Craig Wicks

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(Coach Craig Wicks is triple vaccinated against COVID-19 and ready to meet with you in person or remotely, depending on your needs.)

Coach Craig Wicks of Petaluma, CA brings together years as an educator, cyclist, and professional ski patroller/instructor to teach beginning cyclists and mountain bike riders of all levels. People learning to ride a bike for the first time and riders looking to hone their skills both can benefit from Coach Craig’s step-by-step approach. He assesses current abilities so he can meet you where you are and organically build from there. 

Craig’s knowledge of teaching, learning styles, and the nuances of cycling is a perfect blend for all levels of cyclists. Clients leave sessions feeling solid on their bike as well as having had an experience that increased their athletic and mental confidence. He excels at pairing riders with appropriate terrain, just challenging enough but not overwhelming, to give them a sense of having gotten out into nature, stretched themselves, and completed the ride safely, feeling invigorated and peaceful.

Craig assesses ergonomic awareness in the saddle, helping riders to make micro-adjustments that greatly improve their experience on the trail. His clients range from bike rodeo youth to 60-something brand new and evolving riders to elite equestrians who use mountain biking as cross training. In all scenarios, Craig begins with bike adjustment, develops an understanding of the rider’s fitness and athletic abilities, giving way to sequential rides that allow for successful attainment of goals. During a recent learn-to-ride session, Craig suggested a move to the adjacent grass field where the client was confidently able to master balancing the bike beneath them. The client exclaimed, “I’ve got it! I’m doing it! This is magic!”

Drawing on his background in yoga and meditation practice, Craig helps his clients develop the sort of in-the-moment focus that allows them to gain skills in a mindful way. Since confidence is often an issue when learning to ride, Craig supports clients with incremental challenges, focusing on that which one can control, and small successes that add up. Craig senses when you need to take a moment and might suggest a break at the next shade or vista point. While you catch your breath, he will share some knowledge of the natural world, allowing you to reset before receiving instruction and hitting the trail on the way to your next goal. 

Although Craig has race experience, he thinks of mountain biking as more of an opportunity to experience comradery and new places, and to improve on previously navigated trails and receive regular forest baths for mental and physical health. Craig is an explorer who has toured the outer reaches of Sonoma, Marin, Napa, and Lake Counties as well as much of the Sierras and Central Oregon on MTB and skis. He regularly explores the best trails in the region. He can take you on adventures that are well suited to your ability, time frame, and epic-meter! As an expert cross country and alpine skier, Craig’s ability to read terrain in all seasons keeps you safe, informed, and invigorated.

In June 2021, Craig retired from a 31 year elementary school teaching career. His kind and gentle nature supported students to take risks and grow. He uses a similar approach with his cycling clients today. Craig is a certified (200 hour) Hatha Yoga teacher and is CPR/First Aid Certified. 

Craig has been married to his partner, Carrie for 35 years. They have two grown daughters, a two year-old Jack Russel puppy named Jet and a horse named Wonder. Craig is a craftsman who has recently started building custom horse jumps. Instead of exchanging gifts at holidays, the Wicks family plan shared outdoor adventures that include MTB, skiing, hiking, and swimming.

Events: Learn to Ride

Services: Clinics/Camps, Consultation, Learn to Ride, Skills Training

Specialties: Confidence Issues, Dirt Skills