MBI’s Mike Stafford

The fledgling mountain bike instruction market appears to be going from strength to strength. We can’t say that we’re all that surprised – mountain biking is one of the few outdoor activities that isn’t well-served with technique training providers. That’s partly because the prevailing attitude seems to be that, “It’s just riding a bike”. But riding a modern mountain bike on technically challenging trails has very little in common with riding across your local park. You might as well say that tackling Aonach Eagach is basically the same as walking to the Post Office.

So, getting someone to point you in the right direction is a good idea, especially if you’re a bit impatient. Most mountain bikers are self-taught, but it takes a long time – there are plenty of riders who’ve been at it for ten or fifteen years but still find themselves somewhat deficient in some areas (ourselves included…). A bit of well-thought out training is a great short-cut.

All of which leads us to the news that West Pennine-based Mountain Bike Instruction, run by Ray Mazey, has effectively doubled in size by taking on Mike Stafford to run its increasingly-popular Skills courses. Mike completed his MIAS Instructor Award in 2003 and continued his mountain bike training, gaining MIAS Trainer/Assessor status in 2005.

“Mike demonstrated excellent riding skills throughout his training,” says Mazey. “However, it was Mike’s coaching skills to both beginner and intermediate riders which was of paramount importance in reaching the final decision to appoint Mike as the skills course provider.”

Find out more about MBI’s courses at www.mountainbikeinstruction.co.uk or call 01942 747964.