As a mountain biker, you know the importance of consistency, whether that is nailing a tricky descent or preparing for your next race. This year, instead of chasing lofty goals that may fizzle out by February, let’s focus on the small, daily habits that will keep you on track all year long. Inspired by James Clear’s Atomic Habits and its practical strategies for building better habits, especially in areas like training consistency and skill development in mountain biking, here’s how you can make 2025 your best year yet.
Why Goals Alone Aren’t Enough
Goals can provide direction, but they often leave us feeling deflated when we fall short. What truly matters are the systems we create to achieve them. For mountain biking, this means focusing on the process, not just the podium.
Start Small, Stay Consistent
Big changes don’t happen overnight. Instead, aim for “1% better every day.” As an example, if you want to improve your climbing, then commit to a short, focused session each week with progressive overload. Over time, these small steps compound into big gains.
Stack Habits to Build Momentum
A technique I’ve found useful as both a coach and an athlete is habit stacking. Tie a new habit to an existing one:
- After making your morning coffee, do a 5-minute dynamic warm-up.
- After a ride, spend 5 minutes stretching or foam rolling.
These small additions feel natural and require minimal effort.
How One-on-One Coaching or Training Plans Can Help
While habits are the foundation, having a structured training plan ensures you’re building the right ones. A good plan provides clarity, accountability, and purpose. At Progressive Coaching Systems, our customisable training plans are tailored to your specific schedule and needs, helping you maximise your available time to train without the overwhelm.
When you enrol in one of our customisable training plans, you’ll fill out a detailed form so we can craft a program that fits seamlessly into your life. It’s not just a generic template; it’s a roadmap to sustainable improvement. Learn more about how a plan can set you up for success here: PCS Training Plans.
Alternatively, PCS one-on-one coaching provides a more personalised, in-depth, and interactive approach that not only accelerates improvement but also addresses individual challenges, ensuring a more effective path to success. You can find out more by dropping me an email at donna@pcscoaching.com.au
Track Progress and Celebrate Wins
Using tools like Training Peaks (which all PCS athletes use) is a very potent way to track your progress and build consistency in your habits. By monitoring every session and milestone completed, you will have a better understanding of your performance and achievements. The platform allows you to track your training in real time, helping you identify trends and improvements over time.
It is very important to celebrate these small wins because they provide fuel for motivation and help you stay focused on your journey toward long-term success.
Make 2025 Your Best Year Yet
Whether you’re working on durability, technical skills, or race readiness, building strong habits combined with personalised one-on-one coaching or a customised training plan, we can help you achieve lasting success. Let’s work together to create a system that works for you both on and off the bike.
Ready to take the first step? Visit PCS Training Plans and let’s make 2025 your best year yet!

High Performance Mountain Bike Coach
Donna Dall
My speciality is helping serious and recreational mountain bikers break through plateaus to attain higher levels of performance so that they can get fitter, faster, stronger and win more races!