Lee Likes Skills Clinic

I recently signed up and attended a Level 1 Lee Likes Skills Clinic with Lee McCormack at Soquel Demonstration Forest in Santa Cruz. I have to admit I was pretty apprehensive about attending this class. After all, I have been mountain biking for a LONG time. What could I possibly learn in a level 1 class? After talking with Lee, he convinced me that all levels of riders could improve their skills in this class, so I crossed my fingers and took the plunge.  

The truth is I’ve been desperate for some skills attention (though I didn’t want to admit it). I never had any formal skills instruction, I learned from the school of hard knocks.  Subsequently, getting good has been a long slow process with lots of boo-boos, confidence rattling, and bad habits along the way.  Even though I was doing well at racing, I knew I needed something extra to get me to the next level. Plus, I wanted to feel safe and more confident at speed, especially when approaching increasingly technical trails.   

So the day arrived to meet the great Lee McCormack. I really didn’t know what to expect. It turns out Lee is a very likeable guy and in no time I felt comfortable working with him. The session began with us all doing a quick assessment of proper body position and fit to determine if our bikes were properly set up for each of us. Based on this assessment it was pointed out to me that I needed to return to using a shorter stem for a better fit. Next we moved on to basic body position, braking, and turning techniques. While they may seem like the simplest of skills, I quickly learned that some minor tweaking would reap major benefits. The way Lee explained things opened my eyes and helped me to finally grasp of what I was missing on the bike.  Once we got down the basics it was on to something a little more challenging.  

When it comes to things that look “scary,” Lee showed us that they don’t have to be. He explained, demonstrated, and then coached us through a log drop that I probably never would have done on my own. After becoming “kung fu masters,” we got to go put all those kung fu skills to practice on the trails.  Woohoo!!! 

While it was a fun and productive day, the real question was how it would translate to future rides. Would I notice a difference? Would I remember anything I learned? I believe that answer is a resounding, YES! The following week I went to Downieville with my husband and some of his co-workers. I believe it is safe to say that I shocked him (and myself a bit) by the speed and fluidity that I tackled the trail, on a cross-country bike, nonetheless. Talk about a super-stoke session! Thanks Lee!! 

I look forward to working with Lee again and highly recommend his skill clinics to anyone who wants to improve their game. To learn more visit Lee Likes Bikes