The RIDEYOW Blog

2026 Ottawa-Gatineau Kids Programs and Summer Camps List

2026 Ottawa-Gatineau Kids Programs and Summer Camps List

by Mike McGuire
TL;DRYes, we teach kids. Primary over 12 years old. Usually private lessons but we do run some groups, for more advanced skills including drops an...
Is It Time For Bike Maintenance?

Is It Time For Bike Maintenance?

by Mike McGuire

You probably didn’t put your bike away last fall without cleaning it, but if you did it likely still needs some love before you can smash and bang this spring.  Here are the basic steps to get your bike ready to ride.

bike mtb
Tips For Training Success

Tips For Training Success

by Mike McGuire
Back at the grind eh? Quarantine has given many of us some prolonged training time this season. Maybe you jumped on wagon and maybe it’s start...
Preparedness, Control & Performance: Psychological Aspects Of Mountain Biking

Preparedness, Control & Performance: Psychological Aspects Of Mountain Biking

by Mike McGuire

Feeling prepared and confident is the key for me when I want to attempt bigger trails or features.  Personally, this comes to me through repetition, variation, and visualization.

 

27.5+ 29 bike Camp Fortune mental preparedness mental state mountain bike mtb ottawa ride ottawa training
High Heart Rate and Training

High Heart Rate and Training

by Mike McGuire
One of the things we talk a lot about is heart rate. More specifically, people are always concerned when they are riding around with their heart ra...
A Midsummer's Bikepacking Trip

A Midsummer's Bikepacking Trip

by Sandra Beaubien
Sandra recently went on a 3-day solo bike packing trip and wants to share what she did to help you prepare for your next bike packing adventure.  Read on to find out how she got her bike ready, what equipment and food she packed, and how she packed it and carried it. 
bikepack Camping gatineau Gatineau Park hammock Jetboil mountain bike mtb ottawa
What I Have Learned Switching From Clipless to Flat Pedals.

What I Have Learned Switching From Clipless to Flat Pedals.

by Mike McGuire
This season I switched to flat pedals after 20 years of clipless Shimano SPD's.  Here is a summary of what I have learned about myself.
Bike James mountain bike mtb pedals Shimano
Kids Bikes - My View as a Dad and Instructor

Kids Bikes - My View as a Dad and Instructor

by Mike McGuire
Content by Chris Wood Being a dad of fledgling cyclists and teaching mountain bike lessons to other people’s kids has taught me a lot about how to...
gatineau kids kids bike mountain bike mtb
What's In That Pack Mister?

What's In That Pack Mister?

by Mike McGuire
If you're wondering what instructors carry with them, on and off lesson, here's some insight into what is in that huge pack.
camelback dakine EVOC gatineau hydration pack mountain bike mtb ottawa ride ottawa
Control Leads to Performance

Control Leads to Performance

by Mike McGuire
Mental preparedness and control is part of becoming a better athlete. As a PMBIA instructor I believe that learning foundation skills and then more complex maneuvers helps with this preparedness because you will have more control on your bike. And this leads to more performance which might mean more speed, bigger drops, or just more fun.
mountain bike skills training
Eating For Training and Performance

Eating For Training and Performance

by Mike McGuire
With all the indoor training and outdoor fat biking we do in the cold riding season, it's no surprise that we get hungry. Really hungry. Like, half a pizza hungry. So after a few months of being hangry, Mike decided to find out if we could eat better to stay fuelled for riding and recovery.
food nutrition training
Getting Started With Indoor Training

Getting Started With Indoor Training

by Mike McGuire
Whatever you’ve been up to since bike season wrapped up in the fall, if you plan on being bike-fit for the start of the season, you should consider doing some indoor training to get ready for your next epic bike season.  Check out our getting started guide for equipment and software suggestions and how to get started training indoors.
fitness Heart Rate indoor training Power ride ottawa Structured Training Sufferfest Tacx Trainer Road Trainign wahoo Zwift