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Special thanks to:
is the culmination of many years of experience, observations,
and planning. While our obvious goal is to teach cyclists
to ride better, ride safer, and ride faster; that's
just part - a small part - of the big picture we see.
In that big picture we see kids (and adults as well)
that are not as healthy and active as they could and
should be.
BikeSkills
and Active Sports
Statistics show that interest
and participation in so-called main-stream sports such
as baseball, basketball, and football are in decline.
Interest and participation is shifting into one of two
quite different areas: passive ones like video games,
and active ones like actions sports that include snow
boarding, surfing, and of course cycling. It's pretty
clear to us which one of those areas is at least part
of the health problem. It's equally clear to us which
one can and needs to play a big role in the solution.
Our focus at BikeSkills
is cycling. And our goal is to help cyclists of all
ages get more out of their cycling related experiences.
We are confident that when people rider better, safer,
and faster, they'll do it often, and do it for a lifetime;
and that means a lifetime of health benefits both above
and below the neck!
Providing
the Skills to Ensure the Thrills
In addition to the health
focus, some time ago we realized something odd about
cycling in general, and the more skills based segments
(like trials, jumping, and trail riding) in particular:
there wasn't any organized, standardized, truly professional
training or instructional programs. Unlike skiing, or
even the very new sport of kite boarding, there weren't
professionals or professional organizations dedicated
to ensuring people got the most out of their expensive
gear, limited time, and did so in the safest manner
to ensure they had the most fun. That's when we decided
we had to create BikeSkills: Better, Safer, Faster!
BikeSkills:
People and Programs
Our programs are divided
into two basic categories: Clinics focused on the cross
country/ trail rider, and clinics focused on those who
want to learn the art of "jumping", the skills
involved for "Downhill" along with other "New
Skool' areas of cycling.
Former Masters DH World Champion
who spent a decade on the Professional mountain
bike tour learning not just skills, but more importantly
things like discipline, dedication, and perhaps
most important of all, wisdom. It's a unique combination
of results, experience and time coupled with Joe's
ability to reflect, relate, and translate that
has transformed Joe the Racer into Joe the Teacher.
Bikeskills instructor Jiro Nakamura has competed in virtually every form of mountain competition, from grueling enduro races in Europe to skill-intensive World Cup downhill events. Jiro has developed instructional programs for several cycling organizations, including the cycling team at UC Berkeley, his alma mater.
Mark is one of the most well
rounded riders in the world today. He's equally
at home setting downhill course records, as he
is wearing out the competition during grueling
24 hour marathon events. But what Mark really
lives for is to is spend countless hours just
plain riding his bike, right here in Marin County;
the birthplace of mountain biking. Whether you
want to fine tune your bike and body, or just
tune in to a higher level of appreciation for
the sport and lifestyle of mountain biking, Mr.
Versatility has you covered.
Jackie Baker
Jackie has been riding bikes for 12 years and has raced for about that long as well. She started out as a cross country racer, but became addicted to gravity in 2005. Since then, she's been dedicated to improving her own riding skills and getting more girls stoked on riding downhill. As a former PSIA Level II ski instructor, Jackie focuses on straightforward and logical skills progressions on the bike to help riders develop solid foundations that will enable them to reach their mountain biking goals. Jackie is based out of Salt Lake City, UT, but also conducts clinics in western Colorado and other Rocky Mountain locations throughout the spring and summer.
World Champion Dual slalom and
4Cross racer, Brian Lopes has won almost every
title there is to win in his disciplines in mountain
biking.
For anyone to be able to accomplish
so much you have to have some serious skills.
You dont win titles by getting lucky, you do it
with smart riding and lots of skills. The lucky
ones are you, because Brian has agreed to do a
limited number of training camps through bikeskills.
Brian is still a full time racer so his time is
limited. To find out about joining Brian for a
clinic send us an email with what sort of skills
your looking for and we will line it up.
Leigh Donovan
As a former Professional World Downhill Champion and 10 time US National Champion Leigh has been exposed to it all aspects of riding and racing. In 1982 Leigh fell in love with bike racing when she raced her 1st BMX race and after 9 years of BMX she fell in love once again when she entered her first Mountain Bike race in 1992. Leigh has had tremendous success with results but she feels her ability to encourage and inspire others is her greatest strength.
Bob first threw a leg over a mountain bike in 1989 and it was love at first ride. Although he’s done a fair amount of racing, Bob found his mountain bike niche in epic rides and advocacy. He put both passions together as president of a premier mtb club in Southern California for 7 years where he saw a need for teaching the basics of mountain biking, not only to promote the sport but to keep riders and other trail users safe and happy on the dirt. He created the New Rider Day program to get folks riding and enjoying the trails through a combination of skills, etiquette, equipment selection and maintenance.
Whether you are brand new to the sport, or you’ve been struggling to “get the hang of it” for a while, come out for a day of informative fun and personal instruction and leave stoked for your next safer, faster and “funner” ride.
For information about
the clinics and programs themselves, go to the clinics
section of the site. Also be sure to check out our "Previous
Clinics" page to see what was went on, and don't
forget to read what past students have to say about
BikeSkills on the testimonials page.
