A bit about your instructor - Michelle Davidson
Hi, I'm Michelle and I've lived in Forrest with my husband and two kids since mid 2019.
I am a PMBIA Level 1 Instructor and Guide, and also an AusCycling Development Instructor. I have a WWCC and First Aid. I'm on the Forrest MTB Club committee and I've been involved in the Forrest Trail Revitilisation Project working group.
I'm keen to help people get outside and enjoy mountain biking. By helping riders build a strong foundation with their skills in a safe and controlled environment, they can head out with more confidence to tackle features they find out on the trails.
How I ended up here in Forrest is a story of spontaneity, but what drew me here was mountain biking.
Sharing the bike love
For me, mtb has been such a positive addiction, I mean addition 😉 to my life! From carving out some "me" time as a mum with young kids, to building up fitness, finding new friends, growth and overcoming fears. Learning persistence to develop more technical skills, and developing resilience - the impact has been huge. It makes me want to introduce mtb to as many people as possible - but especially women. I love watching skills and confidence develop and the smiles as things begin to click into place.
Why Forrest?
I truly think Forrest is a wonderful location to learn and develop your mountain bike skills. There's a good range of green and blue trails for learning skills in a safe and controlled environment. We conduct most skills sessions at the Southern trailhead where the trails are wide and flowy, but happy to visit particular trails if there's something specific you want to work on. We also have the skills park right there at the trailhead to have a go on some different features and techniques without committing to a longer ride first.
Skills Sessions
Since starting Explore MTB in 2022 the most popular choice of session is a Intro to MTB session. This 2 hour session covers a little on each of the most important skills: body position, gears and brakes, cornering. This gives you a good foundation to start riding, or will improve some foundation skills for someone rides regularly but has never had a lesson.
A series of lessons is more effective than a single sesssion for those looking for more in depth and long term learning. It's better to focus on one set of skills for one session than try to cover everything too quickly - you want time to solidify your learning before you add the next layer of complexity. A series of 4 x weekly sessions could be a game changer for a keen rider. Talk to me about your goals for your riding and let's come up with a plan.
