UK Female Rider looking for off road training recommendations
 

Hi

I'm based in Brighton but can travel easily and hoping riders can recommend good, ongoing endure training options.

I'm not looking for off roading experience over a weekend but for ongoing enduro/off road training.

Ive been looking at pricing and 1 on 1's are around £140. Really stretching my budget.

I will be joining trail riders and will be buying a 250cc to take off road.

Ive been off roading in the US (Black Rock, White Rim Trail) and again in Sri Lanka. Love it but really want to get into adventure biking and have the confidence to tackle all sorts of terrains.

Two of my female friends went on the BMW course in South Wales a few years ago and said it was very good, although they are both already experienced overland travellers and it was a weekend course.

Most courses will be weekends - that maximises the number of people that attend making the course profitable for the organisers. You probably learn something from attending one of these preferably for 'adventure riding' rather than competition .. unless you want to go to competition (motocross, enduro etc) ? Adventure riding courses are about getting over/around/through things with the minimum possibility of damage, competition is about getting from A to B in the fastest possible way.

For longer 'courses' you might consider a tag a long tour ... contact Chris Scott and see what he says? They usually don't coach as such but provide a vehicle to take luggage/provide fuel, water, food and back up. That makes riding much easier and you 'll probably be offered some advice on riding techniques.

Various ways of gaining riding experience
 

The TRF is probably your best bet for ongoing trail riding runs - therein you will get to talk with the other riders and learn from them + you will learn to fall off and get up again with assistance at hand (for when you are pinned under your bike).
Initially, you need to put in a bit of effort to make yourself known to whichever group of the TRF you might approach.
TRF

Other than that, there used to be a few advertisements on ebay for "day-rate" riding instruction, based around the Peak District IIRC.
There are also a stack of trail riding "places" based on the continent of Europe and there are one or two in the UK also (Sweet Lamb comes to mind).

Hi

Thank you for all your suggestions :))

Trail riding is a definite.

Ive done a lot of overlanding and that includes canyons, deserts and jungle but it's usually a baptism of fire. I'm definitely looking to skill up.

Weekend courses do seem to be the way they run. I was hoping for ongoing focussed training.

Having been 'pinned under my bike' by myself... this is what I have learned;

Pushing the bike away from you makes things more difficult.
Step 1: remove any luggage you can get to. Keep it within hands reach so you can use it.
Step 2: pull the bike towards and upwards. Use the luggage to prop the bike up. Repeat.
Handy objects - Any thick sticks can be used as leavers. Tyre leavers might be usefull if you can get to them. If the bikes seat is removable .. then do that too. Every fall is different - adapt.

Calling for help:
Voice ... yep .. embarrassing but ..
Cell phone .. if not crushed and you have signal and battery.
EPIRB/PLB/SPOT etc .. if your going 'remote' you should consider carrying one of these.

You could follow this thread:-
TRF Forums • View topic - Trail Riding for non bike owners and or licence holders

There are probably a few more of these type of businesses in the UK than I realised when writing my earlier post.

Try the yamaha offroad school in Wales, they will cater for whatever level you are at. You can hire 1 of the instructors for a day or more, they also hire bikes or just use your own.

About - Yamaha Offroad Experience - Enduro & Motorcross Days

Hi Hootchy_Cootchy -

Desert Rose Racing are based in East Sussex, and also have their Adventure Riding Academy (for ADV and trail-riding skills, rather than rally and enduro) - not far from you at all...

They have access to locations in the south east and in other parts of the country too.

Patsy Quick who runs the company was the first British woman to finish the Dakar Rally - you'll be in good hands there.

Hope that helps...

Jenny x

I myself found best learning by myself following courses on youtube and reading riding books. Then from time to time getting a one on one training sessions to tackle particular difficult "stunts" :) This is probably the most cost and time efficient way for training IMO. Personally group coaching sessions are slow and boring for me, same as group riding bier