In order of appearance above: Karl Davis, Jr., Clark Myers, Ronnie Commo, Eric Storz.

Click play to watch. 50 seconds.

Left: TTC head honcho Dan Brown, grandson Joey, and Joey's uncle Dan Brown, Jr.
Center: Joey and Grandpa Dan in one of the upcoming World Round sections
Right: Dan Brown, yelling for Catherine. Click play to listen.

As I reviewed my photos from the Trials Training Days (TTD) weekend, I was struck by the number of photos I had of instructors using hand gestures to illustrate the finer points of trials riding. So I've placed 18 of them in one album/slideshow:

In order of appearance: Charlie Roberts, Ryan Young, Alex Bedley, Andrew Blane, Mike Helstrom, Karl Davis Jr., Neil Storz, Jim Zuroske, and Dan Brown.

In between coaching sessions on Saturday, instructors Andrew Blane and Nathan Glinski demonstrated their balancing skills.

Click play to watch. 34 seconds.

TTC instructor Alex Bedley led sessions on camber turns and hills today, Day Two of Trials Training Days. See the album of photos or this slideshow:

See the album of photos from this afternoon's TTD session with Ryan Young, or this slideshow:

Click play to watch. 4 minutes

See the album of photos from this morning's TTD sessions with Andrew Blane, or this slideshow:

Click play to watch. 5 minutes 40 seconds

See the photo album of today's Mototrial or this slideshow:

1st place: Ryan Young
2nd place: Will Ibsen
3rd place: Ron Commo

See the photo album of miscellaneous people at Trials Training Days today or this slideshow

  

Left: Catherine Bedley, extracting money
Left center: Ryan Young (left) observing last minute session sign-up
Center, right center: Dan Brown, preaching
Right: Brad Baumert, disciplining somebody

I took a  couple dozens photos and a few minutes of video of the TTC's resident pro/coach, Andrew Blane, this morning, working out on the logs and rocks in the practice area. See the photo album or this slideshow:

Left: 2006 GasGas 280 $4300.00
Left center: 2007 GasGas 250 $5000.00
Right center: 2006 GasGas 300 $4500.00
Right: 2006 GasGas 280 $4500.00

There will also be some minder bikes for sale after the World Round in April... new bikes, used only by the minders.

The sun came out unexpectedly this afternoon so I raced around taking photos of the TTC lodge and cabins. See the 30+ photos in the album (including the interior lodge photos I took last night) or this slideshow:

Here are updated directions to the Trials Training Center (PDF of the info below). We'll replicate these on the old Directions page in a week or so. 

Web-based map sites can help you, but note that Google's map of the area has a number of errors and it doesn't have detailed satellite images. So it's best to use this Mapquest link instead, even though it doesn't provide a URL I can send you to that would allow you to zoom directly to the TTC grounds. Also, both Google and Mapquest mistakenly refer to Coppinger Cove Road as 'Sequatchie Cove Rd'.

Here's my Mapquest screenshot taken at Level 13, with my arrow pointing to the TTC lodge. (Click all images to enlarge.)

The town of Sequatchie has a latitude of 85.637084 and longtitude: 35.163396

GPS: N 35.08.357 and W 085.36.564

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Directions to the TTC

From Chattanooga, take I-24 west for about 30 miles to Exit #155 (Jasper/Hwy 28). Go north (right) on Hwy. 28, a 4-lane divided highway.

After 2 miles, the 4-lane becomes a 2-lane highway, and at 2.6 miles, you'll see a Trials Training Center sign on the right.

Go west (left) on Mel Dixon Road for about 1.2 miles and you'll come to stop sign at a T, with another TTC sign by the fence, a cemetery on your right. Here's what you'll see:

Turn north again (right) on Betsy Pack Drive/Valley View Hwy. After 1.3 miles, you'll get to the town of Sequatchie.

From the center of Sequatchie, keep going another mile and you'll see another TTC sign on the right as you approach the intersection with Coppinger Cove Road (with a large white Coppinger Cove Baptist Church sign). Photo:

Go west (left) on Coppinger Cove Road for another 1.2 miles. You'll see another TTC sign as you pass the Baptist Church.

Go south (left) on the winding, narrow gravel road (called Woodland Road but there's no sign) and follow that for about a half mile (staying left the entire way) to the TTC camping area, with the lodge at the very end.

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From Nashville, take I-24 southeast about 100 miles to Exit #152 (Kimball/Jasper/Hwy 64). Go northeast (left) on Hwy. 64 for 4.4 miles to Jasper. 

At the main intersection in Jasper (Court House Square), take a left (north) onto Betsy Pack Drive/Hwy 41. After 1.2 miles, Hwy 41 veers west (left) to Tracy City but DO NOT FOLLOW it.  Continue straight north. You'll see a TTC sign on the left and road sign "Whitwell 10, Dunlap 25" for those towns. Sequatchie is unincorporated so it's not included but if it was, it would say "Sequatchie 2."

 

Continue north on Betsy Pack Drive (it turns into Valley View Hwy. after Mel Dixon Road) for 2.1 miles to Sequatchie.  See above "From the center of Sequatchie..." for the remaining directions.

 
Here's a revised map.

And a 6 minute video of driving from Sequatchie all the way to the TTC lodge.

It's late but I have finally arrived at the TTC after working on the website and blog since 2004. I'm a TTC virgin. ;-)

I'll be here through the Trials Training Days weekend, playing, learning, taking lots of photos, videotaping, and blogging, blogging, blogging.

I just met Andrew Bane who stopped by for a bedtime snack here at the lodge. I told him he's in charge of upgrading my skills.

My first task in the morning, however, will be to add more detail and maybe some visuals to the directions on how to get here.

I've combined all the downloadable video files into one Flash video for the How to Hop Like a Spring Buck instructional page, part of the How to Ride series from 2004-05 that we did in conjunction with Trials Comp.

   

• See the Trials Training Days flyer for all the info on TTD 2008.
• See this blog post for details on the Mototrial event for the pros.
• See these PDFs/links from the 2007 Trials Training Days:
• 2007 TTD Map
• 2007 TTD Schedule
• 2007 TTD Section descriptions
• 2007 photo album
• Then visit the online registration page to sign up.

Questions? Contact us!

MARCH, 2008

March 21/22
x-Training 101 (2 DAY CLASS)
Trials Instructional
Instructor: Andrew Blane
5 Spaces Available

March 29/30
Annual Trials Training Days (2 DAY CLASS)
Instructors: Andrew Blane, Alex Bedley, Charlie Roberts, Mark Sturtevant, Steve Glinski and many other expert riders
Unlimited Space Available
Cost $100.00 for both days
Camping available

APRIL, 2008

April 8/9(2 DAY CLASS)
x-Training 101
Trials Instructional
Instructor: Andrew Blane
1 space available

April 12/13
x-Training 101 (2 DAY CLASS)
Trials Instructional
Instructor: Andrew Blane
5 spaces available


April 19
Trials 4 A Day Instructional
Instructor: Andrew Blane
5 spaces available

May 2008

May 3
Trials 4 A Day Instructional
Instructor: Andrew Blane
5 spaces available

May 10/11(2 DAY CLASS)
x-Training 101
Trials Instructional
Instructor: Andrew Blane
5 spaces available

Any TRIALS 4 A DAY class can be taken on the first day of any 2-day class.

Private instruction available upon request, $360.00 per day, plus bike rental costs (if needed).