Well, I had a difficult time with execution, but, not because of the instructions! Whitney and Jason are great teachers! I just need to practice practice practice! Very professional and patient! I learned so much and need to, like I said above, practice. Great
class with a bunch of nice ladies and instructors! Glad I did it!
-Shirley O. 65 / Hood River OR
I attended a level 2 course. What a great learning experience! I am really glad I took this course. Jason is an excellent instructor and Ben was right there to help. Both were encouraging and good communicators. If you are considering getting training from this company--do it! You will learn a ton and you will hear "elbows up" a lot, especially if most of your riding was on street bikes. I am moving to more off road riding and this class was an excellent way to build some foundation.
-Jeff R. 60 / Issaquah Wa
HOLY MOLY - This training was exactly what I needed - the hands-on trail riding was the best! Instructors are patient, knowledgeable, and really listen to what you are asking - not to mention giving advice when needed. After taking this class, I was able to apply and carry forward the "dirt concepts" onto my R1200 GS and conquer the first section of the WABDR with no problems! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!! ;)
-CINDY 47 / Port Angeles
Attended level 2 class. It was my first experience on dirt and it was fantastic. Instructors were positive and encouraging the whole time. I was particularly impressed with Jason's ability to explain the exercises in a variety of different ways so that they made sense to all the riders there, not just what to do but why to do it that way. The school bikes are nice rides, too. Wholeheartedly recommend training here for anyone who wants to learn to ride off pavement safely, efficiently, and enjoyably.
-John C. 39 / Redmond, WA
Jason
Thank you for the training. My desert race seemed much smoother as my turns/corners went better. I heard your voice telling me to keep my elbows up and sit forward. I still had some get offs but I believe they were due to me getting tired. Not a fast time as I rode with a first timer (granddaughter) but we both got the “I finished” t shirt. Will be in touch for more training for my wife. Take care
-Mike C. 66 / Clarkston, WA
Thank you Lisa and Jason.
I learned a ton and have lot’s to work on. It was a worthwhile class and your teaching skills are great, especially the “Carlton Dance”.
Thank for a great weekend.
Matt
-Matthew W. /
Knowledgeable, friendly, and patient instructors with structured, progressive lessons make this course a fun and engaging experience.
-Daniel 43 / Seattle
I've been riding street bikes for about 15 years with limited off-road experience. Recently, I've been interested in doing more off-road/dual sport riding. I took the Level 2 course and it was awesome!
It was a small group (3 students) with lots of individual instruction from Whitney. The supplied gear and bikes were nice. The course and trails are fun and Whitney's a great instructor. Definitely a great experience and I'd highly recommend it to others looking to develop their off-road skills/techniques.
-Andrew K. 36 / Seattle
If you’re a street rider and need more confidence and applicable skills to get more from your road rides, then consider getting dirty in one of these classes.
Not only will you hear plenty of relevant 80s references, like a VH1 flashback show, but you’ll be perched atop dirt bike seats as comfortable as an Olympic gymnastic balance beam. You’ll learn about “V Traction” techniques and proper elbow placement while your thighs burn as you push through practice drills and (thankfully) short, but fun trail rides.
You’ll soon discover almost everything you knew about riding a street bike is null and void if you want to ride in the dirt. However, don’t turn in your cruiser or sport bike just yet. The skills you learn are fully transferable back to your street ride and will also be handy if you decide to pursue more dirt riding.
Allow co-owner Jason to delight you with his tremendous depth and breadth of riding knowledge and real-world (ah, an 80s reference) experience. He’s demanding and detailed, yet incredibly supportive and very safety-minded…kinda like your grandmother with a mustache.
I recommend anyone looking to improve themselves to try a class with this group, especially if you like ballroom dancing. It’s an inside, but useful, reference so you’ll have to take the class to find our more.
-Matt S. 52 / Bremerton, WA
I've ridden street bikes most of my life and picked up a few dirt bikes a few years ago. My kids and I have had a great time on them, but without any formal instruction, always felt we didn't have the foundation for the skills needed to ride the trails we wanted to explore. My son and I took the Intermediate class and, now, things make a lot more sense. Wish we could have had these foundational techniques in place before we formed some bad riding practices, but it's never too late. Now we have solid methods we can practice and work on. Looking forward to the advanced class at some point in the future.
Jason and Whitney are excellent instructors: genuine, enthusiastic, and skilled. There was a range of experience and personalities in our class and I enjoyed watching how they adapted to everyone's needs. Everyone seemed to learn, enjoy the day, and express gratitude and a desire to return once it was over.
Most people didn't bring their own bikes and I heard several say they wanted to learn on something they weren't afraid to bang up. We brought our own bikes. My opinion is I want to learn and be trained on the bike I'm riding. That option worked out great for me, and if you have your own dirt or dual sport, I'd suggest you consider taking the training on your own machine. Email Jason and Whitney. Based on your experience, they can give you a recommendation on which option might work best for you.
-Warren H. 47 / Snohomish County
Hi Jason and Whitney! I took your level 2 class on 4/29, and wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed it. Though I had ridden on the street for 30 years, I had never been off-road. I was leaving for an 1,100-mile motorcycle tour in Morocco two days after the Dirt First class, and knew it would include about 10% off-road riding, so I hoped your course would at least give me the basics to be able to participate fully in the tour. Well, it did much more than that. I was not only able to do the entire trip confidently, I even was able to give a fellow novice off-road rider a few tips on how to navigate turns while seated or standing, side hills, and so on! I am so grateful for the expertise that you imparted, and I am 100% sure that it made the difference for me to be able to experience all of what the tour had to offer. In fact, there were several times where I simply could not have continued the tour, had I not had the skills that I acquired at Dirt First. I hope to be back soon for more practice with you, and thank you again for the great day! Best, Ben
-Ben M. 47 / Washington
I'm normally a rider in the middle of the pack, not the fastest, but I can handle pretty much any type of single track. Went into the level 2 class expecting to learn a few tricks, maybe a new way of doing something, at the least I'd have a fun day on two wheels, but what could I really learn, right? Boy was I wrong, way wrong, well I still had a great day on my bike, but I couldn't believe how many things I was doing wrong.
From the start it was obvious the instructors where excited to help, and fully vested in your learning and saftey. Every drill we ran was designed to build confidence, slowly adding things to make your riding base better. Can't wait to practice more and use what I've learned. I'll be taking the level 3 class later, can't wait to see what improvements that will bring!
-Cassidy S. 38 / Tulalip
I took the level one class and was very impressed with how much I learned in one day. I bought a Beta 125 RR-S and came back for the second level class. I couldn't have been happier by the end of the day. I started the class being very nervous and scared of my own bike. I left the class with a ton of confidence, enough to start learning how to do jumps which is something I never thought I would have the courage to do. I will definitely be back in the near future for more lessons to perfect my skills and body positioning. Thank you again!
-Rachel 30 / Seattle
Great learning experience! It was awesome having the trail rides, then doing a couple exercises and being able to immediately apply the skills on the trail. Very cool see how you improved through out the day. Patient instruction and willingness to take the extra time to ensure you understand and do it correctly. Super fun day on the dirt bikes!
-CANDACE B. 26 / MARYSVILLE
6 hour private lesson with Jason, on DBST bike, to prepare for an adventure bike outing. Logical, building block instruction, clearly communicated. Terrific experience; planning on following up with several additional Group II sessions.
-George M. 75 / Friday Harbor
I've been riding street for over 35 years. In a cross country trip a couple years ago I ran into a couple young men in a small Utah town riding the TAT... After talking with them I had a new bucket list item. But then I knew I'd need to learn some new skills and chance my riding style significantly.
I started with the intermediate class and it was freaking AWESOME!! I learned so much and gained a crazy amount of confidence. Not only with the dirt bike but also with skills that carried over to street riding. I will be going back a few more times over the next couple years ago when I head out on my big adventure in 2020 I can do it with confidence.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!!
-Jennifer P. 52 / Castle Rock
