Skills Camp

allygadget

allygadget

Active Member
So last summer in June, Mare did an awesome thing on here and posted about a skills camp coached by the fantastic Gene Hamilton. She orchestrated the entire thing and I can honestly say it changed the way I ride and also opened a door to a TON of new friends. Thanks Mare you are a bike life saver! 😀

I know there were a few people whom were skeptical, couldn't afford it or were just plain busy and couldn't make it. I wanted to let people know there is another skills camp this summer. It was the best way I have ever spent my money, bike or otherwise, and highly recommend the camp. Our camp had all different types of riders from XC to downhill and from beginners (me included) to people who have been riding and racing for many many years. Everyone who took the camp loved it and learned something.

I also want people to know, this is more directed towards the gals then the boys, don't let anyone dismiss your idea if you are thinking about doing it. Even after I took the clinic and I mention it, I get skepticism from others who think that spending money on learning skills from a pro is silly and you can just learn them on your own for free. I think they are silly.

To give you a little bit of back ground on Gene, he has a website http://www.betterride.net so check it out. He does mountain bike camps, xc and down hill camps, womens only camps etc. Gene has been coaching camps for the last 10 years and has coached over 1,200 riders from beginners to top pro racers, filmed a special for the Discovery Channel, written mental training articles for Dirt Rag, been featured in The New York Times, Decline Magazine, Mountain Bike Action and USA Today.

So please sign up if you are interested it will be the best money that you have spent and may even save you some trips to the hospital and the expenses associated with that. I will be taking the core skill 2 camp with mare and a few others since I was so pleased with the first camp.
 
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Thanks for this post.
June 15-17 Philadelphia, PA Mountain Bike Camp
June 29-July 1 TBA, NJ Mountain Bike Camp
July 13-15 NJ, TBA Core Skills 2 Camp
http://betterride.net/mountainbikeclinicsandcamps/mountainbikecampdates/
I would love to do this, but ay, caramba! that's a lot to add a wheelie to my trick bag. I'm curious what skills you learned in MB Camp and what you hope to learn in Core 2. I'm surprised that people are skeptical about paid instruction, but also by how much it costs. What a dream job.
 
I have only heard great things about Gene and the camps. I have passed through one of his DH camps and stayed for a few hours and picked up some great tips. Its not learn how to do a wheelie - they teach you how to be a more confident and well rounded rider. And the skills learned translate to nearly every ride you'll take. I took a 'lesson' in Winter Park, CO a few years ago (the name of the instructor is escaping me of course), but I came away more confident and clearly faster. Even when riding today, I think about and try to implement the things I learned that day. The BetterRide camps may be expensive, but if you can afford it, they are going to be a great learning experience, not to mention you'll be shredding some gnar with great, like minded people.
 
Andy said:
Thanks for this post.
June 15-17 Philadelphia, PA Mountain Bike Camp
June 29-July 1 TBA, NJ Mountain Bike Camp
July 13-15 NJ, TBA Core Skills 2 Camp
http://betterride.net/mountainbikeclinicsandcamps/mountainbikecampdates/
I would love to do this, but ay, caramba! that's a lot to add a wheelie to my trick bag. I'm curious what skills you learned in MB Camp and what you hope to learn in Core 2. I'm surprised that people are skeptical about paid instruction, but also by how much it costs. What a dream job.
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Andy,

for me I was such a beginner that I got a TON out of the camp because I really did not have proper technique when it came to pretty much everything. What I mean by everything is I did not know how to wheelie or corner properly or track stand even. There were a few things that I thought I had down pat like front braking, climbing or descending switch backs, properly centering my weight over my bike, and even bike set up or looking down the trail but I was amazed by how much more I learned. There were also others in the camp that were far more experienced than myself and even they said that they thought their techniques were pretty good but after learning how to perform those things in a different way it made them even better than before. In fact there was a couple that took the level 1 course already and came back for a second time as a refresher and STILL learned from the course. I know it seems like a ton of $ and I thought the same as well but I was to the point that I was tired of falling all the time and was pretty close to giving up riding my bike so this was a last ditch effort and it was well worth the money. I promise you, that if you come into it with an open mind you will NOT be disappointed.

Not to mention in the grand scheme of things, spending a couple hundred $ on learning the right technique might save you from some crashes and in turn save you a couple thousand $ in doctor/hospital bills not to mention pain, suffering and missed work time in the future.
 
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ecsnsmb said:
...Its not learn how to do a wheelie - they teach you how to be a more confident and well rounded rider. And the skills learned translate to nearly every ride you'll take.
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Yeah, I knew that, but a wheelie and a bunny are the things I still can't do. We ride the most technical stuff we can find; The Lumpy-Rollie-Candy kind of stuff, and strive for no dabs, sometimes successfully.

ecsnsmb said:
Even when riding today, I think about and try to implement the things I learned that day. The BetterRide camps may be expensive, but if you can afford it, they are going to be a great learning experience...
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This, for me would be the greatest benefit. I find that many of the skills I have learned have been gained through trial and error, but I often benefit when I try to explain them to someone who is trying to learn them because I have to break them down into their components.
 
Thanks again.
allygadget said:
...but after learning how to perform those things in a different way it made them even better than before. In fact there was a couple that took the level 1 course already and came back for a second time as a refresher and STILL learned from the course.
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I am 100% sure I would benefit, and always looking to learn.

allygadget said:
I know it seems like a ton of $ and I thought the same as well but I was to the point that I was tired of falling all the time and was pretty close to giving up riding my bike so this was a last ditch effort and it was well worth the money. I promise you, that if you come into it with an open mind you will NOT be disappointed.
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Unfortunately, I don't have that kind of cash this year to do it. I did learn to stop falling when I borrowed a friend's really nice bike, and promised not to scratch it! I hope we can ride together, I would appreciate your input. I also am going to suggest this to my friend's wife, she is an avid road cyclist, but terrified on her mountain bike.
 
Camps

I have been on one of the camps last year - in Nashua, new hampshire.

I learned a ton from the course. As a relative beginner (but very keen) I realised how much I could improve.

I still don't practice as much as I should, but every so often I nail a set of corners ("elbow up" will be familiar to those on the course) and I realise how much quicker I can ride if i remember to do it right.

A friend came on the course with me- he has been riding mountain bikes for 20 years so, understandably got a bit less out of it - but I think he still rated the course highly.

I am planning to go on a second course/refresher this year.

Colin
 
For anyone who didnt take the camp last summer you would be looking at the camp from June 29 to July 1.

There is a camp from July 13 to 15 but it is a core 2 skills camp and you had to have taken the level 1 camp prior so for the new students you want to register for the camp on June 29 to July 1.
 
I forgot about stewart being that weekend. Well I am glad you plan on doing the philly camp. Let me know what you think about it after you take it. I know it will be great reviews 🙂
 
Honestly the one closer to home might be better because in the afternoon you go out on trails with Gene and practice your skills on the trail. Since most of what you have been and will be riding is this area and Moab is kinda different you might get more out of the camp by doing it locally. Not to mention if you like it a lot you can always do a core skill 2 camp in moab next year 🙂 but the choice is yours this is just my opinion.
 
Hooray!!

Woodchuck- did you take the core 1 skills camp last summer? I didnt really know anyone's mtbnj screen names from camp but I remember faces! In order to take the Core 2 skills camp you have to take the core 1 first. Luckily there is a core 1 skills camp June 29 to July 1.
 
Woodchuck,

Do you have any questions? I am more than happy to try and answer them. If I don't have the answer I will get one for you. If you haven't taken a camp yet, you should they are great!
 
For those of you who are not quite convinced and are still on the fence, what can I do to convince you that this is the best money you will ever spend? 😀
 
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