New Rider Orientation

Know Before you go

What you wear to the bike park can make or break your day. See what clothing and equipment our bike park manager Nils recommends for a fun and safe day out on the mountain.

What to wear to the Bike Park

• Apparel: We recommend wearing a base layer of a long sleeved shirt & heavy duty shorts – avoid really thin materials.
• Helmets: Required at Windham Mountain Bike Park, and we highly recommend full-faced helmets.
• Gloves: Will help keep your grip on the handle bars, allowing you to easily pump the brakes when needed. They also provide protection, should you fall. We recommend full fingered gloves.
• Pads: Elbow and Knee pads are not required, but are highly recommended.
• Footwear: Fully closed, rubber soled sneakers are needed for riding and getting a good grip on the pedal.

Skills 101

We recommend practicing these skills before loading the lift:

• Braking: Keep index finger hovering over the brakes at all times, so you’re ready to go when you need to stop.
• Flat feet: Keep the pedals level for an even platform and maintain a good, athletic position which will allow you to be powerful on the bike. Avoid “the flamingo” stance.
• Body Positioning: Being able to shift your weight back and forth or side to side will make you feel confident and allow you to make adjustments to maneuver around obstacles.
• Lead with your Eyes: This is simple, yet very important. Wherever you look is where your bike is going to go.