Video Summary

Mountain Bikes Provided by REI

• REI provides mountain bikes for the class, so participants don’t need to have their own bikes.
• The bikes are fitted for each individual, and adjustments can be made if participants bring their own bikes.

“They will provide you with one [mountain bike]…they will make sure that it is fitted for you…if you do show up with a mountain bike, they will help you make adjustments to it.”

Learning Basic Skills

• Participants spend a few hours learning different skills like braking, turning, and stopping without damaging the trails.
• The instructor provides guidance on proper feet positioning when making turns and demonstrates techniques for handling steep declines.
• Participants get to practice the skills they learn on the trails.

“You spend the next couple hours going through the different types of braking, writing how to make a turn, how to stop without damaging the trail…The instructor will show you how you should be attacking and approaching these different obstacles, and then you get to do it yourself.”

Fun Begins on the Trails

• Participants get to enjoy mountain biking on the trails with guidance from the instructor.
• The instructor ensures that participants are approaching obstacles in the correct way and provides adjustments if necessary.
• Participants learn techniques for riding over obstacles, handling rocks, and navigating man-made features like wooden boards.

“And then you get to do it yourself…They do tell us how to make adjustments to what we are doing, and this part is the part that you really start to enjoy mountain biking.”

Confidence Building and Riding Skills

• Participants gain confidence during the class and improve their mountain biking skills.
• Instructors Fred and Amy ensure everyone feels secure and provide continuous guidance throughout the entire session.
• Different features on the trail, including rocks and branches, are taught and practiced.
• Participants also learn how to handle man-made features like loops and skinnies (narrow boards).

“I could see from some of the people that never ridden a mountain bike before, you could literally see them gain confidence during this course…Fred Thompson and Amy top were our instructors, they were excellent instructors, they made everybody feel really good and secure.”

Pump Trails and Building Flow

• Big Marsh Park features pump trails, which teach participants how to maintain a good flow without having to pedal.
• Participants practice riding through loops and hills, using pumping motions to keep the bike in motion.
• The class focuses on building confidence and familiarizing participants with their bikes, particularly when it comes to handling different terrain and obstacles.

“It has these pump trails where it teaches you how to get a good flow going with the bike…supposed to be able to do this by pumping the bike while going through these different loops and hills…Just helps you become more familiar with your bike and how to manage it when it comes to obstacles and features such as this.”

Optional Advanced Activities

• The class offers optional advanced activities, allowing participants to choose what they feel comfortable doing.
• Instructor Fred leads an advanced pump trail session to cater to participants with more experience.
• The focus is on building confidence without pressuring participants into attempting something they are not comfortable with.

“If you don’t want to do it, you don’t have to do it…It’s a great feature, they want you to build your confidence with a mountain bike, but they’re not going to force or pressure you into doing something that you don’t feel comfortable with.”

Enjoying the Trails

• After the instruction and practice sessions, participants have free time to ride the trails and enjoy themselves.
• Many participants, particularly those new to mountain biking, gain confidence and experience during this time.
• Instructors Fred and Amy were praised for their excellent instruction and ability to make everyone feel good.

“We spent the rest of the afternoon just riding the trails and having a good time…I could see from some of the people that never ridden a mountain bike before, you could literally see them gain confidence during this course.”

Course Highlights

• The class covers a range of topics, including brake adjustment, foot pedal positions, and body positioning.
• Participants felt they received a lot of value from the class and appreciated the instruction and confidence-building aspects.

“They showed me how to adjust my brakes…then we’re talking about positioning foot pedal positions, how to have your body…For the amount of money that I paid for this class, I really feel like I got a lot out of it.”