SWEETLINES RIDER LEVELS:

PLEASE ENSURE THAT RIDING ABILITY FITS AT LEAST 80-90% OF THE DESCRIPTION OF THE LEVEL DESIRED.

Disclaimer: Beneath the level requirements for Sweetlines Programs, you will see a list of skills and trails a student may progress to while participating in a camp or semester program of that level. This list is NOT an exhaustive list. These lists serve as basic guidelines so you are better able to determine what level to sign your child up for. Please note that they may progress less or more than what is listed, depending on their skill, confidence, and the skill of their group. 

For reference on the size of the clearing drops at Duthie: 

drop 1 = 6”

drop 2 = 1’

drop 3 = 2’

drop 4 = 2’ 5”

drop 5 = 3’

For measuring jumps, we measure from the top of the lip to the top of the landing, across the flat, tabletop, part.

We understand that students may grow their mountain bike skills, or have a crash/injury that diminishes their mountain bike skills, between signing up for camps in February and attending camps in the summer. However, there are some situations in which a student has abilities far outside the description of the level they were signed up for and cannot be safely accommodated. In these situations, the student will be unable to attend camp and will not receive a refund. It is essential that parents thoroughly review the level descriptions before signing their child up for camp to ensure they pick the correct level.

LEVEL 1: BEGINNER

Green Circle Trails
Ride Years: 0 - ½ years of riding on dirt trails (1 year of bike riding)
Brand new to mountain biking and confident riding a bike on pavement or around the playground, can stand up on their pedals, might be working on coasting with level pedals (pedals flat, at the 9 o’clock and 3 o’clock positions, also known as evenly weighted feet).
Duthie Trails: Honey Badger, Pump Track
Clearing Drops: N/A

Riders must be able to execute these skills before camp:

• Can ride in control on pavement, dirt, and grass

• Braking - Can break and come to a stop safely

• Shifting - Can use the shifters (but may still need work getting into the correct gear)

• Standing - Can stand up on your pedals

You love shredding your MTB around the neighborhood and have a blast riding around on the dirt and grass! You are able to ride in control of your bike and operate the brakes smoothly, and shift those gears! You really want to advance your bike handling skills and ride on some real mountain bike trails, as well as make new friends and play super fun games!

During camp, riders can expect to progress to:

• Honey badger

• Bootcamp

• Deuces wild

• Learning how to stand up with evenly weighted feet

• Learning better breaking technique

• Learning different body positions on the bike and when to use them to conquer obstacles on the trail

• Please note, level 1 riders do not learn how to ride jumps or drops

LEVEL 2: NOVICE

Green Circle Trails
Ride Years: ½-1 year of riding on dirt trails
Duthie Hill Trails: Upper and Lower Bootcamp, Honey Badger, Deuces Wild, Pump Track
Clearing Drops: N/A

Riders must be able to execute these skills before camp:

• Level 1 skills confidently

• Braking - One or two finger braking on both the front (left) and rear (right) brakes

• Pedals - Coasting down hills utilizing level pedals (even pedals at 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions)

• Standing - Confidently standing up throughout downhill sections of trail

You might have been to camp before as a Level 1: Beginner, but you’re so much better now! You can stand up on your pedals down trails like Honey Badger and Bootcamp (at Duthie) and you can maintain control of your bike down real mountain bike trails! You enjoy hanging out with other shreddy kids and are ready to learn some more skills! You’re interested in the drop zone and want to ride some more difficult trails.

During camp, riders can expect to progress to:

• Jubalani

• Step it up

• Rolling the Luna jumps (not catching air yet)

• Learning better breaking technique

• Learning different body positions on the bike and when to use them to conquer obstacles on the trail

• Learning how to ride over edges by using the rolling edge technique, aka “stapling”

• Older students:

• Rehab and Voodoo Child

• Learning how to ride the small drops in the clearing utilizing multiple techniques (dropping or rolling edges aka “stapling”)

• Please note, level 2 riders do not learn how to ride jumps

LEVEL 3: INTERMEDIATE

Blue Square Trails (Intermediate)
Ride Years: 2-4 years
Duthie Trails: Full Bootcamp, Lower Bootcamp, Deuces Wild, Jabulani (2hi), Lunas (rolling the jumps).
Clearing Drops: #1

Riders must be able to execute these skills before camp:

• All Level 1 & 2 Skills

• Braking - Controlled braking at speed on more advanced trails

• Standing - Standing up on all downhills with level pedals (even pedals, at 9 o'clock and 3 o’clock positions)

• Obstacles - Can get over small rocks, roots, and obstacles

• Drops - Working on basic rolling edge technique. Maybe able to roll down drop #1 in the Duthie Hill Clearing Drop Zone (6 inch drops)

• Rolling Jumps - Feeling very comfortable rolling over (not necessarily jumping) tabletop jumps 

Now you’re really getting it! Mountain Biking is super fun and you really want to start doing more drops and jumps, and riding more technical trails. You really want to ride at camp, but still enjoy playing games and having social time with kids your same age. You like riding the Lunas and hitting the drops in the clearing drop zone!

During camp, riders can expect to progress to:

• Rehab 

• Voodoo Child

• Luna Lines, catching air this time!

• (For older students) Ryan’s Line

• Learning how to roll the drops in the clearing

• Learning how to ride tabletop jumps

LEVEL 4: ADVANCED INTERMEDIATE

Blue Square Trails (Intermediate)
Ride Years: 2-4 years
Duthie Hill Trails: Upper and Lower Bootcamp, Deuces Wild, Jabulani (2hi), Step it Up, Movin’ On, The Lunas, Voodoo Child, Rehab
Duthie Drop Zone: 1, 2, and 3

Riders must be able to execute these skills before camp:

• All Level 1, 2, & 3 Skills

• Braking - smooth, controlled braking at faster speeds

• Shifting - you anticipate terrain and can shift accordingly

• Pressure - Compressing your suspension and utilizing wheel lift skills to get over small (a couple inches high) obstacles.

• Obstacles - Confidence rolling over obstacles that do not require wheels to leave the ground.

• Uphill - Can climb wider switchbacks and turns that aren't too steep.

• Drops - hitting the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd drop in the clearing

• Jumps/Rolling Jumps - might be starting to catch a little air on Lunas.

Mountain biking has started to become your "thing", and you are starting to get the hang of shifting, pedaling through more technical features, making it up shorter, steep climbs, and getting just a little rowdy going downhill. You’re working on basic jump skills and can comfortably catch air on the Luna’s. You are able to “plop-on-top” of tabletop jumps on Voodoo Child. You enjoy hitting the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and maybe even the 4th drop in the clearing.

During camp, riders can expect to progress to:

• More features on Voodoo Child

• Ryan’s Line, with some students hitting some features on the trail

• Some features on Braveheart 

• The middle three (rollable) jumps on HLC

• Learning how to ride drops throughout the park

• Improving skills on tabletop jumps 

LEVEL 5: ADVANCED

Blue Square and some Black Diamond Trails
Ride Years: 3-5 Years
Duthie Drop zone: Confidently hitting drops #1-4, maybe even #5
Luna Jumps: clearing all of the Luna jumps

Jabulani (2hi): clearing all of the Jubalani (2hi) jumps
Voodoo Child: hitting 1st “Little Pig”, riding the wall ride, hitting the jumps
Ryan's Line: getting down without stopping, confident and hitting some of the drops (if comfortable)

Riders must be able to execute before camp:

• All Level 1, 2, 3, & 4 Skills

• You’re progressing a lot!

• Drops - You’re comfortable on most of the drops in the clearing and at the beginning of Voodoo Child.

• Tech - Now you are working on really carrying your speed through technical sections of trails, and adding flow and style to your riding.

• Cornering - You’re corning confidently and really leaning the bike over and looking through your turns, having a blast!

• Jumps - Confidence with a air time on bigger jumps and drops

Things are really coming together now as you continue to progress your mountain biking skills! You feel confident braking and using your momentum and skills to crush terrain. You are starting to feel really comfortable getting in the air on your bike. You love catching air on the Lunas and Voodoo child, and you are even beginning to get interested in gap jumps like the ones that are on the trail Gravy Train. You are now hitting almost all the drops in the clearing and can’t wait to get started on some bigger drops in other areas around the park.

During camp, riders can expect to progress to:

• More features on Voodoo Child

• More features on Ryan’s Line

• More features on Braveheart 

• More features on HLC

• Learning how to ride bigger drops throughout the park

• Improving skills on tabletop jumps 

• Begin to learn gap jumps and possibly ride the top of Gravy Train (only if high in confidence and skill)

LEVEL 6: PROFICIENT

Black Diamond Trails (this level is focused on jumping)
Ride Years: 3-5 Years
Duthie Clearing Drops: All 5 clearing drops
Voodoo: hitting most of the features, 1st and 2nd Little-Pig at the start, clearing all jumps (drops, jumps, wall ride)
HLC: hitting the three middle jumps and possibly a couple other features
Gravy Train: starting to work on the top (First 3-6 jumps)

Riders must be able to execute before camp:

• All skills of the 5 previous levels

• You can confidently utilize skills from previous levels

• Confidence on fast and steep descents with air time on bigger jumps and drops

• You are comfortable on tabletop jumps and working on gap jumps, 10 feet - 15 feet

You got this! You can shred over many of the jumps at Duthie, all while lookin' and feelin' good. You are conquering jumps you remember being awed by when you were first learning how to mountain bike. Oh and descents? Bring it! You are really able to press into your turns and are starting to learn how to pump turns for speed. You are able to really utilize more advanced skills on the trail.

During camp, riders can expect to progress to:

• More features on HLC, including the jump Happy Ending

• The bottom half of Gravy Train

• Parts of Semper Dirticus

• The top of Flying Squirrel

• Learning how to ride bigger drops throughout the park

• Riding bigger gap and tabletop jumps

• Learning some basic jump tricks 

LEVEL 7: ACCOMPLISHED

Black Diamond Trails (this level is focused on jumping)
Ride Years: 3-5 years
Very confident rider and jumper
Duthie Trails: completing most or all of Gravy Train, top of Flying Squirrel, most of Semper Dirticus, all of HLC line, Deep Water Horizon step up, starting on Double Trouble 

Riders must be able to execute before camp:

• All skills of the 6 previous levels

• You can confidently utilize skills from previous levels

• Confidence on fast or steep descents 

• Plentiful experience getting big air time on jumps and drops

• You are comfortable on gap jumps and big tabletop jumps, 15 feet - 20 feet

You’re an experienced and confident rider and jumper. You are mostly aware of your limits and are learning how to best push past them safely! You are focused on jumping and progressing your way through the jump lines at Duthie!

During camp, riders can expect to progress to:

• The bottom of Flying Squirrel

• Semper Dirticus

• Parts of Double Trouble

• Deep Water Horizon

• Learning how to ride bigger drops throughout the park

• Riding bigger gap jumps and tabletop jumps 

• Learning more jump tricks (body armor is required if students want to do advanced tricks)

• Riding more versatile jumps, such as step-downs, step-ups, and hip jumps

LEVEL 8: EXPERT

Black/Double Black Diamond Trails (this level is focused on jumping)
Ride Years: 4+ Years
Duthie Trails: Squirrel, Double Trouble, Paramount, GHY, able to hit most of the trails at Duthie

Riders must be able to execute before camp:

• All skills of the 6 previous levels

• You can confidently utilize skills from previous levels

• Confidence on fast or steep descents 

• Plentiful experience getting big air time on jumps and drops

• You are comfortable on gap jumps and big table-top jumps, 15 feet - 20 feet+

You can ride everything, or nearly everything at Duthie. Your jump skills are excellent and you know when and where to push your limits. You are starting to learn tricks in the air and your cornering is strong, you can pump turns and berms with power!

During camp, riders can expect to progress to:

• Semper Dirticus

• Double Trouble

• Deep Water Horizon

• Paramount

• Conquering the biggest drops in the park 

• Learning more advanced jump tricks (body armor is required if students want to do advanced tricks)

• Riding some of the biggest gap jumps in the park

• Riding more versatile jumps, such as step downs, step ups, hip jumps, and shark fins