Progression Pathways: Is it time for your next big upgrade?

In today's Progression Pathway, we're going to take a look at a typical rider journey in a program that gets results that couldn't be further from typical.

Where We Begin

This rider, like many I see come through our programs, had a solid base to build upon. He'd been riding for more years than he had fingers, and owned more bikes than he had toes. He was already confident on tough Squamish and Whistler trails like Highway to Hell, Somewhere Over There, Afternoon Delight, and Dark Crystal. In theory, he was already a strong, advanced rider, capable of tackling some of the Sea to Sky’s more challenging terrain.

But things didn’t feel that way for him. Despite his skill and fitness, he’d been struggling with fear and hesitation. He described himself as “thinking too much and hunting out what could go wrong”, especially around jumps, slow-speed drops, and steep slabs. Long ago, he accepted the fact that his custom-built bike is now better than he will likely ever be, and the whole N+1 thing had to stop somewhere, if only for the sake of his relationship.

So the question became, if chasing those 1% (or 0.1%) performance gains through carbon fibre and racing performance part upgrades is capped out (for now), where else can one invest time and energy to ensure they are still growing in the sport?

Still getting those positive endorphins that come with keeping things fresh and new? Rather than the dull and boring feelings we sometimes get when we ride the same trails, at the same speed, in the same ways, in a monotonous fashion that is far removed from our WHY, or the reasons we started biking in the first place...

ENTER: The Full Circle Coaching Program.

We kicked off our 12 months of working together around this time of year - late summer, early fall. He had been getting after it all season, was in his flow for the most part, and was hungry for more while we still had a couple of  months' worth of hero dirt ahead of us...

This put us in the perfect position to capitalize on these strengths and throw more fuel on the fire while it was burning hot.

The process started in our Online Learning Portal, where we introduced key mindset foundations and nervous system regulation strategies, specific to mountain biking. This groundwork meant that when we got out on the trails together, he already had the language and understanding to connect the mental side of riding with their technical skills.

Over the course of five private lessons, we tailored every ride to exactly where he was at, choosing Squamish trails that provided the right mix of challenge and confidence-building opportunities. We took the opportunity to fine-tune his foundation on-bike skills in the fall, and then spread the rest of the lessons over the next 12 months, allowing us to train in a variety of weather and trail conditions, while turning up the skills and terrain.

This wasn’t about throwing him into gnarly lines and saying “send it.” Instead, it was about creating progressive, safe, and intentional learning experiences where he could finally break out of overthinking and start feeling his skills come naturally again.

Between lessons, he made the most of the Sportsense Remote Coaching app, uploading videos from his rides and getting detailed feedback. This let us troubleshoot braking habits, body positioning, and mental blocks in real-time, so progress didn’t stall between sessions.

The Skills & Drills rides brought another layer of practice and community. Riding with other clients at a similar level created opportunities to test new skills and strategies in a supportive environment, without the pressure of a traditional 'lesson.' On top of that, they leaned into our Mental About MTB Discord Community, using my voice memos as a 'pre-ride pep talk', connecting with other riders, sharing wins, and organizing practice sessions outside of coaching.

What stood out most was how holistic this rider’s journey became. It wasn’t just technical skill development or mental coaching - it was a complete progression system. We worked on:

• Technical skills: mastering steep rolls, slow-approach drops, and precise braking

• Mental strategies: anchoring, visualization, and nervous system activation/regulation to find the "sweet spot" where he felt relaxed yet focused.

• Community: connecting with like-minded riders for support, accountability, and fun

• Consistency: integrating practice tools like the Mental Skills Journal and regular video feedback, so that growth became both fun and inevitable

Closing The Loop

By the end of our time together, he’d gone from overthinking and hesitating to riding with joy, self-trust, and control.

Features that once felt intimidating - slow-approach drops, steep slabs, and jumps - became opportunities to apply skills with intention and confidence. Whether he rode them or not that day became irrelevant because they now had the framework to learn something either way, putting in place stepping stones for next time.

And maybe most importantly, he rediscovered his love of riding, bringing back that sense of fun and curiosity that’s easy to lose when stuck in cycles of self-doubt or frustration.

Now, I haven't mentioned this rider's name yet, and that's not just for privacy purposes - it's intentionally left out because realistically, this rider could be any one of you. And if you've read this far, chances are, it is time for your next biking upgrade - this time in the skills department.

This is what Full Circle progression for advanced riders really looks like: Not a quick fix, but a structured, personalized, and empowering process that creates lasting change on and off the bike. Now, it just so happens to be fall, the best time (other than yesterday) to start your own coaching journey. If you're feeling called - apply for Full Circle here.