Beginners course

It was a lovely day today not just because the weather was warm and pleasant but also the group was very eager to learn and enthusiastic even about the climbs! Jane had recently got into mountain biking after a holiday in Greece and wanted to know more, especially about descending techniques after having had a nasty crash on a slope. Andy whose main sport is surfing loves the adrenalin rush from mountain biking but was also slightly hesitant about certain descents after having had a few crashes while getting used to riding off road. Kieron on the hand had been more or less worn down by me constantly telling him over the last year and a half to come along on the course as we regularly see each other on the trails and to be frank (sorry Kieron) he needed a lesson to make him enjoy riding more and not look so tense and worried!

The group was quick to learn correct body positioning and moving around on the bike to always stay balanced. Again and again they kept saying "Oh it is so much easier now I'm looking further ahead!" and quite often it is the simple things that make the most difference. We also dealt with all the core skills such as tight turns, braking, gears, climbing, front wheel lifts and singletrack riding. By making them ride a particularly loose and rocky descent they also discovered just how capable their bikes were at rolling over things which in turn made them relax more and trust both themselves and their bikes. It was lovely to see how much more confident they looked at the end!