What you'll learn in a Women's MTB Clinic

The sport of mountain biking has been growing rapidly, and the number of women we see on the trails of Morzine, Finale Ligure and all over the UK and other riding spots is growing too, which is awesome to see, proving that getting out for a bike ride really is for everyone!

Since 2019, Atlas Ride Co have been hosting Women's Coaching Camps in Morzine Bike Park and Finale Ligure, aimed at women looking to get faster and safer on the trails, with the guidance given in a safe and high-stoke environment!

The first Clinic

When we first unveiled the women's camps in 2019, we did it in the dusty, rocky trails of Finale Ligure, home countless steep, rocky Enduro trails that make this place one of the best riding spots in the world. Hosted by Sandra, a German MTB coach and racer (with IXS and European wins, as well as EWS Challenger Champion on her resumé), who now calls Finale Ligure home, and knows the trails like the back of her hand.

Limited to just 12 students, the first Womens Blow Your Limits Camp was a huge success. The group signed up to learn, and learn they did!

The goals of the week were;

How to handle your bike on any kind of terrain, rocky, steep, fast, technical and in the air, you'll go through it all.
How to approach a complete trail and sections of trail, learn line choice and adjust your mindset to gain confidence.
How to flip an intimidating trail situation into a positive one.
How to set up your bike in the most effective way to maximise your riding time and enjoyment.
How to corner like a Goddess.
How to have fun on your bike, if you are having fun your are usually going fast

How did Sandra get everyone having fun and shredding on their bikes I hear you ask? Well, a dedicated, week long program, starting with bike set up and foundation skills, before full days dedicated to;

Corners, Jumps and Drops - how to best carry speed through flat and berm corners, how to manage your body and bike over jumps and obstacles on the trail and drops, working from small to larger.
Line choice - Line choice may sound like all about racing, but the session focused on reading the terrain in front of you, and picking the best line you can.
How to keep the flow - We'll spend the morning on flow trails getting back up to speed and focused on enjoyment, progression and flow.

On top of all of that, we set aside time for rest and recovery, which is so important to getting the best out of your riding (and enjoying the beaches and attractions of Finale Ligure...).

The Morzine Camps

The location may change, and we swap the sea for mountain lakes, but the camp ethos and vibe remains the same! Hosted by Emily Horridge, ex-World Cup racer and coach who calls the vast riding area of Bourg St Maurice home, Emily brings a wealth of experience and unmatched stoke to her classes. Calling Emily and ex-Racer may be doing her a disservice, having won a Masters DH World Championship as recently as 2021, so you're definitely in safe hands!

Hosted in Apartment Chapelle, the Womens MTB Coaching Camp covers the following;

Bike Set-Up & Body Position - running through everything from cockpit and suspension set up, tyre pressures and just general guidance on why some things work and others don't when setting a bike up. Emily also looks at body positioning and how we can adjust it to better handle what the trails throw at us.

Cornering & Brake Technique - Simply broken down into where and when to brake, and where not to brake, this session gives you the confidence to approaching obstacles and corners with the right speed, and not too fast or too slow. This is a fundamental element to riding bikes and will be critical all week long.

Drops - Something that is daunting to so many, Emily will teach you the correct way to approach drops, and builds up using progressive bike park built drops, as well as natural drops.

Jumps - As you get faster, wheels are gonna leave the ground! Whether it's how to clear a table top or how to throw whips, jumping is cool and necessary. Emily will teach you how to pop jumps, as well as squash jumps you want to stay low on.

The Tech - Morzine isn't all bike park, with plenty of tech and steeps to be found! After the week polishing the skills, you'll be ready to put it all together, confidently handling whatever the trail throws at you.