Hi lads
... id like to improve my bike skills.
I live in London UK.
A lot of the pros will tell you that
mountain biking is a great way to improve your skills. I've found that almost everything on dirt transfers well to the road. I mean, if you're concerned about safety loaded up and flying downhill on a sketchy surface, than simple low friction mountain bike trails are the way to go.
The track that's being built looks like fun, but it's not going to prepare you for that off-camber downhill turn with gravel or sand in the corner.
And if you're looking for fun, as you know, plenty of great mountain biking around London.... Just don't get sucked into the macho, over-your-head runs that might leave you injured and unable to make the trip of a lifetime. Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.
Second thought: Take an inventory of the skills you'll need on the road. Handling a loaded world tourer will seem second nature after the first thousand miles. Bike handling, though important to avoid injury, will come with time and patience. As you know, your loaded mountain bike behaves nothing like an unloaded bike, and there are specific skills you'll only learn on the road. On the other hand,
how are your mechanical skills? I was impressed by an astrophysicist I met on the trail last summer who considered a job/internship at a NY bicycle shop an important part of his preparation. Also,
have you been camping recently? A couple of weekend overnights will do more to ensure an enjoyable trip than playing on a concrete track with a competive bunch of adolescents, who ride like they don't have to go to work on Monday.
Best of wishes.
