Head for the Hills Off Road Cycling was founded by Tyson Schmidt in 2015. The goal was to provide coaching and development opportunities for young mountain bike racers in South Australia as well as to generate pathways into the sport for those that hadn’t had the opportunity to have a go.
Realistically, not much has changed since then except that our team is growing and riders of all ages and abilities are getting involved, developing their skills and having a blast while doing it!
Tyson briefing the first ever Head for the Hills coaching group
Why?
Head for the Hills exists to develop pathways into and through the sport of mountain biking. That’s it.
Our Vision
We want everybody to have a chance to try mountain biking and want more easily accessible opportunities for people to have a go. We want a positive and supportive environment filled with development opportunities for all participants in the sport, no matter why they ride or what their goals may be.
Our Mission
We will work to support all mountain bikers; from people riding off road for the first time through to seasoned athletes looking to fine tune performance. We will work to enhance and expand development pathways and outcomes for all mountain bikers regardless of their level of ability or why they ride, allowing them every chance to progress towards their goals and achieve their best.
Head for the Hills offers many programs to riders with a wide range of interests and abilities. We categorise our programs using particular terms that are outlined below.
Interest - Why do you ride your bike?
Recreation (Rec): |
I ride for fun and/or fitness. |
Competition (Comp): |
I race, want to race or simply like to push myself on the bike. |
High Performance (HP): |
I want be the best racer I can be and will sacrifice nearly anything to achieve my goals. |
Ability - What do you know how to do?
Basic: |
I know nothing. I can ride confidently on two wheels but that is about it. |
Beginner (Beg): |
I have a little bit of experience riding off road, but not much. I can use my gears & brakes and ride on trails about 1 meter wide so long as they are relatively smooth. |
Intermediate (Int): |
I ride trails fairly regularly and feel confident at least some of the time. I can go a little bit fast, but usually only when the trail is fairly straight and smooth. I don't do jumps or drop-offs. |
Advanced (Adv): |
I am quite confident in my abilities and ride rough trails regularly. I can do (or nearly do) small jumps and drop-offs. |
Expert (Exp): |
I am very confident in my abilities and ride extremely rough & technical trails regularly. I can do large jumps and drop-offs safely. |
Discipline - What style of mountain biking does the program focus on?
General: |
General mountain biking skills that can be used in all disciplines. |
Gravity: |
Skills to help you descend hills with more control. |
Trail: |
Skills for riding up & down hills over longer distances. |
Cyclocross (CX): |
Skills for Cyclocross Competitions. |
Cross Country (XC): |
Skills for Cross Country Competitions. |
Gravity Enduro (GE): |
Skills for Gravity Enduro Competitions. |
Dowhnill (DH): |
Skills for Downhill Competitions. |
If you are still unsure if a program is right for you, feel free to contact us.