The plan behind the story · No one left behind on the Expresso trail: fifteen years of Tuesday rides with Girls Outside
From a green trail to a weekly group ride on singletrack: an eight-week mountain bike plan
Eight weeks to go from your first ride on a graded trail to a regular group ride. If you are getting going, you end riding a blue-graded trail for an hour with friends. If you already ride, you end leading a weekly ride on red-graded trails with a technical section you have mastered.
Why this works
Girls Outside, the group in our story, has kept a Tuesday mountain bike ride going near Aspen, Colorado, for the better part of 15 years. Its members told Aspen Public Radio what holds it together: a fixed night, a motto of “no one left behind”, and a tailgate afterwards. Ann Driggers says riding with the group has made her more confident; Kelleigh Condon joined feeling intimidated and has moved up to the middle of the pack.
This plan copies that structure. It builds three things in order: confidence on the bike, time on the trail, and a group that rides together every week. The grades it uses are Forestry England’s (green, blue, red, black); in North America use the local trail system’s ratings, which IMBA Canada says are set relative to other trails in the same region.
Before you start
- Check with a GP (family doctor) first if you have a heart condition, have had chest pain or dizziness on exertion, have had a fall or fracture recently, or have been told to avoid vigorous exercise.
- A bike that fits and works. Hire one for the first few rides, or have your own checked by a bike shop: brakes, tyres, gears.
- A helmet, gloves and glasses, plus water, a snack, a small repair kit or a friend who carries one, and a charged phone.
- Tell someone your route and when you expect to be back.
- Ride a trail centre with graded, waymarked routes at first, so you always know what is ahead.
The plan
| Week | Do this | How often | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (getting going) | Ride a green-graded trail for 30 to 45 minutes at a pace where you can talk. | 1 ride, plus 1 strength session | Practise braking smoothly with both brakes and standing on the pedals on rough ground. |
| 1 (already riding) | Ride 90 minutes on blue and red trails; note the one section you walk or ride badly. | 2 rides, 2 strength sessions | That section is your project for the next seven weeks. |
| 2 to 3 (getting going) | Lengthen the green ride to an hour; try the first few hundred metres of a blue trail. | 2 rides, 1 to 2 strength sessions | Strength: squats or sit-to-stands, lunges, calf raises, a plank; 2 to 3 sets each. |
| 2 to 3 (already riding) | Session the project section: ride it, walk back, ride it again, three to five times. | 2 rides, 2 strength sessions | Look ahead, not at your front wheel. |
| 4 (both) | Book a skills session with a coach or a trail centre, or ride with someone more skilled than you. | Once | Ask about cornering, climbing in the right gear and descending with weight back. |
| 5 to 6 (getting going) | Ride a full blue-graded loop with a friend, regrouping at the top of each climb. | 2 rides | Agree that the slowest rider sets the pace. |
| 5 to 6 (already riding) | Ride 2 hours with 2 to 3 red-graded sections, including your project. | 2 rides, 2 strength sessions | Aim for 75 minutes a week of hard riding (the NHS and CDC vigorous target). |
| 7 (both) | Easier week: one shorter ride, same strength work. | Once | Check the bike and anything that rubbed or hurt. |
| 8 (getting going) | Ride an hour on blue trails with two or three friends, and fix a day of the week to do it again. | Once | You now have a group. |
| 8 (already riding) | Lead a group ride on red trails with a regroup point at every climb, and ride your project section clean. | Once | Pick a night and repeat it weekly. |
If it goes wrong
- A fall. Most are slow-speed tumbles. Stop, check yourself and the bike, and walk any section that frightens you; walking a feature is good judgement, not failure. If you hit your head, stop riding for the day and get checked.
- Sore hands, neck or back. Usually set-up: saddle height, bar height or brake levers. A bike shop can adjust them.
- Out of breath on every climb. Change into an easier gear earlier, and sit and spin rather than stand and push.
- A missed week. Pick up where you left off; do not try to make it up.
Track it
After each ride, note time, distance, trail grade, the section you found hardest and whether you rode it. After each group ride, note who came and the next date.
What next
If you are getting going, try a new trail centre with blue and red routes, or a guided day. If you already ride, look at a multi-day bikepacking trip: Ann Driggers planned a 360-mile one this year. Our guide to swimming and cycling has more on riding for fitness, and Craig Johnston’s ride across Australia shows how far a bike can take you.
General information, not medical advice. Check with your GP before starting a new exercise programme.