Time to level up
I have been riding mountain bikes for many years and most of my training comes from either trial by error or like most of us YouTube videos. Now doing something different after falling worked in my younger days where I could rub some dirt on it and heal. I am now rapidly approaching 40 so I decided I would pursue some actual training to work out my bad habits and level up my riding instead of the bumps and bruises style training.
Immediately the problem I noticed when looking for a course is there is tons of camps or workshops for kids and for women but not a lot for guys. My guess is guys are to stubborn to ask for help so maybe the demand just isn’t quite there. We just power through the crashes and learn from our mistakes? Not ideal.
When I saw an opportunity for some training this year at one of my favorite places to ride bikes I jumped on it. Bike training in Hinton? Hell ya!
What the heck is PMBIA anyways
PMBIA the Professional Mountain Bike Instructor Association is a internationally recognized training provider similar to what you would see in a ski or snowboard instructor but for mountain bikes. I knew the same people who train the instructors at Whistler Bike Park (where the course was developed in 2006) would be a great way to work out my bad habits and learn some some new skills.
The Level 1 Beginner-Intermediate Instructor Course would mean upon successful completion I would have the skills to teach new riders the basics. This was great side benefit for me as I have three kids and a wife I am slowly brainwashing into loving the sport as much as I do. The progression my son went through after his bike camp with Sweet Riders last year was incredible and I was hoping this course would give me the skills to level up all my friends and family.
Where to go
This three day course was scheduled at the Hinton Bike Park one of my favorite places to ride. They have such a wide variety of trails to learn on I knew it would be the perfect spot.
Campground
Once again I headed up into William Switzer Provincial Park just outside of Hinton. We love the Gregg lake campground and typically stay there. Being a solo trip I decided to test out another one of the campgrounds nearby. Jarvis Lake was the spot I chose. Overall I would say test failed. Gregg Lake is just a bit further up the road with warm showers and running water for only a few dollars more per night. Jarvis Lake is beautiful but I like the creature comforts that come along with Gregg Lake.
What I did
Day 1
When we arrived in the morning we had a good group introduction and the five of us in the course met our instructor Pete. Pete is from Rossland BC and right away it was clear this guy loves mountain bikes and teaching people to teach people to ride bikes.
Once we were done the meet and greet and safety talk we headed straight out to the trail. We took a few pauses along the way to talk about each individual skill set you use while mountain biking. It felt more like a ride with my buddies than a lesson on bike skills. The content we covered was broken down with simple movements and examples and then we would go ride again.
We had a really good ride out to Rockband a fun black in the Happy Creek trail system. We didn’t realize it at the time but our trainer Pete was scoping out our skill level to ensure he could tailor the lesson appropriately. Once again this course felt a lot like a fun day riding with some friends rather than a structured lesson.
The afternoon was where the real instructor training started. We went through a ton of example lessons laid out in the PMBIA format. Everything from body position and braking to how to corner better and faster. With the weather holding out and dreadful forecast on the horizon for day two and three we ended up with a long but full day of new skills and information.
Day 2
Day two immediately came with some challenges. The weather forecasters finally nailed one and the rain started to come down. We were in for a rainy day of training but luckily I had a propane firepit on standby to help us warm up during breaks and chats.
Being mountain bikers we are all well versed in Type 2 fun. Everyone came as prepared as we could and rose to the challenge. The spirits were high and everyone remained positive despite getting a good six inches of rain fall on us throughout the day.
Once we laid out our plan for the day it was off to the trails again. Our instructor Pete fell in love with probably my favorite trail out here in Hinton, Stinger. It was great for some terrain awareness on the way up and cornering and pressure control lessons on the way down. The added benefit is that it is fun as hell and easy to lap. This was a good place for some rider development and Pete was able to help us all level up our riding skills this weekend.
Overall day two was re-enforcing and practicing the lessons we were taught. We also learnt how the lessons for each are formed using the PMBIA super simple formula. Once again the course content and delivery made this all flow naturally where I was almost tricked into learning it!
We focused a lot of our afternoon on maneuvers. These maneuvers combine many of the skills we had been breaking down into great on the trail movements to help with our riding. Front wheel lifts, rear wheel lifts, pedaling wheel lifts and level wheel lifts. So many wheels in the air! Again the PMBIA formula breaks these down into simple movements with future progression in mind.
We ended the day soaking wet and full of even more tools to help level up ourselves and other riders.
Day 3
We handled a full day of rain on day two, it couldn’t possibly get worse right? Well waking up in the tent there was an obvious step change in the pace of the downpour. Environment Canada had issued a rainfall warning for the area and this weather wasn’t going anywhere. I packed up and incredibly wet camp and headed into town. June 19 is three days before our summer solstice and it was snowing on me!
We started the day with a warmup around the firepit and covered some great trailside maintenance and first aid topics. Essential for any instructor taking a group out onto the trails. No one wants a flat tire or a broken chain ruining the day for everyone.
We then got the warmup out of the way we all headed out to teach our own first lesson to the full group. The change in just two days in all my fellow students was incredible to watch. We were all able to come up with great lesson on the fundamental skills we had been taught over the weekend. The feedback from Pete and from our peers was invaluable to helping us grow as trainers.
Last maneuver of the course was roll downs. Something I personally would always just go fast and hope for the best on. The PMBIA method is simple, safe and leads into progression for bigger features in the future. After a few minutes working on the rolldown and getting feedback from my fellow students and Pete we were all nailing this.
It was now time for the final feedback piece and course evaluation. With the progression we all had over the weekend and the tools we had been taught we were all ready to head out into the world and instruct. It was a great feeling and I cant thank Pete enough for his feedback and sharing his knowledge.
Was it worth it?
I would recommend this course to anyone who loves to bike. From beginner to advanced I think there is a piece of your riding that would improve over the three days. How many of us do things while riding but have no idea on why it works? The rider progression from the knowledge gained combined with all the great benefits of becoming an PMBIA trainer is reason enough to sign up. If you are lucky enough to get a trainer like Pete you are in for a ton of fun and a great learning experience. Even though we were soaked for two straight days I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. Check out the PMBIA site if you are interested and can snag a spot in an upcoming course. There are a ton of levels to progress to once you complete level 1 and I can’t wait to get there!
If you like this post and are looking for more info on Hinton and its wonderful camping and trail system you can check out this post. Hinton, AB – Amazing Bike Park And Great Trails! – You’d Be Crazy Not To Go!
