Spring Youth Mountain Bike Camp

REGISTRATION OPENING March 1st 2026, 7pm
sponsored by Sun ridge Pharmacy

You must be a 2026 Bike Cochrane member and logged into your Communal Account to register.
Be sure to add your family members to your account under “Family Info”
Registration will be under Programs and Events

Every Spring, Bike Cochrane is puts on a 5-week youth mountain bike camp right here in town at the Buffalo Bean Trails. This camp is volunteer based with certified PMBIA mountain bike coaches. It's about getting kids stoked on bikes, having fun on two wheels and just being outside! Rain or shine we will get out and ride (within reason of course). Thank goodness for the new gazebo!

This program is First Come First Serve. This is a very popular program and space is limited, don’t hesitate to grab your spot!

When: Monday and Tuesday Evenings - May 4/5 to June 1/2, 2026
Time: 6pm - 8pm
Where: The Buffalo Bean Trail (Cochrane Ag Society)
Who: This program is geared towards ages 6-11, but if you have a confident 5-year old cyclist, or a 12-year old that is looking to get into the sport, we are open to them joining as well.
Cost: $90.00 per person for a 5-week session, 10 hours of instruction, weather dependant.

We aim to have several Professional Mountain Bike Instructor Association (PMBIA) certified coaches on hand to be able to split the group into similar abilities, so everyone gets the most out of the time. That being said, the more coaches we have, the more kids we can accommodate. Are you a certified mountain bike coach willing to volunteer your time, get in touch! We’ll also have a couple highly skilled local teenage helpers to keep track of everyone.

Skill or experience requirements:

• Riders should have exposure to riding on dirt trails, and a proper mountain bike with working gear shifters and brakes.

• We’ll practice riding up and down hills on off-road terrain, so riders should be able to at least reach their brake levers and have some idea how they work.

Spring Girls Mountain Bike Camp

Beginner + Intermediate this year

Back for another year, through funding from Every Kid Can Play Grant, Bike Cochrane is offering a 5-week girls-only mountain bike camp at the Buffalo Bean Trails. We will have 6 spots for beginner girls, and 6 intermediate girls who are 12-15 years old looking to get comfortable on a mountain bike.

When: Tuesday (beginner) and Thursday (intermediate) Evenings - May 4th to June 4th, 2026
Time: 6pm - 8pm
Where: The Buffalo Bean Trail (Cochrane Ag Society)
Who: This program is for girls only, 12-15 years old looking to learn mountain biking in a fun and welcoming environment with Coach Richelle (Thursday) and Coach Mel (Tuesday).
Cost: $90.00 per person for a 5-week session, 10 hours of instruction, weather dependant.

Skill or experience requirements:

• Riders should have exposure to riding on dirt trails, and a proper mountain bike with working gear shifters and brakes.

• We’ll practice riding up and down hills on off-road terrain, so riders should be able to at least reach their brake levers and have some idea how they work.

2026 ARA Mountain Bike Team
— Any Ride Any Time

ARA is for riders ages 12 - 15 who have progressed beyond what Bike Cochrane youth camps offer and are ready for more. This team is about continued progression — on our local trails and out into bigger terrain like Moose Mountain (permit pending) and Exshaw — working toward enduro racing.

This program is First Come First Serve. This is a very popular program and space is limited, don’t hesitate to grab your spot! Only Bike Cochrane members can register.

When: April 16 to June 7, 2026
Thursday Evenings 6pm - 8pm
Sunday Afternoons - 1pm - 3pm (may run longer if we are shuttling Moose)

Cost: $250.00 per person for a 7-week session, twice a week, weather dependant

Riders should:
Be comfortable on blue-level and some tame black level mountain trails
Be capable of completing a 2-hour mountain ride with sustained climbing and descending, and be self-sufficient in doing so
Bring a positive attitude and willingness to be challenged — we’ll be pushing our abilities, so attitude matters

We’ll train twice weekly (Thursday evenings and Sundays), focusing not just on speed, but on becoming well-rounded mountain bikers.

Sessions will focus on:
Technical skill development
Enduro-specific fitness and bike handling
Strength, mobility, and injury prevention
Mental resilience and race mindset
Nutrition fundamentals
Trail building session(s) to understand and appreciate the work behind the trails we ride

We’ll encourage participation in the Buffalo Bean weekly XC and Gravity Series, the Moose Mountain “Fiver” races, and plan to ride together at the Red Deer Enduro and the Bee’s Knees Enduro in Crowsnest Pass.

ARA is more than a race team. It’s about building a capable, respectful riding community that represents Bike Cochrane with pride — on any trail, any time.

We plan to participate in the Moose Mountain “Fiver” races (schedule TBD — last year included June 5 and June 19, with additional races in September), the Red Deer Lungbuster Enduro (date pending), and the Bee’s Knees Enduro in Crowsnest Pass, typically held in early September.

Limited space available due to program logistics.

Requirements:

• A Bike Cochrane membership
• A mountain bike (full suspension preferred)
• Functioning gears
• Front and rear brakes that work
• Appropriate size bike
• Closed toed shoes. No Sandals please! Runners or skate shoes are perfect.
• A helmet that fits (Full face recommended when we are at Moose Mountain)
• Gloves, Glasses, knee pads and elbow pads are recommended

This program is First Come First Serve. This is a very popular program and space is limited, don’t hesitate to grab your spot!

T-shirt Sizing: XS(2-4), S(6-8), M(10-12), L(14-16), XL(18-20)

Any questions can be directed to Ryan at ryan@bikecochrane.com