Trail Kids Mountain Bike Program Registration Guide

All Trail Kids locations (Wirth, Elm Creek and Lebanon) offer mixed-gender mountain bike coaching groups. We have a specific Girls Rock Mountain Bike Program that is offered only at the Wirth location. All non-binary and trans participants are welcome in Trail Kids mountain bike programs. All participants who attend the program must be able to ride their bikes safely on paved paths.

Coaching groups are assigned based on mountain bike ability, age and friend requests (we cannot grant all friend requests and note that participants must be of similar mountain bike ability and experience) for all our mountain bike programs.

Mountain Bike Ability Levels

Below are descriptions of the Trail Kids mountain bike ability levels that participants can progress through in the program. It is recommended that participants new to mountain biking attend a Trail Kids Beginner Clinics before registering for our evening bi-weekly six-week session offerings. The clinics are offered intermittently during our MTB programming season and will provide instruction on the fundamental skills of mountain biking.

When you register online, please indicate the ability level in which your participant currently falls (Novice Green, Intermediate Blue, Advanced Black or Expert Red). When registering your participant, make sure to indicate their ability level as described below. For a full description of our mountain bike skill level progression click here: Trail Kids MTB Skill Level Guide

Trail Kids Six Week Mountain Bike Session Program Progression Levels

Beginner Level (White) : Participants who are brand new to mountain biking! If your rider has not attended a Trail Kids Beginner Clinic, Camp, Session, or equivalent program, they are a white level rider. It is recommended that particpants register for one of the Trail Kids Beginner Mountain Bike Clinics. These clinics are focused on teaching the fundamental mountain bike skills that are needed before riding the single track trails safely. Most of the instruction will be done on the grass and our beginner skills single track course. For more information on our beginner clinics click here: Trail Kids MTB Clinics

Novice Level (Green): Participant has attended a Beginner Clinic or has experience mountain biking outside of Trail Kids programs. This ability level will expand on the fundamental bike skills while on the single track trails, along with learning more intermediate bike skill progressions.

Intermediate Level (Blue): Riders in this level have progressed in both skill and speed on cornering, climbing, and descending on a variety of intermediate single track trails. Participants in this group have passed all of the blue level skills and will continue to progress in bike handling skills.

Advanced Level (Black): Participants are able to safely ride all advanced trails at a fast pace along with riding over rock gardens and obstacles using correct bike/body positions. Participants in this ability group have a desire to improve both their fitness and technical riding skills.

Expert Level (Red): Participants in this ability group have passed all of the black mountain bike skills and have a desire to race and improve both their fitness and technical riding skills. Participants will be challenged to ride a variety of expert level mountain bike trails with extreme descents, raised skinny logs, large obstacles, and difficult climbs.

Summer Camp Registration Guide

This year we will be offering nine weeks of mountain bike camps. Some weeks will be dedicated for the Novice mountain bike rider and other camps will be designed for the more intermediate and advanced riders.  

Beginner Camp:  For participants who have attended one of our Trail Kids Mountain Bike Clinics or are able to consistently demonstrate the three essential skills of having fingers over the brakes, eyes scanning ahead, and level pedals while riding. The beginner camps will work on using the fundamental mountain bike skills on a variety of beginner mountain bike trails at Wirth Park.

Intermediate/Advanced Camp: For participants who have taken a past Trail Kids beginner camp or six week evening program and have passed either the blue, black or red bike levels. Participants will ride most of the single track track intermediate to advanced trails along with learning more technical bike handling skills.