Kids Mountain Bike Programs in Victoria and the Cowichan Valley

The Cycling Co. has designed a premium mountain bike instruction experience with professionally certified coaches. We’ve developed our youth mountain bike programs for kids aged 8 and up, from beginner levels through to intermediate and advanced mountain biking abilities.

2023 Programs

Our youth mountain bike programs are designed to build confidence and take riders’ abilities to the next level. Current programs include:

  • Spring Break and Summer Mountain Bike Camps in Victoria/Langford and the Cowichan Valley
  • Dirt Rippers, Dirt Shredders and Dirt Squad MTB programs throughout the year
  • Dirt Squad Youth Team (apply here to join)

The Cycling Co. programs all cover the following fundamental mountain bike skills:

  • Body position on the bike: Neutral and Attack Positions, moving through a rider’s range of motion
  • Operation of Controls
    • Braking – Independent use of front(F) and rear(R) brakes
    • Shifting – Gear selection and how to choose the proper gear for riding conditions
  • Terrain Awareness – Choosing different lines through trails with varying terrain
  • Skills and maneuvers
    • cornering
    • climbing and safely descending hills
    • riding skinny logs and bridges
    • front and rear wheel lifts
    • bunny hops
    • roll downs and drops
    • jumps (when appropriate)
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Skill Focused Ride Development.

Our mountain bike camps provide certified instruction in small groups where kids and youth develop new skills, make new friends, and burn off energy! In this age of computer screens, video games, and Netflix, the benefits of kids getting outside and active on their bikes are more important than ever!

A child’s bike is their first taste of freedom and we want to make that experience as fun and awesome as possible! Kids feel their first sense independence when they learn to ride a bike. Remember that feeling? Burning around the neighbourhood, ripping over to your friend’s house and just knocking on the door; then riding all day until your parents made you come home for dinner, “when the street lights come on.”

What Level Does Your Child Ride At?

Beginner – An Introduction to Mountain Biking:

Your child is new to mountain biking off-road and is keen to learn basic trail riding skills like body position, braking, shifting gears and maintaining traction. We will incorporate lots of games to help kids learn skills while keeping it fun and interactive.

Intermediate Mountain Biking

Your child has decent bike handling skills and is confident riding on different types of terrain and conditions including wet, dry, loose, muddy, singletrack and doubletrack. Intermediate riders will further develop their position and balance, refine operation of gears and brakes, practice maneuvers that they will need on the trail and just generally have a great time on the bike.

Advanced Mountain Biking

Your child has solid bike handling skills and a good deal of experience riding on technical terrain including singletrack, rocky, loose and rooty trail conditions. Advanced riders will hone their technical skills and learn more advanced trail maneuvers. We will spend lots of time riding to give these rippers a chance to really develop.

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 Kids Mountain Bike Camp FAQ

What will my child learn at mountain bike camp?

  • Body position: Neutral and Attack Positions
  • Operation of Controls
    • – Braking – Independent use of front(F) and rear(R) brakes
    • – Shifting – Gear selection and how to choose the proper gear for riding conditions
  • Terrain Awareness – Choosing different lines through trails with varying terrain
  • Skills and maneuvers
    • cornering
    • climbing and safely descending hills
    • riding skinny logs and bridges
    • front and rear wheel lifts
    • bunny hops
    • roll downs and small drops

What does my child need to bring to Mountain Bike Camp?

All riders MUST come prepared with the following gear (no exceptions):

  • Mountain bike in excellent working order. (A tune-up prior to the camp is recommended -the team at Westshore Bikes are awesome!)  If you are unsure if your child’s bike is suitable, please send us an email with a picture of the bike.
  • Helmet – properly fitted, mountain bike-specific helmet in good condition.
  • Cycling gloves – full finger gloves
  • Suitable clothing for riding in current weather conditions
  • Spare tube in case of a flat tire – appropriate size/valve stem
  • Hydration pack or water bottle + cage mounted to bicycle frame
  • Knee pads are absolutely mandatory, elbow pads optional.

Lunch  

  • Participants are expected to provide their own daily lunch.

Why should my child go to a Cycling Co. mountain bike camp?

Mountain biking is fun! Kids have a great time getting dirty in the woods. Our camps provide certified instruction in a small groups where kids learn and develop new skills, make new friends, and burn off a LOT of excited energy! In this age of computer screens, video games, iPads and Netflix, kids need to be outside and active more than ever!

Mountain bike camp is a perfect opportunity to develop your child’s interest in a new athletic hobby, the freedom riding and the great outdoors!  

Where do we meet the coach on the first day?

Because meeting locations vary depending on location, we will contact you with specific details following your registration in one of our programs.

Will the mountain bike camp still run if it rains?

Being located on Vancouver Island in Beautiful British Columbia, we are surrounded by a temperate rainforest. Camps and rides will go ahead in rainy conditions. Please ensure that your child has appropriate outerwear and be ready to pick them up with a little (or a lot of) mud splatter. Bring something to protect the inside of your vehicle!

What type of mountain bike does my child need if s/he is registered in either the advanced or expert level mountain bike camp?

Riders wishing to participate in intermediate or advanced level should have a bike with a front suspension fork or a full suspension trail bike. Bikes should be equipped with aggressive xc (cross-country) or all-mountain tires.

What should my child and I expect on the first day?

When you arrive, parents will be asked to sign a waiver for each child they have registered in the mountain bike camp – you may also complete an online waiver during the registration process. Once all the administration is done, parents are free to leave their kids in our care for the duration of that day’s program.

Kids can expect an introduction to the coach on the first day, followed by a:

  • Helmet fit – we will show participants how to properly fit their helmet for safe riding
  • Bike check – we will check your child’s bike to make sure everything is in safe working order for riding during the camp.
  • Skills assessment – we will assess participants’ riding skills and place them into an appropriate learning group for their skill level.
  • 45-60 min mountain bike skill development – we will teach and practice riding skills in a controlled setting.
  • Break
  • Trail ride – After a short water and snack break, we’ll hit the trails!
  • Bike games – We have created and developed a few fun ways to develop skills using interactive games while aboard bikes.
  • Lunch (end of half-day camp)
  • Bike mechanics workshop –
    • How to change a tire
    • Adjusting brakes and gears
    • Minor trailside repairs
  • Skill development
  • Ride – We’ll hit the trails for an afternoon ride to practice newly learned skills in a real-life trail riding scenario.

Does my child need to have previous mountain biking or trail riding experience?

Some mountain biking experience is highly recommended.

Can my child register with a friend?

Of course! It’s always extra fun to ride with a friend! We require a signed waiver on the first day of the camp from each participant’s parent/guardian before they are are allowed participate in the camps (no exceptions).

What if my child has medical concerns?

We are a passionate team of cycling instructors who really want to get as many kids out on bikes as we can, so we will do our best to accommodate kids with minor conditions, but our programs may not work for all young riders.

Please email us with specifics of your child’s medical conditions, special needs, dietary restrictions, allergies etc. All of our coaches have First-Aid training.

Do you have daily bike storage, or can I leave my bike overnight?

No. Unfortunately, we do not offer overnight storage for your child’s mountain bike.

Still have questions? Didn’t find what you’re looking for?

Send us a message to [email protected]