Bike School Bentonville
Skills Levels
White Level
White level riders are riders who can ride their bike comfortably on pavement but have limited experience riding trails. White level riders will focus on mastering the 3 essentials while becoming comfortable with easy trails.
White level riders should be comfortable:
- Starting and stopping on their bikes
- Using the brakes to stop and control speed on pavement
- Pedaling their bikes on flat ground
Three Essentials:
- Pedals level with equal pressure (light hands heavy feet)
- 1 finger on each brake lever at all times
- Eyes scanning ahead 20 seconds
Green Level
Green level riders have experience riding easy trails and on multiple types of surfaces. This ability level will practice the fundamental bike skills on the single track trails along with learning more intermediate bike skill progressions.
Green groups will focus on the following skills:
Fundamental Skills
Neutral/Ready position - Key teaching points - Crouched/low, deep bend in the elbows and knees, elbows out, weight on feet - used for cornering, dodging trees, rocks, descents
Braking at medium speed and coming to full stop in control without skidding using both brakes.
Front/back body Separation
Bike/body separation
Side/side Bike/Body separation
Shifting - surge, soft, shift before uphill climb
Cornering skills on grass through tight slalom course
Ratcheting on grass
Stewardship Skills
Basic knowledge of rules of the trail
Ride open trails - open, legal and not wet
Leave no trace
Control your bike - ride within limits, don’t skid
Yield to others
Never scare animals
Mechanical Skills
Bikes -ABC Bike safety check
Helmet check - Ears, Eyes and Mouth check
Blue Level
Riders in the blue level have considerable experience and comfort riding the trails. Riders in this level will work on both skill and speed on cornering, climbing, and descending on a variety of intermediate single track trails. They have comfort with all the green level skills.
Bike Skills
High speed braking
Dismount skills - climbing dismount, descending dismount, restarting on a climb
Climbing skills - seated climb, standing climb, crouch climb=
Ratcheting on tight corner and skinny on grass
Cornering progressive skills - Switchbacks on steep uphill and on steep downhill, riding berms, high speed cornering
Beginner jumping
Mechanical skills
Must be able to reset a dropped chain
Stewardship
Trail work on the local trail system
Black Level
Riders have comfort on all kinds of bike trails and are looking for a challenge. Riders can safely ride advanced trails at a fast pace along with riding over rock gardens and obstacles using correct bike/body positions. Riders in this ability group have a desire to improve both their fitness and technical riding skills.
Bike Skills
Rock Dodge
Basic front wheel lift
Basic Back wheel lift
Level Lift (front and back at same time)
Track Stand
Pedal assisted front wheel lift
Riding raised skinnies on the trail.
Riding 18-20” natural log pile on trail.
Riding a flat rock garden terrain.
Mechanical skills
Demonstrate removing and replacing bike wheels
Stewardship
Trail work on the local trail system
Red Level
Riders 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. Riders will be challenged to ride a variety of expert level mountain bike trails with extreme descents, raised skinny logs, large obstacles, and difficult climbs.
Riding Skills
Riding uphill rock garden
Riding downhill rock garden
Riding 18”drop
Level lift off of raised skinny
Lifting rear wheel on tight switchback corner
Track stand for more than one minute
Ride up steps or rock ledges on a steep climb.
Mechanical Skills
Demonstrate fixing a flat tire
Stewardship:
Volunteer trail work on local system of single track trails.
Being a mentor for a newer rider.
Sign Up For Our Newsletter to Stay In The Loop!
Thanks for subscribing! Please check your email for further instructions.