Skills Clinics?

ironspork said:

Can you go into more detail about what made it worth it? Like you saw notable improvement in bike handling right after it? Thanks!

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I was tired of going down YT rabbit hole where each rider/"coach" has their own opinion about pretty much everything. One example, position body all the way back while going down steep terrain and I did that. I found myself running out of reach in couple of situations while riding down steep terrain. Dylan, demonstrated why that is not correct and it made sense when I saw him do that. Bike/body separation was another thing. Body positioning while turning at high speeds. Before the skills session I relied on my motorcycle riding muscle memory to turn at high speeds i.e. counter steer & shift body weight which didn't work 100% of time as there are differences between the two.

Personally I just wanted basics to be distilled and demonstrated so that I could follow them in a repeatable, consistent manner and move away from 'ooh let me try this/that depending on which YT video/channel I watched during that week'. Few days ago I signed up for Ryan Leech trial and his content is also very good.

? ? My post triggered a hooman review flag

I've worked with Ian twice and my experience has been mixed. On the not-so-great side some of the things he recommended like muscle engagement through rough stuff like braking bumps, directly contradict what I've found makes me more comfortable and confident on the trail. I know some stuff will just feel awkward initially because it's totally different than what I'm used to, but I don't think this was one of them. On the positive his techniques for getting front wheel lift and having more control of that front wheel were really helpful for me getting higher bunny hops and manuals. He also goes deep into muscle recruitment which is a core aspect that I think a lot of YT videos don't go into. He's a "fundamentals first, then add speed" guy, which is a philosophy that I subscribe to.

So I think my conclusion is, he's a solid teacher, but maybe not the one for me. Not trying to bash the guy because he's genuinely a nice dude, has got legit skills and it's probably hard to make it out there as a mtb coach. I'm sure he's the perfect coach for a lot of people out there.

There are two types of coaches. Stoke coaches and method coaches. Personally I want to know what it is the best riders are doing. There are not too many coaches that have raced at a pro level AND are analytical AND have both physics and body mechanics understanding ANd know how and have the experience to be a good coach. Good luck!

I can assure you that someone who tells you to lean back, push down before pulling up, elbows out, and lean the bike seperate from body is teaching you made up junk science that works better than what your current fundamental lacking skillset is good at. And it's going to get you hurt as soon as you start adding more speed and multiple hits.

If you're not an athlete you'll be hard to coach. That means you've likely never been asked to do musclular body recruitments. Youll be a noodily mess and your hopes of learning how to jump and manual and corner are over. You need to start from square 1, drop your falsely built ego and start all over from first step learning to hold yourself on the bike. It's not a pose or position it's a recruitment that uses leverage to manipulate the bike. There is no quick short cut to success.

So ask yourself first. Do you really want to learn how to ride even if it deflates your ego? Or do you wanna just get stoked and high fived and learn some temporary gains for long term failure?

I don't envy coaches. In this day n age of thinking you can watch a YouTube video and learn anything about riding your bike....or want it all in a quick easy lesson or two ... Good luck MTB coaches. No wonder they typically just give you some random "attack position" and have you twist all contorted to corner 🤣🤣

Ian teaches the fundamentals of a very advanced riding style.
I agree with Yody, it a lengthy process to develope it to it full potential.
Most would be best served buying a ten pack of lessons from Ian, and working diligently over the course of a year on the skills.
Several years back I decided to better my shortcomings on the mountain bike. That involved frequently going to Pleasanton Dirt Jump Park (mild and progressive. Good place to start), riding every pump track I could get to, several seasons of BMX racing, AND LESSONS/COACHING.
My limited time spent with Ian was fequently a challenge, because we were dealing with my limiting riding form that has been heavily ingrained over decades of mountain biking.
His initial assesment of "you go pretty fast, considering how terrible your form is" was spot on, and I planned on buying a ten pack of lessons and really working on it, then Pandemic hit.
My goal was a overall podium spot in the CES. Ian has seen and knows who I will up against, and can determine and help correct the things needed to get me there.
He can for anyone... But it is a process
Buy into the process, dedcate the time and effort to complete the process, and you will be better for it for a very long time. You might crash less often too