Mountain Bike Instructor Jobs
Location
You may not find many UK based mountain bike instructor jobs advertised online, but if you are looking for a year working abroad, your options are much improved. The best places to look are the United States of America, Canada, and the European Alps.
Many of the US summer camps designed for children now include mountain biking as a main activity and they often hire specialist mountain bike guides and instructors. You will frequently be expected to help teach other sports activities as well.
In Europe, plenty of Alpine ski resorts have realised that mountain biking is big business and fills the gap nicely in the months without snow. The resorts are geared up to cater for mountain sports and mountain biking fits right in.
Required skills
The Mountain Bike Leader qualification is well worth obtaining before you try to find employment. Most of the people you are competing with will already have it, so make sure you have too. Even if the job does not specifically ask for it, someone with that qualification will always be taken more seriously. The CTCs National Mountain Bike Skills Instructor Program is also worth considering.
Hard work if often mentioned as a pre-requisite and while mountain biking may be your dream job, it is unlikely that you will just be riding single track all day. You will be expected to undertake other tasks. Excellent people skills are obviously essential. Apart from on your day/s off you won’t be plugged into your ipod, in your own two wheeled world. Teaching and tuition require great communication, leadership and management skills. You will also be expected to be physically fit and willing to help out in activities other than simply riding. A lot of employers will ask that you are first aid trained. To be honest it is a great asset to your CV in any case.
What is offered
In exchange for your mountain biking expertise, you are likely to be offered flights, meals, accommodation and a wage. Do not take this for granted though, some companies may expect you to make your own way to the resort!
What is it like?
We asked Kyle how he became a mountain bike instructor and asked what it involves.
"I started mountain biking in the late 1990s, I think most people my age did. John Tomac, Ned Overend and Missy Giove were legends and I was lucky enough to watch Nicolas Vouilloz win at the worlds in 2000. After college I worked in France and spent the summers over in Zermatt Switzerland where they were making purpose built MTB courses. I got a job with a local holiday company who were attracting people to mountain biking holidays in fairly small numbers. Within a few years it took off as a summer holiday sports destination and I moved to another company with a better set-up. Three years later I am still there and loving it. I get to teach all ages, though it is mostly groups of lads or middle age men, some families. We take them on day trails most of the week, and a day or two skills riding. The pay isn’t amazing, but the scenery and friends you make are more important. I’d say having knowledge of a second language helps. The groups we teach are not just English, though most Europeans are pretty good at English, my bit of French certainly helps."
Mountain Bike Jobs and Courses Available
 Summer Camp Staff Country: USA This summer how exciting would it be to work in a summer camp in America instead of the facing another rainy British summer? It’s free to apply and our salaries are the highest available so if the thought of working in a summer camp in America fills you with excitement then check us out...[more] | Chef Country: France Rockley Watersports is looking to employ a Chef for our 2012 summer season. This is a fantastic opportunity to join one of the most highly regarded watersports training and holiday companies in Europe, and you'll get to spend the summer in South West france ...[more] |
 Canadian Mountain Bike Courses Country: Canada Our mountain bike programmes are hosted in Fernie, British Columbia. Highly regarded as one of the best winter mountain destinations in the world, it’s a hidden gem in the summer and perfect for all-mountain and downhill riders...[more] |