Welcome!

Thank you for registering for a Dirt Maidens Skills Clinic or program!

Our clinics are designed to be fun, friendly and supportive. Our progressive coaching style means you gain confidence in each skill before moving onto another so you never feel out of your depth. 

This information is general in nature and you will receive further email communication in the week leading up to your session. If you have not received information at least 3 days prior to your session, please check your spam email folder as well as the email address that you registered with and get in touch if you cannot find it.

Program Content: 

Most of our clinics and rides start in an open area and progress to fire trails and green (and possibly blue) singletrack trails at Stromlo Forest Park. Each clinic or ride will have a more detailed description on the website.

What to wear:  

You are welcome to wear cycle clothing if you wish, however it is not required. Recommendations for suitable clothing to wear for your sessions are provided in our Safety Checklist. We recommend you wear clothing that you feel comfortable to exercise and ride in. Examples might be tights or shorts and a t-shirt. Please ensure you wear closed toe shoes and bring your bike, your helmet (check it has the Australian standard sticker inside the shell), full finger gloves, and sunscreen. During Winter, it is always recommended to wear an extra layer, and a lightweight rain jacket is always a useful item to carry, particularly if it is windy.

What to bring:

Please bring a spare tube to fit your wheel size even if you are riding with tubeless tyres.

Please bring at least 500ml of water that you can carry with you either in a bottle cage on your bike, or in a small backpack. There is a place to fill your water bottle at the Pavilion and at the trailhead.

Please bring any medication you may need. If you are asthmatic, PLEASE BRING A PUFFER, even if you haven’t needed one for a long time. 

An extra layer/rain jacket to suit the forecasted weather.

Before the Program: 

While we know that you will be keen to get riding once you arrive, all bikes and helmets must be checked at the commencement of the program to ensure they are safe to be used. To help with this process, we recommend you give your bike a quick check to ensure it is in good working order and ready to ride, using the Safety Checklist we have provided (see PDF Download below). If you are unsure what to check for, take your bike to your local bike shop prior to the program.

Please ensure you are familiar with your bike and have ridden it prior to attending the clinic/ride. If your bike is unsafe/unfit for the clinic/course, your instructor may ask you to stop riding. It is important that you have a bike that is the correct size and fit for you as this allows you to mount/dismount and ride safely.

If you are hiring a bike, the bike shop will fit you to the correct bike- please allow some time to ride it around on flat ground and make sure you are comfortable.

In the 2 weeks prior to the clinic, it is recommended that you get out for 2-3 rides on flat/easy terrain such as a bike path, for at least 30mins.

Pre-requisites:

You must be able to ride a bike safely on flat terrain such as a bike path, road or fire trail. If you are unsure about your ability to ride on flat terrain, please contact us to discuss the best way to support you.

Location: 

Stromlo Forest Park, Dave McInnes Drive, STROMLO, ACT

On the Day: 

Please allow plenty of time to get to Stromlo, get your bike off the car, and get organised.

Upon arrival for our first session, find a park in the main Stromlo Forest Park carpark and meet 10 minutes prior to the start of the session under the Pavilion shelter (upstairs) near the emergency phone (marked as a red phone symbol on the Stromlo Forest Park map - see PDF download below). There are toilets and showers located down on the ground level of the Pavilion as well as a water refill station just outside the toilets. 

Please note that in the case of wet weather or if there are any last minute changes to venues or meeting points, you will be contacted with any changes via text message.
If you are running late, or can’t make the session for whatever reason, please call or send a text to 0402 587 653.

Late arrivals:

Late arrivals (later than 15 minutes after the start time) will not be accepted into clinics and cannot be rescheduled or refunded. You are welcome to book into another clinic in the future.

This allows all participants to get the full value out of their time, and many of our clinics are progressive, so each skill builds on the previous one. These foundational skills and skills assessment cannot be missed, for obvious safety reasons.

If your program is scheduled over 2 sessions, it may be possible to arrange a private clinic on the same day at an additional cost (private clinic rates) to catch up, however this may not always be possible.

Social Media Participation: 

We are keen for you to share your Dirt Maidens experience and your riding journey on Facebook and Instagram (@dirtmaidens,  #dirtmaidens)

Insurance and Ambulance cover:

Whilst we hope you never need to use it, it is recommended that you have ambulance cover. We also recommend that you have personal accident insurance such as that available through Auscycling or Pedal Power ACT.

Auscycling is the peak cycling body in Australia that provides affordable insurance coverage for individuals while mountain biking. Lifestyle membership options are available starting at around $7 per month.

Pedal Power (ACT) also has affordable insurance which covers you while riding anywhere, anytime. This starts at $11.99 per month.

Questions: 

We are here to help and make your Dirt Maidens clinics rewarding, challenging and enjoyable. If you have any questions regarding the program before it commences, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Thanks and see you soon!

Warm Regards, 

Claire McDonnell

0402587653

info@dirtmaidens.com.au