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I've been cycling since I was 5, but have only been riding offroad in earnest for the last year or so (except the basic stuff we used to do as kids). I'd like to consider myself to be reasonable on a bike (more experienced riders have said they thought so), but I'm certainly no riding god.
My problem is the more difficult technical stuff. Trails featuring a lot of steep, off-camber rockiness and tight switchbacks. Now I don't expect to be able to ride these sort of things straight off the bat, but how do you improve your skillset in order to actually try riding them? Is it just a case of practising the more basic stuff (and making heels down, looking ahead & moving your weight 2nd nature) or is there a mental element to it too?
I think a lot of people will answer.... "Jedi" he works miracles, apparently! 😉
Most certainly a mental element, it plays a massive part. Learning how to "re-think'" their riding is often one of the most important things people learn on a skills course.
Obviously, practice will help a tremendous amount too, unless you're pracicing the wrong things 😉
Ride easy bits and work up from there.
Do the bits you can do, have a think about what you did and how, then progress slowly. Ride with mates who can do them, but not ones that just goad you on. That wont help.
Start from a position of feeling comfy on the bike before testing yourself.
I think mastering the basic skills so you have a good set of foundations to work from is quite important.
Just riding is the best way but you can sometimes pick up bad habits that are then tricky to unlearn.
Oh and Jedi!
Going for course on Saturday, help me he will.
akira, i'm looking forward to meeting you and the cakeriders 🙂
Another nod for Tony/Jedi here. Couldn't recommend him enough.
I found there were lots of things I thought I was doing but wasn't.Plus you need to be sure that you're doing the right things in the first place and how to go about correcting what you're doing wrong.
It sounds like you thinking about coaching. Go for it. I'm planning a second session with Forest Freeride when I can find the time.
[waves to Stu]
I'm defo planning more session with Cycleactive. We ride all the time up here, but never really spend much time concentrating on stuff. We don't really go back and try things again and again so for me a skills course is great for allowing you to focus on things...
[url] http://www.cycleactive.co.uk/courses.html [/url]
Evening there Buzz ... just give me a nod whenever 😀
Get a BMX or a jump/pumptrack mtb, then start riding bmx tracks/jumps/street/skate park.
It'll make moving around the bike natural rather than conscious.
Failing that, get outside your house, practise manuals/bunny hops/turning.
A course can help, but it is 99.99% practise and time.
+ another for Jedi - you won't regret it
How did I guess before opening this thread, that it would contain the word "Jedi" at least a handfull of times already. Any rightly so, he really can transform your riding and mental perspective in an afternoon. Obviously practice, practice, practice is invaluable, and picking up tips om here, on specific things, then trying them can help. Bit after the day with Tony, all my practice now seems to make more difference faster. A lot to do with the mental barriers that were removed.
Did anyone mention Jedi?
Best money you can spend on mtb IMO
Is there nobody else in the country other than jedi that can teach bike skills??????
Yes. still_s8tannorm at [url= http://www.forestfreeride.co.uk/ ]Forest Freeride[/url]. Highly recommended.
Oh, and I would add that it is always worth going back and looking at reviews written for the site, [url= http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/skills-course-review ]like this one[/url]. 😉
if you're near cwmcarn, try www.cwmride.co.uk for tuition.
@flatfish. As always "other skills courses are available", but I think a lot of people on here have used Jedi and understandably recommend him highly. I think this thread has been quite balanced really.
Just for balance I didn't really feel I got much from the skills training I did. Maybe I'm just unteachable, hence my lack of skills.
6 jedi
2 forest freeride
1 cycleactive
1 cwmride
Maybe balanced towards Tony.
Now i've nowt against Tony per se as i've never met the bloke and i'm sure he is a good teacher(lord know he looks extremely good on his "shore" video's) but there isn't just Jedi in fair land.
Ahem - you could always buy a raffle ticket http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/win-coaching-session-with-jedi-for-just-5-support-team-bullheart 😀