Rider Profiles
Use the following descriptions to help understand which of our courses and lessons will be the best fit for you.
You may find that you're more advanced in some areas than others, and that is completely normal, use this as a general guide - not an absolute.
Rider Profile 1
Skills: • You’re brand new to Mountain Biking but have ridden a regular bike before. (if you’ve never ridden a bike before we can teach you! Please get in contact for a private lesson). • You are ready to ride on gravel paths, grassy fields, and perhaps some smooth ‘green’ level trails. • You’ve had a play around with the brakes and gears, and find these a little confusing at times, especially when the terrain gets channeling. • Comfortable on smooth, flat trails - Hills can be difficult - up or down. Fitness: • Entry-level cardiovascular fitness. • You’re able to get your heart rate up in short spurts, with lots of breaks in between. • You like the idea of spending multiple hours moving outside, even if it’s been a while. Composure: • You’d like to to build confidence and control • You may be somewhat nervous but also ready to challenge yourself.
Trails you can ride with comfort and confidence: Gravel Paths, Squamish River Dyke Trails, Ray Peters.
Rider Profile 2
Skills: • You can stand up on your pedals and are starting to explore going up some small obstacles like lumps and bumps, roots and rocks. • Braking and positioning are still a bit of a puzzle but you feel like you get it sometimes. • Developing proficiency in cornering and body positioning. • You can change gears and maintain momentum most of the time. • Tight switchbacks, slow speed balance, and turns are all something you’d like to improve. Fitness: • You exercise mainly on the weekends, 2 - 3 times per month. Perhaps hiking, biking, playing with the kids or other sports. • You’re okay with getting your heart rate up from time to time, provided there is time to rest in-between. Composure: • You’re starting to develop confidence in varied terrain. • You feel in control, most of the time while riding.
Trails you can ride with comfort and confidence: Robs & Cliffs Corners, Wonderland, Rusty Bucket, Live Wire
Rider Profile 3
Skills: • You understand how to position yourself to be centered over the bike and can happily maintain a safe speed down green and some blue trails. • You’re able to use both brakes to slow down and stop, usually without losing traction . • You understand gearing and cadence, and get it right most of the time. • Going down steeper terrain and rock roll-downs isn’t quite in your wheelhouse, yet! Fitness: • You get out almost every weekend and prioritize some type of riding. • You move around off the bike as well (strength training, yoga, other sports etc.) Composure: • Flow trials are becoming more and more fun and you’re feeling the stroke, although sometimes the speed you generate can be a tad freighting. • You’re building mental resilience and are able to refocus most of the time.
Trails you can ride with comfort and confidence: Rollercoaster, Pseudo Tsuga, Legacy Climb Trail, Half Nelson, Low Down, Mikki’s Magic
Rider Profile 4
Skills: • Squamish style ‘Blue’ tech and flow trails are your jam! You’ve started to try some ‘easy’ Black level trails and are exploring by moving the bike around and becoming more dynamic on the bike. • Carrying momentum through corners happens sometimes, but not all the time. • You’re starting to explore riding down smaller rock-rolls and slabs. Fitness: • You have developed a regular riding habit - getting out at least once a week, usually more. • Riding Mountain bike trails for 2-3 hours with only small breaks is not an issue. . Composure: • When you’re feeling good there's no stopping you. • You enjoy trying new trails and features. That said, on other days you’d rather just stick to what you know..
Trails you can ride confidently including all features: Leave Of Absence, Man Boobs, Recycle, Two Stroke Smoke, Mad Hatter, Angry M
Rider Profile 5
Skills: • You eat squamish ‘Black level’ trails for breakfast and are hungry for more! You’re comfortable on tech and flow, and although you’re getting the wheels off the ground, you’d like to learn to do so with more confidence and precision. • You’re active on the bike and are able to attempt most trail features and A lines without too much hesitation. Fitness: • You make sure to ride 2, 3, or preferably 4 times a week. • You enjoy the ups and well as the downs and being out here for 4 hours plus is something you do regularly. Composure: • You’re eager to push your limits and progress. • You love trying new things and riding technical lines. • You’re confident in your skills and abilities most of the time.
Trails you can ride confidently including all features: Pamplemouse, Entrails, Room With a View, Boney Elbows, Ditch Pig, Peanuts Wild Ride, Hybrid
Rider Profile 6
Skills: • You’re able to confidently ride black and double black trails in Squamish and beyond. • You maintain control while riding varied terrain including rock features, rooty steeps, drops, jumps, and tight corners. • Although good technique is there, you’d like to make it more consistent and iron out bad habits. Fitness: • You may just enjoy suffering ;) • You exercise most days and enjoy getting your heart rate up. • You like to keep moving and pedalling for 3-4 hours without breaks is not a problem. Composure: • You’d like to continue building composure when feeling challenged (eg. big groups, races, challenging features). • You have a growth mindset and believe in yourself.
Trails you can ride confidently including all features: : 19th Hole, In and Out Burger, Airplane Mode, Cakewalk, Somewhere over there, Dirks Diggler, Hueso, Gourange etc.
Rider Profile 7
Skills • You may just be a professional or semi-professional athlete. • You confidently seek out trails of all levels, on or off the map. • You’ve got a finely tuned set of technical skills that you’d like to keep nurturing and ensure that you can be the best you can be! Fitness: • You train hard on and off the bike. • Fitness is a big part of your life and you are no stranger to races, pushing your limits, and tackling full day missions. Composure: • You feel a level of comfort and certainty within your ability to deal with whatever challenges are thrown at you. • You can visualize how things will work and feel that even if it doesn't go 100% to plan, you can probably deal with it. • You’re no stranger to riding under pressure be it in between the race tape or in large groups, behind the camera or attempting new lines.
Trails you can ride confidently including all features: All of the above and: Deliverance, Penthouse, Lavaside, K-line, Chossy Slabz, Intestinal Fortitude … and beyond.