I had only been on a mountain bike twice before so I was very nervous when I first signed up for 4 weeks of mountain bike camp. But let me tell you, after my first week I was so glad I did and looked forward to every Wednesday! The Babe Force MTB Camp is a wonderful place to not only grow your skills but to make new friends!
I was a part of the bell pepper group (beginners) and the first week we learned about the bike, equipment, and focused on body positioning #readyposition. By the second week we were already going up the lift and down the green trail! Many of us were actually more nervous about loading the bikes on the lift than going down the trail but we crushed both!
Week 3 we worked on cornering which I was most excited about because that’s where I feel I struggle the most. It was nice to hear that turns we were practicing on the flats of the progression park are actually harder than the ones going down the trail. After this lesson we went back down the green trail, and it felt like my best run! Looking through the turns and other tips I learned before the ride were super helpful. On our last week we worked on a technique called “peak and push”, this taught us how to deal with any drops or bumps we may encounter and allows you to be in control of the bike.
We finished up camp with another group ride down Ebascootcha and you could notice the improvements we all had from our first time down, we were going faster and stopping less while being more in control. I really appreciated how before we rode each week we recapped what we learned the week before. I also enjoyed how we got to learn and practice skills in the progression zone and then apply them on the trail. Doing this helped make it feel less intimidating and led us to become more comfortable and confident while going downhill.
Overall the 4 weeks made me feel much more at ease riding. When I started I was nervous to go down the green trail and now I can go down Ebascootcha comfortably and am ready to try some blues! It also helps to be around people who are the same skill level as you, and share similar concerns. Gage and Jasmine were such kind and skilled coaches who made you feel welcomed and where no question was a dumb question. (You can book a Saturday clinic with Jasmine!) Our group may not have been the most advanced of mountain bikers but we definitely had the most fun! Everyone enjoyed camp so much we exchanged numbers to ride with each other again.
If you are looking to start or grow your Mountain Bike journey like me try some of these offerings: