Skills Training for DMK (Danish Mountain Club) 11-17th Nov - Fuengirola, Spain

A weeks training in the Spanish sun. We had 15 bikers split into beginners and intermediate sessions and days were set up for half days tuition and half days guided riding, split by a nice relaxed lunch as the groups swapped over. The riding in Spain is rather more full than in Denmark so there was plenty for everyone to learn no matter what their initial ability. Sessions worked on the basics and developed more advanced skills on steeper and rockier terrain as the week progressed. Also included were sessions on bike checks, set up, tool and first aid kits, a bmx track session and a bit of urban stuff around the town itself.

7.10.12 Intermediate 1 to 1

Think the testimonial speaks enough for today
"Hi Steve

Thanks for your feedbackback & your kind words.

I thoroughly enjoyed my day and feel I learned many new skills which will enable me to not only improve my riding but find the more I improve them then the more the enjoyment, a win win as I see it. As far as comments on your instruction I could only say keep on as you do because I couldn't fault one aspect of your instructing style, you made it easy to understand at a perfect learning pace in the best relaxed atmosphere any ride out could possibly be in. Your style in instilling confidence really is second to none. I've signed up for mtb challenge at weekend and looking forward to  putting new skills in to practice. Will be experimenting with new bar set up from now and take what you said onboard to improve position now  I know what I'm aiming for.
Once again thanks for great day riding and keep up the good work.

cheers

Mick"

23 Sept - Beginners

Phil and Ceri were so new to biking they didn't even have bikes! Rebecca had only had hers a couple of months so today's riders were a blank canvas - which is great - lots of good habits to learn and no bad ones to shake off. As the two chaps were wondering about what bikes to buy I brought along a hardtail, an XC full suss and a 7" travel freeride monster so we could swap bikes and directly compare over the same obstacles while we were learning. They soaked up all the basics on gears, cadence, breathing, braking, uphill and attack riding positions happily. Then we got to the first downward bits. "You don't expect us to get down that do you?" 10 minutes later I was struggling to drag them off to the next section and I think it was only the promise of learning to jump drop offs that finally got them away. They all managed that too. And Phil even cleaned the "impossible gully" at the end of the day - though he wasn't willing to repeat it on the XC or hardtail bike!

Escape the rain - France - August 2012

Endless waymarked and graded XC on the Morvan and Auvergne regions, with a smattering of DH (DIY road uplift or full gondola experience) in both areas too. La Breuil was an old style vehicle uplift with a Blue course and a couple of National level descents - great fun on a hardtail!

The Auvergne has some big hills but even William (6) thought they were worth it for the views, the descents and the choccy rewards.

No pedalling up - Joy all round at Super Besse in the Auvergne

William having another "eat my dust" moment as he rails the berms.

Natural riding near the Pic du Sancy 1860(ish) metres - fine views guaranteed. Spot the cloud.

Beginner 1:1 18th August 2011

I would like to say a big thank you to Steve for the training on Saturday. Im really glad that I booked myself onto the beginners mountain bike course. 

It's enabled me to learn new skills and gain confidence that I couldn't have attained by myself.  It's also allowed me to understand where I have been going wrong when out riding each week by myself. The techniques/stratergies were explained well and in a way that I understood.  

I achieved most of the skills on the day with a need to continue practicing to refine them.  The photos Steve took while training and the footage of skills practiced were forwarded by email. Detailed feedback was also emailed on my development during the training day. All of this is most beneficial and a positive reference to use, while continuing to practice my mountain biking skills. 

Thank you & I look forward to coming back for the intermediate course!!

14th July - Intermediate 1 to 1

Ok, I've been a bit slack keeping up with the blog but I've remembered this time.
Ricky picked probably the first day without rain (at least until he'd gone home) for ages so well done for that. He also made fantastic progress over the day with some pretty big drops, rock gardens and roots by the end. I was a bit unsure of booking him at intermediate level given that he'd been riding a relatively short time but at a one to one level that didn't really matter and his ability/speed of picking things up certainly made up for any lack of basics at the start. It was my first time out since the floods last Monday and it was good to see that there is an upside to flooding - many trail sections have got harder, rockier and generally more fun and, thankfully, a number of council sanitised trails have lost all their aggregate covering and are back to their normal ragged selves. Lets just hope the cashed strapped council hasn't got enough money to mis-spend on them again.
Sorry no pics - flat battery.

28th/29th May - What Mountain Bike photo shoot.

The grand Bowland rides are due for a future edition of What Mountain Bike so I showed Max Darkin of Roughrideguides and photo star Russell Burton around the fine Bowland Fells. Perfect weather and unusually dry conditions underwheel made for two days of awsome riding and snapping, far more relaxed than the somewhat rushed sessions in the rain during January for the Hebden Bridge ride in MBUK which came out last month. It should hopefully be a 15 page mega ride guide so I'm looking forward to seeing it.