This group ride is open to DSS Members and their +1

Registration closes two days before the ride!(Thursday, October 27th)

Our Halloween themed ride has been changed to a Member Appreciation Skills Day at Horseshoe in Grapevine. Your +1 Mister or Sister is invited too! 

What changes do I need to be aware of? Anticipating the rain Friday will close the trails, we will no longer be doing a trail ride. Instead we will be teaching you skills in a field with our obstacles and natural features. The location has been moved to the fields at Horseshoe Trail in Grapevine.  The start time of our clinic will be now be 11:00am, previously it was 10:30am. Check in table will open at 10:30am. 

Why? Unfortunately the trails at River Legacy are already closed from the rain this past weekend and there is another system moving in on Friday. If the trails even get one more drop of moisture we would have to cancel the ride and we really don't want to do that. We would rather be pro-active by moving the location to a place that has been tried and true after rainy conditions and show our members how much we appreciate YOU!

What do you mean by a skills day? We will have five individual stations setup in the field. You will be rotating through each of the stations with your group and have a different set of instructors for each station who will teach you new skills. 

What skills will be taught? You're in for a treat! The day is going to be fully loaded! Here is a full list of everything we will be teaching, and not to worry, we have modifications for beginners and advanced riders:

The group you signed up for is the group you will stick with during the day. This helps keeps the lessons focused and tailored to each skill level. 

Are we still dressing up in our Halloween costumes? You better believe it!!! Our costume contest is still on! Please read the details below.

Please make sure costumes are safe to wear while riding your bike (i.e. no hanging clothing that can get caught in your gears or wheels) and you can still wear a helmet with a proper fit. The best dressed will WIN their choice of a DSS Jersey or super soft long sleeve tech tee! The winner will be decided by member votes. Everyone who attends will have one vote for their favorite costume. Voting will be anonymous and ballots will be counted after our ride. 

If this is your first time participating in a DSS ride, we generally require you to complete Orientation BEFORE signing up for any of our Beginner, Intermediate, or Advanced groups. DSS Orientation will NOT be offered at this ride, so we are making an exception for this day. Please note: if it is your first time participating in a DSS group ride and you sign up for this Halloween ride, we still will require you to complete Orientation before attending your next group ride. We know this is a little bit backwards, but it's a fun holiday to celebrate together so we're changing things up. Enjoy!

Please arrive early, have your A,B,C's done, and be ready to ride at 11:00am! Registration table opens at 10:30am.

Please read the skill level definitions BEFORE choosing a group to sign up for. Placing yourself in the closest group to your skill level will make the ride more fun and a better learning experience for you. 

Skill Level Definitions

DSS Orientation - We require anyone who has never ridden with us to start here for your first ride. NEW MEMBER ORIENTATION IS FOR ALL SKILL LEVELS. What is DSS Orientation? This session will help you make the most out of your next group ride experience! Our ride leaders use several different words (that you may have never heard of or used before) to coach you through the trail. This helps keep everyone safe and the ride flowing smooth. During orientation we will teach, demonstrate, and practice:

• DSS Mountain Bike Terminology
• Trail Etiquette
• How to check your A,B,C’s before each ride.
• What type of riding gear to wear for safety and comfort.
• How to maintain a strong and stable body position while riding.
• How to use your brakes properly.
• How to get the most out of your gears for smooth and efficient riding.

Beginner Rider - I am still learning how to navigate my way through the trail and do not feel comfortable riding through rooty or rocky sections without putting my foot down. Quick changes in elevation or terrain give me a hard time. I walk my bike up most climbs and on obstacles like bridges and steep downhills. Neutral and ready position does not fully come natural to me just yet. I am still learning to use my gears consistently. Riding down a curb is easy, but riding UP a curb scares me.

Beginner/Intermediate Rider - More times than not, I am riding with a strong neutral or ready position. I can ride over roots and small rocky sections, but am not always the best at gauging my speed, trail scanning, or picking my lines. I know HOW to use my gears but still find myself stuck in the wrong gear sometimes. Using my dropper seatpost does not come natural to me just yet. I would like more coaching to ride down 1-2 foot drops and learn how to perform a basic compression wheel lift. I can ride UP a curb but have room for improvement on my technique. Very slow speed riding can still be tricky for me. Short punchy climbs can give me a hard time. Overall I feel like I'm learning how to ride more obstacles but having trouble with consistency.

Intermediate Rider - You can ride for an hour at 7-8 mph with limited stops. You have a strong/stable body position and your balance has improved in slow speed situations. You are confident riding over bridges, through rooty sections and over some rocks. You can ride down drops at least two feet tall. You can ride through tree gates, dips, and up most short, punchy climbs. You are able to perform a basic compression front wheel lift and would like more coaching on pedal assist wheelies, manuals, and rear wheel lifts.

Advanced Rider - You are able to ride for an hour at a 9+mph pace without stopping. You can ride all the way up steep, technical climbs and safely down steep, technical descents. You are confident cornering at fast speeds and can navigate quick changes in elevation and terrain. You can ride through most rock gardens and off drops up to three feet tall. You are able to perform both front and rear wheel lifts ( pedal assist wheelies, compression wheel lift, manual, rear wheel lift, bunny hop).

NOTE - We appreciate all your feedback from our recent poll about our pre-warmup course. The results clearly showed that the majority of you enjoy the warmup but would like the time frame to be limited so you can have more time on the trail. We are on board with that and will be condensing the warmup to 15 minutes! You can help us by reading the skill level descriptions carefully and choosing the closest group to your current riding level. If we see that you would have a better experience in a different skill group than what you signed up for,  we will let you know during the warmup. The goal is to help you help you progress safely in your riding.

This warmup course is a great opportunity to get one on one coaching before heading out to the trail. We generally aim to work on the same skills that match up to the obstacles we will be riding that day on the trail. This practice session helps to get loosy goosy and work on your body position on the bike.

(click the picture below to watch a YouTube video on A,B,C's)

• All riders must check their A,B,C's before the ride starts - Air, Brakes, Chain, Skewers  

• Helmets and closed toe shoes are required

• Bring your own water and nutrition

Ride at your own risk and please read the entire liability waiver.

Not sure what to bring? Check out our FAQ Page for more tips!

Group rides are open to DSS Members only.