Beginner Mountain Biking Course

YOUR BEGINNER MOUNTAIN BIKING COURSE

DAY ONE

9:30 - 16:30

ARRIVE AT THE ADVENTURE HUB

Your instructor will welcome you and outline the objectives for the course over a great cup of Italian coffee or tea. After ensuring everyone has a suitable bike and kit (bike and helmet hire can be arranged for an additional fee) there will be a brief introductory session looking at bike set-up, brake use and riding safety.

HEAD TO THE TRAILS

We will head out onto our local trails which will be chosen on the basis of weather conditions, along with the experience and ambitions of the group. We will either strike out from our centre or drive around 15 minutes to an alternative start point.

PRACTICAL SKILLS SESSION

Once on the trails, expect to cover approximately 15-20km during the day. We'll begin by looking at body position and weight shifting in a variety of terrains whilst climbing, descending and cornering; discovering that freedom of movement on the bike is key to good technique. Your instructor will choose appropriate sections of trail to 'session', allowing you to experiment with different line choices, sight lines and feel the benefit of improved technique with multiple attempts at certain trail obstacles. We'll then put it all into practice by tackling some classic Peak District singletrack.

BACK TO THE ADVENTURE HUB

At the end of the day we'll return to The Adventure Hub for refreshments and to review the day's key points over a brew.

DAY 2

9:30-16:30

PRACTICAL SKILLS SESSION

Day two will begin by reviewing and consolidating the skills we learnt on day one with a flat ground skills session; a great opportunity to really hone your technique and body position in a controlled environment. We'll then look at the natural progression of weight shifting skills into track stands, front and rear wheel lifts and why they're useful for overcoming trail features. We'll then take these techniques out on the trails to explore a different part of the Peak District. Over the course there will be plenty of opportunity to discuss with your instructor ways in which you can continue to discover mountain biking for yourself; where to ride, how to find routes and what equipment and bikes are suitable.

BACK TO THE ADVENTURE HUB

At the end of the day we'll return to The Adventure Hub for refreshments and to review the course's key points and set your progression targets for the future

• You will need a hardtail or full suspension mountain bike in good working order (these can be hired from 'The Bike Garage' next door to our base for £30 - inc. helmet)
• Helmet
• Clothing suited to the weather (waterproofs, warm tops, gloves, etc)
• Comfortable footwear for riding in
• A good supply of snacks and a drink
• Sun cream, and sunglasses (you just never know!)
• If you have any of your own kit bring it along and we will help you use it appropriately

All abilities welcome, some general cycling experience necessary. 

• As a Certified B Corp, we’re one of a growing number of global businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance.
• Our well-equipped training centre, The Adventure Hub, is Carbon Neutral.
• We encourage car sharing wherever feasible.
• We encourage the use of public transport on all our courses. Bamford Railway Station is 5 minutes' walk and we enjoy direct bus connections to Sheffield and nearby villages.
• We offer free camping kit for guests staying locally and looking to cut down on luggage.
• Our staff are trained to prolong the life of equipment used on this course, where it is possible to recycle equipment at the end of its life, we do so appropriately.
• We operate in small teams at low ratios to reduce our impact on the venues we use and other countryside users.
• We donate 5% of the value of all sales to The Pure Outdoor Foundation.

• The physical and mental benefits of outdoor activities are numerous and well documented, we firmly believe that those benefits should be available to as many people as possible.

• If you are interested in experiencing any of our activities but feel unable to do so then please contact us to discuss your specific needs, we will always try to find a solution that works for you.

• There are a range of simple adaptions we can make to our scheduled courses such as choosing venues with minimal walking or easy access to toilet facilities, providing cold storage facilities for temperature sensitive medications, allowing additional time or arranging for participants to be accompanied by a trusted aide.

• When participation as part of an open group isn't appropriate we can arrange private tuition. This allows for a more tailored approach and a much wider range of adaptions such as assisted climbing and abseiling techniques for participants with significant physical or mobility issues.

• If private tuition is unaffordable then we can sometimes offer subsidised places to bring the price back in line with our scheduled courses .These are provided by the Pure Outdoor Foundation whose goal is to bring as many people as possible into the outdoors, please enquire about availability.

• Clear communication before the activity is crucial so, as well as telephone and email conversations, we can also arrange to meet participants directly at a venue days or weeks beforehand to identify any specific barriers and begin addressing any anxieties.