Mastering MTB Skills Review

[cam@nsmb.com]

A book by Brian Lopes and (mostly) Lee McCormack Reviewed here (http://www.nsmb.com/gear/mastermtb_09_06.php).

Would you trust this man's opinion?
http://www.nsmb.com/images/cam/wigger.jpg

Nice work 'MW'

Thanks for the review.

[Squampton11]

It is a good book, you can't argue with that. Much of the info in this book came from Shaums March and unfortunately he did not get credit for it. Rumour has it that Lee took one of his camps asked a million questions then used much of the info in the writing of the book without mention. Not too cool if this is true. But to give Lee credit he wrote a good book that was needed for beginer and intermediate riders.

[miffed]

Good review great book, agree about the cover being dated the format is not to 'hip' either but the content is second to none, it is indespensible for refining skills and has nice anacdotes(?) aswell to keep it interesting lost my copy to some kids up the road who wanted to borrow it, and i miss it

[Sethimus]

why now? the book's out for more than a year?

[ardcore]

a wonderful piece of reading material indeed!! it helped me a lot, since I have been XC racing for years, but new to bikeparks/north shore/downhill.

Saved me a lot of time and bruises, which makes it a superb investment at any price!

a small negative comment on the side is the language used. I do not expect a book on freeriding to speak to me in BBC English, but this sometimes felt like comments made by a cartoon character.

Now go out and buy it!!

[Trevor Hansen]

Whitey, those pulp mill chemicals you peddle must be leaking into your cns creating excellent writing skills. Nicely done. Now you just have to learn to pedal for more 30 minutes...a month.

[cam@nsmb.com]

It is a good book, you can't argue with that. Much of the info in this book came from Shaums March and unfortunately he did not get credit for it. Rumour has it that Lee took one of his camps asked a million questions then used much of the info in the writing of the book without mention. Not too cool if this is true. But to give Lee credit he wrote a good book that was needed for beginer and intermediate riders.

By coincidence I was part of the morning session (hardly a camp) that Lee attended. He asked some questions for sure but I'm wouldn't say he asked more than the rest of us. Something to note though is that Shaums' technique is quite different than what is advocated by Lopes/Lee in several key aspects.

Personally where the two philosophies diverge I'm a fan of Shaums' approach. Perhaps a credit should have been given to Shaums. There is no acknowledgement section in the book and it doesn't seem that was much of a priority. An example is that a photo of mine was used (with permission) and I wasn't paid nor given credit for the photo. I'm okay with that but I guess my point is that perhaps the publisher is to blame for these oversights rather than Lee.

I should also add that after that morning session with Shaums my riding was forever changed for the better. I have a half written article on the morning that hasn't yet made it on the site. I could make a bunch of excuses but it comes down to the fact that I have to prioritize to keep nsmb humming along and sometimes articles I am committed to get stalled. It's one I won't let die but it unfortunately hasn't been posted in a timely fashion. Sorry Shaums! I will say this though: taking a camp with Shaums is the best thing that you can do for your riding that I know of. I use the techniques I learned from Shaums every time I ride and when I start to get sloppy I can focus on a few of the points he emphasized and get back on my game right away.

[Air Supplier]

Yah, my dad has that book and its really good!

[Kootenay Hack]

I too have enjoyed this book to a degree, but.....

Content of book, although very useful, was not attained in an ethical manner.

There are some people out there who deserve some credit for this book and are NOT mentioned at all.

[marksthespot]

You can pick this up at the Vancouver MEC if you don't want to wait.

[Gimp Pimp]

i have that book. By reading that book i learned how to boost 6' of air. I still can't do it though :lol:

[Johnie P]

Learning from a book = bad habits.if you want to learn take a clinic with a real coach.There are lots of good programs,so spend your money on a coach not a book. Just my opinion.
Second Cam do some research on how that book came to be,You will be a little surprised to say the least

[enduramil]

Learning from a book = bad habits.if you want to learn take a clinic with a real coach.There are lots of good programs,so spend your money on a coach not a book. Just my opinion.
Second Cam do some research on how that book came to be,You will be a little surprised to say the least

Good point about finding a coach to help you. Sure a book will have alot of good info but it's not easy transfering it to real world skill. By having a coach watch you riding they can correct errors you have made.

[leelikesbikes]

Hi folks.

This is Lee McCormack. Allegations that Joan Joans, Gene Hamilton and Shaums March deserve credit for the book Mastering Mountain Bike Skills are erroneous and libelous. To clarify:

- I have never met Joan Jones, nor have I participated in any CMIC program. We have talked on the phone about me possibly attending her camps, but that's it.

- When I met Gene Hamilton, I'D ALREADY WRITTEN THE BOOK. As a matter of fact, I showed him a proof copy. I did a coaching session with Gene, for which I gave him full credit on my site, www.leelikesbikes.com.

- In the summer of 2003, Shaums March and I talked about doing the book together, but he did not reply to a month's worth of email and phone messages. By the time Shaums and I met in Whistler in summer of 2004, I'D ALREADY WRITTEN THE BOOK with world champion Brian Lopes; as a matter of fact I was in Whistler to shoot photos for the book. I participated in a coaching session with Shaums (and the nsmb crew), for which I gave Shaums full credit on www.leelikesbikes.com.

To reiterate: Neither Joan Joans, Gene Hamilton nor Shaums March influenced the creation of Mastering Mountain Bike Skills. The book was written before I had any meaningful contact with them.

OK, now let's go ride.

-- Lee

[the Master Plan Dan]

I have a copy... it was bought for me and signed!

Pretty neat stuff in there... girlfriend is reading it!

[cam@nsmb.com]

Second Cam do some research on how that book came to be, You will be a little surprised to say the least

I'm not jumping to any conclusions either way. It's pretty clear there are some bad feelings about how this book came to be. But, judging from Lee's comments below, that may not be justified. Only the party's involved know for sure.

It seems clear though that some of the mud slinging is based on false info.

[Johnie P]

I admit I don't Know Lee's side.I believe there is more to it but I only know what i have been told(by inside sources). It is a good book though and I have used it to help in my coaching others.

[Kootenay Hack]

To reiterate: Neither Joan Joans, Gene Hamilton nor Shaums March influenced the creation of Mastering Mountain Bike Skills. The book was written before I had any meaningful contact with them.

-- Lee

As they say, 3 sides to every story....

His side, her side..... and the truth.

Seek truth.

[trout]

As they say, 3 sides to every story....

His side, her side..... and the truth.

Seek truth.

That's weak. The guy defends himself with facts and you make like you are some kind of jedi knight.

[Kootenay Hack]

That's weak. The guy defends himself with facts and you make like you are some kind of jedi knight.


Is everything you say fact? Ask around, talk to these coaches, you may find out something interesting.... like another side to the story.

I'm not a jedi, nor claiming to be, I just encourage thought and promote truth, fairness and integrity. I just think that credit should be given where it is due. Why plug someone on a website but not in the book? hmmmm.....

Call it what you want but I say there are 3 sides to every story, would you not agree?

remember, Milli Vanilli was a sham...... when we all thought it was truth. ;)

Flame away.

[Uncle Duke]

i never liked milli vanilli.

[Johnie P]

Thanks Trout I was unaware that everything people say on here were facts.Or are you a Jeti knight and know that what Lee is saying is truth and what i have been told by others is not.
I wish I had your skills of knowing what was fact and what was not,Life would be so much more interesting.

[synchro]

Thanks Trout I was unaware that everything people say on here were facts.Or are you a Jeti knight and know that what Lee is saying is truth and what i have been told by others is not.
I wish I had your skills of knowing what was fact and what was not,Life would be so much more interesting.

well so far we have one guy, lee, stating his side of the story and on the other side innuendo and second hand stories. what are we to believe?

[Uncle Duke]

this is not the place for such a discussion. jone joans , shaums march or gene hamilton should be voicing these concerns. contact the retailer perhaps.

to toss around this kind of stuff frivolously on the internet is LOW.if its not 100% true then it's SLANDER. pretty easy to do that from the anonominity of the intraweb.

prove it or drop it.

[synchro]

^^^

good call

[Lady Gravity]

prove it or drop it.

agreed.

[Johnie P]

I dont believe i named any names but i agree with you.Nothing can be proven so indeed it should be dropped.

[trout]

Thanks Trout I was unaware that everything people say on here were facts.Or are you a Jeti knight and know that what Lee is saying is truth and what i have been told by others is not.
I wish I had your skills of knowing what was fact and what was not,Life would be so much more interesting.

[Jedi mind trick] You're welcome, I'm glad my post cleared things up. [/jedi mind trick]

[Johnie P]

Lee its your turn

[Johnie P]

Are boards not about being able to speak your mind anonymously.I agree that without proof people should drop this, but being anonymous is what boards are all about.
All the rumers do make you think though,is it like this with all books

[DaveM]

Are boards not about being able to speak your mind anonymously.I agree that without proof people should drop this, but being anonymous is what boards are all about.

Only if you're a 13 year old kid.


It's pretty easy to toss allegations from behind a keyboard. If you can't come out and stand behind your words, you should keep them to yourself.

I have the book, and like it. It's taught me plenty. That's what this thread was supposed to be about isn't it.

[jonny.zee]

Sour grapes?

[Wayne P]

If you can't say it to someone's face, then don't say it online without a real name attached.

[RAYClovis]

Certainly, it helps a lot in some sections. Still, I find that it's the best to complement the book with coaching, especially in sections concerning jumps and pumping. Certainly, some advices work, but some is just much harder to work it out over the words. Especially the skinnies. A whole chapter on jumping smooth jumps that aren't that common in North Shore as opposed to maybe one page of skinnies that are far more common? I'd say the book fits well for a general range, but it seems to be it's more single-track/jump/flow oriented than slow and technical.

Just my two cents.

[Lady Gravity]

Are boards not about being able to speak your mind anonymously.I agree that without proof people should drop this, but being anonymous is what boards are all about.

yeah but this is kind of serious dont you think? the bike community is actually kind of small, and a lot of us know each other. if the allegations are true, then the people behind them should have the balls to step forward and back up their remarks.

[RAYClovis]

Internet. Serious business.

Really. Most (as in not all) of the internet users are not very serious in term of researches. Considering that one of the most commonly referred source of information is an online encloypedia that can be easily altered by any one with an account and be not caught for a long time, I wouldn't bet on getting this issue solved anytime soon.

Drop it.

[cvwarrior]

yeah but this is kind of serious dont you think? the bike community is actually kind of small, and a lot of us know each other. if the allegations are true, then the people behind them should have the balls to step forward and back up their remarks.


Every post I have read on this matter as far as Lee ripping someone's material off is interesting. I was coached by Blair Lombardi of San Anselmo California about 2 years ago. She was very helpful for me. Through getting to know her it came out that she had this interaction with Lee McCormack, who she had extensively coached, and he was writing a book with her material, but not with her permission, and in the end all she hoped for was some credit on the stuff she had taught Lee. Needless to say she never got any credit!! To make a long story short, according to Blair she had to call Lee McCormacks publisher and threaten to sue if he didn't give her credit...and rightly so as she has spent alot of time on research and coaching top riders from around the world, and thousands of us regular joes and janes out there. I know for a fact that her info is in that book, but changed....believe me it does not have the same impact.

Now for those of you who don't know who Blair Lombardi is, you need to do some homework because she has been doing this longer then anyone else in the industry. She also knows more about the Brain and why we react to situations. Ever been riding your bike down technical stuff and just get scared and grab a handful of brake, there is a scientific reason for this. Through logical process and analysis she figured out how the Balance Sensory system in your head works with riding your bike and what you doing on the bike. This is very advanced stuff that out of respect for Blair I will not divulge.

I know Blair Lombardi very well and consider her one of my closest friends in the cycling community and I can tell you there is a whole lot more to this story and to her credit she did nothing wrong in a karmic way. This is still a very small industry, I know others are aware of the injustices that have happened, apparently not just to Blair...I am unsure why nobody is speaking out or how people can sit there and say it is just mountainbiking.....this maybe true to you but to these coaches it is a way of life and something that they have slaved over to help others. I was brought up with a strong sense of right and wrong, I know the difference.

In my heart I believe that Blair belongs in the MTB hall of fame, she has spent a life time in this sport helping others and alot of the modern techniques we use today were discovered by her and all she wanted was to be respected with the credit due. Blair Lombardi still resides in San Anselmo California which is in Marin County (birth place of the MTB bike by some accounts) She has coached some top caliber riders, Jemina Florit, Colin Bailey, Missy Giove, Marla Streb, Gary Fisher, Todd Bosch, Steve Wentz, Cole Bangert, and many many others. As far as Canadians, I think there are only two of us...

There is so much to tell about the wonderful character of Blair Lomabrdi. As you can see I am passionate about her because she worked hard and didn't step on anyone to get where she is. Even with Fibro Mialga, she stilll carries on the best she can and turn good riders into great confident riders. I encourage people to do the research on Blair....if you would like more infomation from me just let me know, I would be happy to share. You will be amazed.

Aaron Clark, Fairmont Hot Springs BC

[leelikesbikes]

Hi, it's Lee McCormack again.

I won't put any more energy into this, but for your consideration:

- I am a highly experienced, award-winning writer and informational graphics artist. I was on the team that won the 1998 Pulitzer Prize for public service. Mountain biking is just one of hundreds of subjects I've tackled: plane crashes, economics, stem cells, knee surgeries, and on and on. When it comes to figuring things out and explaining them to a mass audience, I am about as pro as it gets.

- I am also a highly experienced, race-winning mountain biker. I'm no Shaums March or Brian Lopes, but I am a quick semipro racer, and that puts me above the 99th percentile among mountain bike riders. When it comes to riding a bike, figuring out how to ride a bike and explaining/teaching how to ride a bike, I know my stuff.

- I wrote the book with a guy named Brian Lopes. He's a 9-time US national champion, 3-time World Cup Champion and 3-time World Champion across several racing disciplines. When it comes to bike riding, he knows his stuff.

I sent this URL to Brian, and here is his response:

--- --- ---

First off I want to say that I never go on these chat lines, but Lee sent me the link to read some of the comments some of you guys are writing.

Some of you are saying a coach is better than a book. I agree with you, but show me a good coach you can hire for $25 that will give you that much information? To have a good coach teach you everything in this book would take weeks and cost you thousands of dollars.

The others who are bitching about giving credit to certain people, get over it. Lee approached me about doing this book and I personally spent a lot of time going over & explaining everything in the book. Lee used all the info I gave him and put it into words for everyone to comprehend. I think I have the credentials to prove I know what I am teaching. I'm pretty sure Shaums doesn't know anything I don't know about riding a bike. I've known Shaums for a long time and know he is a good rider, but who did Shaums learn it from? I guess we missed the boat when I didn't give credit to my dad for teaching me how to balance. And who the hell is Gene Hamilton, Joan Jones, & Blair Lombardi? I doubt very seriously that these three riders even knew half the techniques in this book.

Anyways, I don't have the time to sit on these chat lines, defending every person that thinks he/she knows more they really know. All I know is that Lee and I discussed everything in this book and I know what I am talking about. You may have heard the same explanation from whomever on how to "do a gate start" or "jump a double" -- great!!! You know what, there are many guys out there that can explain how to do that stuff, but don't discredit Lee, because my involvement is all the credit he needs to write the #1 selling how-to book.

End of story. GO RIDE and STOP bitching.

--- --- ---

[Uncle Duke]

who is this brain lopes fellow?

[cvwarrior]

Hi, it's Lee McCormack again.

I won't put any more energy into this, but for your consideration:

- I am a highly experienced, award-winning writer and informational graphics artist. I was on the team that won the 1998 Pulitzer Prize for public service. Mountain biking is just one of hundreds of subjects I've tackled: plane crashes, economics, stem cells, knee surgeries, and on and on. When it comes to figuring things out and explaining them to a mass audience, I am about as pro as it gets.

- I am also a highly experienced, race-winning mountain biker. I'm no Shaums March or Brian Lopes, but I am a quick semipro racer, and that puts me above the 99th percentile among mountain bike riders. When it comes to riding a bike, figuring out how to ride a bike and explaining/teaching how to ride a bike, I know my stuff.

- I wrote the book with a guy named Brian Lopes. He's a 9-time US national champion, 3-time World Cup Champion and 3-time World Champion across several racing disciplines. When it comes to bike riding, he knows his stuff.

I sent this URL to Brian, and here is his response:

--- --- ---

First off I want to say that I never go on these chat lines, but Lee sent me the link to read some of the comments some of you guys are writing.

Some of you are saying a coach is better than a book. I agree with you, but show me a good coach you can hire for $25 that will give you that much information? To have a good coach teach you everything in this book would take weeks and cost you thousands of dollars.

The others who are bitching about giving credit to certain people, get over it. Lee approached me about doing this book and I personally spent a lot of time going over & explaining everything in the book. Lee used all the info I gave him and put it into words for everyone to comprehend. I think I have the credentials to prove I know what I am teaching. I'm pretty sure Shaums doesn't know anything I don't know about riding a bike. I've known Shaums for a long time and know he is a good rider, but who did Shaums learn it from? I guess we missed the boat when I didn't give credit to my dad for teaching me how to balance. And who the hell is Gene Hamilton, Joan Jones, & Blair Lombardi? I doubt very seriously that these three riders even knew half the techniques in this book.

Anyways, I don't have the time to sit on these chat lines, defending every person that thinks he/she knows more they really know. All I know is that Lee and I discussed everything in this book and I know what I am talking about. You may have heard the same explanation from whomever on how to "do a gate start" or "jump a double" -- great!!! You know what, there are many guys out there that can explain how to do that stuff, but don't discredit Lee, because my involvement is all the credit he needs to write the #1 selling how-to book.

End of story. GO RIDE and STOP bitching.

--- --- ---

Funny how these guys have to weigh in with Ego and Credentials, I mean while the real sources of the infomation are just humbly doing their thing, which is the behavior of real coaches and champions. Want to see what a real professional racer behaves like check out Fabian Barel, or Nicolas V(retired), they are humble and lack the gross ego these two display. To me the book was a bunch of teachniques worded differently and alot of little stories to make these two seem like they were the best out there.

Funny thing is Lee didn't even touch on Blair Lombardi.....I can tell you this Lee had his first coaching session with Blair Lombardi on March 6 2003...alomst a full year before his book came out.

Personally I have met Brian in 2004 and was not impressed, I know numerous others who have had this experience with him. Not that in all his greatness would he remember me. As far as Lee goes...just knowing what he did to Blair Lombardi and probably others is enough to make me sick.

To be honest if these two really did mastermind the book and then why are the taking the time to weigh in to what would seem to thousands of people reading this to be just hear say. Perhaps the reaction and the fact that Brian is getting in involved means that this is a defensive reaction to something that is more commonly known by 15% of riders out there and that the general public ought not to know the truth. Some would say this is a knee jerk reaction.

Brian you know who Blair Lombardi of San Anselmo is. You may have not talked to her...but you have heard her name, how could you not have, she has been coaching as long as you have been racing, and racing before that.

You want to know more about Blair Lombardi...Use google people...tons of stuff in there about her, just enter her name. As for Gene, same thing. I guess in all this Brian doesn't know how to use google or he would have more knowledge about these people and be a little more informed.

Or Just try these links...

http://www.mbaction.com/detail.asp?id=684

or

http://www.mbaction.com/search.asp?str=Blair+Lombardi

Notice the Dates on these posts and the people making the comments and ask yourself "how could Brian not know who Blair Lombardi is?"

Lee is a great writer and Brian a great racer...but there is alot more going on here.

I encourage everyone to question everything!!! There is a different truth out there then the one these two are presenting.


Aaron Clark

[synchro]

what level and type of racing did/does blair do that makes her the best coach out there?

[enduramil]

As usuall and like most things we are only hearing part of the story. So far 2 sides have posted up and had their say. Untill Blair Lombardi, Joan Jones, and Gene Hamilton post up their part in this story we are only hearing part of the truth.

[cvwarrior]

what level and type of racing did/does blair do that makes her the best coach out there?
Hey...just use google, tons of information...any questions beyond that I will answer.

Aaron

[cvwarrior]

As usuall and like most things we are only hearing part of the story. So far 2 sides have posted up and had their say. Untill Blair Lombardi, Joan Jones, and Gene Hamilton post up their part in this story we are only hearing part of the truth.
Just contact them...use google to find their info. I am sure they would be happy to tell you their sides. Your right though these people need to weigh in, but like I said they are true professionals and won't be mud slinging, however one can bring clearity to this and not sling mud. Like I siad if this interestes you take a momnet to seek them out, they are all approachable.

Aaron

[stacy kohut]

is the real deal.

EVERYONE is just jealous that lee and brian had their shit together and did a proper book FIRST.


all the others that run camps or clinics just were too slow.............

which is funny cause most of em were like that when they raced too!!!!
which camp or clinic dude/dudette has the same international race RESULTS as brian lopes?

oh and which mtb coach has a pulitzer prize like lee?




cv warrior...............
take the cross off your back.

some chick from the early 90's coaches some people with techniques she rips off from elite alpine skiing(oh and by the way, all the people that were listed to be coached from this lady were, well, .......average racers.nothing special.colin bailey?jeez, your supposed to list athletes who have actually done something with their careers.missy and marla?, nice ladies, but really, they were totally outta control 90% of the time.how many concussions did missy have?.great coaching.......), and your elevating her to god status?......

[Carbuncle]

What he said. I got the book whenever it came out, great for technique and ideas and it helped my wife with some basic skills too. No book tells you the whole story of learning a complex physical activity, but it can give you some good tips, starting places and ideas and Lee & Brian's book does. Well worth the price.

[enduramil]

is the real deal.

EVERYONE is just jealous that lee and brian had their shit together and did a proper book FIRST.


all the others that run camps or clinics just were too slow.............

which is funny cause most of em were like that when they raced too!!!!
which camp or clinic dude/dudette has the same international race RESULTS as brian lopes?

oh and which mtb coach has a pulitzer prize like lee?




cv warrior...............
take the cross off your back.

some chick from the early 90's coaches some people with techniques she rips off from elite alpine skiing(oh and by the way, all the people that were listed to be coached from this lady were, well, .......average racers.nothing special.colin bailey?jeez, your supposed to list athletes who have actually done something with their careers.missy and marla?, nice ladies, but really, they were totally outta control 90% of the time.how many concussions did missy have?.great coaching.......), and your elevating her to god status?......

Good points.

Lets add a little too this. Having been involved in sport for 20 plus years I have learned something I wish all coach's remembered. In cycling the basic skills needed to ride or race well are the same across the board. It's only when you factor in how each rider learns them that things change. As each rider learns a different way.

Same thing with coaching. The real secret of coaching is not the skills that the coach teach's, it's how the coach communicates with their athlete's. No coach communicates the same nor do the athlete's learn the same. Give 2 coach's the same skill to teach and you will get 2 different instruction methods.

That is the true secret of coaching, the ability to connect with an athlete and communicate the information needed to improve. Contrary to what some paranoid types in the NCCP system think.

Let's face reality, all coach's steal/copy in some way the methods or stuff others do.

Just an idea, if this wasn't done the Crazy Canucks wouldn't have done so well, plus they'd be in jail for stealing secrets.

[cvwarrior]

Ok, this has gotten way off topic. I would love to sit here and play the whos the best at this and that. However the days are getting shorter and that means less time to ride.

The point is there are alot of people out there who are suspicious of Lee using other coaches material or methodology or even taking material from existing books and not giving any credit. Doesn't the missing acknowledgements page seem strange to anyone.

Fact is your right the basics are the basics and it is a coaches approach to the student and situation, that makes them a great coach. But coaches are not born they are made, through alot of time, experience, and knowledge.

Another fact for you....nobody knows everything!! Not Blair Lombardi, Chris Carmichel, Chris Colbeck, Ned Overend, Lee McCormack or Brian Lopes....So with no acknowledgements page, one would assume that these two know everything, but you know what they say about assumptions.

I stand by my words and I believe any book that is written by a real author, will have a acknowledgements section. I bet any book written by these others has a acknowledgements section. That is what you do when you use someone elses material.

BTW Stacy.....you should be careful what you say about these other coaches...after all they weren't the ones say anything on here so there is no point taking pot shots at them.

Near the end of Missy's career is when she was coached, it is also the time at which she stopped crashing and started winning....same goes for Marla who by the way was US National Champ at the age of 39 and Colin Baliey was ranked #5 in the USA when he was coached. So if you can't do more then point out incomplete facts with blurred time lines then you should try to keep your comments to yourself.

How many times did Brian Lopes have to take time off the bike in the last three years due to crashes and mishaps, maybe this a good enough reason not to buy his book, or maybe a good reason not to buy and read a book Co-written by a multi time champ that has nothing good to say about the racers he races against or the cycling bodies, no respect for the officals and people in general. Just read Collin Millers Blog on the front page of this site....or here http://blogs.nsmb.com/team/archives/2006/10/distant-but-certainly-not-faint-memories-of-peru/ when you get to the part about Brian Lopes' little episode, let me know if you think this guy is a true professional. You would never catch Eric Carter, Fabien Barel or Nicolas Voulliouz(ret.) going off like that. Those are true professionals.

Truth is racing is damn scary at times and sometimes it doesn't matter how much experience you have or weather you have been coached or not....you crash and that is racing. It takes time to figure things out and a little coaching sometimes comes late in the career when you have tried everything else. I had similar experiences all through my racing years....truth is at these speeds and the lines we are trying to ride on two wheels, you can sometimes look out of control. Not that I expect you to know this.

And now that we have collectively made it OK to steal/copy without giving credit.....

I am done and gone riding

[enduramil]

Ok, this has gotten way off topic. I would love to sit here and play the whos the best at this and that. However the days are getting shorter and that means less time to ride.

The point is there are alot of people out there who are suspicious of Lee using other coaches material or methodology or even taking material from existing books and not giving any credit. Doesn't the missing acknowledgements page seem strange to anyone.

Fact is your right the basics are the basics and it is a coaches approach to the student and situation, that makes them a great coach. But coaches are not born they are made, through experience, time and knowledge.

Another fact for you....nobody knows everything!! Not Blair Lombardi, Chris Carmichel, Chris Colbeck, Ned Overend, Lee McCormack or Brian Lopes....So with no acknowledgements page, one would assume that these two know everything, but you know what they say about assumptions.

I stand by my words and I believe any book that is written by a real author, will have a acknowledgements section. I bet any book written by these others has a acknowledgements section. That is what you do when you use someone elses material.

BTW stacy.....you should be careful what you say about these other coaches...after all they weren't the ones say anything on here so there is no point taking pot shots at them.

Near the end of Missy's career is when she was coached, it is also the time at which she stopped crashing and started winning....same goes for Marla and Colin Baliey was ranked #5 in the USA when he was coached. So if you can't do more then point out incomplete facts with blurred time lines then you should try to keep your comments to yourself.

How many times did Brian Lopes have to take time off the bike in the last three years due to crashes and mishaps, maybe this a good enough reason not to buy his book.

Truth is racing is damn scary at times and sometimes it doesn't matter how much experience you have or weather you have been coached or not....you crash and that is racing. It takes time to figure things out and a little coaching sometimes comes late in the career when you have tried everything else. I had similar experiences all through my racing years....truth is at these speeds and the lines we are trying to do and ride on two wheels, you can sometimes look out of control. Not that I expect you to know this.

And now that we have collectively made it OK to steal/copy without giving credit.....

I am done and gone riding

So I guess I better tear up my coaching certificates. As everything I know in someway could be taken as being "stolen from somebody". Even though it came from exchanges with other coach's who also learned stuff from me. It's called the sharing of info.

While we are at it. I guess all the NHL coach's had better get lawyer's because they have all stolen each other's ideas is some way.

I hope you are not a coach, though it sounds more like you are a lawyer.

[synchro]

cw's got a point though - it's pretty rare to see any type of non-fictional book that does not have a credits/acknowledgements/bibliography section.

[enduramil]

cw's got a point though - it's pretty rare to see any type of non-fictional book that does not have a credits/acknowledgements/bibliography section.

But it does happen.

[stacy kohut]

cv warrior you weenie!!!!!!!!!!!

everything i have said in these posts i would say to the persons face.
ask anyone that knows me, they tell ya " yep , kohut will tell anyone, anything"

those coaches you mentioned especially included.


colin?, missy?, marla?......same damn thing.









you sound like a classic canadian ween bag.
that was a shot directly at you.
and if i see you face to face, i'll say it then too!!!!!




and lay off brian, hes got alot more going on than you could ever.

your jealous of brian.
brian is world class.








what are you the class of?


class of 1987?

[Toquer]

First off I want to say that I never go on these chat lines, but Lee sent me the link to read some of the comments some of you guys are writing.

Some of you are saying a coach is better than a book. I agree with you, but show me a good coach you can hire for $25 that will give you that much information? To have a good coach teach you everything in this book would take weeks and cost you thousands of dollars.

The others who are bitching about giving credit to certain people, get over it. Lee approached me about doing this book and I personally spent a lot of time going over & explaining everything in the book. Lee used all the info I gave him and put it into words for everyone to comprehend. I think I have the credentials to prove I know what I am teaching. I'm pretty sure Shaums doesn't know anything I don't know about riding a bike. I've known Shaums for a long time and know he is a good rider, but who did Shaums learn it from? I guess we missed the boat when I didn't give credit to my dad for teaching me how to balance. And who the hell is Gene Hamilton, Joan Jones, & Blair Lombardi? I doubt very seriously that these three riders even knew half the techniques in this book.

Anyways, I don't have the time to sit on these chat lines, defending every person that thinks he/she knows more they really know. All I know is that Lee and I discussed everything in this book and I know what I am talking about. You may have heard the same explanation from whomever on how to "do a gate start" or "jump a double" -- great!!! You know what, there are many guys out there that can explain how to do that stuff, but don't discredit Lee, because my involvement is all the credit he needs to write the #1 selling how-to book.

End of story. GO RIDE and STOP bitching.

--- --- ---

It looks like Lee is still writing for Brian - even on these 'chat lines.' It seems Brian is confusing nsmb with a 1-900 number. :lol:

Stacy - maybe Lee could write some stuff for you too. ;) He put a pretty good argument in Brian's mouth.

This line is so classic I have to re-post it!

my involvement is all the credit he needs to write the #1 selling how-to book.

This is pretty tasty too!

When it comes to figuring things out and explaining them to a mass audience, I am about as pro as it gets.

Where are Lee and Brian from again?

[cvwarrior]

cv warrior you weenie!!!!!!!!!!!

everything i have said in these posts i would say to the persons face.
ask anyone that knows me, they tell ya " yep , kohut will tell anyone, anything"

those coaches you mentioned especially included.


colin?, missy?, marla?......same damn thing.









you sound like a classic canadian ween bag.
that was a shot directly at you.
and if i see you face to face, i'll say it then too!!!!!




and lay off brian, hes got alot more going on than you could ever.

your jealous of brian.
brian is world class.








what are you the class of?


class of 1987?
Pretty hard to take that seriously considering the source of it. Doesn't matter what class I am from, the only thing that matters is I have alot more class then you. You know the Shaun Palmer badboy attitude is getting old!! Try to be a little more civilized.

[enduramil]

Pretty hard to take that seriously considering the source of it. Doesn't matter what class I am from, the only thing that matters is I have alot more class then you. You know the Shaun Palmer badboy attitude is getting old!! Try to be a little more civilized.

Ok, then. What exactly are your qualifications? And by qualifications I mean what courses have you taken.

[cam@nsmb.com]

I'm done with this thread. Everyone seems to have had their say and Brian isn't coming back *sniff*