Has anyone done any skills training or coaching courses in the UK ? have you any recommendations suggestions or opinions ?
Thanks G.
Thanks G.
Skills / coaching
- Thread starter Giff
- Start date
@Gary does on-line coaching. You send him a video and he sends you an e-mail back. Personally, for £50 a go I think it's great. You get to learn a lot of new swear words and hundreds of new ways to tell someone they're crap ! 
There was this in a thread, which is a start ..
Levo Upgrades in what order? - EMTB Forums
And I think @Gary does really do some coaching ?! But I might be imagining things ??? He's in Scotland, so you get a holiday too ...
There was this in a thread, which is a start ..
Levo Upgrades in what order? - EMTB Forums
And I think @Gary does really do some coaching ?! But I might be imagining things ??? He's in Scotland, so you get a holiday too ...
- Thread starter
- #5
Thanks for the replies...it doesn't have to be Cheshire...UK will do!
I’m a certified coach, level 0 (zero) MTBA, and my coaching services are free. I am however not in the UK. ?
Wye Mtb operate out of Pedalabikeaway Cannop Forest of Dean a lot
Had a 2hr one2one with Joe working specific skills I wanted to sort out . Had me tackling them in a jiffy.
Never to old to learn
They will do anything you want - bespoke , group and leadership
Also do some uplifted tours in FoD , Wye Valley and Brecon Beacons and can coach whilst on one of those.
Definitely recommend them .
Had a 2hr one2one with Joe working specific skills I wanted to sort out . Had me tackling them in a jiffy.
Never to old to learn
They will do anything you want - bespoke , group and leadership
Also do some uplifted tours in FoD , Wye Valley and Brecon Beacons and can coach whilst on one of those.
Definitely recommend them .
I would recommend coaching to anyone, no matter what you level - I have been riding MTB for 30 years and have probably picked up more bad habits than good - my wife got me a coaching course for my last birthday, with Andy from Rocks and road based in Surrey.
I did a full day with him, and asked him to break my riding back down to basics, specifically cornering and bike control, and it was brilliant, got me re thinking about how I ride, but not in a way that meant I was overthinking anything, just little tips and things to remeber and work on. Also renewed my confidence in my ability, after a year of some bad crashes which resulted in me riding far more nervously than I used to
I will definitely do more.
I did a full day with him, and asked him to break my riding back down to basics, specifically cornering and bike control, and it was brilliant, got me re thinking about how I ride, but not in a way that meant I was overthinking anything, just little tips and things to remeber and work on. Also renewed my confidence in my ability, after a year of some bad crashes which resulted in me riding far more nervously than I used to
I will definitely do more.
steve_sordy
Wedding Crasher
I can recommend skills courses in general. For the first 7-8 years of my mtb life I had an average of one per year and I believed that I got great value from them, especially the early ones. I made some genuine breakthroughs. Then I stopped because I realised that although I still couldn't do certain stuff, it was the same stuff that was being pointed out every time. I had to face the fact that I just couldn't do it!!!
Whatever specific skills course or general coaching course you go on, try to take a minimum of one thing away with you and work on it afterwards, for months if necessary.
Don't bother going on a course where there are dozens of riders on the same course. A low number ensures that you have nowhere to hide and also that the instructor can give you some proper attention. In my opinion, a max of six is about right, but lower is better.
Should you go on a course with strangers, or go with a bunch of mates? There are pros and cons with either. You have nothing to lose with strangers, so you can freely confess your fears and your lack of skills. But then again, you might find that they are all way better than you and you can get left behind. If you are better than them, you are not being pushed.
It will be more fun with your mates, and you can encourage each other after the course to practice together what you have learned. But the fun may cut down the learning.
On balance I prefer the strangers route. The randomness of the mix is more challenging and, you never know, you may meet a new riding buddy!
Whatever specific skills course or general coaching course you go on, try to take a minimum of one thing away with you and work on it afterwards, for months if necessary.
Don't bother going on a course where there are dozens of riders on the same course. A low number ensures that you have nowhere to hide and also that the instructor can give you some proper attention. In my opinion, a max of six is about right, but lower is better.
Should you go on a course with strangers, or go with a bunch of mates? There are pros and cons with either. You have nothing to lose with strangers, so you can freely confess your fears and your lack of skills. But then again, you might find that they are all way better than you and you can get left behind. If you are better than them, you are not being pushed.
It will be more fun with your mates, and you can encourage each other after the course to practice together what you have learned. But the fun may cut down the learning.
On balance I prefer the strangers route. The randomness of the mix is more challenging and, you never know, you may meet a new riding buddy!
All Mountain Coaching
E*POWAH Elite
I thought you just did terrifying "Italian job" style mountain coach tours ??
Where’ve you been for the last few months?
All Mountain Coaching
E*POWAH Elite
Busy mate. I'm booked up for months in advance.
Where’ve you been for the last few months?
All Mountain Coaching
E*POWAH Elite
That's just on ThursdaysI thought you just did terrifying "Italian job" style mountain coach tours
chocolatefriji
Member
Jedi @ukbikeskills
has coached quite a few e bike riders, just google him, he has a very good reputation
has coached quite a few e bike riders, just google him, he has a very good reputation
steve_sordy
Wedding Crasher
Jedi has rights to a 40-acre field on the side of a hill, partly wooded. It's out in the middle of nowhere, so don't expect a postcode. All I got was a Google Earth image of a field gate on a numbered road and with a code for the gate lock. He has all sorts of props to expose your lack of skill (sorry that should read "demonstrate your learning opportunities"). These range from a grassy slope, all the way to floorboards up in the trees! (YIKES!)
He is a good teacher and varies his teaching style according to who he is helping. Recommended!
Beware that the first thing he does is to do a safety check on your bike. One of the guys on my course had a nut missing from the bolt securing the bottom of his shock to the frame. He lost the first two and a half hours of the course while he drove into the nearest town to find a nut. He ended up buying a bolt and two nuts from a DIY store and persuading them to lend him some spanners to secure the bolt and the locknuts. It looked a bit like Frankenstein!
But as you can imagine the guy was not only very embarrassed but not best pleased at missing nearly half the course. He acknowledged it was his own stupid fault.
So check over your bike !(err, we all do that anyway don't we?)
He is a good teacher and varies his teaching style according to who he is helping. Recommended!
Beware that the first thing he does is to do a safety check on your bike. One of the guys on my course had a nut missing from the bolt securing the bottom of his shock to the frame. He lost the first two and a half hours of the course while he drove into the nearest town to find a nut. He ended up buying a bolt and two nuts from a DIY store and persuading them to lend him some spanners to secure the bolt and the locknuts. It looked a bit like Frankenstein!
But as you can imagine the guy was not only very embarrassed but not best pleased at missing nearly half the course. He acknowledged it was his own stupid fault.
So check over your bike !(err, we all do that anyway don't we?)
All Mountain Coaching
E*POWAH Elite
Yep, do a bike and kit check before every course and also a bike fit as standard of required.
See you soon chap for your course
See you soon chap for your course
Ashley M
Well-known member
Do you do specific Emtb coaching?
I do think skills courses are a good idea, even better if someone can give you 1to1 where you ride! My mate has had couple of sessions of Daryl Brown local rider to Friston & pro rider I have always heard good things about U.K. Bike Skills couple of mates been up there to ride it’s always good to take a couple of pointers away with you but if it’s already at your local spot I think it will be loads more beneficial
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