aMTB Certification Course
SITE REQUIREMENTS
- Bathroom facilities
- Parking
- A water source for filling water bottles and hydration packs is needed
- Skills area must offer shade via trees, covered areas, portable pop-up tents, etc., as students will be spending 8-10 hours outside on bikes each day
- A covered pavilion with picnic tables is ideal for discussion and worksheet portions of the training
*A covered area or building that can accommodate participants and bikes must be available in the case of inclement weather.
SKILLS AREA REQUIREMENTS
A flat area roughly the size of a basketball court at a minimum (40′ x 80′) that is grass, cement, or dirt – something that provides good traction as riders will be doing lots of circling and turning around in this area. Grass or artificial turf is preferred, with no gravel.
SKILLS FEATURE REQUIREMENTS
Climbing Skills
- Small dirt or grass hill with a gradually increasing grade 20-40 ft in length.
Steep Terrain
- 45 degrees or more, at least 20 feet in length
- Level 1 – non-technical Blue Trails
Corners
- Approximately 90-degree turn (up to 180 degrees)
Elevated Features
- Level 1 – 2 x 6 flat board
- Level 1 – man-made elevated feature 4 inches off the ground (i.e.. Skinny)
INCLEMENT WEATHER PLAN
In the case of inclement weather, what will be a backup plan for on-bike skills training? Examples are covered pavilions, a large barn, a ballroom-sized activity room, etc. We need approximately 60-80 square feet of a protected area.
DISTANCE TO AMENITIES
The outdoor portion of the training includes a 30-minute lunch break.
HOST DUTIES
Individuals, businesses, land managers, and program directors can all serve as course hosts. The host for a BICP course is the point of contact and our on-the-ground local knowledge source. A host’s duties are minimal but essential to ensure a successful certification event.
Some examples of host duties are:
- Confirming that the chosen site meets all the BICP requirements.
- Gaining any permissions needed to use the land and providing permit fee information to the BICP.
- Pre-event communication with BICP’s Instructor Trainer to confirm details.
- Receive course handout paperwork and deliver it to the Instructor Trainer (IT) upon his/her arrival.
- Give the IT a tour of the area that will be used for the certification course.
- Make sure any facilities that the BICP will be utilizing are unlocked prior to the course start each day.