We have been "jedi'd"

Yesterday was a much needed training day with jedi, simonm and myself plus another mate are serial bike swappers and parts buyers. All in a vague attempt to improve our skillz.

We booked jedi in the hope he could make us all a bit smoother and give us simple techniques to ride better. After my initial hangover fuelled scepticism and anxiety we pulled up at hearts shore. Firstly – WOW how **** cool is this place! The north shore is massive and immensely ridiculously hard – 18ft vert ramp anybody??

When we arrived our van man si managed to get the vito stuck in the mud, this helped to break the ice as Tony pissed himself at teh northern monkeys and their ineptitude.

Anyhow we got bikes out and kit whilst tony brewed fresh coffee. We sat down for 30 mins or so and chilled over coffee with Tony telling us anecdotally about his life. By now the hangover fog was clearing.

We started off with a bike and skills check, corners and unweighting. During this time he kept a close eye on us to pick up how best to teach us. Luckily we all learn well visually.

we moved over to the 3 drops and the table top – the first drop looked ok – about 8″ high but the rest – **** me!
Anyway the way which Tony teaches and coaches took the pressure off and we were soon sailing over the bigger drop (as anyone who knows me will testify, me and air time do not mix) but this seemed so smooth and so natural, no trying to shoehorn a million body changes in – just simple small, smooth moves – and as Ian says “BOOOOOOOM”.

We then started on the cornering and pumping on a cracking track built by the man himself. We had an hour or so but i then became knackered so we stopped for lunch and a chat.

Back to it and he had us flying out of birms up steep steps with air time and then dropping into a birm. Quality!

The final part of the day was the table top that looked stupid in the morning – 6ft

soon enough with his coaching – getting faster, bringing it back, then faster again and so on we were all sailing over a jump i would previously thought that only 15 year olds in their sisters skinny jeans could do!!

Mentally and physically **** we retired for a beer and tour of the shore. Cracking place but i will leave it as Tony’s secret.

The day consisted of basics that we are all sure will improve our fun on a bike. Definitely worth the £100 each – top coach and top bloke – Cheers Jedi – You da man!

http://ukbikeskills.blogspot.com/2012/02/three-go-mad-from-sheffield.html

Hmmmm hmmmmm hmmmmmm.

do it

I’m booked in on Monday. Really looking forward to it. Is there any thing that you could suggest that I take with me apart from an open mind.

By 8″ do you mean foot or inches?

I really want to do a Jedi course this year if funds permit especially if he can teach me how to do a whip.

Jedi taught me to whip / table better on my jumps / drops course 🙂

Matt24k depends on the individual I suppose, but I needed sugary snacks and a drink to refuel & keep my mind from bubbling over. Awesome but mentally draining. Check out Tony’s blogs, you’ll see nearly everyone fades at the end.

Good stuff, I think everyone has the same positive outlook after their session 🙂 Still got the voices in my head whenever I’m riding telling me to look up, sort out my feet etc.

nearly everyone fades at the end.

I was still buzzing when he wrapped up, I didn’t want to stop.
Flaked as soon as I got home though.

Great day.

cruz, a perfect summary, the place is just “wow how cool is that” (EDIT: Is Jedi teaching a special Bandy Legged Yorshireman jump technique ?)

Matt – I’d say just bring your normal kit, get well rested before.

MRanger – the small drop is measured in inches, there is plenty of stuff which looks like it should measured in miles !

“EDIT: Is Jedi teaching a special Bandy Legged Yorshireman jump technique ?”

That’ll just be a bandy legged derbyshire lad jumping…..hip and knee replacements ordered! You should see how I walk.

Was a quality day,and yes very knackering and I didn’t even have to drive the van 150 miles to get home!

cheers for the day Tony.

Yesterday was a much needed training day with jedi,

Wait until you’ve been riding a month with him in your head.. You really do start learning once you leave herts shore. Can’t believe how much quicker I am around the local trails now.

Sounds like you had a great day. I’m booked in at the end of April and can’t wait.

It was a great day… I cleared a double.. which I never thought i’d look at when I arrived in the morning.

How on earth did I managed to jam the window down on the vito with a mobile phone mount……

Sounds awesome. But I’ve always wondered this:

How come so many people are going on these “skills days” to learn how to jump when they’re well into there 30’s/40’s?

Did no one learn to do jumps and that when they were kids?

Fair play for starting late though – it hurts more when you get it wrong.

Did no one learn to do jumps and that when they were kids

I was born in 1966.

Opportunities to learn to jump an mtb when I was a kid were fairly limited…

davidtaylforth – Member
Sounds awesome. But I’ve always wondered this:

Did no one learn to do jumps and that when they were kids? Never really rode a bike much as a kid, it was all football, football, football. I’ve only recently started mtb’ing properly!

There is always room to improve and riding for years doesn’t mean riding well for years, it’s a bit like driving in that sense.

I would think that a few hundred quid a year spent to get more out of your saddle time and a few less shiny bit’s for over priced bikes or less beers and take aways, would be a great investment 😉

Yeh me and my mates would build jumps out of old doors and keep jacking the end up with bricks see who could handle the biggest jumps. we’d then set fire to said doors on bonfire night. All done without safety gear around the old overhead railway lines in liverpool circa 1978.

All jumps performed on a raleigh commando. unlike my 2 grand trek today.

davidtaylforth

Did no one learn to do jumps and that when they were kids?

Not me. Hardly rode a bike as a kid, lived in London so roads too busy and parents thought it too dangerous. Rode to school on backroads. Absolutely hate riding on roads with traffic. Took up mountain biking at 45.

hey, just seen this thread as i just got in from coaching and then building a new bit. kind words indeed 🙂

Whats the new bit?

Wait until you’ve been riding a month with him in your head.. You really do start learning once you leave herts shore. Can’t believe how much quicker I am around the local trails now.

+1
Considering going back actually for the jumps and drops course rather than singletrack skills

its a drop from the main mousetrap into the copse 🙂 i’ll post pics tomorrow if i take them 🙂