2024 Ride, Empower and Connect Women’s Mountain Bike Camp (REC)

This is the second annual REC camp, in which 22 local women ages 18 and up will connect to their community, have fun, and build skills. Four groups of beginner to intermediate+ riders will be taught by PMBIA-certified coaches, get amazing swag, and rip it up on Cochrane’s local trails. Note: this is a change from last year! We will endeavour to hire a Level 2 PMBIA coach if we have enough interest from strong intermediate+ riders! Participants are chosen by lottery, sorted by skill, and can live in any neighbouring municipality if Cochrane is their closest trail system. 30% of spaces are reserved first for LGBTQ2S+, low-income, and BIPOC participants; non-binary folks who are comfortable in women-oriented spaces are welcome. 

All of our coaches are local, certified mountain bike instructors through the Professional Mountain Bike Instructor Certification (PMBIA) and are certified in Standard First Aid or higher. 

Weekend Schedule

*exact schedule subject to change 

Friday, September 13th

5:30 -6:15pm -  Check-in (get packages,jerseys,  mingle), welcome, review of weekend 6:15 - 8:15  -  Big Hill Cycle’s bike repair and trailside maintenance workshop 8:15 - Prize draw, goodbye until tomorrow!

Saturday, September 14th

9:00 - 9:15am  -  Welcome/Safety/Bike Check/Land Acknowledgment 9:15 - 10:00am  -  Group sorting ride 10:15 - Noon  -  Group assignments and clinic #1  Noon - 12:45pm   -   Lunch
12:45 - 1:15pm   -   Nutrition Talk (Fuelling for mountain biking)
1:15 - 3:00pm  -  Clinic #2 and ride
3:30- 4:30pm   -    Yoga for Mountain Bikers Session
4:45 -  Day Wrap Up, prize draw

Sunday, September 15th

9:00 - 9:15am  -   Welcome/Safety/Bike Check/Land Acknowledgment
9:15 - 10:45am  -   Clinic #1
10:45 - 11:00am  -   Snack Break
11:00 - 12:00pm  -   Clinic #2 12:00 - 12:45pm   -  Lunch
12:45 - 3:45 - Longer trail ride, apply skills 4:00 – 5:00pm  -   Weekend Wrap-up

All instructors/coaches are certified mountain bike instructors/coaches through the Professional Mountain Bike Instructor Certification (PMBIA) and are certified in Standard First Aid or higher.

Mandatory Gear List for Clinic

1 Mountain bike in good working order.  If you are not sure, please feel free to email grants@bikecochrane.com with a photo and description of your bike, and we will help you determine whether it’s good to go. All bikes should:

• Have had a recent service at a bike shop (or equivalent)

• Be a true mountain bike (no fat bikes)

• Have disc brakes

• Have front shocks 

• Have rear shock (preferable)

• Fit you properly 

2 bike helmet – fits properly and is no more than 5 years old

3 appropriate riding clothing such as cycling shorts/pants and jersey. We also request that you carry a jacket and everything you will need for the weekend (we will ride in almost any weather!)

4 appropriate foot wear (we recommend a MTB shoe such as a Ride Concept with a flat, soft, sticky sole). Running shoes are not ideal. Clipless shoes are fine as long as this is normally how you ride and are comfortable doing so.

5 Full fingered bike gloves 

6 Backpack or hip pack that can fit snacks, extra clothing and water  

7 Flat tire repair kit

• a spare tube - even if your bike is set up with tubeless tires, it is a good idea to carry a tube as a back-up

• bike pump or CO2 Inflator

• tire levers

• a bike-specific multi-tool

Sounds amazing, how do I join?!

The application will be available on this page from July 1st to 15th, so set a reminder and bookmark it! Participants are chosen by lottery, sorted by skill, and can live in any neighbouring municipality if Cochrane is their closest trail system. 30% of spaces are reserved first for LGBTQ2S+, low-income, and BIPOC participants; non-binary folks who are comfortable in women-oriented spaces are welcome. If there are not seven applicants who meet this description, the spots will go back into the general lottery.

Before filling out the application below please confirm the following:

1 I am a current Bike Cochrane member. If you are not, please purchase your membership before applying,

Because this is a grant-funded program, we require that all participants fully commit to attending on these dates (barring an emergency or similar unforeseen circumstance)." 

2 I can commit to the weekend of September 13th – 15th

Friday 5:30pm – 8:15pm
Saturday 9am – 5pm
Sunday 9am – 3pm

3 I am happy to complete the application package thoroughly (will take 15-25 minutes) and if I am successful in securing a spot, I will complete a post-REC survey(s) as well.

4 I have a functioning mountain bike and all required equipment (mentioned above).

5 I acknowledge the Bike Cochrane community is full of members whose diversity spans race, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, ethnicity, age, and ability;in the REC program, diversity is welcome and celebrated and we aspire to cultivate an inclusive environment and be a safe(r) space. We rely on out community members to hold similar values of respect, empowerment, and belonging. Anyone who cannot agree to this will be asked to leave.

If you answered yes to ALL 5 of the above questions, please continue below.
Application Deadline: July 15, 2024
Recipients will be notified by August 7th, 2024

Huge shout out to our sponsors, thank you!!!

Our amazing key sponsors are Fox Factory’s Trail Trust and Devinci’s Community Grant Program (supported by Fox Factory, Maxxis, Marzocci, Race Face, Abus, SDG, Maxima, ODI, and Ride Concepts). Big Hill Cycle will support with a bike maintenance and repair workshop, and many more sponsors will be announced in the coming weeks! We are actively seeking sponsors for lunch, snacks, prizes and more - if you are a business and would like to support this amazing program, please contact grants@bikecochrane.com