Northwest Trail Alliance

Beginner Class: Corners, Climbing, Descents - 8/10
2024-08-10 09:00 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Class offered in partnership with Portland Parks & Recreation. Registration required through ActiveNet. Click on the button below.

register here

Rider Experience: From beginners to off-road riders with at least 1 year of cycling experience.

Beginners are riders with some experience but want to be more confident and have more fun riding a bike off road on dirt, grass, and varied terrain. They can shift gears and brake but want to do so with more confidence. They want to learn how to corner, climb, and descend gentle slopes. They are interested in rolling over smaller features. They can ride 2 miles or more on a trail or bike path. This class is for: a beginning rider who may not have taken a cycling class before and wants to improve bike handling skills to handle some more technical features over the course of a progressive four-class series.

During this class: They’ll learn to corner, climb, and descend. We will also discuss riding in a group and trail etiquette, basic bike fit information, decisions on whether to ride a feature or not, and safe bailout techniques when things get tricky.

Meet: At the west Fred Meyer parking lot, we will ride into the park together. This lot is behind the Fred Meyer, close to NE 99th Ave. and the Gateway MAX station.

Bike: A mountain bike, either a hardtail or full suspension in good working condition with platform pedals, knobby tires, two hand brakes (front and rear), and a seat that can move up and down. Single speeds are OK but a bike with gears will be more fun on the climbs. No worn out tires or kickstands.

Required gear: A properly fitting helmet in good condition and is less than 5 years old. Water bottle and snacks. Clothing appropriate for the weather. Tools for moving the seat up and down if necessary. Pack to carry layers, snacks, tools and water.

Recommended gear: Full-fingered gloves. Knee and elbow protection. Eye protection. Tools and supplies to change a flat tire (with assistance!).

Camp - Green Geckos: Week of 8/12 (Ages 8-12)
2024-08-12 09:00 - 2024-08-16 12:00
Camp offered in partnership with Portland Parks & Recreation. Registration required through ActiveNet. Click on the button below.

register here

ACTIVITY LOCATION

Mt. Scott Park (SE 72nd Ave. and SE Harold St.)

LEVEL 1- BEGINNER

Rider Experience: Beginner with ½ – 1 years of riding on dirt trails

These riders are already comfortable riding a bike on gravel roads as well as on dirt and grass, and down some features up to 3-4 inches high such as a small curb, with their feet out. They are learning to stand and coast on the pedals for short periods of time. They can shift gears and corner, but it might not go as smoothly as it could — or at the right time. They are interested in rolling over taller features, and riding pump tracks (or rolling terrain) without pedaling the whole time. They can ride 1-2 miles on a trail or bike path.

During this class: these riders will continue to improve their balance over varying terrain including trails and pump tracks (or rolling terrain), as well as brake and corner with more confidence, shift more smoothly. They’ll learn to climb, descend and ride faster; they’ll also learn slow-riding skills to have fun riding more technical trails including roll-downs and drops 6- 10” high – if they want to. The wheels may leave the ground on drops, but we aren’t jumping quite yet.

Bike: The Green Gecko’s bike has platform pedals, two hand brakes (front and rear), a seat that can move up and down, and is in good working condition. Single speeds are OK but a bike with gears will be more fun on the climbs. No coaster brakes, worn out tires or kickstands. A Gecko’s helmet fits properly, is in good condition and is less than 5 years old.

Required Gear: -Bike in good condition* -A properly fitting helmet in good condition and is less than 5 years old* -Water bottle (no more than 16 oz, otherwise it’s too heavy to carry!) -Snacks for the individual -Clothing appropriate for the weather including jacket and gloves -Pack to carry layers, snacks and water

Recommended Gear: -Full fingered gloves -Knee and elbow protection -Eye protection

*We have bikes and helmets to loan! Required height 4’-5” to 5’-6” tall. If the rider is shorter or taller, let us know, we may have a properly sized bike but our quantities are very limited.

Pickup and drop off: southeast corner of Mt. Scott Park, near SE 74th and SE Knight St.

Beginner Class: Slow Moving Skills, Ratcheting, & Balance - 8/17
2024-08-17 09:00 - 12:00
Class offered in partnership with Portland Parks & Recreation. Registration required through ActiveNet. Click on the button below.

register here

Rider Experience: From beginners to off-road riders with at least 1 year of cycling experience.

Beginners are riders with some experience but want to be more confident and have more fun riding a bike off road on dirt, grass and varied terrain. They can shift gears and brake but want to do so with more confidence. They want to learn how to corner, climb, and descend gentle slopes. They are interested in rolling over smaller features. They can ride 2 miles or more on a trail or bike path. This class is for: a beginning rider who may not have taken a cycling class before and wants to improve bike handling skills to handle some more technical features over the course of a progressive four-class series.

During this class: They’ll learn slow-riding skills to have fun riding more technical trails with features up to 2” high on uphill terrain, and up to 8” high on downhill terrain. We will also discuss riding in a group and trail etiquette, basic bike fit information, decisions on whether to ride a feature or not, and safe bailout techniques when things get tricky.

Meet: At the west Fred Meyer parking lot, we will ride into the park together. This lot is behind the Fred Meyer, close to NE 99th Ave and the Gateway MAX station.

Bike: A mountain bike, either a hardtail or full suspension in good working condition with platform pedals, knobby tires, two hand brakes (front and rear), and a seat that can move up and down. Single speeds are OK but a bike with gears will be more fun on the climbs. No worn out tires or kickstands.

Required gear: A properly fitting helmet in good condition and is less than 5 years old. Water bottle and snacks. Clothing appropriate for the weather. Tools for moving the seat up and down if necessary. Pack to carry layers, snacks, tools and water.

Recommended gear: Full-fingered gloves. Knee and elbow protection. Eye protection. Tools and supplies to change a flat tire (with assistance!).

Suspension Clinic — Bounce House x NWTA - 10/5
2024-10-05 12:00 - 16:00
This is your chance to get your suspension dialed in with a session alongside a Bounce House suspension tech at Rocky Point.

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Do you ever struggle with setting up your suspension correctly? Do you ever drop into a new line wondering if your suspension is giving you the best performance possible?Get rid of those worries and snag a hands-on session with a suspension technician from Bounce House!This free clinic will give you the chance to grab an hour-long session with a suspension expert. Bounce House will focus on a technique called bracketing. You will establish baselines at both extremes of your settings. Take notes, and then adjust based on your findings. The goal is to settle on the perfect settings while gaining knowledge around the feeling of the extreme ends of your settings. Giving you the knowledge you need to make informed adjustments when riding different terrain types and trail styles.

DateOctober 5th from 12:00pm to 3:00pm

LocationRocky PointBounce House will set up at the road crossing on The BusThis will give riders the ability to do laps on The Bus, Axolotl, and Pillow Talk.GPS coordinates : 45.685320 -122.896045Please ride in and be ready at the location above 10 minutes before the event.*Be ready to pedal!

4 Hour Session Details:Check-in & overview — 12:00 – 12:30Lap, take notes, and adjust settings — 12:30 – 4:00

Sign-upGrab a ticket and show up!Please be ready to go 10 minutes before your start time.

ConsiderationsThis clinic will focus on bracketing your settings to help you figure out what works best for your riding style. Come prepared ready to take notes!Questions?Please reach out to charliek@nw-trail.org with any questions.

Body Positioning Presentation: Ladies AllRide x NW Trail Sisters - 2/26
2025-02-26 18:30 - 20:30
Proper body positioning can elevate your riding! Join Ladies AllRide and NW Trail Sisters for a night of tips and tricks!

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Get a jump start on your 2025 riding season with some great tips on body positioning from Ladies AllRide coach Ali Halpin!

Ever heard the phrase “just get back!”? We will debunk this and show you proper techniques and body positioning for a variety of trail features. In order to be the pilots of our bike and not the passengers, we need to understand the balance points when the bike changes angles beneath us.

We will cover things like corning, technical terrain, climbing, jumps, and drops to learn how proper body positioning can elevate your riding!

This is a free social event hosted by Ladies AllRide and NW Trail Sisters.

You do not need to bring your bike! Ali Halpin from Ladies AllRide will be presenting and discussing body positioning tips for you to apply next time you’re on the trail 🙂

Questions about this event? Email carriej@nw-trail.org.

Trail Sisters Bike Maintenance Clinic at Metropolis Cycles - 3/13
2025-03-13 18:30 - 20:30
Join NW Trail Sisters for an evening of learning about mountain bike maintenance.

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Join NW Trail Sisters and Metropolis Cycles for a night of learning trailside hacks and all about drivetrains!

We’ll have a Q&A at the beginning and instruction from Metropolis mechanics. The focus will be on mountain bike drivetrain replacement (chain, casette).

Do you have a bike maintenance question you’d like answered during this clinic? Write it down and bring it up during the Q&A!

Participation is limited to 20 people. We ask that if you register, please keep your commitment and show up. If you are unable to attend, please cancel your Eventbrite ticket at least 24 hours before the event so your spot can be offered to someone else.

This event is open to women and nonbinary riders of all skill levels and experience.

We will have snacks and beverages for you as well!

Questions? Email Carrie: carriej@nw-trail.org

Ride Leader Training with NWTA - 5/15
2025-05-15 17:30 - 20:30
Ever wanted to help support NWTA’s group rides? Interested in building your leadership skills out on the trails? Join us!

register here

Have you ever volunteered to lead a group ride and found yourself in over your head?

Unsure how to manage multiple skill levels and puzzled by what to do when riders go different paces?

Have you wanted to sweep a mountain bike race, but wished you had more background going into it?

Ever wanted to help with a group ride and wondered if you’re a “good enough” rider?

NWTA’s Ride Leader Training helps prepare you to confidently lead and sweep group rides–like Good GRVL! or Good Dirt! with River City Bicycles–and teaches you to anticipate the types of things that happen when folks ride in groups.

This class is for anyone who wants to share their love for the trails with others and is looking to gain experience to lead or sweep a ride. This class is also a great intro for those interested in becoming a certified Ride Leader through the Bike Instructor Certification Program (Visit https://icp.bike/ride-leader/ for more information.)

During this class we will help prepare you to host a ride as a volunteer ride leader or sweep rider (who picks up the rear and troubleshoots problems). We’ll cover basic preparation, how to plan your ride, important considerations for the day, and how to assess whether your riders are up for the trail you have in mind.

You will also learn how to accurately describe the trail, how to pace your group, and communication expectations for the ride. We will discuss the difference between a skills instructor and a ride leader, review important safety considerations, and practice skills to help you monitor your riders, as well as what to do if something unexpected happens along the way!

Rider Experience: beginner to advanced! You don’t have to be an advanced or even intermediate to lead a ride!

Bike: For this class, you may bring a mountain bike, hybrid or e-bike in good working condition with tires suitable for dirt trails. No kickstands or street/smooth tires. Flat pedals are recommended but not required. Fenders are OK as long as they don’t make noise or interfere with the seat, because we may move the seat up and down for some of the skills.

Required Gear:

-A properly fitting helmet in good condition and is less than 5 years old.

-Water bottle and snacks

-Clothing appropriate for the weather

-Tools for moving the seat up and down if necessary

-Pack to carry layers, snacks, tools and water

Recommended Gear:

-Full-fingered gloves

-Knee and elbow protection

-Eye protection

-Tools and supplies to change a flat tire

A note on cost and volunteer commitment: NWTA is offering this training to our members free of charge, with the expectation that participants will seek out at least two opportunities to lead or sweep NWTA social rides in the 2025 riding season.

For more information, please contact Eric Oliver at erico@nw-trail.org
