Photo courtesy of Trestle Bike Park, Winter Park Resort

Downhill mountain biking can certainly be intimidating. There are bigger and heavier bikes involved, lots of protective equipment to don, speeds you imagine only a motorized vehicle should be going, and getting big air on jumps for the fearless and/or a little bit crazy. The best way to learn how to downhill mountain bike is to ride with an experienced rider or an instructor and there’s actually no need to make a huge investment in a downhill bike or gear if you’re just starting out. At Trestle Bike Park, for example,  you can rent all the equipment you need, including your choice of many high-end downhill bikes, and get expert coaching from instructors who know every square inch of the mountain. So if you’re new to mountain biking or are a veteran cross-country rider, young (10 year olds can do this!) or old, downhill mountain biking can be a safe and exciting sport.

The Trestle Bike Park school offers four levels of classes, from beginner (Trestle 101) to advanced (Trestle 200 & 300) and even pro-style skills training. I’ve ridden over 130 mountain bike trails in the US, including downhill at Keystone and Northstar resorts, and always felt confident enough in my bike handling skills to make it down the mountain, so I opted for the Trestle 200 to learn proper freeride stance and better cornering techniques. Boy, was I in for a surprise! Figuring out the freeride stance was a bit unnatural as my body kept reverting to a comfortable XC riding position, but the stance really is the key to making downhill riding more enjoyable. My instructor, Bob Barnes, Director of Winter Park Ski & Ride School, showed me some important aspects of the freeride stance:

• Since you don’t have to pedal much when riding downhill, you’ll be standing up out of the saddle with your pedals horizontal and your heels pointed down and knees slightly bent.
• In the freeride stance your weight should be shifted forward almost over the center of the top tube, compared to XC riding where your weight is usually over the pedals.  Keep leaning forward so your chin is directly above the headset and fork.
• Most downhill and freeride bikes have wider handlebars for a reason; keep your arms wide and elbows forward and bent.  Your forearms should be positioned at nearly the same angle as the fork.

Photo courtesy of Trestle Bike Park, Winter Park Resort

In Bob’s words, this stance should allow you to “go where you want, when you want and as fast as you want.”  Keeping my elbows in the proper position was the hardest thing to remember. My elbows kept falling in a parallel to the ground position, common for climbing hills in XC mountain biking. This naturally pushes your center of gravity back towards the seat more and what happens is the bike takes the lead and you’re just holding on for the ride. It was also hard to make myself lean forward and stand upright going downhill. Just like downhill skiing, if you lean forward you’ll go faster. My (tense and nervous) instincts were telling me to move back and slow the bike down, but it actually became a much smoother, and yes, faster ride when I remembered to lean forward.  Fortunately you always have the brakes to control your speed. It’s important to remember never to lock up on either the front or rear brake while you’re riding downhill. It’s ok to ride your rear brake going downhill and then give it a firmer squeeze (along with the front brake) when approaching corners or technical sections.

Maintaining the stance is a little tricky when taking corners.  For many turns you can get away with your feet still being horizontal, but ideally you will have your outside foot down.  You should keep an upright stance and lay the bike down towards your knee of the leg on the inside of the turn. We’ve all seen this cornering technique before and watched with amazement at how a rider can lay their bike almost horizontal to the ground while riding a banked turn. The trick is keeping the bike’s momentum going forward and relying on the outer knobs of your tires for grip.

I’m really glad I got the chance to take a class on downhill mountain biking at Trestle Bike Park – I honestly can’t imagine a better place to learn. And with 33 miles of downhill trail, there certainly is plenty of terrain to practice on and advance to when you’re ready. You also won’t find a better value for your money – it’s actually cheaper to take the beginner downhill class at Trestle packaged with a demo bike, protective gear and lift ticket than to just rent a bike and buy a lift ticket for a half-day. Trestle also hosts “Women’s Wednesdays” all summer where ladies can get 2-for-1 lift tickets, rentals, and instruction.

Seriously, anyone can learn how to downhill mountain bike.  If you like riding bikes, its 10 times more fun when you hardly have to pedal, especially uphill!

Hey everyone, just a quick reminder that Joyride 150 opens tomorrow. In case you didn’t read my previous post, Joyride is Ontario’s (and Canada’s) first indoor bike park with something for everyone inside the 90,000 square foot mega-complex. Pack your bags and your bikes and get out there for some fun!

Bob_the_builder and I will be out there ASAP. The courses are well thought out and expertly built and this is the place where you can ride to your heart’s content all winter long. Check out the Joyrides website and get details. I’m sure once you check out Joyride you will be as stoked as I am!

Cheers

Last week I got a sneak peek at Canada’s first indoor bike park, Joyride 150. When Bob_the_Builder found out I was going to Joyride 150 ahead of the official opening Dec 14th, he just had to come along. I dunno who was more stoked Bob or myself. On the drive up there I was trying to imagine exactly how big a 90,000 sq ft building is; needless to say, it’s large – very very large.

Walking into the facility you get a sense of the scope of the place. With the sounds of the finishing touches going on in the background, I was greeted by Leslie, one of the owners. A very nice person with a warm smile, Leslie was quick to excuse the bits of saw dust. After a little small talk about the place, we met up with two instrumental partners, Mike and Scott, both looking a bit tired, and for good reason. Both men, along with a few volunteers, were putting in 100 hour work weeks for the last 3 months to get Joyride ready for the grand opening.

Leslie took us on a tour from the entrance to the spinning classroom which is still under construction. The room is a nice size with 20 ft ceilings and room for about 30 riders. The height and shape of the room should provide good acoustics once the music is pumped in. After a quick visit of the spinning room, we really got a good look of the rest of the facility. Heading back into the front entrance we then started our main tour. The complex is divided into four main areas.

The first area, right across from the main counter, is the beginner section where you can practice your skills on various styles of skinnies and features that you will encounter at the park. The photo above on the left shows the practice rollers and skinnies. The photo above and right is the practice pump track which in itself is great. I have to say the quality of the build is absolutely top-notch. No expense was spared in making these ramps and skinnies smooth and flawless. Even up close you can’t feel the gaps in the wood.

After admiring the beautiful wood work and moving along, we passed the still unfinished advanced skinny area which promises to be something else with many elevated features. Across from that there are lockers and an area where folks can rest, eat, and talk shop. There’s also an advanced pump track with a massive corner. Leslie was mentioning that it would be perfect for two cross (hmmmm perhaps competitions could be just around the corner). Of course at this point BTB  had to ride the course and judging by his big smile I could safely say he loved it.

The cross country track (yes they have one of those too) is elevated and travels around the entire complex. From here we got a great view of the main progressive jump and trick area. I have to admit doing laps on the XC circuit will be fun because you get to see everything: the foam pit, the stunts, all of it. Can you imagine riding around and taking a look at everyone having fun, jumping, and ohh yeah, taking a tumble? Heck, even BTB got into flying into the foam pit and the jump area.

All kidding aside, Leslie was mentioning the thousands of possible lines that riders can take to make a flowing line. A few days prior to my visit there were some circuit riders visiting and commenting on the set up, all of them making the same comment of how flowy and complex Joyride can be. One even mentioned how it would take a very long time to master the Joyrides Vert park set up.

As we were walking around the XC course and having a wonderful chat with Leslie, saws busily cutting in the background, Leslie talked to us what folks should expect to pay for a visit. It will cost about $20-$30 per visit and they are also planning on setting up season passes (price is TBD). Once things start to move more smoothly they will be concentrating on discount packages with nearby hotels and a rental fleet of bikes for those who don’t want to bring in their own rig.

Joyride 150 is located just north of Toronto in Markham ON, and their closest intersection is McCowan and Highway 7. The location is pretty close to many hotels and shopping malls, for those who don’t know the area and are wondering what else is around.

Well folks, I have to say you need to add this place to your ride wishlist. Unfortunately for me, when I went with BTB I was still nursing my broken clavicle so I couldn’t ride – otherwise I think I would still be there. Expect Joyride 150 to be up and running Dec 14th and make your way over. If you build it, they will come – they built it, so get over there!

More info on the joyride150 website.

More details:

• beginner/sport/expert sections with skinnies, lines & features to test your skills and help you progress
• a foam pit (beginner & expert ramps) with a matching resi jump and box jump
• rhythms & jump lines (beg-exp)
• a BMX-style street park with quarter pipes (MASSIVE!), spines, rails, drop-ins, bowls etc.
• pump tracks (pump & dual race-style)
• cross-country loop with elevation (climbs), log-overs, features etc…sure to get your heart pumping and your legs burning!

Other park features:

• cozy lounge with fireplaces & free Wi-Fi hotspot
• concessions (snacks, drinks etc.)
• bike rentals (various bike types)
• bike storage
• private party room available for rent (corporate events, birthday parties, etc.)

Coming soon to the park:

• coaching services
• spin studio
• programs (skills workshops, day camps)
• races/competitions
• demo days/PK sessions

Pack your bags and get your tickets. This is a place to be when the snow is piling high!