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Intro: Mountain Biking day sees campers of every ability on bikes testing their abilities and learning critical decision making skills. Biking is familiar to many families, which makes this day an excellent opportunity for campers to share their achievements with their families. As our highest risk core sport activity, it is essential that instructors are prepared to judge campers’ abilities and ensure that lessons are appropriately suited to their group.
Special Considerations and Policies: It is very important to assess group members’ abilities and choose appropriate terrain and progressions to match those abilities. Usually this means separating the larger group into two smaller groups, or when absolutely necessary, three relatively small groups. Each group must have at least one instructor. If you split into groups, make sure to create a specific plan with each instructor on where each group will be going, what time all groups will meet back up, and make sure all instructors are able to communicate in case of emergency
Environmental Briefing Considerations:
Environmental Hazards: sharp rocks, cold, rain, cars, sharp bike parts, roots, steep terrain
Human Hazards: other cyclists, loose clothing, not paying attention, biking off course, biking far beyond ability
Clothing and Footwear:
Each biker should have protective clothing depending on circumstances (rain, snow, wind, cold, sun, insects), proper fitting close toed shoes and socks, and a comfortable pack.
Overview: Mountain Biking days during a two week multi-sport session will teach campers 2 new skills each day (at least) and challenge instructors to teach to multiple skill levels. At Avid, we believe that campers at all riding levels can achieve success at camp, therefore you may teach one camper in the group to ride a bike on two wheels and you may teach another camper how to do a bunny hop over a fallen log. In order to create your success, discuss plans with co-instructors, assess campers skill level early in the day, and ensure that you’re communicating well with your team throughout the day!
Leave No Trace Applications:
Respect wildlife
Ride on durable surfaces: ride through puddles, don’t bike if too wet
Trash your trash
Be prepared
Respect other visitors
Packing List: Please note that this is in addition to the items listed under “Instructor’s Backpack” on page 17:
Bikes - properly fitted for each camper and instructors
Helmets - properly fitted
Bike repair kit
Extra Tubes - at least one for each sized tire
Large First Aid Kit
Radios (one for each instructor)
Cones/Ropes for designing courses (optional)
Water jugs for refilling water bottles on site
Equipment Checklist (before and after each use):
Air: check tire inflation and condition of tires
Brakes: check front and back as bringing out and returning
Cables: visually check condition
Danglers: long shoe-laces and backpack straps
Everything else
Gears: shift through gears and leave on an easy gear
Looseness (bearing adjustments) of headset
Skills for the Day
Week 1:
Campers learn to fit bike and helmet
Campers assess safety of their equipment and the ABCs of bike maintenance
Braking while descending
Bike safely on trail with other people
Week 2:
Review of equipment checks and fitting
Review of braking techniques
Advanced bike maneuvers and body positioning for going uphill, downhill, and over obstacles (attack position, wheelie, donkey kick, bunny hop, etc.)
Fixing a flat tire
Rules for the Day:
Always wear a buckled helmet when on the bike
One staff in the front and one staff in the back of each group whenever possible
Do not tailgate, collide, or ride out of control
Observe traffic and bike path etiquette
Do not ride on course without staff present
Stay within the boundaries (established by instructors before-hand)
Bike within your own ability
Staff should evaluate each camper for requisite skills/ability to decide with which group campers should ride
Campers are expected to bring at least 2 water bottles on a biking trip
A Day in the Life of Mountain Biking Day:
9:00am One instructor should be checking in with parents and signing kids in. One instructor should be leading a group game with all of the campers.
As campers arrive, check if they have a helmet and a bike
Campers that bring their own equipment: fit and check helmets, fit and check bikes for maintenance issues.
9:15am Intro to the day
Ensure campers know that they all have a place on mountain biking day. We can teach everyone!
Eyes closed bike assessment: scale of 1-5, campers show you how comfortable they are with biking ON PAVEMENT and ON DIRT
Helmet circle and helmet fitting: campers stand behind a helmet, put it on, buckle strap, adjust as needed.
TO FIT: open strap, tighten on head, adjust earpieces, then adjust chinstrap
9:25am Bike selection and fitting: every camper gets fit for a bike. Have them remember the name on their bike….it’s theirs for the day!
TO FIT: toes touch, heel about 1-2 inches off ground or ON ground for beginners
TEST RIDE: ride around school, check brakes, check fit
9:40am Bathroom break and loading gear
9:50am Drive to biking location (Note: Fittings can be done at the rec site).
10:05am Environmental Briefing and bike practice. This is a great opportunity to assess the skills of each rider and arrange your bike groups for the day. Bike practice options include:
Bike course: ride around cones
Slow race: practice biking as slowly as possible
Bike circle: have campers bike around a ring, maintaining space between
New Riders: Never Ever Progression
Walk Bike around holding handlebars
Scoot downhill sitting on seat. Look up!
This is key. Spend a lot of time scooting
Avoid holding the back of the seat in the ‘traditional’ way
Monster steps: take huge steps and glide
Hold up feet as long as possible - coasting downhill: Frog hops
Touch one pedal with either foot
Touch pedals with both feet
PEDAL! PEDAL! PEDAL!
10:25am Snack time and bathroom break: Sanitize hands before snack (can be done in smaller groups if you’ve already broken up and are in different locations at the rec site)
10:35am Discuss group division with your co-instructors, make a plan
10:40am Have each group break off. Teach a new group level specific skill to the group and practice. Options:
Braking: Stop on a dime & how to fall
Ride a line: set a line and campers try to ride along it while looking down, and again while looking ahead
10:55am Have groups head to their respective trails/riding areas and give an Environmental Briefing
11:00am Trail ride! Remember to challenge campers to use the skills they’ve learned.
Environmental briefings along the ride
11:45am Coordinate for lunch with other groups/co-instructors
12:00pm Lunch: wash hands, incorporate LNT into lunch, divide trash
Park bikes in organized area, chains up, happy turtles
Discuss types of food that are best suited to outdoor activities.
Ask campers how they can reduce waste at home,
Discuss biking goals for campers for the day and over the next 2 weeks.
Provide go around questions for campers to get to know one another better and socialize
Ask campers to share riddles
JEDI Lunch Discussion Topic: Bicycling and Justice
Bicycling can be tied to many justice movements happening in our society including racial justice, serving low income communities, gender equality, and environmental justice.
Can anyone think of specific examples of how bicycling can be a tool for justice and be connected to social justice movements?
With its health benefits, zero emissions, relative ease in access and ability to learn, and most importantly, low cost, the bicycle is a great mobility solution and tool for those who are underprivileged.
Even though cycling CAN be a positive tool for social justice, the bicycling community and cycling affiliated groups and businesses have often neglected to meaningfully address social justice issues surrounding them.
Can anyone think of specific examples of how certain communities are neglected or not as well served by the cycling community and the outdoor community in general?
Bike lanes only in wealthy and well served parts of town (often meaning white parts of town)
Mountain Biking trails are often far away from population centers and require cars and specialized racks to transport equipment
Biking and the outdoor sport community in general not being an inviting place for women and people of color (not represented strongly in advertising, professionally, harmful jokes and stereotypes about who does and doesn’t like the outdoors and outdoor sports, etc.)
What are some ideas for ways we can all individually and collectively contribute to making biking and the outdoors as a whole more equitable for underserved communities?
12:30pm Large group game (on or off bikes). Options include:
12:45pm Revisit group division with your co-instructors, make an afternoon plan
12:45pm Have each group break off. Teach a new group level specific skill to the group and practice. Options include:
Gear shift challenge: start everyone on a line and ride forward, starting in the lowest gear. Call out shift changes until highest gear is reached.
Tight turning and track stands
Attach position: body position for steep climbs and steep descents
1:00pm Trail ride. Ride! Ride! Ride!
2:00pm Begin riding toward trailhead/van.
2:20pm Load gear and campers. Return to base camp.
2:45pm End of day debrief at base camp. Option de-brief prompt for Mountain Biking Day:
Use bike tools or parts of the bike and relate to your day/feelings
3:00pm Camper sign out and parent conversations
List of Biking Activities
More biking games and activities available on the Avid 4 Adventure Ultimate Games Resource website
Braking: stop on a dime
Shifting: gear race
Ride a line: look up/look down
Slow riding: slow race!
Wheelie over….an object/onto an object
Bump down off an obstacle
Jumping, bunny hops
Attach position: steep ascents/descents
Bike circle: no bump biking
Never Ever Progression
HORSE
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