• L1 Total off-road beginners

  For complete novices & experience seekers

  • Discover Mountain Biking

• L2 Rookies, roadies & returners

  For riders looking to learn the essentials

  • Singletrack Fundamentals
  • Fast-track Singletrack Skills

• L3 Intermediate & improvers

  For regular weekly mountain bikers

  • Singletrack Improver

Singletrack Improver

Upgrade your trail skills to the next level

Have you reached a plateau in your mountain biking and can't seem to ride faster on technical terrain without fear of falling off? Maybe you've tried a few red graded backcountry or trail centre trails, but lacked the confidence to hit technical sections as hard as you would like?

Our Singletrack Improver coaching course will build upon your Fundamentals to give you a toolbox of mountain bike skills that you can apply to any terrain, in any location, and any in conditions; be it a gnarly back country trail in The Lakes or classic red route at a Welsh trail centre?

Following training you will see an immediate improvement in your riding and a boost in your confidence on technical trails. You will be able to tackle rougher terrain and trickier corners with greater control and negotiate bigger trail obstacles and moderate drops with confidence and commitment.

When & where

This course is usually scheduled to run on the 4th Sunday of each month.

The venue for this course is:  Hurtwood Car Park 14, Radnor Lane, Dorking, Surrey RH5 6NW.

How to book

To view dates and book your place on this and other Singletrack School skills courses, please click on the button below. to open our bookings system.

You may also download the course's pre-course pack from the bookings page which details the schedule for your course, venue details, travel information and a full equipment list including some mandatory items. 

Course outline

The skills taught and practiced on the Singletrack Improver (part 1) course include:

• Bike Set-up
  Pre-ride checks
  Choosing the right tyre pressures
  Setting up your forks and shock
• Mind Skills
  Relaxing on the bike and staying loose
  Riding within yourself to stay in control
  Positive thinking and visualisation
  Projecting your mind down the trail - "The Looking Epiphany"
  Dismissing distractions to maintain concentration and commitment
  Developing confidence through fundamentals instead of luck
• Body Position & Movement
  Weighting & unweighting the bike
  Stop riding and start driving
  
• Speed Control
  Pump assisted braking
  Using speed to activate your suspension
• Trail Obstacles
  Using Manual Front Wheel Lifts to negotiate rocks, roots & logs
• Cornering
  Technique for flat and off-camber corners
  Finding grip on loose surfaces
  Carrying more speed through corners
• Trail Flow
  Reading and breaking down the trail into sections
  Pumping the trail for free speed and efficiency
  

Is this course right for me?

Please read the following description. If this sounds like you, then you're perfect for this course:

This course is aimed at riders who can already tackle blue and red trails with some confidence, who have probably had some formal coaching before, but perhaps recognise that their skills may be somewhat lacking in some areas. If you are prone to crashing frequently, do not ride regularly and are not a frequent trail centre visitor, we strongly suggest that you join a Level 2 Singletrack Fundamentals course and practice regularly for at least a month to consolidate the learnings before booking this course.

• You will have already attended a Level 2 - Singletrack Fundamentals course and/or be confident and competent in all aspects of the syllabus
• You regularly (on average at least once per week) ride off road on blue and red graded singletrack trails at a trail centres or similar venues
• You have your own mountain bike (we have bikes available to hire if your bike is not available)
• You can already ride confidently on narrow singletrack trails with rocks, roots, steps and short steep sections
• You participant in formal exercise at least twice a week and at least one of these sessions is technical mountain biking
• You can ride moderately steep terrain at a steady pace
• You can ride for at least three hours comfortably
• You are aged 18 and over unless accompanied by an adult also participating on the course

If this sounds beyond your current skill level, please choose our Singletrack Fundamentals course instead or have a look at our choosing the right course FAQ page.

Typical programme

Although the course is flexible it will usually keep to the following programme:

• 09:15-09:30 Arrival at course venue
• 09:30-10:00 Introductions, equipment check and bike set-up session
• 10:00-10.15 Warm-up ride into the forest
• 10:15-13:00 Singletrack skills coaching and practice
• 13:00-14:00 Lunch break back at start point (bring a packed lunch)
• 14:00-15:30 Coached singletrack ride
• 15:30-15:45 Review and next steps

At the end of your course you will receive

• Personalised Feedback
  to remind you of your performance on your course
• An Action Plan
  your coach will tell you what you need to do after your course to consolidate your new skills and progress your mountain biking into the future
• 30 Days Free Support
  if you have any questions about what you've learned or need any other advice

Upgrade to two days of coaching & riding

You may wish to consider upgrading to our Mountain Bike Improver two day course.

The Mountain Bike Improver course costs £199.00 and includes the following courses:

• Saturday - Singletrack Improver (part 1) level 3 skills course
• Sunday- Singletrack Improver (part 2 )level 3 technique course

Visit the Mountain Bike Improver course page for more information.

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