Ever ridden up to a wooden bridge, skinny or elevated feature and thought, "I'm not sure about that one"?
Perhaps you've slowed right down, walked around it, watched someone else ride it or simply decided it wasn't for you.
You're not alone!
Wooden features can look intimidating, particularly when you're unsure how to approach them, where to look or what your bike needs to be doing. But like any mountain biking skill, confidence comes from understanding the technique, breaking things down and having the opportunity to practise in a supportive environment.
That's exactly what our Trail Queens Conquering Wooden Features Clinic is all about.
Why learn to ride wooden features?
Wooden features are a great way to challenge yourself and develop skills that translate into so much more than just riding bridges and skinnies.
They encourage you to become more aware of your body position, balance, bike control and where you're looking. These are all valuable skills that will help you become a more confident and capable mountain biker.
Learning to ride wooden features can help you:
Improve your balance: Develop better control over your bike when riding narrow or elevated surfaces.
Build confidence: Learn how to approach features that might previously have felt intimidating.
Improve your body position: Understand how to stay centred, relaxed and balanced on your bike.
Develop better bike control: Practise making small adjustments to your steering, speed and body movements.
Look where you want to go: Understand why looking ahead, rather than down at your front wheel, makes such a difference.
Expand your riding comfort zone: Gain the confidence to have a go at features you might previously have avoided.
Why Sugar Bag Mountain Bike Park?
Sugar Bag Mountain Bike Park is home to unique wooden features that provide a fantastic opportunity to build on these skills.
Rather than simply encountering a wooden feature unexpectedly out on the trail, our clinic gives you dedicated time to understand how to approach it, practise the techniques and build your confidence progressively.
We'll break things down into manageable steps, allowing you to focus on the skills you need rather than feeling pressured to tackle something before you're ready.
Whether you're already comfortable riding some wooden features or tend to give them a wide berth, there's plenty to learn from understanding the fundamentals.
We start small and build up as much as you are comfortable with.
What will you get out of the clinic?
During the clinic, we'll work on:
Understanding how to approach wooden features.
Finding the right body position for balance and control.
Developing your ability to look ahead and maintain focus.
Managing your speed and maintaining momentum.
Practising balance and controlled steering.
Building confidence through progressive practice.
You'll leave with a better understanding of what your bike needs to do, what your body needs to do and how to approach wooden features with more confidence.
And hopefully, a few more skills in your mountain biking toolkit!
You don't need to be fearless. You just need to be willing to learn.
At Trail Queens, we believe mountain biking should be about enjoying the ride, challenging yourself at your own pace and celebrating the little wins along the way.
You don't need to be the fastest rider, the most experienced or the one who always takes the hardest line.
You just need a willingness to give something new a go.
Our women-only coaching environment is supportive, encouraging and free from pressure. We'll help you work through the techniques, build your confidence and celebrate your progress – whatever that looks like for you.
Do you want to feel confident, calm and in control when approaching and riding the wooden features at Sugar Bag? Join our new Conquer Wooden Features Clinic at Sugar Bag MTB Park, Caloundra.
This supportive, no-pressure and progressive session is designed to help you overcome nerves, build trust in your technique, and ride these features with confidence and control.
We’ll start small and work our way up — sessioning each feature, breaking down the steps, and giving you personalised feedback so you feel safe, capable and proud of what you achieve.
What You’ll Learn
Balance and stability techniques for narrow or elevated structures
How to approach wooden features with the right body position and where to look
Progressive feature-by-feature practice to build skills step by step
Dates:
Sunday, 29th November - 10.00 am and
Sunday, 6th December 10.00 am
Each session will run for 1 ½ - 2 hours. You need to be available for both sessions.
Read our latest blog to find out further information.
“This clinic has really helped me refine fundamental riding skills and progress to features I would normally give a wide berth! Jo is super supportive, knowledgeable and encouraging. The clinic has helped me immensely and was really fun and relaxed. “ - Renee