Since the trails have been mostly dry for nearly all of the winter months, it's time to pull out the mountain bikes and get ready to ride!
One of my favorite things about getting out riding in the spring and summer is seeing everyone out on trails or roads, enjoying moving their bodies outside. Another one of my favorite things about this time of year is planning my workshop series!
The series is called Ride Dirt. My goal is to empower more people to ride their bikes off-road and on dirt through education and skill-building. It’s a welcoming environment that allows friendships to develop and helps build life-long riders. Riding on dirt is for everyone, no matter your skill level, the price you paid for your bike or your gender.
All of these workshops are free and open to all women, femme and non-binary folks. We ride on public trails and dirt roads in and around Durango. We have fun, shred the dirt and sometimes eat ice cream too!
The first workshop of the 2026 series is focused on foundational mountain bike skills. This is by far the most popular workshop I host and also my favorite one to teach! This particular one is oriented towards teaching new cyclists some key bike-handling skills to get them set up for success, and it aims to help correct some foundational aspects of mountain bike skills.
We go over body position on the bike, including descending, climbing, and just overall connection to the bike. We also cover things like using both front and rear brakes appropriately while riding, as well as practicing scanning the trail or road for safe line choice. This workshop will be early in April before all the spring and summer adventures begin!
A newer workshop in the series is all about maintaining your bike throughout the riding season. We learn how to wash a bike from top to bottom. We also go over how to lube your chain and also where to put lube or grease and where not to put it! Plus, we dive a little bit into tubeless tire set-up and upkeep of sealant throughout the year. Everyone has a different bike and a unique set up, so it's important to take the time to learn some simple ways to know your own bike and how to take care of it.
The newest addition to the Ride Dirt series is an event-specific workshop at Unbound Gravel. At the end of May I’ll be heading to Emporia, Kansas, to race the 200-mile Unbound Gravel race and I figured that it would be a perfect time to bring the mission of Ride Dirt outside of Durango.
Events can be scary but also very exciting; I will have a pre-race chit chat a couple of days before the event to go over any questions people have. I’ll give some pointers as to how much water to carry or how often to eat. We will also touch on tire choice for the type of terrain in the Flint Hills as well as how much tire pressure to run.
The goal is to share the knowledge about how to have success at an event like Unbound while helping build confidence for the weekend of fun!
In June, I will host a gravel bike specific workshop where we discuss some unique skills for riding a drop bar bike on dirt. We will go over cornering on dirt roads at speed, braking, and how to safely “slide and glide” on gravel. I also like to touch on some good fueling and hydrating strategies for longer rides during this workshop as well as how to safely ride on roads or with a group of people.
My very original workshop and idea for Ride Dirt all started with the trail-side repair workshop! The main objective was to empower more women to be able to fix their flat tires while out on the trail. No more waiting for someone to get you out of a sticky situation.
What we cover in this workshop is by far my favorite thing to teach folks, with basic flat fixing technique, which, let’s be real, happens infrequently enough that everyone needs a reminder. We go over some fun tips for putting tubes in and how to use a CO2 cartridge. We also go over tricky little tire plugs, which will fill a hole in no time, but can be tough to use, especially if you haven't practiced.
In August, we will have another mountain bike skills workshop, which is very fun because I always get so many “ah-ha” moments where things click for riders! We dive deeper into bike-body separation. We will ride bermed corners, like those in a bike park, and also flat corners, like those most common on hand-built trails. We will also practice lifting our front wheel and rolling over rocks or curbs.
Whether you’re brand new to riding on dirt or you’ve been pedaling for years, joining a Ride Dirt workshop can be a fun space to learn new things, practice skills and meet new friends! As the trails open up and the days get longer, come ride on dirt and maybe even surprise yourself with what you’re capable of.
More info can also be found online at ridedirt.org
Ellen Campbell was born and raised in Durango, and now races gravel and mountain bikes professionally, basing out of her hometown. When she’s not riding and racing, Campbell enjoys skiing, camping, running with her dog and baking with friends.
