Today Newgal, Sambino and I had a coaching day with Tony at UK Bikeskills at his top secret base in Hertfordshire. Both Newgal (my sister) and I are PE teachers and we know a fair bit about coaching, due to the nature of our trade. Hand on heart, I have to say that Tony is probably the most instinctive and complete sports coach I’ve ever had the good fortune to meet. This isn’t a rambling post, looking at each and every aspect of the day in intricate detail – just a small one with three important points.

(1) In a short time, he increased my skills on a bike tenfold.

(2) The reason I achieved anything was because he wanted me to – not because we paid him, or because he needed it for his ego – but because the cornerstone of his philosophy is based upon the joy he gets from sharing something so important to him with others.

(3) I forgot about cancer for a while.

It was worth it for number three alone. Tony, you have a friend for life.

Thank you.

I’ll vouch for tony as well, I went on one of his drops and jumps courses and ended up booking. A one on one definitely improved my riding 😀

Hand on heart, I have to say that Tony is probably the most instinctive and complete sports coach I’ve ever had the good fortune to meet.

FTFY

I’ve spent a few years coaching and training people myself, so I know a bit about what makes a good coach or not. Forget Tony’s riding ability, that’s almost irrelevant, there are many coaches out there with far less ability than some they coach it’s just their ability as a coach and knowledge of best practice that makes them good (but of course he can REALLY ride a bike too). Tony is easily the most natural coach I’ve ever met. He could coach anyone anything (as long as he believed in it), and you’d not only enjoy it thoroughly but you’d be good at it too in a short while. I’ve been fortunate enough to know him (on and off) for a few years, and have received plenty of free advice as well as some I’ve paid for from him, and he really is as good as everyone says he is.

I know sometimes people come on here and say “oh no, not another Jedi Love in” but those people are just jealous to be quite honest… Cos he has the coolest f***ing job in the industry, and he happens to be bloody good at it too! The fact that the nay sayers have never met him is by the by, cos if they did, they’d change their minds instantly too.

He’s one of the good guys, and deserves his status…

Now Tony, when you heading West mate? We NEED to ride sometime… There’s a lot of us over this way that you need to catch up with surely, I don’t mind organising the ride! 😉

Echo everything said on here.

Bullheart as you say about number 3 it is amazing that you could forget even for a few hours, I can only imagine what you would pay for that.

The best thing though is how much you take away with you after a day with Tony, you’ll hear him in head every time you ride for the next few months at least.

A riding friend (good rider) recently asked me what Tony was like and why STW is so full of Jedi love threads. I told him Tony is one of the most sound blokes you’ll ever meet and as for his teaching skills he’s probably the best coach in the country for sorting out your mental game on a bike.

Jedi mind trick WIN!

Only kidding not knocking the guy as everyone has some much positive feedback it’d be daft too, looking forward to booking him for a day myself one day 🙂

the cornerstone of his philosophy is based upon the joy he gets from sharing something so important to him with others.

i fractured my shoulder at the end of my 1:1 with tony and i still drove home with a massive grin on my face and a buzz in my heart, excited to get back on a bike to unleash my inner child again 😀

tony’s passion for riding is infectious, visiting herts is the best way to supercharge your soul. *must go back again*

i have just seen this thread. yesterday completed a circle for me. i have read about bullhearts (petesgaff) diagnosis on this very forum and was deeply moved by the grace he held through out. i thank you for your so very kind words and tears rolled down my face when i read number 3.

i am blown away by all your words

I’m booked in for a session… in September, seems a long way off at the moment. Still looking forward to it though.

I’m in the queue too! Should be feeling the full “force” in June, trying to ride as much as possible before then but not get pulled over to the darkside and pick up too many bad habbits!

(also can’t decide whether to swap from spd’s to flats?)

The other day i even managed a decent(ish) manual, well, the manual bit was kind of ok, the ending the manual in a hedge/bush less successful if i’m honest 😉

Oh sod this. Been prevaricating too long. Jedi – you’ll soon have mail! 😀

ygm adamw, see you soon 🙂

What a review!
Don’t think coach or rider could ask for more than that.

bullheart, nail on the head there dude. glad it gave you such a lift

April 4th. If you hear screaming from daaaahn saaarf its either whoops of joy from me, or screams of despair from Jedi!

Bullheart – can I email arsk a few questions about travel and stuff?

2nd post on this forum.

I had a skills session at the end of last week with Jedi. Now I’m a pretty hard to please kind of guy (“miserable b#stard” according to the wife!). Been riding a couple of years and being a bit of a geek read lots of technique guides etc etc so thought I was going along roughly the right lines. However certain aspects of technique were starting to confuse me (body position for drops/jumps being one in particular) and it was starting to feel complicated. From the start of the session Tony showed me the correct technique and how to postion myself and it felt completely natural, and most importantly, simple. That one simple technique changed everything. I could go on about other things but that was the key thing for me.

I’ll also agree that he’s a really sound guy. The session felt more like being coached by an enthusiastic mate than a formal session with a complete stranger. Plus he has great taste in coffee (reminds me to get some of that ordered). And Herts Shore is a fine spectacle. Just wish I lived a bit closer and I’d probably give up riding anywhere else but there!

All in all a top man. Cheers Tony.

5AM – Member
The best thing though is how much you take away with you after a day with Tony, you’ll hear him in head every time you ride for the next few months at least

Not just a few months – I spent a morning with Jedi last July. I (and I’m not just saying this becuase this thread appeared) spent Sunday riding a new bike I’d built Saturday. As I sped through the drying trails I caught myself thinking “now, Jedi would have said – do this, not that” several times. I still remember and put into practise everything he taught me.

And one thing he’s changed – if I do manage to get some “good air*” it ALWAYS makes me grin like an idiot, just like he does 😀

Bullheart – can I email arsk a few questions about travel and stuff?

email away old son!

I was Jedi’ed a year or so back, and I still get his voice most rides. ‘Footwork!’ ‘Looking!’

My daughter (5) has been on 2 wheels for about 6mo now but for christmas we got her a bigger bike (proper sized, other was too small) and the difference is great. We go into the business park near home just to ride and I have her doing figure of 8’s just like Jedi’s starter. And it’s coming…. her footwork is good now, looking less so. She rides off kerbs no bother, soon be time to start working on her push.

April 4th. If you hear screaming from daaaahn saaarf its either whoops of joy from me, or screams of despair from Jedi!

Would have been better on May the 4th….

Great review, been tempted by all the rave reviews, Hertfordshire is just too far though…

Bullheart – YGM!

Read loads of stuff over the past coupla yrs about Jedi on here, can’t say I’ve ever read a bad thing! Anyhoo on the strength of this thread I thought I’d mull over his website again as I’m looking to go for a session this yr hopefully. Thought I’d have a quick look at the blog, how surprised, (no offence Jedi) I expected some pumped up gnarr master who was possibly late 20’s, not the utterly relaxed most humble/likeable chap that came across on the videos just chatting away about something he clearly loves doing!

i’m just a 43 yr old who still feels like a kid 🙂

Tony’s a good guy. Anyone who can get my daughter doing tabletops is clearly an excellent coach………..

🙂 🙂

He’s got me hooked on Pete Guy now too 😉

yeah i love his music 🙂