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  • BikeParkWales coaching – anyone tried it? (…and Jedi as well?)
  • sideshow
    Free Member

    So, BPW have launched a coaching program, though their website doesn’t tell you who the coaches are.

    Few coaches have a really high profile coaching reputation (Jedi of this forum seeming to be one exception). This is not to detract for a moment from others who coach mtb – it must be an extremely hard thing to do; teaching other people to ride the hard stuff is a very different proposition to doing it yourself. But compare the number of well known coaches to the number of well known riders and you will see what I mean.

    I had a coaching session at Cwmcarn last year with a guy called Rob; it was great and he was very good value. I may well call on him again but I think it’s the nature of the game that you learn different things from different people so I’d like to try a session with someone different if only out of curiosity.

    So I’m wondering if anyone here has tried BPW coaching? Also seeing as they charge £145/half day for one to one tuition, can anyone compare it with the so well reputed UKBikeSkills?

    deadkenny
    Free Member

    BPW coaches have been trained by B1KE which is a venture by Ian Warby & Richard Kelly (All Biked Up). Very reputable and a great growing business.

    wrecker
    Free Member

    Also seeing as they charge £145/half day for one to one tuition, can anyone compare it with the so well reputed UKBikeSkills?

    It’s £75 at the moment which seems OK. Do they really charge £145 for half a day? I thought that the reduced rate is due to lack of daylight and that £145 is for a whole day? If I’m right, it’s not bad at all (depending on the instructor).
    If I’m wrong and they want to charge £145 for half a day then it’s shit value.

    sideshow
    Free Member

    £145 is for one to one tuition. £75 is for a group (of up to 6 if I read the booking calendar correctly).

    I’ve no objection to sharing a session with others if we’re all at a similar standard. But if you look at the description for e.g. the jumping session, there’s no differentiation between basic jumping and more advanced – all jump sessions, though classed as advanced, are potentially open to people whose wheels have never left the ground before*. While I’m no superstar and going over the basics again is probably useful, I can’t help but feel I’d be held back if in a group with people who have never jumped at all.

    * “ADVANCED – For riders who can confidently ride red runs and who occasionally tackle black runs at BikePark Wales.”. I can only think of one trail in BPW that isn’t 100% rollable if you pick the right line.

    soobalias
    Free Member

    thats called the chicken run and it ruins the trails. if you cant ride it, dont ride it.

    Trimix
    Free Member

    Whoever teaches you, remember you cant do a full day. There is no way you will retain what they tell you if it lasts a day. Also you will be knackered and lose concentration.

    I’ve done a few and half a day is more than enough. (Jedi / Tom Dowie)

    You can only put a pint into a pint glass – is how one explained it to me.

    wrecker
    Free Member

    £145 for half a day? 😆 No thanks.

    deadkenny
    Free Member

    soobalias – Member
    thats called the chicken run and it ruins the trails.

    Rubbish. Best trails provide options in a sustainable way without conflict, but keep up the challenge. Worst trails entice people who aren’t ready for a particular no option feature to head to A&E.

    if you cant ride it, dont ride it.

    Also rubbish. If you can’t ride a particular feature yet, no reason to not challenge yourself with the rest of the run and next time down you may manage that feature. If you never go down it at all you’ll never build confidence. Often people are ready for the smaller black grade features or are good at the rooty as hell rutted and steep parts but not so good at gaps and drops yet, but neither may exist on the red graded trails, for example.

    deadkenny
    Free Member

    wrecker – Member
    £145 for half a day? 😆 No thanks.

    Includes uplift for the day.

    Jedi’s place is more than that in price, but would work out at about half a day’s worth of tuition, spread out a bit. Worth every penny.

    wrecker
    Free Member

    Jedi’s place is more than that in price, but would work out at about half a day’s worth of tuition, spread out a bit. Worth every penny.

    Jedis is a FULL day. He’ll teach you as much as you can handle and you won’t spend loads of time on and waiting for uplifts. That £145 will be about 3 hrs max of actual tuition.

    getonyourbike
    Free Member

    I’m not sure about the full day advice above. I had a full day with Joe Rafferty from Pro Ride Guides and I definitely benefited from the full day. He’s very highly recommended, by the way.

    superfli
    Free Member

    I was considering BPW coaching, Prorideguides with Ben Deakin, and Neil Donoghue’s coaching. I decided on Neil’s as his riding style and together with the terrain he teaches on, is what I am aiming for. BPW would be fun, but its not on natural lines, plus seemed a little expensive (although you do get the uplift). My day is now booked for 1st Dec (for me and a mate £100 each) – I also have a day at BPW already booked for the following Sunday 🙂

    deadkenny
    Free Member

    wrecker – Member
    Jedis is a FULL day. He’ll teach you as much as you can handle and you won’t spend loads of time on and waiting for uplifts. That £145 will be about 3 hrs max of actual tuition.

    Worked out 3 to 4-ish hours I’d say of tuition with me with Jedi 1-2-1. As I say, it’s spread out between stops, coffee, chat and checking out his skinnies.

    BPW, a lot will be sessioning an area, not uplifting all morning. Okay, maybe it’s about 2 to 3 hours worth. Price is lower than Jedi’s so reflects that (but as I say, includes uplift for the rest of the day).

    wrecker
    Free Member

    Worked out 3 to 4-ish hours I’d say of tuition with me with Jedi 1-2-1

    I reckon I got 5-6.

    Karl33to
    Free Member

    Cant speak for the BPW coaches (unless Ian is one of them), but I did half a day’s training as part of a group (of STW Tuesday Treat winners) with Ian Warby earlier this year at Aston Hill and found it really useful. I’ve definitely changed my riding style since and am riding faster and more in control as a result.

    1/2 a day as part of a group was just about enough to get the basics covered and iron out a few small issues, but I think you’d need at least a full day as a group or half day 1-2-1 to get the most benefit, especially if you have some bad habits or are struggling with anything in particular.

    I wouldn’t be too put off by the group thing either as he didn’t just stick to teaching the same small bit of technique to all the riders at the same time, as you make progress, the advice was tailored to each rider, so while we were all sessioning the same small section of trail, those who had mastered the basic technique were given more advanced techniques and harder lines to try.

    Been meaning to book a 1-2-1 for a while now, but never seem to get round to it.

    sideshow
    Free Member

    So far then, tl;dr nobody can vouch for bike park wales coaches yet!

    nickjb
    Free Member

    Can’t vouch for mine as he didn’t turn up. Got a young lad to stand in. Think it was his first time. Still got a bit out of it and the format is good with access to the uplift in the afternoon to practice and reinforce.

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