If you've been exposed to the bike-related parts of the internet for any time at all, you'll probably have encountered Jedi. He's the driving force behind the semi-legendary Herts Shore freeride spot and well-known in "riding off things" circles. In the real world he's Tony Doyle, and given what he's best known for now you may be surprised to learn that he's also been a competitive triathlete, successful time triallist and XC MTB racer. Clearly he knows his stuff, and having got hold of the various bits of paper that prove it he's now launched UK Bike Skills to offer a "fresh and progressive" approach to bicycle skills coaching.
"People have been on at me to do something like this for years," says Tony, "and to be fair I’ve been unofficially training friends in MTB and road racing for nearly 20 years now. I’ve coached nearly everyone who rides at Herts Shore at one point or another, its just now I’m able to teach my approach to a wider audience. Passing the CTC Skills Training Course has opened the doors for me, and I’m genuinely excited to get out amongst the UK riding population and show them my approach to teaching and riding."
As if Tony's own breadth of experience wasn't enough, he's also employing the services of other instructors, including Chicksands trail builder Tim Jackson, dirt jumper and 4X racer Tom Dowie, plus multiple BMX champs Mark Atkins and Zach Shaw. So whatever aspect of riding you want to improve, UK Bike Skills should have someone to help.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, UK Bike Skills is keen to push specialist skills for North Shore and DH, particularly with a view to helping riders get the most of summer trips to the Alps or Canada. There'll also be some courses running in Spain in association with holiday operator Basque MTB.
Full details of courses offered by UK Bike Skills are available at www.ukbikeskills.co.uk. From time to time there'll be course announcements and last-minute slots, which will be announced on the UK Bike Skills blog and Facebook group.
