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Set in a commanding position on Polkadraai next to the strawberry farm, overlooking the ocean and vineyards of Stellenbosch, with the completion of phase ll this will be one of the biggest and most comprehensive family-friendly bike parks in the Western Cape. In collaboration with Trail-Blazers and Michard Meets over 2kms of flow trail, fun lines, jump lines, rollers and a technical skills zone have been added to the already comprehensive offering (pump,track, skills and flow trails and small kids trail). The new addition is expected to open by 1st October, day permits cost R70 per rider, and is free to Bottelary Hills Mtb Annual permit holders for 2022. Now taking bookings for Bike parties. Find us on Facebook and Instagram @Polkadraai Bike Park.

Upcoming lessons Please see my facebook page for upcoming lessons. https://www.facebook.com/PeachPearton/events Peach's MTB Skills clinics Ride smooth… the speed will come. Skills Clinics Are you into Trail, XC or Marathon riding? Make it more enjoyable! Whether it’s gaining confidence, speed, or just punishing your body and bike less. Come and join us for a skills lesson. Private Private or small group classes tailored to your skill level and needs, can be arranged. Please email chris@peachskills.co.za for inquiries and bookings. Beginner New to riding? Make sure you get the basics right; simple body-position changes can have a huge effect on your riding. This course will have you feeling comfortable on your bike, with a better understanding of your machine. how it all works bike setup riding position, neutral, climbing & descents braking getting started on an uphill getting out of the saddle movement on bike cornering Intermediate Step it up. You have the confidence on single track, now you want to take your riding to the next level. This course will get you loosened up on the bike, working on your body position, how you move, and handling. Get the hang of being in control and making the bike work for you. *The Intermediate class is a pre-requisite for the Advanced class. movement – getting loose on the bike track stand / stationary balance braking cornering – long and tight corners drop off steep climb lifting your front wheel getting onto/over logs and pavements rock garden Advanced Now things are starting to get serious. You feel like you have control of your bike and want to start mastering the fun stuff. This class will work on the skills you need to make your ride more enjoyable. *The Intermediate class is a pre-requisite for the Advanced class. hopping rock gardens manual wheelie bunny hop (American) gap jumps / dirt jumps floating vertical drops Availability Weekdays & Weekends can be arranged. Lessons can be arranged with Chris at chris@peachskills.co.za or keep an eye on the calendar for upcoming classes. Cost Shown on website Specific Clinics Mini-Clinic Peach's Mini-Clinics will focus on one specific skill per lesson. They work on progressing riders from the basics, through to an advanced level. The lessons will be split into the following: 1. Bunny-hop 2. Wheelie 3. Manual 4. Jumps 5. Cornering 6. Drop-offs Tech Skills For those that want to have a bit of fun on their bikes. Feel what bike control really is. This course will cover unique handling skills that help with all riding, be it XCO, Trail or Marathon. Course includes: track stands quick direction change rocking wheelie bunny hop (American) skinnies stoppies side hops roll backs peddle kick Hands on Class Learn how your bike works. Several lessons will cover: · bike set-up · gearing · suspension · tire choice and pressure · setting brakes and gears · simple trail repairs The Coach Peach's MTB Skills Clinics was officially started by Christopher Pearton in late 2014. Unofficially he has done it for most of his life, coaching his siblings, parents, friends, and anyone who set foot on a bike in his vicinity. His cycling career started when he was 10 years old, competing at the local XCO races. Years later he took up Bike Trials, which lead to Dirt Jumping, Down Hill and Enduro. With 20 years experience in the different cycling disciplines, he has learnt valuable skills and tricks which he happily hands over in his lessons. Growing up the youngest of 6 kids meant Chris learned lots of patience. This is evident in his easy handling of every experience level… anyone is welcome! Disclaimer Mountain Biking is a dangerous sport and accidents can happen at any time, especially when trying to improve your skills. Peach’s Skills will not force you to do anything you do not want to do. If you attend these lessons you agree to knowing the risks involved and take full responsibility for your actions and decisions. Peach’s Skills (and its staff) take no responsibility for accidents that may occur during, before or after a lesson. Location All over JHB & PTA The Spruit, Thaba trails, Rietvlei, Redbarn, Groenkloof, Hakahana trails, Wolwespruit. Price may change depending on traveling distance. http://peachskills.co.za/ https://web.facebook.com/PeachPearton/

Join The Practice Coaches for their next MTB Skills course on the 14th November. More info at: https://www.koedoeslaagte.com/ Looking forward to seeing you there

Hi All, Here's a little video from the Indoor Bike Park in Strasbourg - The France... Such a fun place to escape the cold and work on skill progression... Next time we'll spend a bit more time in the foam pit when it's not so crowded with BMX Bandits...

Props where props are due, I spent the weekend in Hoogekraal at the Skills clinic offered by Julien Louw (MTBSkills). It was a great weekend out and I was honestly amazed at how much I learnt, even in a group setting you still get that personal attention with some added bonus of camaraderie. I have been ridding for a few years and you learn as you go, I guess more often than you can imagine. We took a baseline ride when we were nice and fresh Saturday down Cobra, and then spent some time in the skills park working on the basics. Sunday was more ridding, ending with another timed run down Cobra where I was tired and I made a few mistakes, which I can now see as well, I still managed a 30s improvement. Coming down the last line even I was amazed at how naturally I was ridding better, taking some of the turns so fast and sharp that I would probably be able to pick up a rock off the floor, from rolling every table or casing them if I had the balls to try, I cleared every single one coming down without even thinking about it. Not even touching brakes and I normally live on them. lol I am sure I can get even better, and now its up to me to work on it and hopefully not forget, but I will be joining him again in a few months either 1on1 or at his next clinic for a refresher. Coming out of this weekend I feel like a whole new ridder, cannot wait to hit the bike again and it was worth every penny and more. While I even took a photo on Sat, I had not realised that Cobra was rated Black expert, on my home trails I actively avoid those. https://youtu.be/PZS1F_DNEBw

Logo and all, now we're talking! Coming to ride your MTB in the Garden Route? Not sure where all the cool trails are or how to get the most out of your ride? Sounds like you need Rent a Riding Buddy! (Super Hero costume still in the design phase) I have a 5 seater van and bike trailer that can accommodate 4 riders, bikes and luggage should you need to be collected from your accommodation or even the George airport. Let me know the type of riding and specific area you’re interested in and I’ll make sure you have the best bang for buck experience. My personal favourite is single track, the downer the better, but I enjoy all kinds of riding including a bit of gravel grinding. Along with post ride beer, coffee or G&T – SO fashionable right now I tell you. Services offered: Showing you the good stuff, including swimming holes on a hot day. Collection and drop off. Gravel riding - passes in the area or breakfast/sundowner cruise. LIGHT road riding – my gravel monster isn’t the fastest beast on the road. Frank discussion concerning not letting your bravado overtake your skill set... Skills Training – grownups or kids. Basic bike setup Advice on non-bike related tourist activities, unofficially. Pricing depends on services required as well as area. Let me know what you’d like to do with how many of your friends and I’ll work out an itinerary and cost. Even if it's something I haven't done before, with enough prior notice I'll research and test ride before you arrive. Contact details: Rika Olivier rika@earthfire.co.za 083 407 9657 – WhatsApp works best, my cell signal isn’t great. Pictures by Eric Palmer.

For your reading pleasure, the 1st of my ramblings on bicycle handling. Also appears on my new web page: http://www.earthfire.co.za/rentaridingbuddy/ The Great Divide Some time ago I read an article written by Gene Hamilton from Better Ride that really made me think: “No such thing as advanced skills, only the basics done really well.” Take a moment to consider that seriously. I did. The more I thought about it, the more sense it made. Good technique doesn’t care if you’re on a road bike or DH bike, a corner is a corner. Done well, you conserve momentum, save energy and gain on your competitors/friends/some faceless guy on Strava. Winning, right? Sadly, a vast majority of mountain bikers the world over concentrate only on one aspect of cycling – mashing away at the pedals. A core aspect sure, but used in isolation, not an optimum use of energy. This fact is masked by these cyclists spending most, if not all, of their riding hours in the company of other people doing exactly the same thing. Everyone’s doing it, it must be OK. Exotic bike bits, bike fits, even paying a coach – all done for marginal gains – are seen as almost essential these days. These marginal gains are thrown away on every poorly executed corner, like some gangster lighting his cigar with a $100 bill. Even worse is when hundreds of thousands spent on preparation, equipment and entry fees are squandered by crashing out on the 1st day of a certain famous stage race. On the other side of the Great Divide, some of us in knee pads and baggies don’t mash the pedals enough. Both sides scoff at the core aspect of the other side – like that guy we all know that makes a virtue of “not doing math” or bothering to spell. In ramblings to follow, I will try my best to explain what I consider “the basics done really well” to mean. Bike handling skill isn’t some esoteric thing only attainable by Swiss precision athletes and goggle wearing beserkers. Everyone can do it. I would love if you all took an honest look at your current level and style of riding. Much like the AA, the 1st step is to admit that there is room for improvement. The air may very well be rent with the seven stages of denial. I’m prepared, I’ve heard it all before. We live in a world of finite resources, wasting energy is bad. We all have to do our bit to resist entropy, dammit! Baggy dudes, work on your fitness. Lycra dudes, come over to the darkside. It’s nice over here.

Hi everyone, I am looking for a bit of help. I am looking at getting into this sport and have been for while, so it is only inevitable until I start. The point of this post is regarding actually going for a ride. Now I have searched this section, however, nothing came up to exactly what I am looking for. See below a couple questions I have: I have 'ridden' a mtb before, but some years ago when I was a kid. Riding mtb on a trail I suspect is very different. What are the very first techniques/positioning/skills one should pay attention to honing when out on a trail? Trail markings - how easy is the 'easy route'? is it for the wife and kids, and one gets very bored quickly there? or is it the perfect route to get started? Certain skillsets (hopping etc.) are needed. Best way to learn these? I am relatively fit (swimming 1k to 2k in a training session and play a bit of sports on the weekend), however, I am sure mtb fit is a different story. How far should one go on their first venture out? without being to short but not long enough to kill me and make me never want to come back? Also, best way to increase the distance as you go along? Tech that is vital to measure the ride? Is a Garmin computer which costs a couple grand necessary for someone who is new? Or would Strava prove to be a better starting point? I know the majority of these questions are loaded, and would depend on me as a person, so do not focus on that. What I am looking at gaining out of these questions is how YOU did it, as personal experience can be adapted and holds invaluable lessons. Thanks very much

I always thought of myself as quite a technically adept rider. I ride where most other riders walk. But today I met my nemesis. Boschendal erected some new fencing and installed A-frames to cross over them. Now Oak Valley a-frames are no problem for me - I ride those with confidence. But I just cannot get over the Boschendal ones. I tried though, and had to untangle myself from the barbed wire fence I fell into. Few lacerations and a sore back later I tried the next one; this time I almost flipped and landed on my butt. Can any of the more skilled riders share some tips on getting over these, there must be a technique or something that I am missing?

Good Afternoon After a great first clinic on the 2nd July we have decided to have more beginner proficiency clinics If you missed out on the last one then drop me an email and I will forward the necessary detail on to you. These are the topics that we will cover in the clinic. · Basic track Etiquette · Track FAQ · Lines on the track and what they mean · Track safety briefing · Bike Setup · Basic Balance · Pedalling awareness · Obstacle awareness · Safety when passing · Centre of Gravity Guidelines · Body Positioning · Confidence Boosting drills · Development of speed I Look forward to having you there on saturday.

The term technical means so many things.... Some riders talk about riding surface: loose rocky climbs, loose rocky decents. mud. sand. gradient etc. Some riders talk about technical features such as bridges, rock gardens, obstacles etc. Some races are considered more technical then others based on one or a combination of the above. I'm keen to hear what riders consider technical, and how you would classify a technical race. and...... GO!

Mountain biking about dealing with whatever the trail throws at you. Successfully getting you and your bike up and over rocks, steps and bumps is an important skill to master. Watch Ariane Kleinhans from Team Spur show you the simple approach to getting over an obstacle, so you can practice on a pavement at home. Click here to view the article

Great Little vid!! http://www.redbull.com/en/bike/stories/1331799799442/brandon-semenuk-raw-100-bmx-track-video

Watch Team Spur mechanic JP Jacobs, take you through an essential pre-race bike check. Make sure your machine is safe and ready to rip up the trails at your next Spur Schools Mountain Bike League event! Click here to view the article

So it seems that Peach isn't going to jump on a plane and head down to the WC any time soon so I was wondering who is great locally for some skills brush ups and technique stretching and downright getting me do it right? My main areas I'd love to work on are more on the trials area rather than general riding. Obviously getting me to corner harder and faster without eating dirt would be great but I'm happy with my day to day general riding skills for the moment. I'd rather be working in one on one / small group on getting big clearance hops, using manuals and endos in different situations on the trail, some jumps and working on that tech stuff that you never really spend any time developing when you're out riding trails.

Hi Hubbers, I am running a level 2 skills clinic this Sunday morning from 9am-12pm at Contermanskloof. The main aim is to master switchback corners (both up and down)-there are some tricky ones in Contermanskloof! We also go through drills, refining braking technique and basic footwork which is a key to getting though corners faster and blasting through root and rock gardens as well as setting you up well to do jumps and drops. Hubbers get a R50 discount if they contact me before the end of today, meaning the cost will be R300 for the 3 hour clinic. You can find more information on our website here Hope to hear from a few of you!

And I thought my skills were developing nicely. https://youtu.be/P3WnQ246f1g

Has anybody heard of this, the skills and control these guys have with their bike is INSANE! Was going to post this in the skills thread, but I think this deserves its own thread.

Hi to all, Our schools cycling team was approached by DirtLab, apparently they are the guys who designed the pump track at Wolwespruit and have various skill training options. First of all I would like to know if anybody made use of them before and can maybe give feedback? And what would you guys say is a good price for skill lessons by a professional? thanks

South African Schools Cycling (SASC) is driving cycling skills development to young school goers in a very big way, and the inaugural Solomon’s Primary Schools MTB Development Series, presented by SASC, is making huge inroads into the growth of cycling and cycling development at schools. Click here to view the article

Hi y'all Anyone got any tips on how to execute a front wheel pivot? That's when you lock up your front wheel Get the back wheel in the air and pivot the bike on the front wheel.... Thanks

I am struggling to convert from triathlete to mountain biker. Was an age group racer, took off for 24 months, started mountain biking in May of this year. I am back to my racing weight of 61kg and training 63kg. The problem(s): Power, I seem to lack power output at crucial stages and loses momentum. Gearing, I am searching between gears. Pedalling stroke, I do not feel smoove, almost like I am stomping at the pedals, to generate more power. Crank lenght, purchase the bike with 175 cranks, TT bike had 170. Observation: In triathlon or TT, would pull a big gear, cycle full circles, get on top of the gear and hold the momentum/gear. In mountain bike, I am perhaps on too big a gear, do not get over the gear(stomping) and when I need to power, I have just nothing left? If the roads go up, I am fine, think power to weight and I can get in a rhythm and hold it, but on district corrugated roads, sandy stretches I get left behind, far behind. Training: Intervals Tuesday Steady ride Thursday with short hill repeats Sat long, race pace, technical, bit of climbing Sun recovery ride Between 200 and 230 per week Mondays and Wednesday, gym and swim Appreciate all inputs.

Why is it easier for me to execute a tight left turn on a single track? I find it much more difficult to go right. I thought it was because I am right handed and my right leg (outside leg on the turn) is dominant and therefore I have more control, but today I spoke to a left handed cycling buddy and he has the same problem. I surf left foot forward and uncleat left first.

Cycling South Africa’s Coaching Commission will be hosting a Cycle Skills & Club Level Coaching Course at the Cyril Geoghegan Cycle Stadium near King’s Park, Durban from Saturday 29 to Sunday 30 June 2013. Click here to view the article