A YOUNG CYCLIST'S GUIDE TO SUCCESS

What “success” means is open to one’s own interpretation, but hopefully it means you will love to ride your bike for the rest of your life. We gotta set one thing straight right off the bat, bike racing is HARD and becoming a professional bike racer is even HARDER. I've heard bike racing compared to slamming your hand in a car door for “x” amount of time. And as Greg Lemond said, “it never gets any easier you just get faster”.(hopefully)

When it comes to being a professional bike racer (on the MTB side in Canada and at any point in time), there have been more people walk on the moon than spots on teams that will allow you to race and have something in your pocket when you finish the season. Being a professional rider means way more than just riding and racing your bike and could be whole other blog post but in short you are a salesman/woman. 

• You need to love to ride your bike. Period. End of story. That’s not to say you won't have days that you won't want to look at your bike. It’s healthy to take time away from your bike. But overall you have to find a meaning to your riding. Maybe its finding a good group to ride with or volunteering to teach little kids to ride OR if you’re a roadie, get a MTB and play in the dirt every once in a while.
  

• Get a coach; and if you have a coach listen to your coach. Even if it’s just someone to bounce ideas off like a mentor or an older racer you can speak to after a race. It doesn't have to be a daily training plan or testing, just someone (other than your parents) you can talk too. Parents don't get mad you’re the second most crucial piece to this puzzle and your support will be needed at many points. My coaches, if they are reading this, are probably swearing right now as I resisted coaching I really did and I still don't know why. But at least I was lucky to have some awesome older racers take me under their wing. Even if it meant racing in a dress. (story for another day) 
  


• Fake it until you make it. This saying does apply to cycling but don't take it too literally. Don't throw logic out the window. If it’s your 2nd year racing don't race 100 days a year and train 1000 hours because the “pros” do it. Things you should fake are “eat like a pro” “stretch like a pro” “act like a pro” AND “prepare for a race like a pro”
  


• Learn the difference between an outcome goal and a process goal. Set high goals but realistic goals and learn the difference between an outcome goal and process goal. 
  

• It’s not about the bike. Gonna give that one to LA. Do the gears work? Do the tires hold air? Do the brakes work(ish)? Then you’re good to go. Don't worry if you don't have the lightest newest most expensive gear.
  


• Form a relationship with a shop or a couple shops. The key word here is “relationship”. They work both ways. (Remember that with the ladies too boys.) Don't walk into a shop and demand to be sponsored because you ride a bike. Ask them how you can help them out. For example, can you lead a shop ride? Ask if you can volunteer a couple hours a week working on bikes? Shop owners and employees are some of the most passionate cyclists out there and would love to teach a youngster some wrench skills
  


• Don't Dope. Just don't. 
  


• Politics and conflicts of interest in cycling run high. If you’re 14 years old, you probably don't know what those words mean and I hope you don't find out too early. This paragraph may mean nothing at the moment but may mean a lot in the future. Stay focused on YOU and your goals and lean on your support structure when you need to when these things pop up. But Stand up for yourself, quietly (no FB or twitter rants) and respectfully open that dialogue up and state your concerns and position.


• Get a part time job. Cut lawns, shovel snow, wrench at a shop, work at a ski hill in the winter. It’s not about the money it’s about having some structure and gaining at least a little work experience
  


• Stretch


• Don't drink or do drugs. Not because its “bad” but because it will negate any kind of training you do. If you bust out a hard 4-hour ride, then get wasted with your buddies, you may as well have just sat on the couch. BUT be a kid, get in a hair of trouble, go to parties but be the DD (with a license of course). 
  


• Testing numbers doesn't mean much when the gun goes off. If numbers meant everything “then we would all line up with our power to weight numbers on our number plates and then go home”. I heard that recently and its very true. They are relevant to you and are important but they don't decide the race.


• Watch the film “Without Limits”. Borrow it, buy it, steal it; just watch it. Ok, maybe don’t steal it.

This list could probably go to 100, in short bike riding and racing is awesome. You will get out of it what you put into it.