At NORTHSTAR we use a beginner curriculum which is based upon the Canadian Mountain Bike Instructor Course (CMIC). It’s designed for those who have never ridden a mountain bike and want to start mountain biking and those who have mountain bikes but have not had a chance to ride trails. The 1 hour course covers basic techniques of riding on the trail such as: how to brake, shift, understand correct balance and other needed skills. This will allow you to enjoy a genuine mountain biking experience in a safe manner.
Lesson Flow
Stretching
A physical trainer who is also a mountain biker has programed a special stretching program for mountain biking to stretch and soften the muscles you need for riding.
Neutral Position (Basic Riding Position)
Neutral Position = With the walking speed, put arches and middle of your feet on the pedals and make cranks level with the ground then stand on the bike with stretched legs.
Braking (How to grip and apply brakes)
Brakes need to be used with one or two fingers; your index finger or index finger and middle finger. For training purposes, we will learn to brake independently. The point is to feather the breaks. No sudden braking which can cause wheel locking and also be dangerous.
Shifting (How to shift gears)
Shifting is controlled with your index finger and thumb. Pressing the shift lever while pedaling will make the gear change. Pressing the thumb lever on your right hand will shift down to a lighter gear for uphills and the index lever will shift up to a heavier gear for accelerating.
Bike/Body Separation (Balance and weight position training on bikes)
MTB riding is almost like riding a bull in a rodeo. You need to move your upper body positively to keep the balance on the bike.
Backward and forward: At a walking speed, crouch in the neutral position, move your upper body over handle bar and put your weight on the front wheel. Next pull your upper body back as you stretch your arms and move your hip to shift your weight over the back wheel. Practice this back and forth movement.
Side to side: At a walking speed, open your knees and lean your bike to the right and left. It is almost like riding on the sides of the tires, move your body to the opposite side to balance. Switch the side and keep balance.
Descent (Practicing to shift weight and how to use brakes on downhill terrain)
Use Bike/Body separation to move your hip over to the back wheel with stretching arms. This is almost like throwing the bike forward with braking (front 7 : back 3).
Ascent
With siting position, move your upper body over the handle bar and keep traction on the back wheel to avoid wheel spin. Learn to choose a right gear to ascend up hills.
Balance Games (Standing Still Game, Slalom, etc)
Use all techniques you have learned and try the slalom to practice turning and weight shifting. Try standing balance games to practice braking and balancing and get ready to head out to the trail.
Short Break
Trail Riding
Our guides will take you to single tracks. A variety of trails including ups and downs give you the best first trail riding experience.
