Front wheel lifts, crouched climbing, A-frames and bunny hops; just some of the skills riders are lining up to learn in a Women’s Mountain Bike Skills Weekend coming to the Comox Valley on Aug. 10-11.
Drift Mountain Biking, a new professional mountain bike instructing company, is working with local Courtenay bike shop Trails Bicycles to deliver the weekend camp. “We’re really pleased our community can now access this calibre of instruction locally through Drift,” says Jeff Beeston, owner of Trail Bicycles.
“For many people, travelling to the mainland to improve their skills is quite a deterrent. Now we can get the same level of professional instructing at a fraction of the cost. An Island-grown company is just what we need.”
Drift Mountain Biking offers skill development for anyone keen to progress their mountain biking whether it’s for fun or for performance. The company is a collective of professional, certified instructors from Vancouver Island and Whistler who have joined together to create unique instruction programs for their clients.
Managed by Cumberland resident Amanda Ridgway, Drift offers clinics, camps and lessons designed to industry standards matched to the needs of participants and their learning styles. The most current teaching techniques are tailored to move clients through progressive steps in skill acquisition delivered in a fun and supportive environment.
The Women’s Only weekend in August is a two-day intensive program, designed as an injection of skills and practice with accelerated learning. The camp is open to riders of all skill levels and is taught by an all-female instruction team who focus on empowering riders to build confidence to tackle whatever a trail may present. Kathy Campbell, a recent student of Drift, offered “I highly recommend this class. Amanda is an absolutely fabulous instructor. You will be amazed at how much you learn.”
The weekend consists of structured skills sessions in the mornings followed by on-trail instruction in the afternoon with lunches and shuttling provided by Trail Bicycles. Instructors match riders' skills and preferences to Comox Valley trail areas including Cumberland, Comox Lake and Forbidden Plateau where Drift has secured land access agreements.
Trail Bicycles supports camp participants offering demo bikes to try, pre-camp tune-ups, discounts to participants and hosts Saturday evening workshops on suspension set-up, bike maintenance and trail-side repairs.
“The support of local bike shops and accommodators are essential in delivering the quality service and experience we aim for and we’re looking forward to expanding our partners all over the Island as we grow,” Ridgway offered.
Limited spaces are still available for the Comox Valley Women’s Weekend Camp. More information on Drift can be found by contacting Drift Mountain Biking via Facebook or via e-mail info@driftbiking.com.
– Drift Mountain Biking