Jiro Nakamura keeps an eye on Steve Ixquiac as he negotiates a complex trail section. Notice: head up, looking where he’s going, one finger on the brakes.
On Saturday we held our first Bikeskills SESSIONS clinic at the Rockville Bike Park (Sacramento area). It sure seemed like a good time was had by all. Read on for the 411 and to see more photos.
The Rockville Bike Park is a compact, skill building place to get a quick ride in, work on specific, technical skills, or even introduce beginners to mountain biking on the mellow fire road that rings the otherwise technical terrain. The Rockville park is a great example of how much quality riding can be compressed in to such a small area.
Bikeskills SESSIONS Clinic Number #1The Class of 2009 included Henry, Mike, Werner, and Steve. We wanted a small group to ensure lots of personal attention on this shake down run. Here’s the group headed back to the barn with Jiro leading the way.
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Things started out mellow enough…One of the cool things about the Rockville Bike Park is that there are an array of trails ranging from fire roads to some real-deal technical challenges. Here’s Jiro getting the class to think about line selection, on the more mellow trail portions, before things get dicey.
The Main Rockgarden at Rockville. There’s a rock garden, no more than a couple of hundred feet, where an intermediate to expert rider could not only spend hours practicing, but never do the same line twice, challenge themselves, (no matter how good they are…. or aren’t) and perhaps most important of all, do so in an area that’s relatively safe in terms of consequences and exposure. In this shot, Jiro demonstrates how to pop over a nasty little square edge “Dentist’s Delight” obstacle. The garden is as fun and challenging up as down…
The Big Up Slays a Chute. It’s ironic that Mike “The Big Up” should be named for his uphill prowess… while considerable, he really shines when things head down and get nasty.
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Henry taking his riding to places and spaces it’s never been before. It’s more than satisfying when you see someone accomplish things they haven’t before. It doesn’t matter whether it’s in math or mountain biking class. Here Henry tackles a tough, rock infested chute with nothing more than his bike and new skills.
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It’s always nice to see even A students learn a bit more…Werner knows Rockville and he knows how to ride. He also made Jiro reach deep in to his teaching tools. In the end, even Werner took his considerable skills to the next level and cleaned a couple of lines he hadn’t been able to before. Well done
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