Lessons are they worth having?

jono986
jono986 Posts: 103
edited December 2009 in MTB beginners
I have been thinking about having some lessons, seen some skills coaching cards at Gisburn forrest from "Great rock" has anyone got any comments on these guys or can recommend someone else. Don't mind travelling say 1 1/2 hours.
My question is (apart from the ones above :roll: ) is it worth while having lessons or should I just get out and ride?

Comments

  • Jedi
    Jedi Posts: 827
    skillls coaching has awesome benefits.
    it can teach you new skills and techniques and it can also identify bad habits too
  • stumpyjon
    stumpyjon Posts: 4,069
    Great Rock is Ed Oxley. He runs skills courses at various levels. I did one of his more basic courses a couple of weeks ago at Gisburn and would thoroughly recommend it. Ed is a great tutor, nice and relaxed but will tell you what you're doing wrong.

    Ed's pretty connected within the MTB world, he's a part time writer for Singletrack magazine, has been involved in the Lee Quarry developements and is now helping with the Gisburn trails.

    He's also got a more advanced training course sorted with help from Nigel Paige, the DH rider.

    Link to his site here.

    Go for it, it's well worth it.
    It's easier to ask for forgiveness than for permission.

    I've bought a new bike....ouch - result
    Can I buy a new bike?...No - no result
  • jono986
    jono986 Posts: 103
    I had looked at the Great Rock web site and it looks good.
    I really enjoy Gisburn forrest iit's a great trail in parts, the top loop is very good especially the BIG berms,
  • mac_man
    mac_man Posts: 918
    jono986 wrote:
    I have been thinking about having some lessons, seen some skills coaching cards at Gisburn forrest from "Great rock" has anyone got any comments on these guys or can recommend someone else. Don't mind travelling say 1 1/2 hours.
    My question is (apart from the ones above :roll: ) is it worth while having lessons or should I just get out and ride?

    Ed 'The beard' Oxley at Great Rock is really good.

    I did a beginners course with him a few months back... TBH I should have done the intermediate as it was a little easy. But he really knows his stuff and is a good teacher and helped a lot with some of the basics I was doing wrong. I'm planning to go to Gisburn or Lee Quarry when I have the time. I'd highly recommend him. For £60 he's cheaper than many out there.

    On the day i rode out with him another biker came past at one point and shouted out something like 'This guy... he's the best' (or words to that effect).
    Cool, retro and sometimes downright rude MTB and cycling themed T shirts. Just MTFU.

    By day: http://www.mtfu.co.uk
  • I would thoroughly recommend Richard Kelly (All Biked Up) who operates in the Surrey Hills area too.

    Some people are probably natural riders, but I find skills training makes a much bigger difference than new kit (although that is nice too)

    David
    Specialized FSR XC w Rockshox Recon 351 u-turn
  • DamonC
    DamonC Posts: 263
    Has anyone got any feedback on the coaching available at Coed Llandegla?
    Suffering from the light bike fat git syndrome.
  • Jedi
    Jedi Posts: 827
    bob cambell is a very good coach who runs the coaching from llandegla
  • Northwind
    Northwind Posts: 14,675
    Good thread this, mtbers seem to be randomly against lessons, much like motorcyclists, it seems like people prefer to learn their lessons the hard way, or not learn them at all...
    Uncompromising extremist
  • Jedi
    Jedi Posts: 827
    i just got back from coaching freeride/north shore :)
  • stumpyjon
    stumpyjon Posts: 4,069
    Northwind wrote:
    mtbers seem to be randomly against lessons

    which is weird really, there aren't many sports where you'd expect to get really good by p*ssing around on a Saturday afternoon with your mates. Even runners get coaching and technique advice and that's something we're pretty much all born to be able to do.
    It's easier to ask for forgiveness than for permission.

    I've bought a new bike....ouch - result
    Can I buy a new bike?...No - no result
  • DamonC wrote:
    Has anyone got any feedback on the coaching available at Coed Llandegla?

    Yeh I did a core skills course couple of years ago and was well worth the money.about 70 quid spending most of the day in a quiet area of the forest then took us out on the trails to put it all into practice.
    If you fall off try again !

    Trek EX8
    Handsome Dog XC01 with added ebay specials
  • Northwind
    Northwind Posts: 14,675
    stumpyjon wrote:
    which is weird really, there aren't many sports where you'd expect to get really good by p*ssing around on a Saturday afternoon with your mates.

    Mmm. I think a lot of people don't see it as a sport, partly. It's like the difference between running and jogging
    Uncompromising extremist
  • On a similar note does can anyone recommend anywhere good in Scotland for intermediate or advanced lessons?
  • Northwind
    Northwind Posts: 14,675
    dirtschool at glentress?
    Uncompromising extremist
  • Davy-g
    Davy-g Posts: 401
    I recently spent a day down at Mabie Forest being coached by Mark Wilcox (the 2008 SDA Champion), It was money well spent, what Mark Taught me has been invaluable, Admittedly it has taken a wee while for it all to sink into this old fuddled brain, But My riding skills have improved so much so that the guys i rideout with say that i am faster and more confident on my bike.. they say i am MENTAL...,, Hmmm, not a bad compliment for me being an old fella...
  • Also they have a race clinic day with the athertons at llandegla but this only happens once a year.

    I've a long way to go with my fitness before receiving some tution from these guys :(
    If you fall off try again !

    Trek EX8
    Handsome Dog XC01 with added ebay specials
  • Jedi
    Jedi Posts: 827
    fitness isn't paramount for a concentrated skills area
  • mac man wrote:

    Ed 'The beard' Oxley at Great Rock is really good.

    .

    or Ed "ZZ Top" Oxley as my wife called him after some free advice in Gisburn a few weeks back, what a top guy. My mate's booked on a course with him, may do myself sometime.
  • jono986
    jono986 Posts: 103
    There's the dilema now, I've decide to treat myself for Xmas and get a new bike (zesty 314 :D ) after 12 years of loyal service the hardtail is going into semi retirement albeit with some new forks and other new bits, so do I have the lessons and practise (with the inevitable offs) on the hardtail with which I'm familiar or on the zesty which being new to F/S may take a little time to adjust to and would be costlier to repair when I fall off after I get too confident and start pushing things that bit harder :roll: ? or learn and practise on H/T then when I feel confident transfer the new found skills to the F/S which won't be available until late January.
  • Northwind
    Northwind Posts: 14,675
    Do your lessons on the bike you'll ride, makes little sense to learn on a different machine then transfer onto one that rides completely differently. It's not like you're a beginner.
    Uncompromising extremist
  • Jedi
    Jedi Posts: 827
    with correct coaching why will off's happen at all?
  • jono986
    jono986 Posts: 103
    Northwind wrote:
    Do your lessons on the bike you'll ride, makes little sense to learn on a different machine then transfer onto one that rides completely differently.

    I shall still be riding both bikes, obviously not at the same time just as the mood takes me

    Jedi wrote:
    with correct coaching why will off's happen at all?

    Because a little knowledge is a dangerous thing
  • Northwind
    Northwind Posts: 14,675
    Anyone can crash, you're not any more likely to crash during lessons though.
    Uncompromising extremist
  • jono986
    jono986 Posts: 103
    Northwind wrote:
    Anyone can crash, you're not any more likely to crash during lessons though.

    I was thinking more like after the lessons when I'm trying to remember what I've been taught and then getting a little too confident.
  • Jedi
    Jedi Posts: 827
    small errors maybe but full on crashes no
  • jono986 wrote:
    Northwind wrote:
    Anyone can crash, you're not any more likely to crash during lessons though.

    I was thinking more like after the lessons when I'm trying to remember what I've been taught and then getting a little too confident.

    I do skills courses at Dalby. My way of thinking is that there's time in the day to repeat skills enough that they're already second nature by the end of the day, so you don't have to worry about forgetting them. When you drive, you don't have to remember what to do, and bike skills should be the same, once you feel it work it's built in.

    As far as crashing goes, everyone still crashes occasionally. The difference after coaching is that you've removed all the pointless ones like going over the bars. If you crash after some coaching it's more likely to be when you're trying to wring every bit of speed out of a corner, rather than going off a drop & faceplanting.
  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    Jedi wrote:
    small errors maybe but full on crashes no

    Tell that to the pros who stack and break limbs. OK they ride to the limit, but you don't know the limit until you reach it.
  • stomith
    stomith Posts: 332
    A register of sorts to help locate such centres/packages would be a great resource.

    Say this, as much as someone might come recommended...i'm not likely to afford the time to travel much more than an hour. Real life, an all, getting in the way.