Foundations of Dirt – Seattle Mountain Biking Clinic

Trip No. 22979

Official Info

Vashon Island, WA

Join Swift Adventure Co. and Evergreen MTB Alliance on Vashon Island* for a weekend of fun and skills building that will help you feel confident and enjoy your time out riding, regardless of the style of bike you prefer. Vashon is settled in the Salish Sea between Seattle and the Kitsap Peninsula and is the ancestral and current land of the Coast Salish People.

Its proximity to Seattle makes this mountain bike clinic nice and convenient, but it’s also away from the hustle and bustle of other trail centers in the region, making it a perfect learning environment. 

In this weekend mtb workshop you will learn proper technique and gain a solid foundation in the basics of mountain bike handling. These skills will result in immediate improvements to your riding and will assist you in progressing to more advanced skills and terrain. This weekend clinic is designed to help you build confidence on two wheels!  

Start your trip with a short but relaxing ferry ride to Vashon Island where you can meet us at camp or be shuttled from the ferry. We’ll stage our weekend on the shores of Salish Sea at the historic AYH Ranch property where we’ll enjoy shared meals, bike stoke, and a collective weekend of fun.

Want to learn about what makes our instructors tick? Check out this interview with Marcelo Truffat and Thomas Hargrave.

What’s Included:

• 8 to 10 hours of professional MTB skills instruction
  • Climbing & descending techniques
  • Cornering
  • Braking
  • Tackling new challenges
• Trailside Repair clinic
• An evening screening of excellent mountain bike films
• Tasty meals and beverages

Schedule:

• Friday 12th: Make your way to Vashon Island after work and join us from 6-8pm for happy hour at our base camp at AYH Ranch. Kick back, talk bikes, and make new friends.. Parking available at AYH Ranch for those driving, and limited number of shuttle seats available for ride-on passengers from Seattle.
• Saturday 13th: After a good breakfast (and plenty of coffee), we head out to the trails to learn new—or reinforce—skills essential to building riding confidence on and off the trail. After  spending the morning and afternoon riding trails, we will take a break to clean up, then learn the ins and outs of bike maintenance in a trailside repair clinic, and round out the evening with a series of mountain bike films.
• Sunday 14th: After breakfast and packing up camp, we head back to the trails to continue building our new skills, practice growing our riding confidence and prepare for the summer season of adventures.

Experience needed:

• Avid cyclist, ready to build more confidence and learn new skills.
• Mountain bike Rental Available at:
  • GearHouse,  Outdoor Adventure Club and Gear.
  • Evo.com, be sure to be on the Seattle location page
  • Ribebicycles.com, Issuquah location only

Coming from out-of-town? Don’t hesitate to contact us about lodging recommendations and travel logistics, we’re happy to help! Travel without the hassle of bike cases and heavy gear. We have premium gear and bicycles for rent, and all Field Experience guests receive special rental rates.

*Transportation from Seattle to Vashon is not included with this trip. There are limited spots available for shuttle from the Vashon ferry landing to our camp and to the trails. If you don’t not reserve a shuttle spot, please plan to arrive at AYH Ranch on your own or with a carpool.

**We can accommodate omnivores, vegetarians, and vegans. Generally gluten-free and low carb diets can also be accommodated. Folx with special diets may be asked to partially supplement their meals & snacks. If you have any questions or concerns about food please contact us ahead of time.

***Please review our cancelation and Covid-19 policies

Questions before booking?

email howdy@swiftadventure.co