[Closed] Mountain Bike skills course

I would recommend going to See Tony (AKA Jedi) at uk bike skills in Hertfordshire. it's definitely worth the trip

Tony is regarded as the best for food reason. If you have the money, time and willingness to travel, you'll not regret it.

If you want something more local, you could try Tom at Jurassic Coaching

Singletrack school Surrey hills . I don’t know if the training is as good as others but I have paid for a day of their advanced skills course which they can’t run until they have sufficient numbers.

i did have a guided afternoon with one of the instructors and it was brilliant. The others in the group had had a full weekend of training and said the tuition had been brilliant.

Go to Jedi! There’s no-one better.

There is no who , only Jedi.

Only one Master there is  http://ukbikeskills.co.uk/#section-home

Train with him you must.

Thanks guys, I’m sure the Jedi /Tony is excellent however I’m a 50 year old bloke who just wants to learn a few basic riding skills rather than the level that he offers.

Ill try the people in the link i link I have posted as it fairly local and looks okay.

Jedi is very good for sure and you will make progress during your session with him, and don't worry about your age or ability - Tony will do a great job with you and bring you on. It will be money well spent - certainly better than spending the same amount on upgraded bike parts. But i've been on a few bike skills courses now and they all suffer from the same problem - they usually happen somewhere that you don't ride regularly. I have trouble transferring progress from wherever the skills course happens to my local trails and those features I struggle with - things are never as clean as they are presented on a skills course, that jump or drop may not have that perfect run in allowing you to set yourself up perfectly physically and mentally, that berm may not be perfectly formed etc. and it is those little real world differences that can throw you off the week after the skills course where you nailed everything with aplomb, but suddenly struggle applying what you've learned to the real world and the trails and terrain you actually ride. If you can, try to get a coach near to where you ride and see if they will actually come out to the trails you ride and help you tackle features and terrain that you are struggling with.

I've also found it useful to ride with guys who are much better than me. I'm lucky enough that there is a large community of riders in my area and I have ridden with alot of guys who are much better than I and have the patients to let me tag along with them. You can learn alot from observing how a better rider tackle the trails and also tagging onto their back wheel and following them. You may have the odd 'oh crap' moment as they lead you to something that might be a little outside of your comfort zone or slightly beyond your skill level, but more often than not you will find that you have hidden talents and will surprise with yourself.

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<div>Thanks guys, I’m sure the Jedi /Tony is excellent however I’m a 50 year old bloke who just wants to learn a few basic riding skills rather than the level that he offers</div>
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<div>The BEST thing about Tonys teaching is that it works for everyone, no matter what level they are, they want to be, or they are physically and mentally capable of!</div>
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<div>Getting the basics right, and ingrained, transforms your riding, and opens the door to more advanced riding.  Even if you don't think you need to use those more advanced skills, after getting the basics right, you will find you are using more advanced skills without realising it ;-)</div>
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Mate, go Jedi, honestly it’s totally taylored to you, your age ( eh you’re not old! 😂) or pre existing skills are no boundary.

He’s given me the foundations that made a huge difference to my riding.

Dont think anyone offer a skills course at QE (never seen one there & its my local spot)

B1ke offer skill courses and run them in the Surrey Hills which have some great trails

https://www.b1ke.com/mtb-skills-training/

I don’t think ANYONE is as good at teaching beginners as Jedi - in fact I’d say the more inexperienced you are, the more brilliant he’s likely to be. He sees things that other coaches don’t, adapts his teaching to each rider’s ability and learning method preference and makes everything simple.

I see what some other coaches do, and some of the coaching articles that get published, and despair at both the amount of incorrect advice or correct advice made about ten times as complex as it needs to be.

Coaching any sport is incredibly complex and nuanced but to the student it should seem simple. Make it seem complex and they’ll end up overthinking rather than feeling, and you can’t think fast enough to ride a bike well.

Jedi +++ I did my day with him ( I am 58!) completely changed my riding and my confidence he is a master, and a completely lovely bloke

Has anyone recommended Tony yet??

Jedi for the win 🙂

Tony is regarded as the best for food reason

So this forum supports vegetarianism now? Good to know our mind is made up 😁😁

Jedi is an extraordinary coach and evaluates and tweaks everyones basics as a matter of course regardless of experience.

i went to Tony at the age of 63. i was an average to poor rider when i arrived,  a year later I did the tour de mont blanc with him and a few mountains in Wales.

I am still benefiting from his skills coaching, people dont recommend Tony without good reason, top bloke, down to earth and a great day out. you will 100% without doubt benefit from having Tony coach you, its the gift that keeps on giving.

Thanks for the recommendation guys

Another vote for Jedi. Can hear his mantra in my head whenever I'm out riding.

Speaking of mantras, I can’t ride without having “chin up!” in my head 😂

Tuition is well worth pursuing and +1 on not being overly concerned about age.  ‘There is no try’ etc!

I may well be making my way down to Tony later this year as my previous tutor seems to be a bit caught up selling trousers these days...

Tony Doyle is very expensive and if you want to dial in basic single track skills I would say he wouldn't be value for money. I have had coaching from Tony I found the days lesson to be very short. From the time you get there to having lunch and finishing time equated to less than four hours for over £200.

Never been to Tony by £50 an hour hardly sounds excessive. You’d struggle to find a plumber who’d work for less.

Not sure if anyone has mentioned Jedi yet 😉

Incredible days training with him that I put into practice every time I ride. The best money I have spent on this hobby.

Anyone who thinks they can mentally deal effectively with any more than 4 hours of one to one, focussed and highly tailored instruction and learning is very mistaken ime!  Most people are mentally finished well before they are physically tired on such coaching days.  Also ime, Tony draws the day to a close when he see's that his pupils are tiring, making mistakes, and likely to hurt themselves.  The "one last run" effect is very, very real.........

Day rates for one to one worth having aren’t cheap.

They can be lowered by going on a group day or splitting with mates but one to one is far more effective.