COMMITTED TO SAFE MOUNTAIN BIKING EXPERIENCS FOR KIDS
A SAFE MOUNTAIN BIKING EXPERIENCE FOR KIDS
The team at Bike Austria is motivated to mountain bike for the same reason kids are. It is just so much fun. Kids are motivated for mountain biking because it is fun. We work with this motivation constructively towards our goal of developing complete and safe mountain bikers. It is important that parents understand that learning to ride a bike to school only requires that their child can stay on two wheels and have unrefined braking technique. Without the advanced skills required to mountain bike safely, the fun of riding more advanced trails quickly disappears for one of two reasons. First, attempting to ride fast, do a big jump or other trick that a child sees on Youtube will most certainly result in an accident. Second, lack of self-confidence, fear and/or anxiety while riding will overshadow the freedom and joy that comes with riding trails.
Our training is focused on rider progression. We start with fun exercises that teach our young riders proper position and braking techniques. We get the kids intimately familiar with how their bike turns. Did you know that their are three different forms of turning a bicycle and in which situation each is necessary? Our method is to teach these skills through various types of fun exercises and game play in safe environments. Only when the kids can demonstrate these basic skills, do we feel that riding trails can be done safely.
Once on the trails, we continue to assess each child to work on important skills required to improve their skill level. They start doing small jumps, increasing their speed, and riding over advanced terrain. The do this with the self-confidence that makes riding much more fun. In addition to self-confidence, the kids to develop an independence and self-reliance that they can apply to other aspects of their life.
Keeping mountain biking safe for kids plays a central role in this mission. That being said, it is important that parents understand that their are inherent risks to mountain biking that cannot be eliminated. We cannot guarantee absolute safety–no organization can. The certified guides on the Bike Austria Team always have safety at the forefront of their decision making.
Experienced Mountain Bike Guides Dedicated to Safety
Our Team works year-round to prepare our summer trips. We focus on putting the details in place in the off-season so that we can focus on the kids during the mountain bike camps. Consistent with focusing on a safe mountain biking experience, we are prepared to communicate with parents in the case of an accident, injury or illness that requires professional medical attention.
We have invested a tremendous amount of time and resources into developing our skills as guides. In addition to years of experiencing riding and racing, we have each completed an intensive certification process. The head of Bike Austria, Dr. Tracy Anderson, worked for 15 years as a medical professional before changing his career path and pursuing his passion for mountain biking.
Camp Design and Annual Safety Review
We design camps with age-appropriate challenges. We work with families to help them understand the details of our camps, so the kids come prepared for a fantastic mountain biking experience with Bike Austria. Every year, we perform a thorough review of our trips, partners and safety practices, drawing on valuable feedback from parents, participants, and partners. This review process enables us to continue to improve our camps and policies year after year.
Valued Partners
Throughout the year, we work with our local contacts for area-specific updates. For example, we collaborate with Bikepark Leogang on their trail development in order to improve the experience for our young riders. We work closely with the city of Mittersill to maintain Pump’n’Skills Park Mittersill in optimal condition for all kids.