Registration for now open for 2018!
Leadership Academy’s Mountain Bike Camp is a great way for the young cyclist in your family to enjoy nature and improve their skills. Riders learn bike maintenance, bike set-up and a variety of riding techniques to help them get the most out of their time on the bike.
Beginner Mountain Bike Camp
- Who: Campers entering Grades 6-10
- What: Mountain Biking Camp
- When: June 18-22, 2018
- Where: Deep Well Trailhead, Percy Warner Park
- What to Bring: Mountain Bike, Helmet, Lunch, Weather-appropriate clothing and a plastic water bottle.
- Time: 9:00 am-4:00 pm Drop-off begins 8:45am, Pick-up begins 4:00pm. (Before and after care is also available for Mountain Biking Camp. You will just register for it as an add-on when purchasing the camp. This is from 7:45am-5:15pm)
- What to Bring: Mountain Bike, Helmet, Lunch, Weather-appropriate clothing and a plastic water bottle
- Price: $350
Riders learn the basics of riding their mountain bike on the trails. In addition, they will learn about bike maintenance, bike set-up and a variety of riding skills to help them enjoy their riding even more. The camps are full of cycling activities that keep things fun and challenging. Along the way riders are learning important STEM Concepts (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math). STEM Concepts are a focal point in ongoing education. So even if camp participants are having too much fun to realize it, they are learning skills that will aid them in their educational development. Campers will also get to participate in traditional camp activities too like crafts, games and nature education.
Camp kicks off with a collaborative bike build and tune-up, pressure comparison tests, and seat position experiments. This gives campers a chance to learn about leverage, friction, force, and engineering design. Starting with this focus on bike set up, basic maintenance and safety offers a great foundation for the skills and techniques campers will learn throughout the week, while some slow races give them a chance to get accustomed to the terrain.
Once campers know how to better build and maintain their mountain bike, we teach fundamentals of bike control, which improves bike navigation, riding speed and overall cycling techniques. Correct body positioning, cornering, pumping, and braking skills are essential to bike control, and are a great way to learn STEM concepts like calculating averages, understanding energy, and finding your center of gravity, before putting those new skills to test with a Pump-Distance Challenge.
While learning STEM concepts is more and more important for academic and professional success, it’s also the secret to mastering the ins and outs of mountain biking. Above all, we want campers to leave with a love for cycling, learning, and healthy living. Mountain Bike Camp is the perfect way for the teens in your life to be active, build community, and learn enriching skills while enjoying the beauty of the outdoors.
Experienced Mountain Bike Camp
- Who: Campers entering Grades 6-10
- What: Mountain Biking Camp
- When: July 9-13, 2018
- Where: Deep Well Trailhead, Percy Warner Park
- What to Bring: Mountain Bike, Helmet, Lunch, Weather-appropriate clothing and a plastic water bottle.
- Time: 9:00 am-4:00 pm Drop-off begins 8:45am, Pick-up begins 4:00pm. (Before and after care is also available for Mountain Biking Camp. You will just register for it as an add-on when purchasing the camp. This is from 7:45am-5:15pm)
- What to Bring: Mountain Bike, Helmet, Lunch, Weather-appropriate clothing and a plastic water bottle
- Price: $350
Riders learn bike maintenance, bike set-up and a variety of riding skills to help them enjoy their riding even more. The camps are full of cycling activities that keep things fun and challenging. Along the way riders are learning important STEM Concepts (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math). STEM Concepts are a focal point in ongoing education. So even if camp participants are having too much fun to realize it, they are learning skills that will aid them in their educational development.Extra BMX and Trials bikes can be provided by Cycling Causes.
Camps held in Nashville, TN utilize Percy Warner Park’s 8 miles of trails and all kinds of interesting terrain to ride around and over.
Day One:
- Themes: Bike Set-up and Maintenance. Proper Bike Fit. Safety. Looking at different types of bike/design for purpose.
- Activities: Hands-on bike build and tune-up. Tire pressure comparison test. Seat position experiment. How to read the terrain. Slow races.
- STEM Concepts: Leverage, Friction, Force, Engineering Design.
Day Two:
- Themes: Body Positioning, Pumping, Cornering, Braking
- Activities: Figure Eights, Average Speed and Braking Exercise, Techniques for different kinds of corners, Pump-Distance challenge.
- STEM Concepts: Energy, Center of Gravity, Calculating Averages.
Day Three:
- Themes: Fundamentals of Balance, Introduction to Trials Riding, Bike Control.
- Activities: Balancing in place, Beginnings of a Wheelie, Pedal Kicks, Dealing with Obstacles, Mini Trials Competition.
- STEM Concepts: Gyroscopic stability, Opposing Forces, Stored and Kinetic Energy.
Day Four:
- Themes: Dealing with Obstacles in the trail, Maintaining Momentum and Flow.
- Activities: Small Jumps, Riding the rear wheel, Getting over obstacles, Step-up Challenge.
- STEM Concepts: Systems of Constant Energy in Different Forms – Chemical Energy, Mechanical Energy, Gravitational Forces, etc.
Day Five:
Themes: FUN with all that’s been learned.
Activities: Riding and fun competitions.
STEM Concepts: Review and Importance of STEM Learning. Positive effects of Cycling and Healthy Living on our communities
Leadership Academy’s Mountain Bike Camp is a partnership with Nashville Metro Parks.
