Krista Park, a pro mountain biker training in Tucson this winter, will be teaching a mountain bike skills class on Sunday, January 16. The skills clinic will be held at John F. Kennedy Park, located at Ajo Way and La Cholla Boulevard, and runs from 8:30 a.m. to noon. Park posted a flyer about how to register on her website.
“We’re boiling everything down to the basic skills,” says Park about the co-ed class sponsored by Stan’s NoTubes and FRS. “It’s great for beginners, intermediate and expert-level riders. Of course, the experts will be working on skills at a finer level.”
The Cannondale pro hosted a similar clinic for 12 women in Phoenix in December. She wants to share her knowledge because “I remember when I was a beginner, there was so much to learn about mountain biking. I read everything I could, I talked to everyone to get advice.” Park continues: “I want to bring all that information together, and make it easy for people to learn in my clinic.”
She’s been training in Tucson with mountain biker and Topofusion creator, Scott Morris. He’s gearing up for Saturday’s Arizona Trail Jamboree, a fun ride to benefit the Arizona Trail Association. The Jamboree follows the Arizona Trail southeast of Tucson, from Box Canyon Road to Pistol Hill Road with shorter options.
Morris and Park go on long rides together as she builds her training base for the professional race season ahead. Morris has pictures of their training rides on his blog. “I hurt my knee recently, so I’ve had to back off a bit,” Park comments while driving out to Old Spanish Trail for a hilly training ride on her road bike.
Park’s Sunday clinic will teach skills like the ready stance, movement, balance, track stand, braking, momentum, cornering, front wheel lift, rear-wheel lift, and switchbacks. “I’m teaching how to navigate switchbacks on the trail, and how to carry your speed through the switchbacks.” Participants should bring a bike and a helmet. In addition, she’ll talk about “how to weight your pedals, how to position your body on your bike in different situations.” By the end of the class, Park promises, “Everyone will be able to jump their bike over an orange cone.”
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