Our Ultimate Guide to Rocky Trail Academy | The racing series for school-age kids

School’s out, Rocky Trail Academy is in

Rocky Trail Academy events are a fantastic gateway for school-aged kids to get into Mountain Bike Racing. They offer a laid-back format that caters to a wide range of riders. Earlier in the year, we covered some of the history of the series and event organisers Rocky Trail Entertainment in our What is Rocky Trail Academy article. Here, we will cover what you should expect when you rock up to an event and how to make sure you are prepared for your first Academy race.

The Rocky Trail Academy events are targeted at high school-aged students; however, they are now starting to expand into the senior years of primary school at certain locations.

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To help schools attend these events, the folks at Rocky Trail Entertainment are happy to assist teachers and staff by providing logistical information and putting them in touch with other schools with experience organising these excursions.

This has been the biggest hurdle for many schools wanting to attend an Academy event. Every school views Mountain Biking excursions differently and some feel they are too risky, however when run correctly such Mountain Bike excursions can be a safe and delightful day out for students.

It is worth noting that even if your school is not officially attending, students can still enter individually. You will still be in the running to make it onto the podium for your age group and eligible for the prizes on the day.

Rocky Trail Academy Format Overview

Each event has three stages, targeting a different style of riding. The three tracks — Pedal, Tech, and Flow — allow riders to develop their skills and fitness and keep the racing exciting by catering each stage to different riding styles.

The Pedal stage is more of an endurance focus and will have less descending and typically more climbing than the others. So, those coming from a cross-country background will excel.

The flow track flips the previous stage’s profile upside down and, as the name suggests, flows — meaning more descending than pedalling. These stages aim to balance technical features and smoother, faster sections of trail, making them some of the most enjoyable of each race.

The final track, tech, is just as you would expect, with more features and technical obstacles to overcome. These stages will have some jumps, maybe a rock garden or two, and some drops. However, there will be B lines (easier options) for all these features that riders can take if they are uncomfortable tackling them in a race run.

Like most Rocky Trail events, riders can have up to five runs on each stage, allowing them to get familiar with the tracks and terrain before putting down their fastest race time. It also gives riders the chance to warm up slowly. With the series going to different places just about every week, there is a good chance riders will be faced with trails they may have never seen or ridden before — in addition to needing to pedal out some of the cobwebs from travelling in. Using your first run or two of the race to warm up on the day is a great idea to help avoid injuries and crashes.

An important point to remember is that riders must complete at least one run of each track to have their times count, and for their points to be added to the school’s tally for the event overall.

At the end of each event, there is a male and female podium for each age category, which are determined by the year level each student is in. So, years 7-8 make up the junior category, years 9-10 are intermediate, and the year 11-12 round it out as seniors. Then, all the points from each student are tallied up and added to their school to determine the overall event winners.

The best part of this format is that even if you don’t make it onto the podium for your category, every run you complete adds points to your school’s score. Meaning you can still be part of a winning team.

What do you need?

You will need a mountain bike with front suspension and gears. Dirt jump bikes and single-speed rigs just won’t cut it, as there is a fair amount of pedalling throughout the day. While disc brakes aren’t required, they will be much appreciated, as will a bike with a 1x drivetrain.

Ticking these boxes should help to make sure your bike will last the day and, just as important, be comfortable and safe to race on. The latest and greatest in bike tech isn’t required to be competitive at these events, however, the more modern and current your bike is will help to ensure it is capable of withstanding the abuse many students throw at their bikes.

The amount and type of protective equipment you need is subjective. At a bare minimum, you will need an Australian Standard-approved helmet; however, the style of helmet is up to you. Brain buckets can vary from your standard half-shell to a full-face helmet. This will all depend on the rider’s confidence and skill level and the terrain of the race.

Remember it never hurts to err on the side of caution when selecting how much protection to wear, as you will find yourself going much faster than on a normal ride.

Knee pads are highly recommended, and elbow pads are a good idea, too.

Selecting the right footwear is also an underrated kit decision. Many beginner riders will be using the stock pedals that come on their bike, and an easy and highly effective upgrade for riders in this situation is to invest in a decent set of flat pedals and bike-specific shoes. There are now so many options for pedals and shoes that you can usually get a deal on a set of each. This should help keep you attached to your bike and limit the number of pedal slips throughout the day. Riding shoes are also more robust than joggers, with stiffer soles and armouring around the toes and heels.

Is your bike ready for Rocky Trail Academy?

Having the right type of bike for these events is all well and good, but it means nothing if it is not safe and ready to go. It is important that you check over your bike to make sure everything is working as it should be. This includes all your gears and especially your brakes. It is often the little things that get overlooked that can easily end your race prematurely.

Ensure all the bolts and suspension linkages are tight and torqued correctly. A commonly missed bolt to check is your pedals; many riders have gone down due to a pedal coming loose mid-run. If checking all of this sounds outside your comfort zone, get your bike checked by a local shop or at least a friend who knows what they are doing.

Servicing your suspension is another overlooked aspect of bike maintenance. Depending on the suspension brand, the service intervals can be surprisingly short. Issues with your suspension often do not become noticeable until it is already too late and the damage has been done. This will often mean the service cost will have significantly increased.

So, check online for the service intervals of your suspension components and try to stay on top of them.

Fueling up!

Race prep is not just for your bike; it’s also key to fueling your body for a day of racing. Thankfully, most Academy events will have food available to purchase on the day, usually in the form of a BBQ run by the local mountain bike club or school and here should be a coffee van on hand, too — keeping all the parents and teachers fuelled up is just as important as the kids.

While the event BBQs are great for a post-race feed, it is essential to bring some of your own snacks and drinks to ensure you have some familiar food to eat while you are racing. A giant burger with the lot might go down well post-race, but it won’t do you any favours trying to digest it mid-run. Things like muesli bars, fruit and even lollies like snakes and party mix are great riding fuel.

Water refill stations are usually available at the venue; however, you should always check out the Rocky Trail Event briefs posted online prior to each race. These briefs will go over any venue-specific details and cover all the logistical info that parents and teachers will need.

The Rocky Trail Academy Event Hub

Speaking of available services, there is always something going on at the event hub. Your first point of call will be the registration tent, where Jo Parker and the rego team will greet you. Here, you will get your race plate and be able to ask any last-minute questions.

At most events, a local shop or bike brand will provide neutral mechanical support. These are great for any unexpected mechanical issues or flat tyres. However, they are quickly overrun, so aim to be self-sufficient.

Schools can set up their own gazebos and team pits around the event hub, which are great places for students to get some shade, refill their water bottles between stages, and share epic war stories of the riding they have done so far. It is important to take your time throughout the day; riders usually have around four hours to complete the tracks. Pace yourself and take advantage of some breaks.

Last minute checks

On race day, it is always worth checking your tyre pressures and suspension settings. It is not much fun to find that your tyres are down to 10psi in the second corner of your first run.

If you are unfamiliar with setting up your suspension, make sure you check out our guide to setting up your fork and shock. Tuning suspension is an ongoing process, and understanding what all the clickers and valves do will help you find a more comfortable and confidence-inspiring setup.

Finally, ensure you have packed everything you need before leaving home, including all the protective gear — especially your helmet! If you have purchased any new gear, take a few rides to break it in before an event. Sometimes, new gear such as shoes or even pads can take a couple of rides to bed before being comfortable. You will also want to make sure they do not rub you the wrong way and cause any irritations.

With that, the next step is to find out where your closest Academy event is via the Rocky Trail Entertainment website, register for a race and have fun!

Photos: Rocky Trail Entertainment, Alex Jovanovic