in geotechnical engineering at ETH Zurich, supervised by Sarah Springman, a former British triathlete who is a vice-president of the International Triathlon Union.[10][14][54] She received an honorary Doctorate of Civil Law from the University of East Anglia in July 2012"
When we're sure that Si's head won't explode?
She is one smart, beautiful, and let's just admit it, sexy, woman... That's why she brings so much style and pizzazz to GCN.
Even though I have no desire to try cyclocross I am enjoying this series, both Emma and Simon are inspirational, they just inspire me to get my bike out and ride. Thanks both.
Matt does Cyclocross... Never gonna forget 😂 #bringbackmatt
favorite GCN presenter is Emma! She is so smart and a great cyclist
Some great moments in this video! Love the genuine beginner questions (e.g. bum on saddle, talking through corners, etc). Brilliant!
Great video. Emma is a genius... literally. Love Simon being so serious.
I really have been loving this series. You both work well together. If I ever cyclocross I’ll use these.
Great video. Kudos to you Emma for being willing to learn something new and overcoming your fears.
S: What does grass mean Emma?
E: Grip!
S: Yay!
E: Green and grass mean grip. What about brown grass?
S: ........
Great series. Great job talking your boss into letting you go to exoctic locations to find gravel and grass too!
I absolutely love Emma for voicing these fears.
I'm a beginner in the mountain biking and cyclocross scene where cornering and descending still freaks me out. Seeing a superhero like Emma admit her fears and willingness to start completely from scratch is really helpful to me
God love Emma when her thinking goes off at a tangent. God love all her companions for staying patient whilst she waffles. So so funny - but very informative
Totally loving this series 😊
Thanks GCN!! This series has been amazing. I've been joining CX practices on Wednesday nights so these videos have given me a few things to focus on each week. Keep it up Is & Emma!!
That's so cool to hear, nice one Jack! Do you race too?
@@gcn Had my first race this weekend. I'm hooked and I'll be trying to squeeze as many races in as possible! I'll be keeping an eye on the channel for future tips.
Brilliant series! Looking forwards to more, already checking out local cyclocross races...
YES!!!! Let us know how you get on
It's amazing to me how much Emma over-analyses everything. I release my mind and my legs follow, riding isn't as theoretical to me but I come from a BMX and MotoX background. I think she was on to something with falling to understand the limits, perhaps extreme corner 😜
I remember a fairly old GCN vid on bike handling skills where Dan advised skidding around on wet grass. I'd certainly start with that before actually going for proper corners and definitely before pratting around on gravel! Consequences for falling there are so much worse than grass!!
I was mountain biking yesterday (crazy I know) and I finished the ride just before a cx race started on that trail. Looked very cool. I can fit 30s on my road bike so I ride cx occasionally but never raced 😀
Why not give it a go?
@@gcn I might have to (:
I ❤️ Emma and Si. Keeping me company on a dreary day trainer ride.
Love these 3 films so far and replacing my Mtb with a cross bike .( keeping the Mtb But gonna ride the crosser more )
Nice discussion about cyclocross riding being a perishable skill, much like snow/ice driving is. Just goes to show the need for practice. Good job again guys
I'm amazed at how Emma is so responsive to training, such an amazing rider!
Emma out geeks the geek with mud and gravel consistency.
"You should never feel "Pressurized" into going faster" :) Thats a good one Si
I love GCN 💘
I love that canyon, its my next cross bike!
Great lesson !
Great series.
Good stuff, but I don't think Si and Emma can comprehend quite how hopeless some of us are. Heretical tips from a fat lad at the back, which have meant I've moved from being a bit frustrated last season to having a blast this year are 1) I dropped my saddle by 1cm from my road position. Thinking about going even lower 2) Ditched the SPD's for MTB flats with studs, and fell running shoes (Inov8 Mudclaw...others exist) 3) Stopped carrying my bike. I wheel it; it's a great support on off-camber, takes weight off my feet running uphill, and in all other circumstances makes a rather fetching zimmer frame. 4) Going to single speed shortly. I only need 4 gears anyway; twiddling, pushing, freewheeling and running.
Just now getting into cycling and I think i will concentrate w/ cyclocross. These series are great!! Im going to have to look for these gem places in Maryland so I can actually practice. Any local folks have any ideas?
Emma always surprise! Great
I'm waiting for the look on Emma's face. When she finds out she needs to learn how to bunny hop.
After watching plenty of riders face plant barriers then Emma’s previous lesson on dismounting and remounting is probably more useful
Would a lower saddle height suit Emma for this, her outside leg looks really straight?
The bike just looks pretty big for her in general, doesn't it? But than, apparently, there is not unlimited frame sizes in cx bikes.
Consider changing the saddle to a cross/xc saddle specific, Emma 's saddle looks to have a slight riser on the rear part of the saddle which make it difficult to slide to the rears. With Emma's petite structure,consider the most narrow saddle she can ride with comfort. These two features will allow her to pivot the cycle with confidence and not hang up on side/rear of saddle.
The Berlinickerin yeah she needs a 50/51 cm frame. I suspect this is 52 cm, with is for people between 5,6 - 5.9. I doubt that she is this height, so a slightly smaller one would likely be beneficial, although not entirely necessary.
Whos the composer ? The music is brilliant! That's what sets this channel apart is the whole production.
I wish this had been published in the summer - I came of my cross bike turning onto some gravel from the road and broke my collarbone in 2 places!
GCN SQUAAAD🔥🔥
Practice in a figure of eight pattern choose wet grass or loose gravel also do some mud the faster you can go will help and Yes sticking your leg out for balance is spot on also learn to kick out back wheel use a touch of brake or lean back and out in a jerk manoeuvre the more upright your bike is while doing this the better it is and yes entry speed does count also learning to skid helps a lot
You rock Emma 🙂👍❤️
did you do that "foot out" and CLIP BACK IN with matt, too?
Nice relaxed laid back tempo in these vids
Riding without breaks taught me that 2nd cornering technique.
I did my thesis on semi-saturated soil mechanics, or, in layman's terms, how sandcastles stay up
“Gravel modularity”. It’s happening!! Emma is pooling cyclocross together.
Now I imagine Sven Nys sitting in front of his television and frantically scribbling along to catch all the real science lingo! Haha!
I have motocrossed from when I was 6 and have always favoured my tail brakes because that way I could drift into the corner. Braking force came second, it's about speed and timing I guess.
Now I will have to find out if the same principal applies on a gravel bike 🤔
Never done Cyclocross (don't have a suitable bike) but it does seem fun. Would probably go for a gravel bike if I switched from road, though.
Emma, the leavers adjusted to your finger reach is very important for braking.
I am watching and enjoying Emma's videos and her quest on CX. I admit I enjoy CX/Gravel riding more than road. Any chance we'll see a new channel? GGN - Global Gravel Network hosted by Katherine?
Emma's a frickin' scientist :D
just a suggestion where you rider /practice in such lovely areas perhaps you could add the location in the info to the video or a GPX ref
Please do a video on that gorgeous inflite
Is Emma going to attempt the 3 peaks race next year then ??? That'd be a good video....
I personally learnt all the basic techniques of off-roading on a rigid MTB some 25 years ago (and I still trail ride on my hardtail front suspension MTB's as I like that)....I bought a CX bike some 4 years ago and still use the same techniques when I'm riding it and it's all to do with your centre of gravity, line choice, braking, using your arms and legs as suspension and generally getting used to gnarly stuff with the odd crash here and there....I do find that I have to ride on the hoods when I'm off-road, and I did notice that Si is on them but Emma's on the drops....!!!
Perhaps the fellas from GMBN could give some advice and some crossover ?
You guys need to do a cyclocross series from a mountain biking background
So, basically Neil does cyclocross. I'mso very much in favour!
My be further in the series si you will explain braking in the corners whilst still peddling. & peddling round the corner with inside foot un clipped!
Is a Canyon Inflite cf sl a good allrounder???
Part 1 was in some local woods. Part 2, Ashton Court in Bristol. Part 3, sone amazing mountainous scenery. I can only assume part 4 will be on the moon......
The Italian Dolomites I'd think. Probably near their sponsors Alta Badia ?...
We were thinking maybe Hawaii? Sand and that...
I'm guessing Simon or Emma replied......., Dan would have suggested Weston-super-Mare, for the sand oh course. 😀
Is it me, or did Emma lapse into a sciency bit in the middle... the square of the circumference minus the slipperyness of the mud times the speed of the approach plus or minus a dangly foot.
Where are you guys filming this...it's beautiful!
Alta Badia.
Where on Earth is that fantastic mountainous training ground, it doesn't look like Derbyshire or Wales to me? She is really good, I like her!
I did my first mud riding today. Was quite fun. Some mountain bikers had to get off their bike. Me nope I just went straight through the mud with my CX bike. Still need to learn how to dismount and mount fast though. That shit seems scary as fuck to me.
I didn't hear anything about fore-aft weight distribution in a grassy corner. You want the rear tire to break lose before the front. I find if you're too far back your front will break loose first which usually leads to a crash. Any thoughts on that, Si?
When do you get to the mud? Imo the hardest part of cross is cornering in the mud
Soon we hope, we're praying for it!
Which valley is this? Looks like Austria?
This is for Emma. Try rollerskating . If they still haveva inside rink. Eight wheels not inline
Having done that PhD probably also means that you've studied the substances involved in CX from up close already, no real need to repeat that.
What model is the Canyon bike your using ?
Yeh si cycling must be fun fun fun
Another bit for Top 10 Devious Ways To Beat Your Mates: CX Edition has been dropped! 😁 But effing hell... Those poor blades of grass. 😂😂😂
I made a little video on just this subject! I've developed a tactic called CCA- check out 5 tips for your first cyclo-cross race!
What else will Emma be doing soon?
Is 650b legal in ‘cross? Can’t help but think Emma could throw the bike around more with smaller wheels
Where is this?
10.49 Don't You Wanna Know - Staffan Carlén
It would be nice, if you would do more color grading. There are some shots here where the grass looks really dull and almost greyish and others are just absolutely amazing.
not sure cyclocross was invented to ride in the dolomites. Seems like more a UK or Belgium kind of thing--more rain and mud. :) great videos.
Is Emma going to compete in a race like Matt did?
12:50 Emma: "I'm a bit of a slow learner" - false modesty
Happiness is dabbing your leg in a loose corner.
Oh yes!
dab on the haters!
"Basically yeah, annihilate all grass." XD
Dat backdrop though!
I came here for 13:02
absolute unit
I also appreciate doggos
One important question arising from this video. Long sleeve Si?
The music that started around :45 or so was mixed too loudly.
Emma's tyres; "pumped up for a road ride with mates - still got dropped". Who the heck are Emma's mates?
You'd need a tron suite to match that bike!
Grass is gr.... gra... grass is ...... Aw hell. I'm just going to look at the pretty mountains in the background.
I noticed that Is is almost always on the hoods and Emma is in the drops. Does it matter or is it a matter of personal preference?
So is a natural coach. Not everybody can do that.
Doesn’t leaving your leg dangling like that make it easy to twist/sprain your ankle?
You should let your leg hang but not actually let it touch the floor unless you start to slide, it dosent need to do anything unless you begin to break traction. But as you say you ave to be careful around large rocks that might catch your foot
No but it makes you crazy slow and fredlike if you do it every corner.