Public skills clinics at Valmont Bike park in August

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I’m offering six public clinics at Valmont Bike Park in August. This is an awesome, cost effective way to dial in your skills.

Classes are limited to six riders each. Cost is $90 and includes the opportunity to purchase the book Mastering Mountain Bike Skills or Pro BMX Skills for a discounted $20.

We will cover the core skills, then we’ll focus on whatever the group wants (and is ready for). Expect to dial in position, braking, cornering and pumping. If all goes well, we’ll do some dropping and jumping too.

Valmont is an amazing place to ride and learn. Come on out. Let’s rip it!

ALL CLASSES ARE SOLD OUT.

I’ll post when September dates are set. Email me to get on the mailing list.

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Pre-Olympic rippage

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I’m showing this singletrack.competitor.com photo from last week’s test race on the Olympic XC course because it is so rad.

Let’s discuss:

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Valmont Bike Park trail descriptions

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I will update this post as I explore the incredible Valmont Bike Park in Boulder, CO. Expect photos and videos.

June 14, 2011: Today, my first day at Valmont, I rode the park for six (6!) glorious hours. Features reviewed: Medium Slopestyle Line, Dual Slalom, Mesa Top Pump Park, Mesa Flow, Corkscrew, Rivet, The 5280′ Run-Up, Creekside Pump Park, Small Dirt Jumps, Dirt 101

June 15, 2011: Update on the big pump track. Added bike suggestions.

June 16, 2011: Added video of Jerad Fischer rolling the Large Slopestyle line. This man is ripping with one leg. Medium dirt jump line.

June 19, 2011: Updated pump track descriptions, added Large dirt jump line.

June 30: Updated Large dirt jump line.

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Hardtail on Tunnel Trail?

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Lee,

Dunno who else to ask this question, if you’ve got a second, that’d be awesome.

I’m in Santa Barbara, CA on a family trip for the next week. I searched for the Tunnel Trail, since it’s the only one I’ve heard of and your site came up, like, 3rd on the search. Only got a 29er hard tail here (it lives at my parent’s house in Newport Beach). Was thinking of riding up Gibraltar road (since I guess that’s a pretty well known climb) and then down the trail. Will I die if I do this? I figure I can just be slow on the down. For comparison’s sake, I wouldn’t ride, say Keystone or Sol Vista with anything less than 6″ of travel (and DH tires for that matter), but I can’t think of anything on the Front Range that I couldn’t ride with a hardtail (including Left Hand OHV area — at least last time I rode it like 7 or 8 years ago)

Thanks,

Scott

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Fast guys ripping S-Works Enduros

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Brandan Fairclough, Curtis Keene and Brad Benedict rock S-Works Enduros in the loamy lovenest that is Santa Cruz.

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Hung over in Sedona

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Our correspondent Russ just got back from Living the Life (capital Ls) in Sedona, AZ. Here’s his helmet cam of Hangover Trail.

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Slipping into the flow

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Yesterday I rode the Stumpy on trail for the first time in six weeks. Since then it’s been hard training, a few sessions on the Enduro, way too much work and the kind of stress that makes decent men into jerks and me into something worse.

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Learning the cross bike

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Now that I’m back from NorCal, I’m focused on learning my S-Works Tricross so I can race it half-decently this weekend.

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It doesn’t matter, and it’s OK, and it feels great

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After last weekend’s coaching sessions, I really needed a good ride. The kind of ride where you go so fast you can’t think of anything. The kind of ride where training and skills and preparation and technique all dissolve into a cloud of braaap!

Actually, I’ve been needing that ride for a long time.

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Poof!

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Solid ride from the house last weekend. Climb 70 minutes then hit a steep/rocky DH trail. Find it blocked halfway down, hike out then pin the dirt road back to the house. Full speed laying it out through a gravel hairpin, drifting drifting, WRX appears in the dust — aimed right at me. Spot a pile of duff under the guardrail, go wide, edge into the bank and — poof! — set up for the next turn. Road riding, Enduro style.

  

The other good part. Worth a hike and repeat.

Willow at Worlds

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Lee,

I hope you and your family are weathering the fire — how scary! I live in Littleton and can see the smoke from my house. Keep everybody safe and we’re happy to help in any way.

I participated in your skills clinic for the Colorado Mountain Bike coaches clinic in June. What an awesome event and I loved your information! I hoped to join Gil, Grant and Connor at the Colorado Springs event, but we had other events that day. If you have more skills clinic later this year or next year, we will definitely participate.

I saw this picture from Worlds race in Canada and I thought about you. What great position and technique Willow Koerber is portraying in this photo! She gives me inspiration.

Take care,
Erlinda

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Enduro suspension: Back to stock settings

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Tomorrow I’m coaching a young DH pinner at Keystone. Since I no longer have a downhill bike, I have to make sure the Enduro suspension is dialed. So off to Hall Ranch I went for a mix of turny turns and rocky rocks.

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