Product Description
Ride guide certification
Trail access not included (unless specified)
Bikes not included
Please be ready to ride at least 15 minutes before the start of the course
Want to guide club rides or events?
Start your PMBIA journey today! Lead group rides or coach with confidence. The 1-day Ride Guide course covers safe leadership, risk management, and rider assessment—perfect for clubs and organizations.
A one-day course for volunteers, community leaders, and biking advocates who want to safely lead small beginner groups on green and blue trails. Ideal for those looking to guide group rides or transition to PMBIA Level 1 Certification.
What you will learn :
- Organize and lead safe, engaging group rides
- Conduct meet-and-greet sessions, bike checks, safety talks, and warm-ups
- Assess rider skill levels and manage group dynamics
- Communicate terrain choices and manage risk
- Learn basic mechanical and first aid skills
The course includes an online pre-course worksheet to prepare for the in-person session. Most of the training takes place on trails, with hands-on practice and feedback from a PMBIA Mentor.
Become a certified ride leader!
Ride guide
Ride Guide (1 day)
Become a certified ride leader
Who is it for & Course context
This course is designed for riders who want to lead organized group rides in a safe and structured way.
Suitable for:
- Beginner to low-intermediate riders
- Green and blue singletrack trails
- Volunteer clubs, community events, or bike schools
Course details:
- Duration: 9 hours (includes pre-course reading & assessment)
- Location: Within one hour of emergency care
- Important: This course does not certify instructors to teach mountain biking skills. If you want to coach riders, consider PMBIA Level 1.
Why take this course
- Safely lead group rides for clubs and communities
- Improve your riding skills with personal feedback
- Develop leadership, teamwork, and communication skills
- Learn risk management, bike setup, and basic first aid & mechanics
- Gain confidence guiding others in a fun, supportive environment
Pre-requisites
Before registering, ensure you meet the following requirements:
- Completed Ride Guide Worksheet (provided upon registration)
- Confident riding at trail speed on green, blue, and light black trails
- Recommended: 2 years of mountain biking experience
- Wilderness First Aid (recommended but not required)
- PMBIA membership required after the first year (first year included in course fee)
Pre-course reading & worksheet (1h)
The pre-course workshop is essential to prepare for the Ride Guide course, so you can get the most out of your PMBIA training. It involves reading the comprehensive PMBIA Reference Guide and Ride Guide Course Booklet, and completing the mandatory Ride Guide Worksheet. Please note the reading and worksheet takes approximately 1 hrs to complete. These will be provided in your member profile following registration.
This course is designed for riders who want to lead organized group rides in a safe and structured way.
Suitable for:
- Beginner to low-intermediate riders
- Green and blue singletrack trails
- Volunteer clubs, community events, or bike schools
Course details:
- Duration: 9 hours (includes pre-course reading & assessment)
- Location: Within one hour of emergency care
- Important: This course does not certify instructors to teach mountain biking skills. If you want to coach riders, consider PMBIA Level 1.
- Safely lead group rides for clubs and communities
- Improve your riding skills with personal feedback
- Develop leadership, teamwork, and communication skills
- Learn risk management, bike setup, and basic first aid & mechanics
- Gain confidence guiding others in a fun, supportive environment
Before registering, ensure you meet the following requirements:
- Completed Ride Guide Worksheet (provided upon registration)
- Confident riding at trail speed on green, blue, and light black trails
- Recommended: 2 years of mountain biking experience
- Wilderness First Aid (recommended but not required)
- PMBIA membership required after the first year (first year included in course fee)
The pre-course workshop is essential to prepare for the Ride Guide course, so you can get the most out of your PMBIA training. It involves reading the comprehensive PMBIA Reference Guide and Ride Guide Course Booklet, and completing the mandatory Ride Guide Worksheet. Please note the reading and worksheet takes approximately 1 hrs to complete. These will be provided in your member profile following registration.
Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know
Riding skills required
Candidates must be comfortable riding at trail speed (relatively minimal braking, as required to maintain flow and control) on green and blue trails. To satisfy the Ride Guide Course Standards, the following skills should be EMERGING, if not consistent. This means candidates can begin to show partial or complete execution of these skills, but they are not yet consistent. The Ride Guide course is a perfect time to learn and practice these skills and maneuvers with a PMBIA Trainer!
What to bring
PMBIA courses are designed to bring industry standard protocols and ethics to all it’s instructors. It all begins with the proper equipment and accessories. To make courses accessible, no need for high end equipment, but a minimum is required:
A perfectly tuned, modern mountain bike and equipment :
Planning your day
To protect yourself from minor scrapes and injuries, PMBIA recommends that you ALWAYS wear knee protection. Gloves, eyewear / goggles and elbow protection are also recommended, but not mandatory. Of course, a helmet is always essential, ideally a mountain bike specific helmet. Lightweight full-face helmets provide additional protection. A full-face helmet and chest protector for advanced lift accessed courses is also highly recommended.
As the class will be held outdoors, we might not have access to indoor facilities. It is recommended that you check the mountain weather forecast and plan accordingly, as mountain weather can change rapidly. Think about layering clothing to adapt to conditions, a lightweight jacket is always a good option to have. It is recommended that each member of the group bring snacks and water to ensure they have enough energy to enjoy the course.
Cautionary note to participants
- Communicate your apprehensions, previous injuries and physical limitations to your trainer.
- Do not exceed your physical and technical limits.
- All difficulties and modules such as technical sections, drops and jumps are optional at all times. Although showing a proper level of riding on these obstacles might be necessary for your certification process. Please discuss with your trainer.
- It is your responsibility to make sure you are healthy and ready to participate, free of injury or concussion.
- Please report any injury to your trainer. When injured during a course, a incident report must be completed and signed by the trainer and the trainee.
As we want to prepare you for a great experience, here are some notes on risk management in mountain biking.
Certification process and retest procedures
Ride Guide – Guiding
The guiding component will be assessed during a minimum of two, 5-15 minute practice guiding sessions. During these sessions candidates will have the opportunity to ‘practice guide’ the other members of the group and receive feedback from the PMBIA Trainer.
Assessment Criteria
Candidates must plan and execute safe trail rides on green and blue trails for beginner to novice riders.
A clear understanding and application of risk management skills, the Ride Format and Guiding Protocols (safety rules, class management and terrain communication), must be shown during the practice guiding sessions.
Candidates must demonstrate the risk management and guiding skills at the ‘consistent’ stage of skill development, to pass the guiding component of the course.
Specific examples of the Ride Guide Guiding Standards are below.
- Prioritizes safety and guiding at all times.
- Ride Introduction, with meet ’n’ greet, equipment check and safety talk.
- Assesses skill level accurately and warms the group up safely.
- Clear communication skills.
- Chooses safe and appropriate terrain for student ability level.
- Describes upcoming terrain and maintains a safe riding pace.
- Manages class in both open areas and on the trail.
- Maintains safety rules at all times and enforces them when necessary.
PMBIA policies
IMPORTANT NOTES :
PMBIA courses require minimum number of participants to run. They also require many logistics, including trail permits for specific dates, detailed scheduling, travel and accommodation of course staff, and are confirmed two weeks prior to the start date. It is for these reasons this refund-injury policy exists to ensure that PMBIA and its course participants are not adversely impacted by last minute cancellations.
If you are travelling to a course, please do NOT make any travel arrangements, before the course is confirmed. You will be contacted at minimum 2 weeks prior to the start of the course if registration numbers are looking low. The PMBIA will not be responsible for any expenses incurred by the participant.
Complaints policy
The PMBIA is committed to the highest standards of practice in our work. We value any feedback, enquiries or complaints from the public or our members as we continuously strive to improve our training resources, courses and industry services. Our complaints process is guided by the following principles:
Accessible: The PMBIA complaints process is publicly available on our website, and members and non-members are informed of their right to complain about our organization. Any enquiries, feedback or complaints should be sent to our admin team at info@pmbia.org.
Fair: All complaints will be handled in a manner that is impartial and fair. Our process provides the opportunity for anyone to submit relevant information and have an opportunity to be heard before the review of the complaint is finalized. We thoroughly and objectively review the complaints we receive, and are committed to keeping people informed of the progress of their complaint. The PMBIA Executive Director is responsible for reviewing and conducting investigations of complaints that are not resolved by the Admin Staff. If a complaint is not resolved to the satisfaction of the person raising the concerns following investigation, further internal review may be conducted by the PMBIA Board of Directors and/or the Technical Directors (if applicable).
Person-Focused: We recognize that people have different needs, and each person has their own unique history that they bring to the interaction with our association. We commit to listen to our members and non-members’ concerns, treat them with dignity and respect, and maintain confidentiality throughout the complaints process.
Responsive: We will respond to complaints within 7 business days, and will seek to resolve the complaint at the earliest opportunity. Complaints that cannot be resolved at first contact, or those that raise more serious concerns about our organization, will be forwarded for further review/investigation. The PMBIA is committed to these time frames and will inform our service users of the progress of their complaint and reasons for any delay in the complaint resolution process.
Candidates must be comfortable riding at trail speed (relatively minimal braking, as required to maintain flow and control) on green and blue trails. To satisfy the Ride Guide Course Standards, the following skills should be EMERGING, if not consistent. This means candidates can begin to show partial or complete execution of these skills, but they are not yet consistent. The Ride Guide course is a perfect time to learn and practice these skills and maneuvers with a PMBIA Trainer!
PMBIA courses are designed to bring industry standard protocols and ethics to all it’s instructors. It all begins with the proper equipment and accessories. To make courses accessible, no need for high end equipment, but a minimum is required:
A perfectly tuned, modern mountain bike and equipment :
To protect yourself from minor scrapes and injuries, PMBIA recommends that you ALWAYS wear knee protection. Gloves, eyewear / goggles and elbow protection are also recommended, but not mandatory. Of course, a helmet is always essential, ideally a mountain bike specific helmet. Lightweight full-face helmets provide additional protection. A full-face helmet and chest protector for advanced lift accessed courses is also highly recommended.
As the class will be held outdoors, we might not have access to indoor facilities. It is recommended that you check the mountain weather forecast and plan accordingly, as mountain weather can change rapidly. Think about layering clothing to adapt to conditions, a lightweight jacket is always a good option to have. It is recommended that each member of the group bring snacks and water to ensure they have enough energy to enjoy the course.
- Communicate your apprehensions, previous injuries and physical limitations to your trainer.
- Do not exceed your physical and technical limits.
- All difficulties and modules such as technical sections, drops and jumps are optional at all times. Although showing a proper level of riding on these obstacles might be necessary for your certification process. Please discuss with your trainer.
- It is your responsibility to make sure you are healthy and ready to participate, free of injury or concussion.
- Please report any injury to your trainer. When injured during a course, a incident report must be completed and signed by the trainer and the trainee.
As we want to prepare you for a great experience, here are some notes on risk management in mountain biking.
Ride Guide – Guiding
The guiding component will be assessed during a minimum of two, 5-15 minute practice guiding sessions. During these sessions candidates will have the opportunity to ‘practice guide’ the other members of the group and receive feedback from the PMBIA Trainer.
Assessment Criteria
Candidates must plan and execute safe trail rides on green and blue trails for beginner to novice riders.
A clear understanding and application of risk management skills, the Ride Format and Guiding Protocols (safety rules, class management and terrain communication), must be shown during the practice guiding sessions.
Candidates must demonstrate the risk management and guiding skills at the ‘consistent’ stage of skill development, to pass the guiding component of the course.
Specific examples of the Ride Guide Guiding Standards are below.
- Prioritizes safety and guiding at all times.
- Ride Introduction, with meet ’n’ greet, equipment check and safety talk.
- Assesses skill level accurately and warms the group up safely.
- Clear communication skills.
- Chooses safe and appropriate terrain for student ability level.
- Describes upcoming terrain and maintains a safe riding pace.
- Manages class in both open areas and on the trail.
- Maintains safety rules at all times and enforces them when necessary.
- PMBIA reserves the right to cancel a course due to inclement weather, insufficient bookings or for any events beyond our control. Alternate dates or sites will be arranged in these cases, or a full refund will be provided.
- Non-attendance will result in a 100% loss of payment
- Cancellations 15 days or more prior to the course will be offered a 50% refund
- Cancellations within 15 days of the course will not be offered any refund.
- It is your responsibility to make sure you are healthy and ready to participate, free of injury or concussion.
- A candidate suffering an injury or concussion 5 days or more prior to the course will be offered a 50% refund, at the discretion of PMBIA Québec, with a doctor’s note
- Once the course has started, no refunds will be offered for an injury or concussion
- PMBIA’s courses and events are not cancelled in case of rain. A course may be rescheduled or moved to another location if the site is closed to prevent trail degradation.
- PMBIA is not responsible for the shutdown or closure of a lift or gondola. An alternative will be offered to the client, which may require pedalling towards a trail.
IMPORTANT NOTES :
PMBIA courses require minimum number of participants to run. They also require many logistics, including trail permits for specific dates, detailed scheduling, travel and accommodation of course staff, and are confirmed two weeks prior to the start date. It is for these reasons this refund-injury policy exists to ensure that PMBIA and its course participants are not adversely impacted by last minute cancellations.
If you are travelling to a course, please do NOT make any travel arrangements, before the course is confirmed. You will be contacted at minimum 2 weeks prior to the start of the course if registration numbers are looking low. The PMBIA will not be responsible for any expenses incurred by the participant.
The PMBIA is committed to the highest standards of practice in our work. We value any feedback, enquiries or complaints from the public or our members as we continuously strive to improve our training resources, courses and industry services. Our complaints process is guided by the following principles:
Accessible: The PMBIA complaints process is publicly available on our website, and members and non-members are informed of their right to complain about our organization. Any enquiries, feedback or complaints should be sent to our admin team at info@pmbia.org.
Fair: All complaints will be handled in a manner that is impartial and fair. Our process provides the opportunity for anyone to submit relevant information and have an opportunity to be heard before the review of the complaint is finalized. We thoroughly and objectively review the complaints we receive, and are committed to keeping people informed of the progress of their complaint. The PMBIA Executive Director is responsible for reviewing and conducting investigations of complaints that are not resolved by the Admin Staff. If a complaint is not resolved to the satisfaction of the person raising the concerns following investigation, further internal review may be conducted by the PMBIA Board of Directors and/or the Technical Directors (if applicable).
Person-Focused: We recognize that people have different needs, and each person has their own unique history that they bring to the interaction with our association. We commit to listen to our members and non-members’ concerns, treat them with dignity and respect, and maintain confidentiality throughout the complaints process.
Responsive: We will respond to complaints within 7 business days, and will seek to resolve the complaint at the earliest opportunity. Complaints that cannot be resolved at first contact, or those that raise more serious concerns about our organization, will be forwarded for further review/investigation. The PMBIA is committed to these time frames and will inform our service users of the progress of their complaint and reasons for any delay in the complaint resolution process.