3 Stories From Take A Kid Mountain Biking Day

Words by IMBA Canada

Do you remember the first time you mountain biked? Did you know what mountain biking was? Were you scared? Excited? Confused?

Or were you too young to remember?

If you fall into that last category, you can probably thank an adult who took you, as a kid, mountain biking.


It is through this next generation of riders that mountain bike communities grow and thrive. Trails for kids means trails for beginners, opening the door for new riders of all ages and backgrounds. Kids events bring together adults and kids, showcasing mountain biking as a family-friendly activity, a side of sport not often featured among tail whips and high-pivot analyses. And like with our own riding groups, kids learn from their peers. As they see their friends succeed, kids are encouraged to try new things, spreading joy as fast as unsanctioned Frozen lyrics (“Let it go! Let it go! Let the toilet overflow!”)

For the first time since 2019, IMBA Canada held Take A Kid Mountain Biking Day (TKMBD), an international event that encourages adults and organizations to introduce mountain biking to kids. Established in 2004, the event celebrates the life of Jack Doub, an avid teenage mountain biker from North Carolina who passed away in 2002. IMBA Canada provided event support to eight different organizations this spring, spread across Newfoundland, New Brunswick, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia, with more events coming up in the fall. In total, almost 270 kids participated in a TKMBD event, and of the pre-registrants, 26% were first-time mountain bikers and 41% were female-identifying.

Thank you to national sponsors Shredly and FreeYumm for their generous donations in prizing and snacks to all locations, and big thanks to all the other businesses that supported local events.

So what happened at these events? We’ll let some of the organizers speak for themselves.

Grab a couple of tissues.

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Eastport, NL
Words by Andy Poole, Holy Cross School

Our small school in a rural community started mountain biking about 12 years ago. We didn't know anything about cycling, we borrowed bikes discarded in spring clean-up piles and started out. Since then, we've joined with some amazing people and programs including Bicycle Newfoundland and Labrador, municipal (Eastport & Glovertown) and provincial governments, Sprockids, and IMBA. We've grown a program that has developed into a fan favorite come Spring & Fall in our school and communities. It evolved into a school bike shop, bikepacking, racing, and so much more.

I can now see that we are building an active community by bike; every year I see more kids riding, wearing helmets, and just loving the outdoors. One staple in our program has been a yearly celebration so that the school, community and sometimes outside groups can see how things are growing and how much kids are loving their bikes, TKMBD has helped us do that for many years. It's great to have prizes and snacks but most of all feel a part of something bigger.

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Pemberton, BC
Words by Ming Sartee, Pemberton Off Road Cycling Association

The Pemberton Off-Road Cycling Association (PORCA) and the Indigenous Life Sport Academy (ILSA) co-hosted a Take A Kid Mountain Biking Day for the first time. I wasn't sure what kind of turn out to expect as I sat at the breakfast table that morning, watching the rain pour down.

Luckily, the rain cleared in time and we pulled out our stunts, letting the tiny tots rip around the course as the bigger kids went on a trail ride with our coaches. The next hour or so was a free-for-all of snacks, bikes, bug hunting, and puddles. The trail riders returned from their adventure stoked and hungry, munching on ice cream sandwiches as prizes were distributed.

From where I stand, the event was a success. We hooked a new biker, who will join the ILSA mountain bike program this summer, and lit a spark in others. Huge thanks to Shane Roy for donating his talent to photograph the event, and to PVTA trailbuilder Darren Nicoll for talking about the importance of beginner trails and how to advocate for them.

In a town like Pemberton, we take for granted what it means to be a beginner; for many, that phase is far behind them. Watching kids bike takes us back. We feel their hurt, heartbreak, fear, trepidation, overconfidence, stoke, and joy, reliving the highs and lows of tackling a new challenge with your friends. Beyond the skills, this is what I hope we are instilling in our kids: to love your community, to love the outdoors, and to do hard things.

But, as most things go with kids, you can have lofty ideas, but you never know what sticks. After refusing to bike all morning, my daughter declared her desire to go on the trail ride — the first of her life. When she came back, far behind the rest of the pack, shepherded by her dad, she was barely able to walk off her bike and didn't say much as she beelined it to the ice cream sandwiches. Later that afternoon, as we were snuggled up on the couch, she reflected on the morning and said, "I feel like I am five inside." She's three and a half.

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Calgary, AB
Words by Duncan Milne, Calgary Cyclemeisters

I was fortunate enough to be involved in one of the Calgary events May 19th. That evening, a handful of young enthusiastic riders gathered at a local park to learn and improve their mountain bike skills in a fun and safe setting. Predictably, we worked through a series of safety rules, exercises, and drills introducing these new riders to foundational skills that will enable them to enjoy riding safely.

Many things that as adults we take for granted such as strength to control our bikes, using our brakes, or coordinating movements was a challenge, particularly for the younger riders within the group. Some riders were using hand brakes and derailleurs for the first time or riding new bikes. Even the inherent distractibility of young children contrasted against the awkward self consciousness of teenagers offered further insights into experiences I had long grown out of.

However, the biggest moment of the day involved a slightly built six year old, who was scared to tears about riding down a small embankment. Mountain biking, like life, requires us to find new ways of trusting others, building strategies for facing our fears, and finding the resolve to overcome challenges.

Facing a fearful descent, the rider walked her bike down in tears rather than trying to ride.

Watching this unfold, I asked her to sit down with me and discussed the various drills that we had completed and how each of those things provided her with the tools she needed for success to ride down hills like this one. Still crying she nodded her understanding and agreed to try a different hill.

We agreed that she'd be willing to try the bottom section (“…because obviously going from the top was crazy…”) and I would hold her bike until she told me to let go and she would ride down. Unsurprisingly the rider was successful immediately and her confidence grew so that by each attempt she was going further up the hill making her descent a little longer and across steeper sections. Before long she was riding down a significant hill and managing to navigate around obstacles. At this point we stopped and I asked her if she had noticed what had been achieved.

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More TKMBD events are coming up this October! Keep an eye out for your events hosted by your local organizations, or host an event yourself. Want to see more events and initiatives like this? Support IMBA Canada, a national non-profit dedicated to ensuring Canada is home to a strong and vibrant mountain biking community, riding a world class network of mountain bike trails through advocacy, education, and trail work. Learn more at www.imbacanada.com, then donate or join as a member.

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