How & when did you start mountain biking?

My first mountain bike was the first thing I bought after I finished college back in 1994.  I bought a sweet red GT Corrado from the bike shop in Bellevue.  Fully rigid, 3x8 drivetrain, horrible brakes, and wheels made of butter.  I explored and rode back when mountain bike trails were either secret, or they were documented in books and sketchy maps.  Much harder than GPS navigation with our smartphones.  I didn’t ride my mountain bike much from 2005-2012 (bad case of the triathlon bug), but re-entered the sport in 2012 and have been riding all over the western US and Canada for a few years now. 

What do you like about being an instructor with Evergreen?

My favorite part of instructing is helping people become proficient more quickly than they would on their own.  Sometimes there’s a hole in their skillset, or some confidence and assistance they need to tackle something.  For example, simple things like helping beginners understand how they can get restarted on hills after a dab can be the difference between lots of bad days and lots of good days.  Nobody likes walking their bikes up hills, and that sort of frustration usually affects other parts of their riding.

Any advice you'd give to riders just starting out?

For beginners, I’d love to see everyone come out to one of our beginner classes.  You don’t have to learn the basics of climbing, descending, and braking the hard way!  We can help get you started with the fundamentals.   And find some trails near you that you can ride often, ideally with some friends.  A bit of instruction to get you rolling, along with just getting out and doing it will go a long way.

Interested in joining a class with Jerrod or another one of our top notch instructors? Our classes will start back up in April of 2025, or reach out if you'd like to schedule a private lesson during the off season at .