Welcome to Bike School Bentonville's Fall Trail Kids weekly blog! This blog will share some words on how the Trail Kids did the prior week, and most importantly share some highlight photos that have been captured along the way. We are excited to share a bit about the Trail Kids on trail experience!
Week 2, September 16th - Fall Trail Kids 2024
The second week of Fall Trail Kids kicked off with a bang! On Monday, the coaches dove right into lessons, focusing on what is one of the most essential on-bike skills: body position.
They began by introducing the three key body positions for riding: climbing, flats, and descending. Starting with these fundamentals gave the Trail Kids a solid foundation for general terrain, and as they rode, the coaches helped them adapt these core positions to different on-trail situations.
The groups wasted no time heading to their favorite trails for practice. All American, with its consistent grade reversals and predictable terrain, was a popular choice. But it was only the beginning of the day’s adventure. Coaches soon led their groups to trails like Oeste Vista and Leopard's Loop to continue honing their skills.
The progress was noticeable throughout the day. As the Trail Kids grew more confident in their positioning, trail speeds increased, and more obstacles were conquered than just an hour earlier! It’s always impressive to see how quickly the students at Bike School Bentonville catch on.
Building on the momentum from Monday, the coaches continued to emphasize the basics, like body positioning, on Tuesday. But they also introduced new lessons, including front wheel lifts, flat turns, and tackling technical trail features.
I overheard that Coach Joel and Jillian were taking their group through the river to Wonderland, so I decided to tag along. The river crossing was a refreshing break in the heat, but soon everyone was back to business, practicing their climbing skills on the technical features of Sally’s as they made their way up to the Wonderland Trail.
After a quick stop at the top of the hill to practice front wheel lifts around the Wonderland trailer, the group turned their attention to descending. Area 51 and Upper Mad Hatter provided perfect conditions for practicing body positioning on technical downhills.
After leaving that group, I crossed back over the river and hurried to the 6-Pack jumps along All American. There, I caught some groups practicing their jumps and cheering each other on from the Greenway. As always, a thrilling way to wrap up the second week of Fall Trail Kids. The energy from last week is sure to carry into the next as we continue learning new skills and exploring more trails!
Happy Trails,
Sebastian Wallach
BSB Media
Gallery
FDOC Week - Fall Trail Kids 2024
In case anyone is not familiar with the term "FDOC", it stands for First Day of Class, and back in my day it was one of the best days of school every year. First days are amazing for many reasons, but mostly because you get to see all of your old friends, meet plenty of new ones, and set the tone for what the coming year is going to be like! Of course, for Trail Kids, we only have 6 weeks of classes, but none the less, this past Monday was an FDOC for the books.
While coaches met parents and signed in Trail Kids, Phat Tire did bike checks to ensure that every bike on the field was ready to ride. Once checked in and through the bike check, Trail Kids started ripping up the grass skills course and finding friends. Carefully, coaches formed their groups and then gathered at their flags before hitting the trails.
Once on the trails, it seemed like no one could stop smiling. Pedals were spinning, derailleurs shifting, and lessons were taught. Everything from level pedals to keeping your fingers on the breaks was brought up, to make sure the Trail Kids had their basics down so that future lessons would be able to build on a solid skill base!
After some time out on the trails meeting their groups, getting familiar with their coaches, and reviewing the basics, begrudgingly everyone headed back to the field for pickup.
On Wednesday, all the energy that was felt on FDOC came rushing back to BSB as Trail Kids checked in and grouped up with their coaches. With a full evening of lessons ahead, groups quickly spread out across Slaughter Pen to work on their riding. Groups traveled all the way to The Castle, Walters Whistle at the Tech Hub, Leopards Loop, and even Urban Trail.
As I worked hard to visit as many groups as I could and snap some photos of lessons in action, I noticed that my face started to hurt from smiling. Suddenly, I realized that around every turn I was finding BSB groups working on their turning skills, reviewing shifting, and carefully reviewing technical sections of trail before riding them. Trail Kids were already helping each other to work through difficult sections, or helping each other get back up after falling.
It was evident that the magic of Trail Kids was back in the air in Slaughter Pen, and as the groups cruised back into the field after their first full session of lessons, smiles shone and fist bumps flew. We can not wait to see what week 2 brings!
Happy Trails,
Sebastian Wallach
BSB Media
Gallery
