Bikeskills

BIKESKILLS PORTLAND

Portland mountain biking lessons

Sandy Ridge Trail Series: Intro to Flow

Our series at Sandy Ridge is designed to help riders develop the skills and technique needed to maximize confidence and fun on the trail. Aside from part 3, classes can be taken in order, separately or repeated with each session honing in on different skills.

Note: due to COVID-19, 2020 classes are canceled until further notice.

VIEW AND REGISTER FOR AVAILABLE SESSIONS HERE

Intro to flow (Part I)

  1. INTRO – Homestead Loop Trail
    1. Bike check – how to do a safety check on your bike
    2. Rules of the trail / trail etiquette
    3. Overview of the day: Position and balance, braking and direction control
  2. POSITION AND BALANCE – Homestead Loop/ Laura’s Loop
    1. Body position: Ready and the neutral position
    2. Range of movement
  3. OPERATION OF CONTROLS: BRAKING – LAURA’S LOOP
    1. Braking techniques
    2. Braking to slow down vs braking not to speed up
  4. DIRECTION CONTROL – Laura’s Loop/ Lower Hide and Seek
    1. The Elements of Cornering: Look, Line, Lean
      1. Rotation – using body (hip) movements
      2. Angulation
        1. Leaning the bike (Laura’s Loop)
        2. Leaning the body (Little Monkey)
      3. Inclination
        1. Leaning the body and the bike
        2. Pedal position discussion

 

Intro to Flow (Part II)

  1. INTRO – Homestead Loop Trail
    1. Bike check – how to do a safety check on your bike
    2. Rules of the trail (trail etiquette)
    3. Overview of the day: Body position recap, Pumping, Maneuvers
  2. Body position: a recap – Homestead Loop/ Laura’s Loop
    1. Attack/ ready vs neutral
  3. PUMPING – Laura’s Loop
  4. MANEUVERS: Front and rear wheel lifts
    1. Intro to the j-hop
    2. Intro to the manual

 

Intro to Flow (Part III)
Pre-requisite: Skills and fitness qualifier – must have taken one of our previous classes or contact us first.
Minimal fitness requirement, knee pads required, flat pedals recommended.

  1. INTRO – Homestead Loop Trail
    1. Bike check – how to do a safety check
    2. Rules of the trail (trail etiquette)
    3. Overview of the day: Body position recap, Pumping, Maneuvers
  2. Body position: a recap – Homestead Loop/ Laura’s Loop
    1. Attack/ ready vs neutral
  3. PUMPING Pt 2: Rock Drop – intro to air
  4. TERRAIN AWARENESS – Quid Pro Flow
    1. Looking at the trail
    2. Line choice
    3. Navigating the rock garden

Coaches:

Bikeskills Portland consists of Jason Van Horn and Inga Beck; recently relocating back to the Pacific Northwest, Jason and Inga have been teaching with Bikeskills since 2010. In addition to instructing mountain bikers and riding as much as they can, they’re known for their work with a number of bike clubs on the west coast, leading trail work projects and group rides.

Jason is best known in the bike industry for Bermstyle.com, a cycling blog on all things bike. With over 10+ years in the bike industry, in 2015 he added a PMBIA certification  (Professional Mountain Bike Instructor Association) to his experience and qualifications.

His experience includes working as a freelance contributor to a number of cycling publications that include Bike, Dirt Rag, Bicycling, Enduro Mag, Decline, Pink Bike, Mountain Flyer and Mountain Bike Action. In addition, he’s a MTB Trails Advocate and was employed as an IMBA Trail Care Crew teaching and leading sustainable trail building workshops throughout the western US and Canada (in 2009) with Inga Beck.

In Portland he was responsible for leading the revitalization of the Ventura Park Pump Track, and is currently working improve the riding experience of the new bike park at Gateway Green. 

 

Some of our favorite Portland Destinations:

sandy ridge trail
Flowing the Sandy Ridge Trail

Sandy Ridge Trail

The most popular single track destination in the Portland area, this trail system has a little of everything, from twisty flow trail to rock gardens to jump lines. There are trails suitable for riders of all ages, skill levels and abilities.

Hi-fives at the Family Man Skills Area at Post Canyon in Hood River, Oregon.
Hi-fives at the Family Man Skills Area at Post Canyon in Hood River, Oregon.

Post Canyon, Hood River

Located in beautiful Hood River, this trail system has a great staging area known as Family Man filled with pump track lines, drops and wood features that are perfect for practicing skills, or for playing around on while you’re waiting for your buddies to arrive.

Ready to sign up for a clinic? email jason@bikeskills.com
Click here for a handy checklist on what to bring with you to a clinic.