Written by Elaine Bothe, NWTA Instructor
“What should I carry in my pack?” was a question a student asked during the NWTA Intro to Ride Leader Training session held on August 7, 2022, at Rocky Point.
A sold-out group of six riders joined the class on a warm Sunday in August. Sticking to a particularly shady gravel road, the group discussed topics including how to assess your riders, doing bike and gear safety checks, what to do if somebody’s bike isn’t working properly, first aid training and what to do in case of an accident on the trail.
We also discussed how to describe an upcoming section of trail objectively to help set riders’ expectations, for example, how long a climb is in miles and elevation instead of words such as “short” or “not too steep” because something that is “short” or “not too steep” might actually be long and very steep to some people!
Other topics we covered involved how to adapt the ride when a rider may not have the skills or fitness required for the planned trail, if an injury happens, and, of course, what to carry in your pack! (An extra inner tube, gel packs, or other snacks
This class was presented by Elaine Bothe, who is a professional mountain bike instructor based in Portland. For other NWTA events, including skills classes for both kids and adults, trail building events and classes, and much more, see the Events page on the website.