Whether you are already racing downhill or simply starting out, getting yourself some coaching will go a long way to improving your skill level on the trails. Here at Ae you have access to some of the best coaches around.

Among those offering tuition at Ae Forest are current Scottish Downhill Champion Mark Wilcox and Clive Forth, one of them most experienced professional riders around.

Mark Wilcox is the 2008 Scottish Downhill Champion and the winner of the NPS race on the Fort William world cup course. He has been racing downhill for 8 years now and recently has started passing on his race winning techniques to some of the up and coming riders of the Scottish Downhill scene. Throughout the year he will be offering a full day tuition to small groups at Ae Forest. Keeping the numbers small allows you to get the most out of your time with Mark. You will learn about bike set up, body positioning, cornering and braking, line choice, balance, how to tackle jumps, rock gardens, roots and so much more. Mark will progress you at your own pace and has two levels of coaching for you to chose from.

Level 1 - Perfect if your starting out in downhill or new to the sport.

Level 2 - If you've been riding downhill for some time and want to take your skills up a level.

You'll get 6 hours of tuition in a full day with a one hour lunch break at Ae Cafe. Morning coffee and lunch is included in the price. The training day will be on a Friday and run in conjunction with uplift days at Ae so you can take advantage of the weekend uplifts to try out you new found skills.

Dates:

• 29th May
• 26th June
• 24th July
• 7th August
• 4th September
• 2nd October

Other dates can be arranged in advance if you contact us.

You will be required to bring the following minimum kit:

• Full face helmet
• Knee & Elbow Pads

It is also recommended that you bring:

• Body Armor
• Waterproofs
• Bikes with a minimum of 6 inch travel

The days start at 9.30 am where you will meet Mark at Ae Cafe for a morning coffee. After a brief chat and kit check Mark will go through your bike set up and after that you'll head out for an assessment run on the bottom section of the Ae Line xc route. This will allow you to warm up and give Mark a chance to assess your skill level before heading onto either the Shredder freeride trail or the Ae Downhill course.

There will be a maximum of 4 people on each coaching day. If you don't have your own bike or don't think yours can take the pounding of a day of downhill riding then you can hire downhill bikes from Ae Bike Shop. You'll need to book in advance.

The cost for the day is £99 per person and the price includes 6 hours coaching, morning coffee and lunch at Ae Cafe. This price is based on a 4 person group. If you want Mark to yourself for some one to one tuition then contact us and we'll work out a price for you.

If you want to take your downhill riding onto a new level Book Now

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Clive Forth has been racing at national and international level for 20 years. He still races and continues to stand on podiums at international events. Clive can offer you advice on riding techniques, bike set up and mental preparation if your planning on entering an event from Downhill to 4x to cross country and 24 hour racing.

At Ae Forest, Clive concentrates on delivering his Intermediate skills and Master Class courses.

If you have a fair ability and ride consistently then the Intermediate Skills course is ideal for you to progress your skill level. You'll develop your bunny hop, line choice, drop offs and step ups techniques. You'll also get advanced tips on bike set up and trail side repairs during breaks between riding.

Master Class - This is the chance to really push yourself. The grand daddy of skills sessions looks at the upper end of performance mountain biking. Clive delivers all the tricks of the trade gathered over 20 years of racing and riding. The course will challenge you to look at the trails in a totally different light. You will take home tips on advanced techniques and how you can measure the improvement in your performance. An in depth look at mountain biking technique, preparation, planning & performance.

Clive also runs sessions such as back2basics, jumping and pumping, northshore and downhill at Ae and other locations. To find out more and book a course contact Clive at on 077959 65143 or through his website www.mtbskills.eu