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 47 / Washington
I have some street riding experience, but never took my bike off pavement. So I signed up for the class hoping to get taste of dirt riding and check if it is really as fun as it looks on Youtube. The course is really good - very well designed and taught, with each exercise is building on previous and being fun at the same time. At the end of the day I was much more confident, more relaxed and much faster. Jason is an incredible teacher, who can explain things clearly and provide precise and actionable feedback, he is also very supportive and his enthusiasm is contagious! %) I've had an awesome day and will definitely come back for more.
Alex 37 / Bellevue
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 52 / Bremerton, WA
My son, age 12, and I spent a day with Dirt First. He's new to cycling, so started in the beginner class. I've ridden street bikes for most of my life, so joined group 2. The training was fantastic. Joseph had never ridden before; by the end of the day, he was shifting gears, executing sharp turns, and doing a little trail riding. Great teachers. For myself, I learned that dirt bikes are entirely different than what I had grown accustomed to. The balance is different, turning is different; lots of new physics to learn, and this course was the perfect intro. 5 out of 5. Outstanding.
Chris 60 / Mukilteo
The class was awesome, but for me what changed my riding the most was Whitney's ability to make me UNDERSTAND the plank exercise (and stop thinking that it was there just to torture students!). Since then I have been able to use this particular way of counterbalancing in all challenging situations (like when it gets very rutty) and stay relaxed.
Dionne / Pacific Northwest
Jason worked with me and my work schedule to get me out for a private lesson. Upon arriving he took the time to find out where I was at with my riding and where I want to go in the in the near future with it. Not only did he coach me through techniques and drills but explained the body mechanics of how the bike should respond to me and I should respond to the bike. He left me with awesome things to practice and how I can add challenges to the drills as I progress.🕺 Thanks Jason!
Chad 38 / Leavenworth