Thoughts from Steve…

Beginnings…

After years of mountain biking & never getting bored with it, it seemed about time to pass some of it on. Any sport that stays fresh after so many years has to be worth sharing!

So Feb ’08 saw the start of Chasing Trails. Thanks to all the customers that took a risk with a new company, and thanks for the continued enthusiasm which has made every day out a great day. Also for all the comments (feel free to leave comments or email with feedback and suggestions, it’s always welcome)

The very beginning…

…it all started back at uni in 1991 with a Marin Eldridge. The MTB bug was caught from Ian Snow, who still has his 1991 Off-Road Proflex!. Apart from Ian, we all rode everything on fully rigid bikes (no suspension), proving that bike skills count for more than a fancy bike. Nothing wrong with fancy bikes though, and I seem to remember we all thought we owned cutting edge technology at the time…

After the Marin ‘expired’ it was replaced by a lightweight Dave Yates XC frame, also fully rigid. It was not until ’04 that front suspension was purchased.

While there’s a certain nostalgia for bikes of the past, modern mountain bikes are way ahead & make use of good bike skills all the more.

Why Mountain Biking?

For me it’s the ideal sport. Compete against yourself, others or not at all. Ride trail centres, the wilds, almost any bit of the UK, almost any country. Feed your need for adrenaline or just soak in the awesome landscapes you find yourself in. As someone said in the Roam DVD, “…on a mountain bike you can travel a long distance in a short period of time or a short distance in a long period of time”

Challenge your fitness, your technical skill or both, meet great people, conquer peaks & descents – the list goes on & on

Why Chasing Trails?

Whether you’re in need of skills coaching, want to escape for a bike holiday or a day in the great outdoors on a bike, we have something for you

Dalby Forest is on the doorstep, with ideal trails for a day’s skills course. If you’re travelling in from a distance, why not make the most of your time with a second day’s guided riding on the North York Moors to put it all into practice

With extensive experience of UK trails, we offer holidays & breaks in some top mountain biking locations, and 2 day skills courses riding a couple of the best 7stanes trail centres in Southern Scotland

SMBLA qualified to Mountain Bike Leader standard, you have a guarantee of quality, professional guiding and instruction. SMBLA are part of British Cycling, and the original mountain bike guiding & instruction provider for training & qualifications

A bit about me…

Thought I should write something as it’s kind of expected on an ‘about’ page. This bit will be short!
Born in the 70’s, nice & vague there, married to Joy. We have 2 kids, a dog, a couple of lizards, a snake & tortoise. Dog is kept away from bike trails to avoid certain carnage!

Apart from biking, love to snowboard – we need proper winters in the UK! I rode an Orange 5 for years, everyone should try one! Now I ride a Banshee Rune, if you want more travel get a demo on a Rune. I run this website & I like good whisky & good coffee.

Follow Chasing Trails on Facebook & twitter. If you’re into bikes I’ll more than likely return the follow.

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Anthony Mott

2017-09-22T20:34:56+0000

Super day of 1-1 coaching. Learnt how to ride properly and now need to practice and build on all this good stuff. Highly recommend for anyone who wants a better set of core skills from which to develop their bike handling :)

Michael Bottery

2017-07-16T09:14:19+0000

I had a one on one full day session with Steve from Chasing Trails and it was great. Steve is a great instructor, not taking things too fast but moving on with good pace once you've got a skill down, keeping things fresh. Got through a lot in one day: cornering, line choice, drops, jumps, manuals and bunny hops. You might not totally master a skill but you learn the techniques so that you can develop them later by yourself. I can't wait to get out and put my new skills into practice on the trails. Thanks Steve for a fun day.

Des Waterhouse

2017-06-21T19:59:55+0000

Good day today jumps and drops I'll be booking berms and flow next

Dave Rees

2017-05-23T14:41:39+0000

Hannah Edge

2017-04-26T09:55:42+0000

Throughly enjoyed our day with Steve on a beginners course for mountain biking. I had zero experience with mountain biking before, but Steve was ace and tailored the day to building up some skills and confidence on the bike. We also enjoyed his guided tour of some of the other trails in the forest. Thanks for a great day Steve!

Robert Carter

2017-03-01T20:52:18+0000

I treated myself and my 14 year old son to a skills day with Steve from chasing trails , the day was really great , good fun ,and we both came away with new skills, we can't wait to get back on the trails and put what we learnt to practice . Steve is a brillant instructor , very well experienced and once you have nailed it he moves on ,so you really get a good day and value for money.

Michael Dunn

2017-02-26T21:21:38+0000

I have just returning from a full day course and I must say that Steve is a coaching wizard! Jumps, drop offs, manuals and bunny hops all nailed in one day! Well the basics at least. But I know have the skills shown to me by Steve to go out and hit bigger jumps and obstacles fast and with more confidence. Cheers Steve, top day. Well worth every penny.

Tom Whitehead

2016-10-19T20:11:17+0000

I've been riding MTB for about 20 years and felt I just needed a bit of help to shake of a few bad habits/techniques I'd picked up over the years. I went on a Jumps and Drops course in late August and since then I've been practising what we went through and can safely say it's made a massive difference to my speed and enjoyment of riding, particularly over drops and downhill generally. I rode the Marin trail and both loops at Penmachno last weekend and was able to put into full use the techniques Steve taught me. Steve is an excellent teacher who imparts his knowledge and experience in a very effective and patient way. I'll certainly be returning in the not too distant future.

Lou Sawyer

2016-10-16T18:01:50+0000

As a novice rider, I booked onto the mountain bike skills course and jumps and drops course. I had a fabulous day in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere. I have learnt the fundamental skills of mountain biking and my confidence has soared as a result of this. It'll enable me to get the most out of riding in the future. I would recommend these courses for beginners, riders wishing to improve their skills and for those who are in need of a refresher. It's a very big 5 stars for me.

Dean Emson

2016-08-26T19:12:39+0000

As well as the coaching Steve is very knowledgeable regarding bike repair and maintenance. With 24 hours notice he has replaced the rim that I damaged and rebuilt my wheel to get me back out on the trails. I would definitely recommend his services top job Steve cheers�

Dave Littlewood

2016-08-24T19:21:44+0000

Lianne Doughty

2016-06-18T18:31:18+0000

Fab day on the jump and drops course. If you are thinking about doing this course, just do it. I Learned so much today and had a blast. Brilliant. Thank you!

Richard Glet

2016-06-15T04:56:09+0000

Did the introductory MTB skills course with Steve in Dalby forest. Great day of instruction and learned some very useful skills, thoroughly recommended

Jane Seddon

2016-04-04T10:13:54+0000

Spent a great day on a women's foundation course yesterday. Steve was a very patient guy and explained things very clearly. There is nothing he doesn't know about mountain biking, both theory and practice, and he knows the Daulby trails like the back of his hand! As a novice I personally found some elements challenging but this was more down to my level of fitness rather than the course content. I now feel more confident on my bike and would definitely recommend the course to others wanting to gain good fundamental mountain biking skills. Thanks Steve!

Lucie Pearmain

2016-04-03T17:59:54+0000

Great day out with Steve. Got some really valuable pointers to put into practice.

Rebecca O'Connell

2015-10-31T08:57:40+0000

Great days coaching with Steve, we all learned some new skills and unlearned some old ones.....

Mike Bradley

2015-04-18T21:14:35+0000

excellent skills coarse this morning learnt some good stuff much appreciated

Will Turner

2015-03-23T19:20:54+0000

A fabulous day's coaching at Dalby with Steve who not only got the kids and me jumping in a jolly way but also managed to turn Mrs T into a down-hiller with aptitude! All done in a quiet common-sense way that made learning as easy as turning a pedal. We're all just itching to put everything we've picked up into practice.

Rebecca Levell

2015-02-22T14:48:12+0000

What an amazing day of coaching! Steve is very patient and very good at explaining technique, and has really made me rethink how I ride. I definately recommend his 1:1 coaching. The course has made me feel really positive about riding again. Can't wait to get back on my bike.