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.

26th May - intermediate course
Scott, Jon and George had come over from York. Jon's pre course form had said "I have no interest in downhill or jump style riding". Well by the end of the day I think he was happy to say that climbs are the necessary bit to reach the top of the downhill bits, better still if they have jumps. The other two also found themselves extending their comfort zone well beyond their expectations with Scott completely reviewing how he scoped out lines down rocky/rooty sections. What had been a search for the easiest line became finding the straightest line with a suitable kicker at the start to launch over as much as possible without even touching it. Bouncy had become smoooooth. What with the mid 20's temperatures I reckon we managed the finest day of the year so far.
"Hi Steve.
Thank You so much for the day out riding. The course was well worth every penny and we all feel that you do a fantastic job! The personal attention we all received on our individual skill levels was second to none.
We all have achieved far more than we thought we could and can't wait to put our new found skills to the test.
Thank You for the pictures, they look great and I will definitely be recommending you to friends and family.
Thanks once again and keep up the good work!!
PS I'm going to purchase your book.  "

Using the first root to clear all the others and smooth out the obstacle.

Sweet

13th May 2012 Intermediate 1 to 1

Jenny was quite shocked by the severity of the obstacles on the intermediate course so we spent the day working on body position, balance points, where to look, how line choices change with speed and a lot of the basics (she hadn't done a beginner course so needed a few fundamentals). By the end of the day she was negotiating things that until that morning she had considered completely unrideable. Bike setup wasn't perfect for her so when the recommended adjustments have been made (and parts bought) she should find riding a more comfortable experience and be able to step things up even more.

Beginners 1st April

Looks like we got the last day of the sunny weather. Rachel and Mel didn't know each other before the course but were the same age, with virtually no experience and on brand new bikes - so made a perfect match as students! No bad habits to unlearn was a big plus too so we made good progress with all the aspects of the normal day, but managing to fit in some basic trail maintenance, off road ethics and bike set up sessions too. How is it that most bikes come with brakes fitted so they are really hard to use effectively - catch up please you manufacturers - we don't need four fingers to stop with disc brakes! Its always good to finish a course with big grins all round and today the grins were about the biggest I've ever seen!

Intermediate course 11th March

Andy and Peter got a real taste of spring - shorts and t-shirts in March in the Pennines? Yup. Today was largely about getting wheels off the ground to get up stuff, over stuff, off stuff and down stuff. Pumps, manuals, front wheel lifts up things, wheelie drops, bunny hops, rear wheel lifts for direction changing, endos and, of course, jumps. Why rattle over a root garden when the first root can send you airborne enough to clear the rest? Obviously the corners, obstacle basics all happened too, as well as all the basic underlying principles - but when there is a lot of air to be had it would be rude not to.

Intermediate course 4th March

Paula and Dave were both pretty good but "wheels on the ground" intermediates at the start of the day so our first scheduled stop for the day was the skate park for some step ups, jumps and wheelie drops in nice controlled conditions to ease them into the idea of reduced points of ground contact. We then hit the trails at the wettest and greasiest I think I've seen them for ages. The cafe in Heptonstall had the bin bags ready for us to sit on at lunchtime for our "chilli nachos for 3" before we pushed on for the rougher stuff. The endos for tight corners were entertaining in the minimal grip conditions but by the end of the day both had got their dose of air and a desire to get lots more of it in future!

4th Feb, beginner 1 to 1

Matthew's mountain bike experience amounted to zero. He'd bought a mountain bike from a friend and ridden it twice round his parents farmyard. Despite the afternoon snow he improved dramatically soaking up all the proper techniques and, being a "blank canvas" not having to unlearn (is that a word)?) any bad habits. He even did some basic jumps and learned to ride slightly uphill on ice without falling off!
"Steve is a great teacher who teaches the fundamental techniques and the theory behind these techniques required for a mountain biking" 
"At the start of the day I was a complete beginner but by the end of the day Steve had taught me the skills required to tackle even the most demanding trails"

I have no idea why its putting the photo the wrong way!

Beginner 1 to 1, 21st January

Gary said he was a beginner but his pre course questionnaire left me thinking that the "advanced" beginners route would be more suitable. Over the course of the day we covered the beginner "syllabus" and moved on to more gnarly drops to both roll and jump, out of the saddle rocky steep climbing, technical singletrack, bunny hops and rear wheel side hopping to turn obstacles. Some sections had the added challenge of hoolying winds to make things just that bit more unpredictable.

18th January - MBUK photo shoot

Went out for a photo shoot with Russell Burton for the Ride Guide feature for MBUK magazine. Great to see a professional photographer at work and I look forward to seeing the resulting article in a couple of months time.

Sunday 15th January - Songs of Praise

Finally saw Blackshawoutdoor on prime time TV. Thanks to the cameraman and editor for making it look like I was competent on a bike. It was filmed in early October, only 3 weeks after all the pins came out of my hand and was, I think, only my third time on a bike since the accident so I was basically riding one handed. It also showcased the good and bad points of helmet/bar videos like the GoPro we used. Great resolution for professional quality footage but on rough trails yo just can't get past the fact that everything shakes about alot - so choose the trail.

8th January, intermediate 1 to 1

My first, post recovery, intermediate course, and great to have it as a one to one for a good workout of all the skills up to and beyond the level we usually have time for with full courses. Anthony had a steep learning curve but made great progress. It is very easy when you have been riding a while to get set your ways which makes it harder to shake bad habits but Anthony soaked up new ideas like a sponge.
"Thanks for the photos. I really enjoyed the course and I've already identified a couple of local spots to practice at, including climbs"