BMW Off Road Skills 5/6 March 09

[zzrman]

!4 Riders did the Level One Advanced Course on Thursday and Friday 5th and 6th March. Everyone enjoyed it which was principally due to the quality of the instruction from Tamsin Jones and Gwyn Barraclough. I would recommend these courses as even if you only ride off road occasionally your road riding will benefit as it teaches you the need to stay relaxed and loose on the bike even when the front and rear are sliding al over the place.

Now some photos:

First, our group:

From L to R: Kevin, Perry, David, Me, Gwyn, David, Robert and Gordon

Then Tamsin's group - apologies but I don't know everyone's names but no prizes for guessing which one is Tamsin:

Now some from the second day:

Taken just after Robert had dropped his bike taking out David, Kevin and Gwyn using the domino method. Gordon, Perry and myself at the back couldn't stop laughing.

Perry, Kevin, Robert and Gordon at one of our rest stops:

Gordon, Graham, Hugo, Steve (I think) and Robert at another break

Graham again

Gwyn, our Instructor on his GS Adventure

Some rut riding: First Gordon:

Robert

David

Perry

Tim Green

A typical track through the woodland and the setting for our last break - we were all a bit tired by this stage:

This is a bit of a poor photo but we're looking down a 45 degree bank which Gwyn tells us the Level 3 guys on the G450X 'crosser will ride both up and down

In summary a very enjoyable course thanks to our instructor and my fellow trainees.

 

[Brewers Whoop]

Absolutely agree with zzrman - an excellent couple of days, and definitely money well-spent. Climbing gingerly onto (brand new!) bikes on the first morning, I think there are plenty of us who wouldn't have believed what we would be doing by the next afternoon.

Two days of coaching by people who have most definitely 'been there and done it', in 4000 acres of the Brecon Beacons, with a perfect blend of good craic and professionalism. Fantastic.

Hi to all the other folk who did the course; quite a few are already members on here, but I think one or two may be looking in. Great to meet you all; hope to see you again soon.

 

[Deathiance]

What a couple of days!!

Thanks for posting these, totally agree with your comments, they are a brilliant bunch those instructors!

Anyone got any more, especially of those hill climbs?

 

[Deathiance]

Hi mate, took your advice and subscribed, good site, just finding my way around.

You aching today?

 

[zzrman]

Anyone got any more, especially of those hill climbs?

The hill in the 4th pic was one of the easier ones

 

[zzrman]

Absolutely agree with zzrman - an excellent couple of days, and definitely money well-spent. Climbing gingerly onto (brand new!) bikes on the first morning, I think there are plenty of us who wouldn't have believed what we would be doing by the next afternoon.

Two days of coaching by people who have most definitely 'been there and done it', in 4000 acres of the Brecon Beacons, with a perfect blend of good craic and professionalism. Fantastic.

Hi to all the other folk who did the course; quite a few are already members on here, but I think one or two may be looking in. Great to meet you all; hope to see you again soon.

Brewers, you need to email me so I can send you pics. PM me via the Boxertrix site as this site doesn't seem to allow PMs.

 

[Brewers Whoop]

Hi mate, took your advice and subscribed, good site, just finding my way around.

You aching today?

Hi Deathiance

Glad you found your way here; excellent site with masses of info and advice and stuff to do.

One big ache this morning, but not so bad now. You?

 

[WorkyTicket]

Just about to go to the cinema guys but I'll catch up with you all soon!
Cheers

Graham

 

[WorkyTicket]

Awe inspiring two days, I'm going to save up and book level 2 and probably a day in the dirt as well for next year.
Great to see so many guys posting on here.
If anyone off the course needs digs oop North then get in touch and I'll be able to put you up and show you some nice roads up here.

 

[Deathiance]

Hi Deathiance

Glad you found your way here; excellent site with masses of info and advice and stuff to do.

One big ache this morning, but not so bad now. You?

Lots of chafes and bruising, aches are slowly disappearing, but hey, all worth it!! Learnt soooooo much about riding, setup, clothing, god my head was full up, brilliant!

 

[Deathiance]

The hill in the 4th pic was one of the easier ones

Yeah, it was that big black buggering hill I would have liked a piccy of

Cannot believe all our crew made it up there, brilliant!

 

[WorkyTicket]

I was really chuffed with us all as well, although one chap was nearly off into the rocks and my heart was in my mouth watching him, he did really well keeping control.

I went to Squires Cafe yesterday and I was chatting to a couple of GS Adv owners and telling them all about the course, I demonstarted how easy it is to pick a 12GSA up and it was amazing how many people (sports bike riders) had a look of horror on their faces when I lay my bike down on it's side.

If anything I'm aching worse today than yesterday.

 

[Deathiance]

Who's who?

So do you know how many of our (Tamsin's) crew are on here and what their handles are?

Hi Deathiance

Glad you found your way here; excellent site with masses of info and advice and stuff to do.

One big ache this morning, but not so bad now. You?

 

[Brewers Whoop]

So do you know how many of our (Tamsin's) crew are on here and what their handles are?

W0rk13t1ck3t is Graham, and Hugo is Hugo; not too sure about anyone else.

Went for a ride yesterday, and kept wanting to stand up.

Know what you mean about the aching, Graham!

 

[zzrman]

Awe inspiring two days, I'm going to save up and book level 2 and probably a day in the dirt as well for next year.

Graham and anyone else who's interested I'm booked on Level 2 on 13/14 September. Staying at the Abercrave Inn.

 

[Deathiance]

I did not manage to get out to ride this weekend but did do some Nippy Normaning on my baby, few new bits added, now sorting tyres!

Are you going for the Level 2?

W0rk13t1ck3t is Graham, and Hugo is Hugo; not too sure about anyone else.

Went for a ride yesterday, and kept wanting to stand up.

Know what you mean about the aching, Graham!

 

[Deathiance]

Same here, Tim and myself are booked and staying at the Abercrave too!

We must be bloody mad!!!

Have also booked the one day Adventure Maintenance for Sep 29th I believe.

Graham and anyone else who's interested I'm booked on Level 2 on 13/14 September. Staying at the Abercrave Inn.

 

[zzrman]

Ian

I'm looking forward to it.

 

[Zorro]

and Day in the Dirt...

Fantastic course and great to be able to try stuff without worrying about the bike. Tim, Robert and I stayed on Saturday for the Day in the Dirt. We had Mat as leader (no instruction). We took up from where we left it on Friday and he just upped the difficulty gently throughout the day. I consider myself a not very good rider but these guys and this system gets you to do things you never thought you could. That was just awsome. I am off to enquire about level 2 in Sept... Thanks for the pics.

 

[WorkyTicket]

Graham and anyone else who's interested I'm booked on Level 2 on 13/14 September. Staying at the Abercrave Inn.

The missus is talking about doing her CBT with World of BMW over two days and we are looking at going together me doing level 2 and her doing her CBT, so I'll have to save up a total of around £1000 for the next course...I'm expecting a fat pay rise in October but unfortunately it'll be too late...March...7 months at around £200 per month could do it, I'll have to work a lot of over time...maybe I will see you there after all....maybe it'll be all booked by the time I've got the cash together....credit card....hmmm

Went for a ride yesterday, and kept wanting to stand up.

I went up to the local chap who owns a nursery (plants not children) on Saturday to pick up the Mondo Enduro DVD I loaned him in December and the lane going up to his garden centre has loads of mud and ditches as most people obviously go there in their cars and he's too skint at the moment to resurface.
It was awesome just blasting along in the snow through the massive puddles and not only not being scared but actually loving every minute of it.
Doing a back wheel skid to a stop just outside the front door might have been a bit excessive but I was grinning like an idiot again when I got off the bike.
Next weekend I'm going looking for dirt trails.