Do a Skills Course

1mancity2

Did the Flow course with Ed Oxley up at Gisburn forest over the weekend.

At the start I thought as I could ride I wouldn't get much out of it but boy was I wrong, I now understand how the trails work and how to make it work to your advantage.

Ed makes you look at things in a different way, the trails are more alive now if that makes any sense, pre jumping, punching out etc were all explained and demod with perfection.

The speed Ed carrys around the trails is mind blowing and I now have the knowledge to improve and carry more speed with greater control around the trails.

If you have wondered about taking a skills course of any level, do it, it's the best money you can spend.

http://www.great-rock.co.uk/

Other Courses are available.

weeksy59

interesting.. one of them things i keep thinking about but never get round to....

1mancity2

Honestly you will be amazed at how the trail looks diferent after you have been shown techniques and lines that you never thought were possible.

Scblurlt

have just booked to do a jumps and drops course at llandegla, with neil donoghue , should be good 8)

1mancity2

Thats my next course, Jumps etc, I can do them at the mo but I want to improve and get smoother.

lochussie

I agree, it's money well spent for any ability level. What's punching out?

1mancity2

Maybe called something else but the technique for drop offs, (extending the bike out in front of you)

campbellrae1

I did a Dirt School course last year and was sort of in the same boat as you. I have raced for a few years and thought it might give me a small gain, I was very wrong! Went a lot faster after it on my usual test loops, without a doubt better than any upgrade on the bike for the money, and I'm normally the guy constantly replacing bits to get the bike a little lighter lol. Definitely recommended!

lostboysaint

Mentioned it on here before (and to Weeksy elsewhere), Richard at All Biked Up in the Surrey Hills is an excellent instructor. Done a couple of days with him now and it's embarrassing how much my riding has improved, but it's the kind of embarrassment I can live with

MountainMonster

I always wonder what I could come away with after having a session. Would love to try one, but don't know any here other than full on downhill courses at the major bike parks, which with travel is too much.

stumpyjon

Was a bit wet on Saturday morning in Gisburn. Was riding there myself and saw Ed out with a group. My riding improved massively after course with Ed, felt good to zip down the berms he'd taught me to ride properly. He got me standing properly on the bike, since then my confidence has improved and I've got better.

1mancity2

stumpyjon wrote:

Was a bit wet on Saturday morning in Gisburn. Was riding there myself and saw Ed out with a group. My riding improved massively after course with Ed, felt good to zip down the berms he'd taught me to ride properly. He got me standing properly on the bike, since then my confidence has improved and I've got better.

That was us Jon! what bike were you on and which bit of the trail?

Northwind

I wish I'd done my first Dirtschool day much sooner... I'd figured out most of what was taught, but I'd learned it in a much more painful way Even then, it was worthwhile as it filled in some gaps in my riding and brought up some minor issues. But if I'd done it a year earlier it'd have been a huge benefit.

So I did a higher level one-to-one session with them and that was fantastic... More expensive of course but I got a lot more out of it, some of which I'm still trying to put into play and some of which helped immediately.

DodgeT

I had a 1 to 1 day with ed on Friday, and similarly here would fully recommend him. Just a few simple pointers now has me so much smoother / quicker in places where i'd normally hesitate a little. Definately money well spent.
I'm hoping to do the jumps for dads with him in october, so maybe see some of you on it.

tubaonwheels

Doing a course with chasing trails at Dalby in a couple of weeks, really looking forward to it as I got voucher as b'day prezzie back in May - just before being run over by a 3 ton truck! Recovered enough to tackle it now.

mac_man

DodgeT wrote:

I had a 1 to 1 day with ed on Friday, and similarly here would fully recommend him. Just a few simple pointers now has me so much smoother / quicker in places where i'd normally hesitate a little. definitely money well spent.
I'm hoping to do the jumps for dads with him in october, so maybe see some of you on it.

Done a couple of courses with Ed. Totally top guy. Really want to do the jumps course as that's one area my skills and nerve have come to the end of their limits.

1mancity2

mac man wrote:

DodgeT wrote:

I had a 1 to 1 day with ed on Friday, and similarly here would fully recommend him. Just a few simple pointers now has me so much smoother / quicker in places where i'd normally hesitate a little. definitely money well spent.
I'm hoping to do the jumps for dads with him in october, so maybe see some of you on it.

Done a couple of courses with Ed. Totally top guy. Really want to do the jumps course as that's one area my skills and nerve have come to the end of their limits.

Which one, jumps for dads?
Im doing the "Nigel page" skills course in January so just trying to improve as much as possible before that.

mac_man

1mancity2 wrote:

mac man wrote:

DodgeT wrote:

I had a 1 to 1 day with ed on Friday, and similarly here would fully recommend him. Just a few simple pointers now has me so much smoother / quicker in places where i'd normally hesitate a little. definitely money well spent.
I'm hoping to do the jumps for dads with him in october, so maybe see some of you on it.

Done a couple of courses with Ed. Totally top guy. Really want to do the jumps course as that's one area my skills and nerve have come to the end of their limits.

Which one, jumps for dads?
Im doing the "Nigel page" skills course in January so just trying to improve as much as possible before that.

Probably jumps for dads. Will leave the Nigel Page course till I can do jumps and drops proper :-)

rtorbs

Interesting....

Been thinking about doing a couple with Ed myself as he's pretty local to me and runs a few round Hebden on request...was gonna go back to basics though and do the stop crashing 1/2 first as prior to this year ive been 10 years out of the saddle.

Also has anyone had any experience of his Basque MTB trips? was maybe contemplating tying up a number of skills in a week away but dont know of anyone thats been on one.....

1mancity2

rtorbs wrote:

Interesting....

Been thinking about doing a couple with Ed myself as he's pretty local to me and runs a few round Hebden on request...was gonna go back to basics though and do the stop crashing 1/2 first as prior to this year ive been 10 years out of the saddle.

A guy on our course had only been riding a few months but did the "Stop crshing" course first and he blasted everthing apart from the DH jumps and drops (which is what I went on the course for).

He was getting air on the "Hope line" and he had never done that, also you meet like minded folk and as a result we now have another riding buddie.

stumpyjon

I was on a blue Stumjumper FSR. I think we passed you on the sandy berms and I had a quick chat with Ed as you were riding out from the D & P for your afternoon session. We were sat in the D & P in nice dry clothes consuming the merchandise whilst you went out for round two. Surprisingly the conditions were not dissimilar when I did my course with Ed.

rtorbs

1mancity2 wrote:

A guy on our course had only been riding a few months but did the "Stop crshing" course first and he blasted everthing apart from the DH jumps and drops (which is what I went on the course for).

He was getting air on the "Hope line" and he had never done that, also you meet like minded folk and as a result we now have another riding buddie.

Sounds good....got plenty of time coming up too as getting made redundant from work end of next month after 12 years (was voluntary!) so literally going to take the rest of the year off to ride .....lets just hope theres some availability!

DodgeT

Just signed up for the jumps for dads on 21st october, not many places left... Anyone else coming along?

1mancity2

DodgeT wrote:

Just signed up for the jumps for dads on 21st october, not many places left... Anyone else coming along?

Good Lad!!

Will make sure were up there to cheer you on,

1mancity2

stumpyjon wrote:

I was on a blue Stumjumper FSR. I think we passed you on the sandy berms and I had a quick chat with Ed as you were riding out from the D & P for your afternoon session. We were sat in the D & P in nice dry clothes consuming the merchandise whilst you went out for round two. Surprisingly the conditions were not dissimilar when I did my course with Ed.

I remember now, Ed is so easy to chat too problem is if you get him going he goes on and on and on....

Going up after work today to whack the hope line.

Mojo_666

I did a session with Tony (Jedi) Doyle at UKBikeSkills yesterday, it was just epic, the best thing I have ever done since starting mountain biking was getting some coaching from a expert.

There is no piece of kit you can buy that will do as much for you as getting good skills.

Jedi

Mojo_666 wrote:

I did a session with Tony (Jedi) Doyle at UKBikeSkills yesterday, it was just epic, the best thing I have ever done since starting mountain biking was getting some coaching from a expert.

There is no piece of kit you can buy that will do as much for you as getting good skills.

thanks for your kind works