What I find hard to understand is that the basics are the same for everyone ? Surely different people ride differently ?
We used to hear the same about suspension set up yet when you read deeper riders have their bikes set at opposite ends of the scale and still lap similar, so isn't this the same with the riding too ? Surely some riders use a 250 style and others use a point and squirt style ? Is the technique for both these styles catered for at CSS, or does it not matter as both these styles use the same basics ? :)

What will you learn?

Luthi started racing in 1997 when he was 11. He finished top 3 in both of his first 2 seasons, then won titles in 1999 and 2000. In 2002 he was 3rd in the German 125 Championship and 2nd in the European 125 Championship.

He also did the second half of the GP season - in 2002. He got a top 10 in his 3rd ever GP. He did 7 GP's that year.

He then did a full season in 2003, getting 2nd place at the 6th GP of the season narrowly beaten by Dani Pedrosa, his 3rd top ten to that point. He also got a 7th at Assen and a 4th in Malaysia. He missed 4 GP's and still finished 15th in the championship.

In 2004 he had a string of crashes and injuries - that's why he only managed 25th overall.

At which point did CSS make him fast???

I'm always analysing my riding on the track.

I will watch and learn where he goes faster...where he gets more speed from..be it a different line, a later turn-in, later braking point, fewer gear changes etc. Even mid-race I've picked up pointers from others and found that little bit extra when I needed it.

The fact that he beats me, has faster times etc means that there is something to be learnt because the whole point of track-riding or racing is to be the fastest.

How will I get this from an instructor who may have never raced or may not be a particularly good racer with a good track record?

Good at a task, and the ability to make others good at a task, are separate and independant skills.

If you don't want to go to school, ask Andy what his daily rate for 121 coaching is?

I work with top performance coaches in a wide variety of fields, sports to business to life....I'm an advocate of assisted learning.


There's a story about boiling a frog....

Why does he have to be fast to understand the theory and possess the communications skills to get that across? I don't remember seeing Tiger Wood's coach winning any majors recently!

Christ, there are so many things to respond to in this thread but I don't have all afternoon! I have a meeting to go to ...

Dom, my understanding is that Andy started working with Thomas either at the end of his 2004 season (25th) or the start of 05 (1st) - I think those results speak for themselves.

Should I ring Andy and ask him to take a look at the thread? He might post, he does occasionally. His arrangement with Luthi's team is for one to one instruction - if you've got the cash you too can have Andy Ibbott coaching you one to one! Obviously on a school day you don't benefit from that sort of student:coach ratio but then you're not paying the same fee's. I would also point out that on a school day, anyone working for the school is available to you to ask questions - including Andy. In all the school days I've been to I've only ever seen the classroom sessions have been conducted by Andy. So he and all the coaches are accessible.

He's a big TV star now, and a Green Day bassist lookalike! So pick his brain while you can!

http://www.greenday.net/mikedirnt.html





:lol:

Yup, would be great to hear from Andy as this is an excellent thread.

Ahhh...so you'll subscribe to the school of thought that allows "textbook engineers" to come out of university with a degree, call themselves engineers and then have the real engineers pick up the pieces behind them?
;)

It's a bit like IT bods with MCSEs thinking they know it all.

So Tony - you're a coach. Teach me to go fast then. :P

To bring Tiger Woods into it is missing the point entirely. He already has an inate ability that cannot be taught - merely harnessed, re-directed etc. We're talking about ordinary mortals instead.

[Edited on 24-5-2006 by twpd]

I know this. I'm a qualified bike instructor and used to work as a technical trainer for a large american corporation in microelectronics.

i love you Nige :)