Skills courses

[Neil Fat Man On A Bike]

Just wondering if any of you have done any skills courses?
If so how good was it, how much was it and how did it effect your subsequent riding ?
Reports please !

[hugo67]

the only course I've been on is a maintenance course run by Sustrans (which was free), it lasted a whole day and covered wheel truing, replacing brakes, cables, changing cassettes, cleaning out bottom brackets and re-greasing, stripping down hubs and re-building. It was quite exhaustive and you promptly forget some of it since you need to be repetitive in each function to instill it to memory. Thankfully I have several maintenance books including two from Park tools (who are extremely thorough) and don't let me forget what I have learned. I have used three of the things I learned namely stripped down a hub and re-grease it, together with taking my brakes apart and re-build them complete with new inner and outer cables and greasing them inside and out. Thhe lucky bike rides sweet and at twelve years - doesn't get a chance to give up on me !

[Dave Ross]

Hey Neil,

They run some excellent courses at Glenmore Lodge, just outside Aviemore.

From 2-5 days, from beginner to expert and maintenance to mountainbike leader courses. Not the cheapest at around £170.00 for a 2 day course, but does include accommodation and food - Would make for a decent weekend break, as there's lots for wifes / girlfriends to do if they dont cycle .

http://www.glenmorelodge.org.uk/course-mountainbike-skills-index.asp

I'm fortunate that I live just up the road from here - I've tried their MTB circuit and it's a really good course, especially if you want to improve a certain skill.

I learnt lots of bike positioning techniques, but my favorite of all just for showing off was learning how to do 'endo's' down a slope - much to the annoyance of my mates who can't yet master them

Worth a look.

Dave.

[Neil Fat Man On A Bike]

Hi Dave,
thanks for the recommendation. I hadn't come accross that one before.
I've just booked a spot for my wife and I on the bike school at Laggan http://www.cyclewildscotland.co.uk/skills.htm but I might consider another one in October. Really looking forward to this.

I hope I can learn a showy trick or two, love to do a manual

Thanks
Neil

[kenny533]

I volunteered to become a Rural Police Cyclists and had to do the Public Safety two day course.
At first I thought it would be like a School Cycling Proficiency Course, but it was an excellent adult education into cycling.
The things I didn't know about general road positioning, safety, equipment and maintainance were frightening.
I would never have thought for one minute before completing the course that afterwards I would be able to climb and decend steep steps, negotiate water and hard obstacles and maintain my cycle in a way that I now actually understand it.
Those of us that passed the 'pass-fail' course were all given a Specialized Hard Rock cycle and police issued cycle kit. The cycles are great, although my front brake has failed three times (fluid leaks), but the police kit is a bit hit and miss.
Cycling fifteen miles a day in full body armour has seen my weight fall from 17st 9lbs to 13st 1lbs in six months.
I would HIGHLY recommend an approved cycle course with experienced trainers to anyone, as they not only teach you new skills, but they give you the all important confidence in yourself, your cycle and your kit.

[mw3230]

Edinburgh Bike Shop regularly hold one day cycle maintainance courses which seem to cover basic bike repair skills and are inexpensive

http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/comms/s ... enance.htm

If you happen to live within the area where the shops are located

[Snakes]

You might like to have a look at the following link: http://www.ctc.org.uk/DesktopDefaultMTB.aspx?TabID=5207

Hope that's of some help!

All the best

Snakes

[chiwoman]

Yep did a few great skills courses in Dales Mountain Biking (in the Yorkshire Dales, belive it or not).

I did a day of bike maintenance
one day of Jumps & Drops
one day of Cornering and Braking.

All brilliantly useful and only about £65/day. One day was one to one teaching too.

Yes they did give me confidence to do things I wouldnt otherwise try ... so useful to be able to ask questions instead of work it all out by trial and error (and injury!). Would certainly recommend them