Kristen: What's your story of how you got into mountain biking?

Aaron: During college, I commuted by bike pretty much everywhere and got into all things bicycles as a result. A friend invited me on a mountain bike ride (Bugs Springs in Tucson, AZ if you're curious) and I immediately fell in love with it (despite walking half of it!). 

Kristen: What do you enjoy about being an instructor with Evergreen? 

Aaron: Seeing students have fun and seeing them experience those "Aha!" moments both bring me a lot of joy. Mountain biking is my happy place and I love to share that passion with others to help them find their own version of it. That's why I'm returning for my seventh year of instructing. :)  

Kristen: You've been volunteering your time for group classes and will be moving towards more private lessons - what would a private session look like?

Aaron: Private sessions begin over email where I learn what your goals are. From there, we determine the best place to meet to achieve those goals (and coordinate scheduling). As such, every private session is different as it's tailored to the rider by that particular instructor.

In general, where group classes cover broad strokes, private sessions offer deeper progression. We drill down into the details, using slow-mo video of your own riding as a visual aid - in addition to talking through and demonstrating the concepts. We session features to establish areas for improvement and practice better technique. We apply it on trail. Rinse and repeat. Afterwards, you'll get an email from me summarizing the key points we covered. I also attach all the slow-mo video from the session and often include links to further reading / watching.

Kristen: What's a fun fact about you?

Aaron: When my job went remote in 2020, I rented a place at Angel Fire Bike Park, worked in the mornings, and rode park almost every afternoon for three months straight. It was an incredibly fun escape, though my hands and forearms still get sore just thinking about it.