I recently took the Level 2 class. Jason was our instructor for the day and he was great. He was patient, communicated the lessons very well and made sure everyone was taken care of. His enthusiasm for teaching is obvious. I liked the structure of the day - the lesson, demonstration and practice of what we learned was very helpful. The techniques he taught us were the solid basics I was looking for. And small adjustments made all the difference. I would highly recommend taking this class before you get out and ride. You will enjoy it much more!
-Ashlie M. 50 / Bellevue, 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 a. 60 / Mukilteo
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
I completed the 2-day ADV training class on my BMW 1250 GSA this past weekend and it definitely pushed me beyond my comfort zone, in a very good way. Day 1 was spent getting used to riding dirt in a controlled and safe environment. Jason’s coaching was hands-on, direct and very supportive. I left the day tired and sore but feeling good about my progress. Day 2 was a glorious sunny day riding forest service roads in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. There were some very challenging sections that Jason was able to coach me through when I was doubting my ability to make it. I made it to the top and was very happy I persevered and was able to complete the ride. I now have skills and knowledge that I can utilize both on and off the road that will make me a safer rider. I feel much more confident when my bike loses traction and I know how to react, and more importantly how the bike will react, in those situations. I highly recommend this course to anyone that wants to improve their overall riding skills and get more comfortable riding in the dirt.
-Mark R. 60 / Bothell
I had a fantastic private class with Jason. Having barely ridden a motorcycle for many years, I was looking forward to the class but nervous, especially on a large 450 bike. However, even the most basic initial instruction from Jason was enough for me to feel comfortable and confident right away, setting me up to enjoy and learn from all of the training exercises. I think Jason might be one of the best teachers/instructors of anything that I have learned, setting a mood for enjoyment and being professional but approachable. As well as being encouraging and patient, his explanations were clear, he was happy to thoroughly answer questions with deep knowledge and skill, and his demonstrations were incredibly useful. More generally the bikes and riding gear were perfect, and the riding area was well suited to a relative novice. Very impressed, thank you for a great experience DBST!
-Ro 36 / Redmond WA
Had so much fun with Jason and Whitney! Those guys really know their stuff, and teaching an old horse new tricks can be a real disaster, but I had a great time. Ladies, these guys can teach women without all that macho stuff that makes us uncomfortable. If you're thinking of taking a class, my advice is: Don't Wait! Once you take their class, you can't look at a dirt trail and not think to yourself "I want to ride that!" Thanks again, guys, I'll be taking another class of yours when I want to better my skills. :)
-Vicky S. 55 / Tri-Cities, WA
I attended the intermediate class on fathers day, with the company of my boyfriends dad! We both thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We learned so many new techniques, and especially as a new rider, learning the correct form of your body positioning was a huge help!! I learned so much about riding in general!
I would definitely take this class again, and I highly recommend it to anyone that is a brand new rider or even with 10 years of experience!
-Sonya S. 23 / Everett
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 C. 38 / Leavenworth
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
Patience, Expertise, Fun, Challenging.....instructor was top notch, the facility had plenty of room and varied obstacles....overall HIGHLY recommend. I did LEVEL 2 class and have only seriously been riding for about 8 months, greatly improved my skills. Just fueled my new passion even more!!! Braap ON!!!
-Nelson T. 52 / Tulalip riding center
My son (12) and I attended the class on Sunday. The instruction and training was exactly what we needed to get on bikes on our own. Such a great curriculum! Whitney worked with us on some great drills and is such a great resource. We are excited to get on the bikes and hit the dirt soon! Practice, practice, practice!
Thanks again,
Jim 44/ Brandon 12
-JIm B. 44 / Snoqualmie
I took a private lesson with their instructor, Jason, yesterday. I have never ridden a dirt bike before and am not the best version of myself in group class scenarios (I'm sort of shy person). Jason was so kind and generous with me during our lesson. He got me so much further along in terms of my skills and riding ability in a few hours than I thought would be possible, while also being patient and flexible with his teaching method. There's no question I was humbled by some of my own limitations, but Jason identified them and made it a point to not skip over them but help me focus to get better at them. By the end of the class, I even got to ride on a trail beyond him, which seemed far beyond my reach when I first got there. Highly recommend! Can't wait to go back!
-Tyler J. 33 / Snohomish, WA
I took the ADV bike safety class a few months ago and have made an earnest effort to put the skills I learned into practice since that time.
I decided to post this testimonial because I'm earnestly astonished that my off-road abilities have improved so drastically after just 1 day of education and application of proper off-road technique. Today, I'm safely conquering terrain that would have sent me flying off my bike previously, haha!
1 caveat: the class is physically demanding, and it's a full day. Be prepared.
I'm looking forward to signing up for the next class in the series!
-Jake M. 49 / Tigard, OR
Our 5 year old daughter Bryn took the beginner class with Jason. I can't thank him enough for his patience and excellent teaching skills. She's now hooked and has her own PW50 and can't wait to take another class.
Troy
-Troy H. 49 / Edmonds
The class was awesome! I come from a background of street bikes (Harley's and sport bikes) with a little off-road experience. How the class broke down the individual skills and then applied them during the trail rides was perfect for reinforcement. Whitney was a great instructor and I'm definitely signing up for more. Thank you DBST!
-Krit
-Krit M. 41 / Lynnwood
I've been riding street for about 10 years and my wife for about 4. We didn't pretend to know anything about riding in dirt before this class and we learned a great deal! Focus on fundamentals and body positioning made all the difference in feeling confident and capable on a dirtbike. What a perfect way to celebrate my birthday and walk away with some very valuable skills - I'll be back! Thank you very much Jason!!!!
-Gabe A. 29 / Kent, WA