This past weekend was organizational development time for Bikeskills NorCal group. That’s a fancy way of saying we simply got together, rode, talked about ways of refining what we do, tossed around ideas, and had fun riding mountain bikes. One of the things we talked about the most were ideas we got from an “assigned reading project” that being Daniel Ariely’s new book, “Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions.”

While MIT professor and behavioral economist Daniel Ariely’s book deals primarily with research and applications relating to economic issues, his broad range of examples and layman’s explanation of complex experiments he’s conducted, make extrapolating and applying his ideas to an even broader range of day to day life issues – and in our case, riding mountain bikes – almost automatic. And while we highly recommend Airely’s book, we also recommend taking a Bikeskills class (if you are a mountain biker) and we hope that Dr. Ariely would not only agree, but endorse our rationale as well!

The picture above is not just an artistically rendered photo of an artistic rider and Bikeskills instructor, Jiro Nakamura, but an example of our own observations of “Predictable Irrationality.” As it turns out, this root-infested, tight turn, knock-your-block-off drop, is one of the trail challenges that very, very few people even attempt – and even fewer pull off. However, Jiro was able not only to demonstrate it to countless “watchers” many times, and flawlessly so, his doing so sure seem to impress (maybe even anger)  lots of nnvious mountain bikers on this well known, Marin (Tenderfoot) trail. [Read more…]

If you haven’t ridden in a bike park, you’re really missing out!  One of the clearest trends we at Bikeskills see in off-road cycling is a synthesis of imagination and reality: the bike park. And we’re not talking about the mega, mecca-like Whistler Bike Parks, but much smaller parks, like the temporary Ridezones Bikeskills builds, and the new 16 acre, Woodward Bike Park, in Fresno California.

Bike parks combine a number of features derived from snow and skate boarding, mountain biking, and other actions sports and deliver non-stop fun in a small footprint; just what our sport needs! But the point of this entry is more basic: get yourself to the Bikeskills Introduction to Bike Park skills clinic on the 7th of December, from noon till 4 p.m. in Fresno! 

You’ll get instruction on the basics from former Trials Professional and park designer, JP Sicker, who will be assisted by NorCal chief instructor, Jiro Nakamura.  Here are just a few things you’ll learn:

• Setting Your Bike up for Techincal Terrain Features, Jumps, and Pump Tracks
• How to Ride a Pump Track
• Jumping Basics
• Introduction to Trials Basics

Need more motivation? Well then check out these videos (Jumps and Pump Track) shot a the Woodward Bike Park and then contact JP at jpsickler@bikeskills.com