Junior Clinic: Skills, Drills & Trails

Q: What type of bike is required for the youth clinic?

Bike Requirements Include: Mountain bike equipped with knobby tires that are 1.75 inches or wider Bikes with multiple gears including at least five cogs in the rear Bikes with both front and rear hand-operated brakes Bikes inspected by a bicycle mechanic before the camp The entire bike must be in perfect operational condition (brakes, gears, wheels, fasteners, and bearings correctly mounted, lubricated and adjusted). We request no ebikes for the camp unless necessary.

For Young Riders Ready to Progress

Your child, ages 8-12 and ready to level up their mountain bike skills, will spend three days progressing their bike handling while having an absolute blast in Oakridge!

Coach Dennis’s 3-day camp is designed to help your child learn mountain biking in a safe, fun, and controlled setting. With a teaching philosophy that puts play at the center of learning, your rider will have a genuine good time on their bike while you enjoy everything MBO has to offer.

What They’ll Learn

Using a variety of modular equipment and skills park features, Coach Dennis incorporates learning tools that include jumping ramps and landers, plus bump jumps. Kids will have tons of opportunities to practice fundamental trail skills through games and challenges that keep the stoke factor high.

We believe youth learn best when having fun, so drills, skills, and play are woven together throughout the entire experience. Your rider will progress from skills park work to real single-track riding on some of Oakridge’s best trails.

The Schedule

Thursday Evening: 5:30-6pm
Meet and greet for all Junior Clinic participants (look for signs near the air bags area).

Friday through Sunday: 9:00am-1:30pm

Friday: We start at the MBO campus on the Westfir Portal, then shuttle to Diamond View Skills Park for a full session working on fundamentals in a controlled setting.

Saturday: Shuttled ride on Alpine Trail, the crown jewel of Oakridge trails. A perfect place to apply what they learned on Friday!

Sunday: Out and back ride on the shady and lush North Fork and Middle Fork Willamette River Trail. A beautiful way to finish the weekend.

What’s Included

Three days of expert instruction from Coach Dennis
Two shuttled days (Friday to skills park, Saturday to Alpine)
Daily lunch (included in clinic price)
Camping along the river (included in clinic price)
All beverages and refreshments (included in clinic price)
Access to MBO festival grounds, evening entertainment, vendor expo, and demo bikes
Thursday evening meet and greet

Important Details

Age & Skill Level: 8-12 years old, high beginner to intermediate riders. We can discuss individual needs as they arise.

Capacity: Limited to 12 participants

Parent Requirement: At least one parent must be registered for MBO as either a ride package participant or a non-riding participant.

Breakfast: Breakfast is an optional add-on ($45 for all three days) available during registration.

Early Arrival Option: Staff will be available at 7:30am for parents who need to take earlier morning shuttles. Our team can assist your junior clinic participant with picking up their breakfast and lunch so you can get on your shuttle before our 9am clinic start time.

Pricing: $525

Ready to Join?

Register your young rider and get ready for three days of skills, drills, and pure trail fun! Questions? Reach out to us.

Our Safety and Intention Details

The number one priority at Mountain Bike Oregon’s Junior Clinics is the safety of all participants. The instructors at MBO are committed to providing fun instruction for all students based on skill level and physical strengths. Junior participants are asked to assess their own strengths and skill sets, and at times, challenge themselves. Instructors will always be available for assistance, but participants are responsible for their own personal needs.

Program Director, Dennis Sibilia-Young is a certified mountain bike instructor with extensive experience teaching youth mountain biking programs throughout Oregon and nationwide.

Frequently Asked Questions

How was the curriculum for the Youth Clinic designed?

The program follows the curriculum standards of the PMBIA Professional Mountain Bike Instructor Association. Curriculum is progression-based wherein fundamental skills are the basis for intermediate and advanced skills. Games and drills are employed extensively.

My child’s bike skills are higher/lower than their age. Which clinic is best for my child?

Great question! We have two junior clinics designed for different skill levels and ages:

Skills, Drills & Trails (ages 8-12): This clinic is perfect for riders with at least basic mountain biking skills up to intermediate level. Coach Dennis focuses on building fundamentals through games, skills park work, and some awesome singletrack riding.

Advanced Teen Clinic (ages 13-17): This clinic is for teens with high level skills, solid endurance, and who are ready to shuttle and ride trails each day with Coach Robbie.

During our Friday sessions at the skills park our Coaches will assess real skill levels and make adjustments as needed. If you’re unsure which clinic is the best fit for your child, we’re happy to chat with you about it! Reach out and we can help you decide.

Camp starts after my 7:30 AM shuttle leaves, help!

For early-morning arrivals (e.g., parent’s shuttle departs at 7:30 AM), please talk to the coaches at the meet and greet on Thursday evening. If you can’t make the meeting, please reach out ahead of time, but no matter, we will be able to connect with your child early enough that you can make your shuttle.

What type of bike is required for the youth clinic?

Bike Requirements Include:

- Mountain bike equipped with knobby tires that are 1.75 inches or wider
- Bikes with multiple gears including at least five cogs in the rear
- Bikes with both front and rear hand-operated brakes
- Bikes inspected by a bicycle mechanic before the camp

The entire bike must be in perfect operational condition (brakes, gears, wheels, fasteners, and bearings correctly mounted, lubricated and adjusted).

We request no ebikes for the camp unless necessary.

What riding & other gear is required for the youth clinic?

Each youth rider should be equipped with:

Light day snacks in your child’s day pack to compliment the MBO provided lunch
Bike Requirements:
- Mountain bike equipped with knobby tires that are 1.75 inches or wider
- Bikes with multiple gears including at least five cogs in the rear
- Bikes with both front and rear hand-operated brakes
- Bikes inspected by a bicycle mechanic before the camp
Other Equipment Requirements:
- Backpack with 1 liter of water, snack, and jacket
- Spare inner tube, hand pump, tire levers, and micro tool
- Correctly fitted bicycle helmet
- Close-toe shoes
- Recommended full-finger gloves and eye protection

My child is younger than the list ages, but is ready for your camp. Can they join?

Please reach out to us directly if your child has skills that are above the ages listed for the camps and our instructors can discuss on a case by case basis.

Anything special about brake levers?

Brake levers that can be adjusted for young hands are an important component for safe mountain bike riding.

We urge you to set up your child’s bike with brake levers that allow finger-reach to be adjusted for short fingers. Adjustable brake levers are typically found on hydraulic mountain bike brake systems.

What if my child isn’t ready to ride singletrack?

Not a problem! We have our new MBO Youth Day Camp Option for kids 5-8 years old or if they aren’t quite ready for riding single-track and being in a bike clinic for 3 days.