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
I have less than 200 miles on my first motorcycle and it was suggested that by a very experienced rider that I take Whitney's class at DBST.
I spent most of the day with Whitney yesterday, and I can say that Whitney is an unusually gifted instructor. We executed a series of drills, which were reinforced by a series of trail rides, which significantly scaled up my riding. I walked away with far better skills than those with which I walked in. I also walked away with legs that felt like jello and that continue to burn today.
I'm confident that whatever your level of riding experience the folks at DBST will be able to help you scale up. I look forward to returning with more questions after more real world experience and leveling up further.
We're very fortunate here in the general Western Washington area to have this great training resource so close by.
Gerry Z
-Gerry Z. 58 / Bellevue, WA
Whitney and Jason are very skilled and patient instructors. They opened the door to the basic skills I needed for riding off-road. Renting a bike and gear made it safer and easier to learn. It was such an encouraging learning atmosphere that I took the clas a second time and learned even more!
-Sheri H. 43 / Renton, WA
Such an awesome experience! The structure of the program is set up so well you can see your progress throughout the class and practice those skills that you feel are lacking. The hands on training provided by the instructors is wonderful: they are extremely patient, very knowledgeable, and eager to help you become the better rider we all want to be. I very much recommend any of the classes provided for your skill level!
-Stephanie W. 27 / Marysville
I took the beginners class with a couple of girlfriends just for fun and as something I’ve always wanted to learn. We were very apprehensive in the beginning, but Whitney was patient and encouraging. It was a fun and positive learning experience (which is all I really hoped for), and I am looking to schedule my next class as soon as possible! Next time with my kids after we purchase bikes of our own!
-Cristiana C. 39 / North Bend
I have been riding trails for 5+ years and I can usually get by with my limited experience with obstacles and loose terrain. After my training class I felt way more confident in my riding and have already put the skills I learned to use. I have recommended this to every single one of my riding buddies and I would recommend to any new rider as well. On top of all the learning, it was a fun experience meeting new people and talking about our experiences with riding.
-Sierra 23 / Marysville
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 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
I have known Whitney and Jason for some time and have ridden and trained with both. They are both amazing dirt riders and are out riding and participating in many events within the community. They are also wonderful rider coaches and are patient, knowledgeable and have the ability to help you greatly improve your riding skills.
I highly recommend, no matter what level of skills you posses, to get with them to build your skill level and become even a better rider both on and off road. They don't teach "on-road" curriculum but I honestly feel that off-road training will hugely benefit you on the street. In fact, I think it is beneficial for new riders to get some off-road training before they venture out on the street. Hope to see you out on the trails.
-Tracy J. 41 / Mercer Is.
Hey guys, quick shout out after the Desert 100 class. Over the top instruction and communication. Ran the the 50 mile event on Sunday after the class. As fatigue sets in, the technical points taught, became the things I could rely on in all conditions. Great class, great job.
-Roger Z. 60 / Desert 100
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 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
Rode the Oct 2016 training course with Cody Webb, Jason and Whitney. These guys where great to work with, between their descriptions and technical advise pointing out body position, brake , and throttle control. It was awesome seeing how cody pull off going over large tires ,rock sections, and the endurocross track. He made it look effortlessly.
The new skills I learned helped me understand my bad riding habits, and a new derection in what I need to do to better my skills. These guys took the time with each of us on what we could do better. Once we started getting the hang of it. I was rewarding and the enthusiasm from the coaches kept us all wanting more. By the end of the day my skills improved and I now know the proper technics to better practice, and grow in off road riding. I'll be back for more training..
-Aaron R. 45 / Olympia, wa
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
I was thrilled to learn about DBST after riding off road for 10 years without feeling I had a fundamental approach or technique. My 11 year old son and I took the Level 2 class with Jason, and we had a blast. The curriculum specifically addressed exactly what we both needed to smooth out our riding to improve endurance, speed and fun. It felt like every exercise unlocked another mystery, and we both can't wait for opportunities to practice these concepts and come back again.
-Ben A. 46 / Bellevue, WA
A good class, I was able to learn new skills and use them immediately. Thanks for being at Rally in the Gorge 2015.
-Cliff R. / Hood River OR
