Most riders believe they notice a lot more than they actually do. Commentary riding is one of the quickest ways to find out. You simply describe what you can see, out loud, as you ride. It sounds almost too simple to be useful, but it's a well-established technique in advanced riding coaching, and it tells both you and your coach a great deal about what's really going on in your head.
What Commentary Riding Is
Commentary riding means giving a running spoken account of the road as you ride: what you can see, what matters, and what you plan to do about it. It isn't a performance and it doesn't need to be polished. It's a way of making your observation and decision-making visible.
When you have to put something into words, you can't fake it. If you only notice a junction when you're almost on it, or you spot a parked van but never say what it might do, that shows up straight away. That's exactly why it's useful.
Why It Helps
It connects directly to the Information phase of IPSGA, covered in Take. Use. Give. Taking information is only half the job: you also need to use it. Commentary pushes you to do both, because you're naming what you've seen and then saying what it means for your riding.
Over time most riders find that it:
01Widens what you look at, because you're searching for things to describe.
02Builds anticipation, because you start saying what might happen rather than just what is.
03Helps you prioritise, because you can't describe everything and have to choose what matters most.
04Gives your coach a window into your thinking, so feedback can be about your decisions and not just your riding.
How to Start Practising
01Start somewhere familiar and relatively quiet, so you're not overloaded while you get used to it.
02Describe what you see in short, plain phrases: the hazard, where it is, and what you're going to do about it.
03Keep it in the present tense and keep it brief. You're not telling a story, just keeping pace with the road.
04Include the "what might happen" as well as the "what is", for example a side road, a driver who might pull out, or a bend that could tighten.
05If the riding gets busy, simplify or stop talking. Riding always comes first, and commentary should never become a distraction.
Many riders find it easier to try the idea first as a passenger in a car, or just by talking through a familiar route in their head, before doing it on the bike.
Questions I Get Asked About This
Doesn't it feel silly?
At first, a bit. Most riders say that feeling fades quickly, particularly once they notice how much sharper their observation becomes.
Won't it distract me from riding?
It can if you overdo it, which is why it should stay short and be dropped whenever the road demands your full attention. Used sensibly, it tends to improve focus rather than compete with it.
Do I need an intercom to do it?
No. You can practise on your own just by speaking inside your helmet. On a coached day, two-way intercom simply means I can hear your commentary in real time and give feedback on what you're noticing, and what you're missing, as we ride.
How is it used on an ERS or Back to Bike day?
It's one of several tools I use to understand how you're reading the road. It helps pinpoint where your observation is already strong and where there's room to develop, so the coaching can be aimed where it will help most.
Related Reading
Want to try it with a coach alongside you?
Commentary riding is part of RPM ERS and Back to Bike coaching across Gloucestershire.
See ERS Pricing