Bikepacking / ITT specific coaching.

[Johnallan]

Seems like a great way to spoil the simple enjoyment of riding a bike.

That said, I've never liked spending money or being told what to do, so I'm probably not the target clientele

[SamuelAcier]

Hey, Sam from Acier here.

I’ve been following the discussion with interest and am grateful for the general tone of well-wishing despite this clearly being a ‘niche’ offering that will not appeal to everyone.
I had debated whether it was best for me to remain lurking on the sidelines but there are a couple of things I thought worth clarifying, especially around what I am offering by way of a specific coaching service. So, I’ve bitten.

Firstly, I recognise and understand how crucial a role the right mindset and mental ‘toughness’ plays in Bikepacking events/ITTs (I won’t use the ‘U’-word for fear of causing offence ), and these aspects can certainly be worked on to an extent. I don’t however claim to be able to directly teach this in an abstract manner. I believe that a lot of the ability to deal with challenging situations is built up through experience and specific training for the unique demands of the goal event. Being physically capable and having confidence in that will have a hugely beneficial impact on your mindset and self-belief.

Furthermore, I fully appreciate that some people just enjoy cycling a long way for what it is and do not see value in seeking external advice or interest in training in a more structured manner. However, for those with ambitious goals (more commonly based on personal improvement than competing against others) the assistance, support and accountability that a coach can provide is something which appeals. Intrinsically, this should no less apply to this discipline than any other sport, particularly when the offering is specific to this niche.

Essentially, I have set out on this venture as a means to more deeply immerse myself in this unique niche of the sport, and with the desire to help others who are seeking guidance in fulfilling their goals and ultimately enjoying their experience to the fullest. I won’t try and convince anyone who this evidently does not appeal to, but am more than happy to field questions (on here or directly) about the services I am offering and how these could be of benefit to the relevant audience.

[GoneCaving]

My 2c fwiw, is that it's good to have options. I'm hoping to have a crack at the Tour Divide next year, and decided against a coach, but did decide that Kurt Refsnider's 6-month plan book was worth the price and am finding the structured training plan a useful aid. I'm sure others with more ambitious goals (other than finish and ideally ahead of the broom) or those with more experience under their belt, or those with a network of friends with suitable experience, can manage without.

BaM starting in Jan last year, and just getting out regardless of the weather has been a big part of my mental prep.

[ootini]

I enjoy bikepacking. I find it relaxing, socially engaging, fun, albeit physically demanding at times. I'd say I'm relatively experienced when it comes to bikepacking, but not as experienced as others, of course.
On the other hand, I know sweet FA about 'Ultras'. This year, I've made the decision to enter the Pan Celtic Race Series Ultra. Foolish? Maybe, but you know what? You only live once n all that.

I've no idea if Sam could teach me enough to manage the PCR mentally or physically, but I'd still be interested in what you "could" teach me that might improve my chances, between now and July.
Sam, I'll probably be in touch.

Thanks

[BridlewayBimbler]

I wish the lad all the best in his endeavours to help people do the longer rides, I really do.

And I have nothing but the utmost respect for Lael Wilcox/Josh Ibbet/Sofiane Sehili et al. Any one who does that willingly is different gravy.

But everytime I watch coverage of any of the ultra races, although it looks epic, it also looks utterly f*****g miserable, as do most of the competitors

[Dave Barter]

Have you seen The Sweary Davide?

[redefined_cycles]

Hey, Sam from Acier here.

I’ve been following the discussion with interest and am grateful for the general tone of well-wishing despite this clearly being a ‘niche’ offering that will not appeal to everyone.
I had debated whether it was best for me to remain lurking on the sidelines but there are a couple of things I thought worth clarifying, especially around what I am offering by way of a specific coaching service. So, I’ve bitten.

Firstly, I recognise and understand how crucial a role the right mindset and mental ‘toughness’ plays in Bikepacking events/ITTs (I won’t use the ‘U’-word for fear of causing offence ), and these aspects can certainly be worked on to an extent. I don’t however claim to be able to directly teach this in an abstract manner. I believe that a lot of the ability to deal with challenging situations is built up through experience and specific training for the unique demands of the goal event. Being physically capable and having confidence in that will have a hugely beneficial impact on your mindset and self-belief.

Furthermore, I fully appreciate that some people just enjoy cycling a long way for what it is and do not see value in seeking external advice or interest in training in a more structured manner. However, for those with ambitious goals (more commonly based on personal improvement than competing against others) the assistance, support and accountability that a coach can provide is something which appeals. Intrinsically, this should no less apply to this discipline than any other sport, particularly when the offering is specific to this niche.

Essentially, I have set out on this venture as a means to more deeply immerse myself in this unique niche of the sport, and with the desire to help others who are seeking guidance in fulfilling their goals and ultimately enjoying their experience to the fullest. I won’t try and convince anyone who this evidently does not appeal to, but am more than happy to field questions (on here or directly) about the services I am offering and how these could be of benefit to the relevant audience.

Well said Sam and thanks for posting. You sound (from your post) like a top lad and hope you get a good return on your investment. My mate Faruq C (from Bristol) plans on doing the 1000 miler (or is it KM) Ra*ha event (not officially affiliated to it, but just for the R500) this month starting from Bristol.

I remember him talking about getting confidence from the likes of yourself when he was just about getting through 100 milers. Last year he successfully did the 500km/mile (can't recall which) half version of the same event.

Thanks again and hope for you well...

[jameso]

it also looks utterly f*****g miserable, as do most of the competitors

Big difference between 'tired' and 'miserable' .. though they might look pretty similar! Lael Wilcox in particular always amazes me by how happy she is out there.

Good luck with it all Sam. Must be a fascinating line of work for the inter-personal relationships. And I've always had a lot of respect for anyone setting up to work for themselves.

[Lazarus]

Theybare certainly suffering but would not use miserable to describe them..After all imagine the joy of an apple at the top of a climb ( sweary divide reference ...forget if the video or the blog )

[Mrs Polisherman]

For me, employing a coach to help me prepare for the HT550 this year was definitely money well spent. I had previously trained by riding more and harder, but found that this only worked to a certain extent. In order to get round the HT in under 8 days (my aim) I knew I would need to be able to ride faster than ever before. By employing a coach (one who specialised in older female cyclists) I learnt loads about how to train, fuel and recover effectively and became much faster and fitter. I don't think you can teach the type of resilience required for these kinds of rides, but in my experience going into them knowing that you are physically capable certainly gives your confidence a boost and makes it more likely that you will have the capacity to cope with any adversity thrown your way.

[SamuelAcier]

For me, employing a coach to help me prepare for the HT550 this year was definitely money well spent. I had previously trained by riding more and harder, but found that this only worked to a certain extent. In order to get round the HT in under 8 days (my aim) I knew I would need to be able to ride faster than ever before. By employing a coach (one who specialised in older female cyclists) I learnt loads about how to train, fuel and recover effectively and became much faster and fitter. I don't think you can teach the type of resilience required for these kinds of rides, but in my experience going into them knowing that you are physically capable certainly gives your confidence a boost and makes it more likely that you will have the capacity to cope with any adversity thrown your way.

This is an excellent point Mrs Polisherman and very similar to what I was trying to get at in my Instagram post last week (https://www.instagram.com/p/C0tSw2wIoa5/). That confidence in your physical ability, and having the experience of tackling similarly challenging situations, is only going to impact positively on your mindset. I'm not suggesting focusing solely on physical training (assuming the psychological will follow), but covering the specific physiological demands of the task will naturally entail encountering the situations where the correct psychological approach is required.

I'd also like to thank you all for the positive messages and general support for this venture. Nice to see such a warm tone to the forum. Being a 'niche' area of the support necessarily narrows the target market but I hope this specific focus will appeal to those who appreciate how unique the challenges are for these events. As I state on the website, I'm more than happy to speak to anyone on a no-commitment basis in the first instance so am open to any questions or a conversation on the best approach for you.