Coaching? Worth it?

Yes it is.

Start with body position and how you attack the trail and corners. Amazing how a few tweeks give you more confidence and speed.

A 3 hour 1 to 1 session was more beneficial to me than a group session. Get lots of video analysis out on the trail and make changes as you go.

Another yes from me.

Getting the basics right makes a massive difference on the bike, and gives me something to work on when I’m struggling or trying to get quicker.

I wasn’t interested in jumping either, until I started learning how to jump properly…

Absolutely is...can help undo some unintentional bad habits which help things just be easier, smoother and feel much better.

I’ve had two sessions, and will likely book a couple more next year. I’d say very much so, with a few caveats. 

Go in knowing what you want to get out of it. Sounds silly, but there’s so much to learn and focus on you can’t do everything. Pick something you feel is lacking or need help on and get it looked at. 

Choose the right coach. I had one that I found really excellent (a bit older and wiser). The other was good but just didn’t gel with. Both from the same ‘company’. As a result I felt like I got a lot less out of the second session unfortunately.

Choose somewhere location-wise that will let you get the most out of coaching. My sessions were at FoD, which was good, but not necessarily what or where I enjoy riding, so my sessions this year will be elsewhere in a place more tailored to what I want to get better at. 

Coaching isn’t a magic solution, and whatever you choose to get help with still requires a lot of practice and potentially courage if it’s out of your comfort zone. So overall I’d recommend it 100%, but just make sure that it is suited to what you need. 

I dont like falling off or hurting myself and certainly am very stiff, cautious, cagey, mincy for steep/tech stuff, especially in muddy/greasy/wet-rooty conditions.

Then you'll get a big benefit out of coaching. Better technique and confidence will get rid of your cautious approach meaning you are much less likely to crash. Skill improvement just doesn't mean faster it also means safer.

It’s worth it with a good coach, not so much with a crap coach. <br /><br />

I did a group coaching day with a very well regarded coach and it was fantastic, I learned loads without even realising. I did another group coaching day with someone who thought very highly of himself but wasn’t all that. Needless to say, I felt like I’d gone backwards listening to him.  

Sounds like you could benefit from focusing on cornering and steep stuff.

Yes I think coaching is worth it, but my last session was 10 years ago 🤦

I did a group coaching day with a very well regarded coach and it was fantastic, I learned loads without even realising. I did another group coaching day with someone who thought very highly of himself but wasn’t all that. Needless to say, I felt like I’d gone backwards listening to him.

I've had a similar experience. Had a 3hr session with one coach a few weeks before a biking holiday to polish up my jumping technique and they spent the whole day slowly chipping away at my confidence, saying I was doing it wrong and trying to get me to do it all a different way to anything I'd heard before. They also worked on cornering and made that worse for me too, just really didn't gel with their teaching method at all. Went riding a few days later and I was so bad at everything that I was seriously worried the holiday would be ruined, to the point that I found a different place to do another coaching session a week before the holiday started. Found another one who listened to my concerns, told me to forget the previous session and just ride as I used to. After a solid 3 hrs reconstructing my riding technique and confidence I was back to where I was before the first coaching session and the holiday was pretty much saved. Still stings that it cost me north of £400 to basically stand still skills-wise and to make it worse the good coach had quit to change career by the time I was ready to have more coaching!

So ... any recommendations for somewhere in northern England?

And, would I get more out of 1-1, or a group session?

Not in the north, but Tony at UKbikeskills (Jedi on here) is brilliant. He’s in Hertfordshire but well worth the trip (I’m in south Leeds).

And, would I get more out of 1-1, or a group session?

I've done 1:1, 2:1, 3:1 and 4:1 in the past - and I think the group ones work best for me.

I appreciate the downtime between sectioning bits, as well as the group stoke.

Just don't feel bad if someone else in the group is making better progress.

1 to 1 can be a bit intense.

I also find it helpful to watch other people's mistakes and learn from them.

I think a really good coaching session is the best money you can spend on MTBing. A lot of great riders are not good coaches, it’s a very specific skill. Jedi is amazing. I haven’t been to Katy Curd but I’ve liked what I’ve seen of her approach online. Group coaching can be good with the right coach.

I did 1-2-1 coaching at Hamsterley with Max at Endeavour Mtb Coaching and it was great; although I'm not sure he does it anymore?

The only problem I find is unless you can go practice, practice, practice what you're shown it sorta goes out the window after a while.

Don't regret doing it though.

A long Journey, but Daryl Brown is a superb coach. He coaches at the Bull Track Crowborough.

I had good experiences at Dirt School in Innerleithen.

Definite yes from me.

Had a couple of really enlightening group sessions with Adam from Skillsloop - works across Burlish Bike Park , Cannock Chase and other areas. https://www.skillsloop.com/

I've done a manual/wheelie group and a jumps group - £45 for each public group session. I still can't manual around like a pro, but i'm getting a lot closer (and I know what i'm doing wrong; practice makes perfect etc), and the fear of jumps is (mostly) gone.

My biggest takeaway is that we, as humans, are very bad at knowing what our body is actually doing. We know where we 'think' our hands and feet and head are in relation to other bits, but we often don't. Whether it's body position, legs, arms, head, whatever - it takes someone watching you (and showing you vids of what you're doing) to have those lightbulb moments where you realise how you're subconsciously sabotaging yourself, whether due to fear or bad habits.

Once someone forces you to do things the right way, you begin to build a new muscle memory where the actions and the body positions begin to suddenly feel natural and repeatable.

I'd also say that it's super helpful doing with a group. Whether it's watching people fail or succeed, learning the 'why' is hugely instructive.

I too have had coaching from Adam at Skillsloop. Cornering, jumps etc.

My first session was a 1:1 cornering course but what I got was a complete overhaul of my foundation skills before we started going near corners. It was an eye opener. He's a great coach too - he watches how YOU ride and then works with small changes to make you better. He's not following a 'one size fits all' methodology and recognises that individuals minds and bodies work differently.

Another vote for Adam at Skillsloop and I back-up what others have said, he concentrates on the basics, which feeds through to everything else.

It's a lot like ski lessons, the better you get, the more time you spend on doing drills to get the minutiae of your technique spot on.

I did a coaching day with some mates years ago at Llandegla - Bob Campbell, I think.
It was great. A really enjoyable & useful day.

The issue for me was following up with practice practice practice.
Our usual riding haunts had no real opportunity to practice some of the things we learnt & you quickly lose the ability/confidence to do them - main ones for me being drop-offs & small jumps. I was back to being rubbish at them, within 6 months or so.
If your local riding allows you to keep on top of the things you learn, then definitely give it a go.

Definitely worth it. Find someone you can get along with, have a chat before you meet. A bit like a chemistry session....

Find one who will work with what you have now and will use on the session. For example, if you ride clips and have been doing so for years, don't be changing to flats the week before. Find a coach that will go with whatever you have or ride currently.

definately worth it, only wish i'd done it sooner, not many sports were you dont practise and train with a coach.

The issue for me was following up with practice practice practice.

This is where uplift days at bike parks come into their own IMO.

thanks for your kind words tom and chief!

If you can get down south then Ian at Firecrest is who I would recommend.

He coaches the coaches, so knows what he is talking about.

Coaching is worth it imo. The most important thing is taking away the info you have been given and practice practice practice. Seems people I know have had a coaching session but then do nothing with the help received. I usually have one or two things to focus on in a ride.

Yes I think so, although the only experience I’ve had was with UKbikeskills. Tony was great

Groups can be hit or miss. I did a red/black course with Dirt School and the other riders were very much blue riders. Took most of the day to progress to the types or trails I’d expected to be riding from the start. Did learn some good stuff but spent a lot longer on the very basics than I needed. Been on others where we’ve all been very similar and after a quick recap we’ve ramped up pretty quickly. As mentioned a good coach makes a big difference. One to one is great but very intense. I’d only do a half day at a time. It can be a lot of info to try a process in one go, plus you are already somewhere good to ride and can put it into practice in the afternoon while it’s still fresh. 

So … any recommendations for somewhere in northern England?

And, would I get more out of 1-1, or a group session?

I had a session a couple of weeks back with Lewis Heap up at Rivington. Was meant to be a group session but the weather was absolutely blooy horendous so was 1-2-1.

Can't fault it to be fair, covered everything that i wanted (which was pretty much what was on his list of things to cover anyway)  Sessioning a few very wet corners in healey nab.

He does some sessions down at Farmer Johns in Marple which, if you wanted to do more jumpy stuff which would also be great

My first session was a 1:1 cornering course but what I got was a complete overhaul of my foundation skills before we started going near corners

I think I might need a bit of this. What’s the typical rate for a 121 session?

As someone who has had coaching when I started out on my MTB journey and now also a coach I'd say it's definitely worth it!

@dafoj

Adam's website is here.

I think I might need a bit of this. What’s the typical rate for a 121 session?

Varies, but Lewis Heap mentioned above is quite reasonable:

1 to 1 MTB Skills Course and Private Sessions – RideMTB Coaching

Not used him myself and only know him to say hi to as I ride past, but heard good things.

Thanks all, with the above and a bit of googling, looks like £140 is about the going rate for half day/3 hours.

Going to add to my letter to Santa