Baptism by Fire

Thanks to the ladies who joined me and my compadres for a hot, HOT ride at Harrison Bay. The first  bike clinic was successful. Of course, success can be defined as many different things. For some it may be conquering an obstacle that seemed insurmountable, or learning that your cycling skills are considerably sharper than you once thought, or simply filling in the gaps in your cycling knowledge. Either way everyone went home with a feeling of accomplishment and made some new friends. We certainly had some mishaps, but they were handled well and we moved on. Nice job!

The difficulty in hosting clinics of this nature is convincing the participants that their bike skills are much better than they imagine. It is like looking into a mirror and seeing Jabba the Hut rather than Princess Leia--same thing. All three ladies that joined us last Sunday did a tremendous job, however, the one who gets a gold star for the day is the one who had the most to overcome. She showed up with an eagerness to learn and test her current bike knowledge in the hopes that this would spark something for her in the mountain biking world. She quickly learned that mountain biking is extremely difficult, challenging, and forces you to use muscles you didn't even know you had. She spent the entire time duking it out with Fear and by the end, without even realizing it, rode the entire trail successfully. When I approached her about the ride and any subsequent rides, she felt as though she weren't cut out for such a rough and rugged sport, but admitted that riding a rooty, downhill section was a huge accomplishment. So listen up woman! You did an amazing job! You toughed it out. You suffered through. You did it! You may not have finished it as gracefully as you had hoped, but guess what!? Welcome to mountain biking!!

I truly hope to see all of you again next month. In the meantime, get out and ride! Practice. Practice. Practice.

Here is the schedule again:
July 22 @ 2pm--Harrison Bay
Focus: review of previous clinic, continue to work on shifting and braking, climbing and descending
RSVP by July 20.
   
August 26 @ 2pm--Ocoee Whitewater Center
Focus: obstacles and learning to ride with confidence
RSVP by August 24. 

BONUS CLINIC:

September 23 @ 8am--Tsali Recreation Area, NC (will meet at Ocoee Outdoors)

Focus: technical riding for experienced riders only*****

RSVP by September 21. 

YOU MUST BE 18 OR OLDER!!! Sorry kiddos! Mom needs a break too. You will be asked to sign a waiver. Sheesh! I know...more paperwork. 

THE 411
There will be a short lecture component consisting of familiarizing you with your trusty steed (i.e. how to adjust seat height, brakes, shifters, etc...) followed by a short ride. ...We will teach you how to shift, when to shift, and what not to do concerning your brakes and shifting. We will discuss safety and proper biking attire. Plan on being out at least 2 hours and possibly 3. This will be determined by the number of participants.

THE TRAIL
We will be riding a very basic trail that hangs on the outskirts of Harrison Bay. There will be no big roots, big drop-offs, or huge hills. I do not wish to kill you right away. No!! That will be saved for the last class (okay not really). The trail is a loop that is 4.5 miles long. There will possibly be hikers, runners, and dogs on the trail. We will discuss how to approach these 'obstacles' prior to hitting the trail. 


THE NECESSITIES
1.Please remember to bring your bike. If you have not ridden it in a while, please take it to your local shop and get a tune-up. Trailside maintenance will not be part of this course!

2. Bring a helmet!! If you do not bring a helmet, you do not get to ride!!! Helmets are cheaper than hospital visits. Go to your local shop and pick one up.

3. Wear proper shoes. Tennis shoes are fine if you do not own cycling shoes. Just don't show up in Chacos, Crocs, flip-flops, etc. I would like for you to keep all of your little piggies.

4. Water! Lots of water!! It will be hot, damn hot! If you pass out, I might be tempted to push you into the lake and pretend I do not know you. Also, be sure to bring bicycle water bottles and not your Nalgene bottle. They do not fit in water bottle cages. If you do not own water bottle cages and bottles, again, hit up the cycling gurus at your local shop for these items.

5. Bring a chair for the first portion of the clinic. We will convene in a shady corner of the parking lot at the trailhead to begin our discussion of biking, proper bike fit, apparel, etc...

6. Please bring a great sense of humor as you can see I have one and love to laugh and hope you do too. 

THE $$$ 
These clinics are free. FREEEEE! However, depending upon where we decide to head for the third clinic there could be a park fee. I will post that on the blog in the future. Be sure to check back frequently for updates! 

I look forward to working with everyone and can't wait to see you out there! 
If you have any questions and to RSVP, please email me at bikinbeth@gmail.com

Summer 2012: Beginner Women's Mtn Bike Clinic Schedule

Hi ladies!  Here's your chance to learn how to ride those two-wheeled contraptions that have evaded you for so long. I will be putting on a series of beginner classes to teach basic riding skills. Each class will build upon the other so that by the end of the summer you will be confident to hit the trails alone, with pals, or in the company of your hammerhead, male counterpart. 

As promised...here is the schedule for this summer's bike clinics.
June 24 @ 2pm--Harrison Bay State Park
 Need directions? Punch in your address here for detailed directions. 
Focus: proper bike setup, how to check tire pressure, shifting and braking, appropriate bike attire, hydration & nutrition basics
RSVP by June 22.

July 22 @ 2pm--location TBD*
Focus: review of previous clinic, continue to work on shifting and braking, climbing and descending
RSVP by July 20.
   
August 26 @ 2pm--location TBD*
Focus: obstacles and learning to ride with confidence
RSVP by August 24. 

There is a possibility that a fourth clinic will be added.


 *The location for the remaining clinics will be decided at the conclusion of the one previous and based upon the participants' learning ability.

YOU MUST BE 18 OR OLDER!!! Sorry kiddos! Mom needs a break too. You will be asked to sign a waiver. Sheesh! I know...more paperwork. 

THE 411
There will be a short lecture component consisting of familiarizing you with your trusty steed (i.e. how to adjust seat height, brakes, shifters, etc...) followed by a short ride. ...We will teach you how to shift, when to shift, and what not to do concerning your brakes and shifting. We will discuss safety and proper biking attire. Plan on being out at least 2 hours and possibly 3. This will be determined by the number of participants.

THE TRAIL
We will be riding a very basic trail that hangs on the outskirts of Harrison Bay. There will be no big roots, big drop-offs, or huge hills. I do not wish to kill you right away. No!! That will be saved for the last class (okay not really). The trail is a loop that is 4.5 miles long. There will possibly be hikers, runners, and dogs on the trail. We will discuss how to approach these 'obstacles' prior to hitting the trail. 


THE NECESSITIES
1.Please remember to bring your bike. If you have not ridden it in a while, please take it to your local shop and get a tune-up. Trailside maintenance will not be part of this course!

2. Bring a helmet!! If you do not bring a helmet, you do not get to ride!!! Helmets are cheaper than hospital visits. Go to your local shop and pick one up.

3. Wear proper shoes. Tennis shoes are fine if you do not own cycling shoes. Just don't show up in Chacos, Crocs, flip-flops, etc. I would like for you to keep all of your little piggies.

4. Water! Lots of water!! It will be hot, damn hot! If you pass out, I might be tempted to push you into the lake and pretend I do not know you. Also, be sure to bring bicycle water bottles and not your Nalgene bottle. They do not fit in water bottle cages. If you do not own water bottle cages and bottles, again, hit up the cycling gurus at your local shop for these items.

5. Bring a chair for the first portion of the clinic. We will convene in a shady corner of the parking lot at the trailhead to begin our discussion of biking, proper bike fit, apparel, etc...

6. Please bring a great sense of humor as you can see I have one and love to laugh and hope you do too. 

THE $$$ 
These clinics are free. FREEEEE! However, depending upon where we decide to head for the second and third clinics, there could be a park fee. I will post that on the blog in the future. Be sure to check back frequently for updates! 

I look forward to working with everyone and can't wait to see you out there! 
If you have any questions and to RSVP, please email me at bikinbeth@gmail.com