Bikeskills has several clinics scheduled throughout November in Southern (SoCal) California as well as NorCal, Bend Oregon, and our newest location, Fresno California. Check our calendar on our homepage and blog for dates and times!

Bikeskills NorCal Team Heads NE to Lake Tahoe

Although the primary mission was to meet with Skiskills co-founder Dr. Robb Gaffney MD and sort out some Bikeskills / Skiskills crossover events, we managed to get some riding in. We had a pefect set-up: a chilly morning that gave way to a cool, crystal clear day, and recent thunderstorms had damped down the infamous Tahoe moon-dust making for “as good as it gets” conditions on one of Tahoe’s best all around rides: the 17 mile long Hole in the Ground.

That’s Jiro above, on the far left, with an all star Tahoe ski crew including Skiskills’ JT Holmes, fourth from the right. To the left, Jiro demonstrates how much big-to-flat a skilled pilot can soak up aboard a Santa Cruz Nomad.

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Bikeskills Bend’s Paul Thomisberg leads NorCal student, Brian Foster, on some of Oregon’s most beautiful and challenging trails. Paul would know: he designed and built many of them! If and when you are in Oregon, whether you’re up for a clinic, or want to get one of the best local guide there,  Bikeskills Bend is the place, and Paul T is the man.

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Dr. Dmity Livdan, the double PhD (plus a masters), obtains what he really wanted all these years: a degree of confidence when headed downhill. No doubt about it, Bikeskills NorCal’s main man, Jiro Nakamura, confered upon Dmitry some serious cycling education. While Dmitry was a great rider when he showed up for his first Bikeskills clinic, at the end of his second he had that one thing that was missing from his quiver, skills when the trail points down. Congradulations Dmitry!

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Another Cal Bear Demonstrates Perfect Form. Maureen demonstrates the perfect body position to manual and J-Hop. Notice how she’s moved down and back. She’s ready to safely hop over obstacles, absorb shocks, or, manual a section of rollers. All in a day’s work for this Bikeskills student who turns out to be a pro class mountain biker, and a PhD candidate in Cal’s Environmental Science program. Whoa…

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Click on the Image below to see the Video!

Here are two more Golden Bears (Cal graduates)

Here’s Jon “Sick Air” Sigerman making it absolutely clear that being a former trial lawyer is no more barrier to getting out there on a mountain bike than is being 62, or having a pace maker. If the name sounds familiar it might be Jon was the founder and CEO of Summation Legal Technologies, or, that he’s been one of mountain biking’s biggest philanthropic forces and role models for all ages. Get down Jon:

What The Heck, Here’s Skiskills Jonny Moseley – Olympic Gold Medal winner and Cal graduate. It’s just about ski season, so what the heck. Yes, there is a Skiskills.com! And just like Bikeskills.com, Skiskills.com has some of the best skiers on the planet: Jonny Moseley, Dr. Robb Gaffney MD (the only world class skier who’s also a practicing psychiatrist… that we know of anyway) JT Holmes, to name a few. Here’s a short video that has a collection of clips of instructional videos we’re working on at Skiskills. If they look something like the videos we make at Bikeskills, good. That’s what we’re after. Click on the image below to see the video:

Jiro Nakamura and his NorCal Bikeskills team will be on hand at the Fairfax Biketoberfest this Saturday, 18 October 2008.  Be sure to sign up for the Bikeskills trail riding clinic starting at 8 a.m. The clinic will take place on Camp Tamarancho’s epic single track trails. You’ll finish in plenty of time to check out the Biketoberfest event where you’ll find an array of bike displays new, old, cool  – and of course the downright weird – great food, and lots of fun for all ages.  To sign up for the clinic, click on the schedule button above, or, contact Jiro directly at jiro@bikeskills.com.  To get more information about Biketoberfest, go to http://www.biketoberfest2008.org/

Guaranteed Return on Your Mountain Biking Investment: Bikeskills Clinics

We may not have the cure for the macro economic environment anymore than we have the solution to global warming, but we think it’s fair to say that we can help you at a micro level. Not only can Bikeskills help you get a better ROI (return on investment) in your mountain biking, but, getting you to spend more time on your bike just might translate in to less time in your car or doing other things that aren’t nearly as earth friendly as cycling.

And as luck would have it, our most recent Bikeskills clinic had experts in both economics and ecology. Dr. Dmitry Livdan Ph.D.,  a UC Berkeley finance professor, and Duane Kubischta, the founder of Adventure Film Works, an action sports film firm that specializes in documenting ecologically sound sports practices.

In the Foreground, Dr. Dmitry Livdan Ph.D. looks to Duane Kubischta, founder of Adventure Film Works, to see if he’s buying what Bikeskills instructor, Jiro Nakamura, is selling. Read on to see what they concluded…

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Key Fundamentals Driven Home: Elbows Up

There are a number of Bikeskills “Key Concepts” that will make you a better rider, a safer rider, and get you there faster than any other method. None are more important than keeping those elbows up.

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On-Trail Work: Switchbacks 101

Under the watchful eyes of Jiro and Bikeskills’ director of electrical engineering, Ed Becker, a student is guided through a switchback tutorial known as the Lawwill method. If switchbacks leave you frustrated in general, or you have a hard time with the complicated ones, Bikeskills has spent a lot of time developing instructional techniques that apply to all switchbacks. You can check out some of those techniques in our switchback video in the video clips page on our website.

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J-Hop: Just Maybe the Single Best Way to Supercharge Your Riding

Jiro Demonstrates what the J-Hop – named after Joe Lawwill – is all about, and what it can do for your riding control and safety. Want to see it in action? Learn how to do it? Find out about and learn how to do one of the most powerful tools in all-mountain cycling? Sign up for a Bikeskills clinic!

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Time For Single Track Fun: Putting the Skills Learned to Work

There’s always time at the end of a Bikeskills clinic to put those new and refined skills to the test and have some fun. And there’s no better place in Marin County than the downhill sections at Camp Tamarancho for rip and rail fun: all single track, 100% legal!

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Team Bikeskills and Epic Way Sports’ Newest Addition: Duane Kubischta

From left to right: Ed Becker Bikeskills NorCal, JP Sickler, Bikeskills Central Valley, Duane Kubischta, Epic Way Sports Director of Video Editing Services, and Jiro Nakamura, Bikeskills NorCal Operations Manager

Well, Duane was so impressed with Bikeskills that he decided to join our organization! Duane will be heading up Epic Way Sports’ (Bikeskills, Skiskills, Surfskills) rapidly growing video production projects. We’re really excited to have someone with not just Duane’s professional and educational background, but his committment to the environment and action sports as well.

As for Dr. Livdan, the economics expert, he seems to be a bit tied up with macro economic issues at the moment, but we will post what he has to say about riding bikes during economic ups and downs, so stay tuned!

Check Out The Bikeskills Channel!

Jiro Nakamura. Bikeskills’ New NorCal Operations Manager

We’ve been after Jiro for a long time!  Jiro is one of mountain biking’s true MVPs.  In addition to having raced the very first Mammoth Mountain Kamikazee event at the age of 12, Jiro has been part of the competitive mountain biking scene for over 20 years. He climbed the ranks to become a professional license holder some 12 years ago and has used that license quite literally around the world in disciplines ranging from the high intensity demands of cross country, physically demanding world cup downhill events and more recently grueling marathons and Europe’s new “Enduro” scene. The result is the kind of rider that most of us aspire to become: capable and confident in virtually any situation with a style that can only be described as… mellifluous – look it up… 

And if two-decades of being in the world class mix wasn’t enough to qualify Jiro to teach at Bikeskills,  his UC Berkeley psychology education certainly helps as there’s a great deal of sports instruction that takes place above the neck! Seriously, ask any great sports instructor be it Skiskills’ Dr. Robb Gaffney MD (himself a practicing psychiatrist) or Surfskills’ legendary waterman, Dave Kalama, and they will tell you: the difference between physically able and actually capable, is often psychological. And who among us hasn’t had some form of psychological barrier keeping us from getting to the next step, or overcoming an unreasonable fear? 

Talk about the rubber meeting the road: within 72 hours of showing up for work at Bikeskills, Jiro was digging in to his first clinic. I have to say, he did not dissapoint the Bikeskills staff; and I’ll let what one of his students do the talking from the customer’s side:

Jiro is a pro racer and can definitely teach anyone enough to get to the next level. He was extremely patient and asked us what we wanted to work on…  They helped me tweak my bike so it felt way better than I had it. I just built it up but Jiro and Ed showed me some tricks that made it feel a lot better in terms of control and comfort.

…my skills at switchbacks improved by a factor of 2. REALLY great experience overall. I highly recommend it. If you want to get better these guys can take you to the next level – no matter your current level. I’ll do some homework and practice and when I’m ready to advance I’ll drop by again.
Thanks a lot guys!

Wilson Wong, Electrical Engineer

Jiro is currently teaching trail riding clinics at Fairfax’s Camp Tamarancho. For more information about the clinics including times, and dates, go to http://bikeskills.com/event_calendar.php 

If you would like to contact Jiro directly about one of his upcoming clinics, a custom or private clinic, you can do so at jiro@bikeskills.com

A Big Hero Steps up… Again

For those of you have heard of Jon Sigerman, the legendary dirt jumper, his stepping up to be the major supporter of the Bikeskills Ridezone will come as no surprise. Jon has been there virtually every step of the way since Bikeskills’ inception four years ago. He has provided insight, legal opinions (in addition to being a fiendishly ripping dirt jumper, Jon is an attorney as well), ideas, and financial help that has helped Bikeskills, The Bikeskills Foundation, efforts to build a local bike park, Sand Hill Raceway, to name a few bike related beneficiaries.

Our First Customer, Emily, Drops in…

Although she’s looking a bit apprehensive here, Emily figured the Ridezone table tops, bridges, and pump tracks out real quick. And while we felt our Santa Cruz Jackals and Chameleons were the right tools to have, Emily seemed to have no problem with her LikeaBike.

If you’re wondering about that sign in the back that says SKISKILLS, yeah, there’s a SKISKILLS that’s a lot like Bikeskills. And like Bikeskills’ world class pro instructors, SKISKILLS has the likes of Jonny Moseley, Robb Gaffney, and JT Holmes on its A-Team.

The Bikeskills Foundation Makes the Scene

The role of The Bikeskills Foundation is to help make dreams of bike parks and other new skool riding venues reality. Don’t just watch us: get involved with the Bikeskills Foundation and help us Build Places for Kids to Ride! For more information about The Bikeskills Foundation, contact Rob Howard at rhoward@bikeskills.com

More Images and Video to Follow

We have a ton of pictures and video we are sorting through and editing. We’ll post it as soon as we have it available. If you took some great pictures and or video in the Ridezone, send it to us and we’ll get it up on our site.

A Fallen Hero Needs Our Help!

Most of us mountain bikers both know Tara Llanes and about her tragic injury. Here’s a way that you can help us help Tara on her Road to Recovery: take – or get someone to take – one of our Women’s Only clinics at the Sea Otter Classic. All profits will go to Tara’s recovery fund. The clinics will be taught by World Cup DH Pro and Bikeskills instructor, Maxine Irvine. Students will have a great time and have the knowledge they are doing good. For more information, check out our Sea Otter Clinic Schedule on our home page.

The Ridezone Skillzone Gets Some Additional Features Including a Gnarly Rock Garden

We really put a lot of thought and hard work in to this year’s Skillzone. The concept being that either on your own (or better yet in a Bikeskills clinic at the Sea Otter Classic) riders can learn and hone real-life trail skills in the Ridezone. We have wooden bridges, an uphill and dowhill incredible switchback, a root section, and a rock garden that required us to find, transport, and move some bodaciously heavy rocks. We think you’re going to have a great time in the Skillszone. And if you’re thinking about testing a bike from the Demo Zone, the Skillzone will be a great place to wring it out:

Today’s Hero: Clif Bar. The folks are Clif are no strangers to doing the right thing. Since Bikeskills inception, Clif Bar has been there with and for us. We can’t think of a single company that is more integrated in to the cyling lifestyle or is doing more to make this place called earth a better place. Clif Bar – and especially Bryan Cole and Peter B – rule.

The Mystery of the Strange Bird Solved: Ole Blu is Back!

A couple of days of days ago we reported that there was a strange bird, a peacock in fact, hanging around the Sea Otter Classic venue. It turns out that it wasn’t a peacock at all, but Mark Weir, dressed as a peacock, just making sure that Randy and Terry re-created his classic, Ole Blue pump track just the way it’s supposed to be. But it’s up to you, the people that come to the Ridezone next week to tell us, if we got it right:

Skillzone Progress

One of the Terrain Features we’ve been working on hard this year is the Skillzone. The basic concept is to create a loop roughly 50 feet wide and 125 or feet long that includes the kind of obstacles and technique building terrain most trail riders encounter. We’re talking about switchbacks, roots, rock gardens, step-ups, etc. In fact, we’ve worked so hard to create a trail simulator, that Bikeskills Joe Lawwill is teaching trail clinics using the Skillzone. It’s still in the rough stages, but here’s an image of one of the switchbacks:

Today’s Hero: Mt Tam Orthopedics

As was the case with my last post, we’re going to start by giving credit where credit is due, a firm that is helping Bikeskills to make the Ridezone possible:  Mt Tam Orthopedics (www.mttamorthopedics.com) Not only does Mt Tam Orthopedics have some of the finest surgeons anywhere, they’ve got some docs that aren’t so bad on a mountain bike either like Santa Cruz Blur riding, and US Ski Team Surgeon Dr. Dave Goltz MD. Maybe not the kind of guy you want to meet at work, but defintely the  go-to-guy if and when you need him! 

Jump Construction Design and Construction Theory and Practice

I’m a physicist and I admit that I am both interested in, and find building bike jumps fascintating. That said, most people… aren’t. What they are interested in – if they’re like  most all-mountain cyclists – is knowing where those jumps are so they can go hit them!  Well, Randy and crew are working on two sets of table top jumps in the Bikeskills Ridezone as I write.  Here’s proof: 

 Who is This Strange Bird and What is he Doing in Monterey? 

 This guy was on Bikeskills founder, Rob Howard’s fence in Monterey last night. While he’s obviously a Peacock, what is he doing in Monterey?  Someone told me that the Pump Tracks at Mark Weir’s place are also called the Peacock Pit.  Is this guy out of work, or is he up to something?  Stayed tuned and I’ll report back with the 411 tomorrow.

Let the Work Begin!

While it’s all fine and well to be given a nice, level, forty five thousand square feet of canvas to work with, the amount of time, effort and hard work that goes in to making something like the Bikeskills Ridezone is amazing. Even more amazing is the amount of volunteer work, even money from the very people that are creating the Ridezone: Bikeskills and College Cyclery (http://www.collegecyclery.biz/). So before I go on,  props to College Cyclery and owner, Terry Cox!

Back to That Blank Canvas: Construction Time!

The first thing to do was to get the dirt in the right places. It’s one of those things that sounds easy, but not only is it not because you hav to know not only what terrain features go where, but which ones are going to be built in what order. Get it wrong and you quickly find out how hard and long it takes to move the dirt deposited by one of these:

 

An Artist and His Canvas

I’m not sure what Randy’s thinking here, but my guess is that he’s pretty fired up about creating something that thousands of kids and adults alike, in less than a couple of weeks, are going to have a great time on and with. That said, he also looks like he’s thinking “man, that’s a lot of dirt…”

Time to Get Busy with the Bobcat

Once again it’s Terry Cox and College Cyclery to the rescue: they brought their own Bobcat tractor to build the Ridezone. Do you think these guys are serious about buildig mountain biking venues?  Here’s Randy the mechanical artist at work:

The Chef Tastes His Concoction…

Many hours of driving, shaping by both machine and hand, Randy’s first pump track, the advance one, is ready for a quick lap to see how it rides.  Looks pretty good from this angle…

Admiring the Creation.. or Rather Appraising the Creating

Even thought it’s early in the construction process and there are miles to go, you have to take the time to step back and take a look at what you’ve created. With the first pump track installed, it’s nice to sit back and realize that we’re on the way.  Are you ready to come to the Bikeskills Ridezone at the Sea Otter Classic?  Here’s some incentive that Randy and Terry just cooked up for you: