Enhancing the body-bike relationship! Chat with former pro MTB racer and founder of 'rideTECHNICS' skills coaching Dylan Cooper
From a youth in a ski resort in the Argentinian Andes to junior rugby player in the Australian capital Canberra to an insatiable passion for the sport of mountain biking to a racing career spanning 4 continents to one of the worlds most respected bike skills coaches.
Dylan leading the pack during a round of the Japanese XC circuit.
“I seriously just got on a start line on my bike and worried about myself, try not to have mechanicals and just smash it to the end!”
Dylan Cooper's cycling life has taken him to some amazing places and taught him some of the most important life skills that have shaped much of his life. A tale of dealing with debilitating illness as a young racer, dealing with tragedy as an elite racer and now thriving as an instructor and role model for many of the Australia's emerging cycling talents.
Dylan racing the 2009 XC world championship in Canberra. Photo: Russ Baker
Having lived the life of a professional elite MTB racer and now seeing the challenges of the current generation of riders Dylan's advice comes from a place of experience and respect.
“ You can’t hide it or fudge it in a race situation ”
Off the front in Hakuba, Japan.
We chatted with the current owner of rideTECHNICS skills coaching about his journey in the cycling world and some of the tips that he has seen conjure up the best results in riders of all ability levels.
rideTECHNICS founder and instructor Dylan Cooper. Photo: Mike Blewitt
Dylan raced in the same era as our previous podcast guest Craig Gordon where the training methodologies involved BIG miles on the bike, a lot of strength endurance and a semi religious like commitment to just smashing the pedals as hard as possible for as long as possible. Dylan remarks how this style training responded well with him and suited his admitted ‘addiction’ with the sport of mountain biking.
“That feeling that you get from knowing I just smashed it and now I can chill out and eat! There is no match for that feeling! ”
Winning the 2010 HIghland Fling in the NSW southern highlands in a sprint finish with fellow Canberran Andy Blair.
“In our questionnaire before you do a skills session with us we ask ‘why do you ride?’, 100%, will say in some form or other that mountain biking is their outlet it’s their escape! It definitely always has been for me too.”
Dylan is convinced in the mental health benefits of cycling and specifically mountain biking. Through running mountain bike skills sessions he has observed that the majority of riders see this sport similarly.. As a therapy of sorts, an outlet for whatever else might be happening in life, the pedals don’t judge and they love to be the receiver of any frustration, anger or any other emotion.
For Dylan this came to be even more pertinent when one of his best friends and fellow MTB champion James Williamson passed away suddenly whilst competing at the Cape Epic in South Africa. This experience of loss emboldened Dylans commitment to hammering the pedals. He continues to honour his mate ‘Willo’ in many of the amazing things he still does to this day.
Craig Gordon, Dylan Cooper and Shaun Lewis at the first ‘Willo’ memorial race in Wingello, NSW.
Perhaps the most telling part of Dylan Cooper’s cycling life story came early on just as he was graduating out of the junior ranks where he was ranked among the top in Australia he was brought down by a bout of chronic fatigue syndrome. Dylan puts the cause of this down to overtraining and admittedly ‘dumb’ nutrition choices. His immune system became debilitated to the point where riding let alone racing was off the cards. It took 3 years of recovery before he could ride recreationally again and then through a strategy of ‘tip toeing’ back into training it was another 3years until Dylan was racing at the top level.
The drive/ motivation for the sport was a big factor in keeping him going through this phase and gave some extra fuel for his fire on his return to racing..
“There was no one around that appreciated riding and racing more than me at that time. It brought back the mongrel in me!! ”
“I saw some pictures in that (Mountain Bike Action Magazine) and I just thought I have to do this!”
At the 2009 World Championship. Photo: Russ Baker