PMBIA Mountain Bike Instructor Courses
Train to become certified as a globally recognised Professional Mountain Bike Instructor. Open the door to more career opportunities in the MTB industry, improve your riding and ability to teach others.
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Courses in Japan
Our base is in Hakuba, Nagano Prefecture, and is where we try to schedule L1 courses but, if you are able to gather a group to meet the minimum numbers then we are able to travel to you, although running the course will depend on having suitable terrain at your loaction.
Important Info
JOI works with the PMBIA to organize and run courses in Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines.
JOI handles registration and payment, and shares student details with PMBIA HQ, who will create your member profile. This process may take 2–3 days.
Once registered, please allow 2–3 days for your PMBIA profile to update. After that, you’ll be able to log in to the PMBIA website to complete your pre-course materials and download course documents.
✈️ Travel & Accommodation
We recommend not booking travel or accommodation until you receive a confirmation email from PMBIA that the course will run. A minimum number of participants is required to confirm each course.
JOI will do our best to ensure all courses proceed as scheduled.NOTE: Facility fees (e.g. Gondola) + Lunch are not included in the course fee
PMBIA Course Schedule
COURSE CONTEXT
The Level 1 Certification is the perfect place to begin your journey as a mountain bike instructor. It’s designed to train instructors how to teach and guide beginner to intermediate riders:
on green and blue singletrack terrain
in a “front country” environment, no more than 1 hour from emergency medical care
in small group lessons, typically 2–3 hours each (e.g., two 3-hour lessons per day)
within an established mountain bike school, club, or coaching service
Course Duration: 3 days + pre-course reading and worksheet (2–3 hours), totaling approximately 27 hours including assessment.
NOTE: Facility fees (e.g. Gondola) + Lunch are not included in the course fee
PREREQUISITES
The 1-day PMBIA Ride Guide course is recommended for younger riders (15–18) or those with less off-road or leadership experience, but it’s not mandatory.
Confident riding at trail speed on technical intermediate terrain, including Whistler-grade green, blue, and light black trails. Candidates should be able to ride any blue trail worldwide within their certification level.
Completion of pre-course reading and the Level 1 Worksheet.
Minimum 36 months of mountain biking experience.
40-hour Wilderness First Aid Certification is strongly recommended but not required.
Minimum age: 15 years old. Riders under 17 are encouraged to work alongside an adult assistant coach.
Includes first year of PMBIA membership. Annual renewal required thereafter.
DESCRIPTION
LEVEL 1 COURSE | 3-DAY BEGINNER–INTERMEDIATE INSTRUCTOR CERTIFICATION
The Level 1 course prepares both new and experienced instructors to confidently teach and guide beginner to intermediate mountain bikers in both cross country and downhill environments. New instructors gain essential tools to teach safely and effectively, while experienced instructors deepen their knowledge of teaching methods and riding theory.
A strong focus is placed on developing teaching skills as a core part of being a professional instructor. Through guided practice and feedback, you’ll learn that being a good rider is just one part of the job.
Each day includes time for learning theory, practicing skills, and receiving personal feedback. Additional PMBIA Workshops on bike fit, mechanics, and first aid are also included to further build your knowledge.
For information on re-certifying, re-tests, or transitioning from other certifications, please see the FAQ page.
WHY TAKE THIS COURSE?
Develop a passion for teaching: Learn how to teach with clarity, structure, and confidence, not just ride well. This course gives you the foundation for becoming a safe, fun, and effective instructor.
Recognized certification: Earn the world’s most widely adopted mountain bike instructor credential, the PMBIA Level 1 Certification.
Practical teaching and riding skills: Learn how to plan and deliver skill- and maneuver-based lessons in both XC and downhill settings, and guide groups safely on technical terrain.
Have fun: It’s three days of riding bikes, learning, and getting stoked!
Become your own coach: With a deeper understanding of technique and learning theory, you’ll be able to analyze and improve your own riding.
Boost your riding: Refine core skills like cornering, climbing and descending, front/rear wheel lifts, and roll-downs — all while learning how to teach them.
