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Building Blocks - Braking

  • Guion Farm Trailhead - DuPont State Park 3045 Sky Valley Road Hendersonville, NC, 28739 United States (map)

Group Skills Clinic at DuPont State Park

Break through to Intermediate Level Riding: Build your skills through learning or perfecting maneuvers that will help you have more fun, be stable on the trails, and increase your confidence on all terrain types. These shorter, bite-size clinics help you learn the maneuvers that lay the groundwork beyond the most basic fundamentals, so that you are prepared to learn new skills like jumping & drops or tackle new trails.

Main topic for this clinic:

  • Braking - including: Ratio of Front vs Rear for different situations. When and How to brake for corners, obstacles, and steep sections. How to use body position to enhance braking force.

Want to ride faster with more confidence? Then learn better braking technique. Sounds counterintuitive, but better braking allows us to control speed more efficiently, giving us the ability to ride faster when we want to. For example, Are you afraid of the front brake? That’s the one that is the most effective at slowing us down. Learn how to use the front brake better with more skill!

    • This clinic is appropriate for riders who are beginner to intermediate riders. No mountain biking experience necessary, although general understanding of how to ride a bike and exposure to some trail riding previously will be beneficial.

    • This is a great clinic for riders who want to build an excellent foundation of skills and ability to adapt to all riding. Time spent with these building blocks will lead to faster acquisition of higher level skills and application on the trail.

    • Riders who feel “stuck” at the beginner level and want to progress.

    • Riders who want to learn the best way to execute skills with the helpful feedback of a professional coach. Let’s get you riding better!

  • The Lead instructor for this clinic will be Whitney Houck, a certified Level 2 “AIR Instructor” through the PMBIA. Read Whitney’s full profile

    • We’ll start with an intro to listen to your previous experience and goals, then set expectations and a plan for the clinic.

    • Then, we’ll move into a warmup and skills assessment, basically play for while, have fun, and get out bodies moving.

    • The majority of the lesson will break down each elemental skill with a quick explanation, short demo, then LOTS of practice and individual feedback.

    • We’ll be using both open areas (like the grass field near the parking lot) and individual trail features for practice time.

  • $110 per person (2hr Clinic)

  • DuPont State Park is a free access trail system. No additional trail access fees are needed.

  • Required for this lesson:

    • A bicycle in good working order. E-bikes are not permitted in DuPont State Park

    • Helmets are required, full-face or half shell are acceptable

    • Water and food to last the duration of your lesson

    • Closed toe shoes (no sandals, flip-flops, or crocs)

    • Optional (but highly recommended) equipment:
      Knee Pads
      Gloves

Meeting Location:
Guion Farm Trailhead - DuPont State Park
3045 Sky Valley Rd, Hendersonville, NC 28739

 
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June 9

Women’s Fundamentals: Pre-Jumping Skills

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July 11

Building Blocks - Wheel Lifts