Discover a pro's secret ride routine to boost your flow, control, and confidence—indoors.
If you've ever felt lost or unsure how to make the most of your time at the indoor bike park, you're in luck. Head Coach of Minii Adventures MTB Experiences, Charlotte Batty, a pro with nearly 25 years of riding experience and almost 15 years of coaching has perfected a ride plan designed to help riders at any level progress faster, ride more confidently, and sharpen key skills. This isn't just any session—it's the same structured routine Charlotte uses to maximize fun and growth. Whether you want to refine your technique or boost your confidence, follow this ride plan and take your skills to the next level.
Ride Plan:
5 minutes: Warm up off the bike
Skill focus: get the joints and body loose
Do some mobility and movements that feel good for you to get the hips, back, neck and shoulders open.
10 minutes: Warm Up in the Learn to Joyride Area & Pump Tracks
Skill focus: get the blood circulating & warm up the body
Ride around in the Learn to Joyride Area and explore the options to get you moving. Then progress to the pump tracks. Start nice and slow, and don't be worried about having to pedal in your first few laps. The key here is to get the blood circulating, gradually bring our hearts up and warm our bodies up.
15 minutes: Pump Tracks
Skill focus: Pumping, good range of movement (bike-body-separation), trail scanning & looking ahead, body positioning, timing and coordination.
Now that you're warmed up, you can become more active and aggressive when pumping. Focus on smooth and controlled pumping by letting the bike come into you on the uphills and drive down and away from you on the downhills. Start slow, so you must focus on pumping to generate your speed.
10 minutes: Cross Country Course Warm-Up
Skill focus: trail scanning & looking ahead, body positioning, line choice, braking, bike handling skills, timing and coordination.
I like to take a lap or two through the cross-country course to break things up. This helps warm the body further and warms our bike handling skills, timing and coordination, and trail scanning. Focus on good trail scanning and looking ahead to better plan your line choices and when to start braking, pedal, etc.
20 minutes: Jump Lines
Skill focus: jumping, timing and coordination, good range of movement (bike-body-separation), body positioning
Start on the beginner jump line to get warmed up before moving on to the intermediate line and so on. Always roll through the jump line your first 1-2 laps to get acquainted with the jumps (repeat this with every new jump line).
Spend several laps trying to clean the jump line. Aim to clear the 3rd jump first, then the 2nd & 3rd jump, then all three jumps together. Try to clean the whole line ~5 times with the correct and comfortable technique before moving on to the next line.
15-20 minutes: Create Your Own Obstacle Course in the Street Plaza
Skill focus: trail scanning & looking ahead, body positioning, line choice, braking, bike handling skills, timing and coordination, wheel lifts, maneuvering slow and tight sections
Here is where you have to get a little bit creative. The Street Plaza is often a quiet area of the park with lots of space and has a lot of variety in ramps and portable boxes around that you can create an obstacle course. Throw out some cones and build something that challenges you to navigate slow and tight turns (both directions), hop up and roll down off edges and boxes, lift the front and rear wheels, etc.
15-20 minutes: Skinnies
Skill focus: Balance, body positioning, good range of movement (bike-body-separation), line choice, bike handling skills, timing and coordination
Start on wider and straighter skinnies to get warmed up and build your confidence before progressing to hard lines. If you need to, walk the line first to see it through and map out your 'exit strategies' for when you lose your balance.
20 minutes: Cross Country Course Laps
Skill focus: trail scanning & looking ahead, body positioning, line choice, braking, bike handling skills, timing and coordination.
I like finishing my session with several laps on the cross-country course to build some endurance. This will also help solidify your bike handling skills, timing and coordination, and trail scanning from earlier practice. Focus on making really good line choices and cleaning any sections that you may have gotten stuck on earlier.
10 minutes: Cool Down
Skill focus: cool down the body
Either do one final lap really easy on the cross-country course to start to cool down, or head back to the Learn to Joyride area and cruise through the lines nice and easy to encourage your heart rate to come down.
Tips:
Aim for ~5 reps of correct and comfortable technique before moving on to the next challenge or obstacle.
Change one variable at a time when trying to clean something - i.e. technique or speed.
Remember to breathe and take breaks as you go. You're not necessarily riding that far or hard, but you'll find yourself working hard or holding your breath sometimes.
Now that you have the blueprint for an effective indoor session, imagine what you could achieve with expert guidance. Whether you're looking to fine-tune your jumps, master the skinnies, or improve your overall bike control, there's no better way to progress than through professional and personalized instruction. Join one of our indoor mountain bike skills classes, where you will work directly with the Minii Adventures Coaches to elevate your riding to the next level.
If you're a beginner - novice level rider, join our Groundwork Fundamentals Class.
If you're an intermediate-advanced level rider, join our Level Up Workshop Series.
Sign up today and get ready to unlock your full potential! Don't just ride—ride better, smarter, and more confidently.
Comments