Thredbo Gravity Girls Hitting the Trails

Gravity Girls at Thredbo | A Beginner’s Guide to Mountain Bike Skill Building

Skills – what happens when you just don’t have them?

Anna Beck 12.01.2025

I’ve ridden and owned mountain and road bikes my whole life but haven’t ridden on dirt tracks since I was 15, so obviously, I was very rusty. Being in my late 40s, with my biggest sporting wins post-school and university life (like running a full marathon at age 40), I’m a HUGE believer in lifelong learning and continual skill-building. So, I headed to Thredbo during the MTB season.

The plan was to take part in a Gravity Girls session run by Jo Larkin and the Thredbo team. I didn’t know what to expect and wasn’t even sure what “Gravity Girls” referred to, but I was keen and willing to try.

Shredding at thredbo

“Thredbo Gravity Girls is a mountain bike program aimed at women who want to improve their gravity riding and confidence on the mountain. The women’s-only mountain bike day clinic is designed to bring together the female riding community to help them progress their MTB riding skills in a supportive environment with other fun and encouraging like-minded riders,” says Jo Larkin, Thredbo Mountain Bike instructor and key coach for Gravity Girls.

First, they kitted me out with a helmet, padding, and a cool rental bike, although 90% of the group had their own bikes. The group of girls chatted to discover what we expected out of the day and received a safety talk, a stretch session, and a run-through of the day’s plan. Then we hit the Thredbo gondola with our MTBs. Luckily, the gondola team was super helpful, assisting me in hooking up my bike to the cabin. At the top, we headed over to the chairlift and repeated the process to truly reach the top of the downhill session. Then we regrouped on the dirt to get ready to feel gravity take us to the bottom.

Program Focus

Jo explained the focus of the skills program:

“The program is suited to all levels of rider, with most riders being at an intermediate level looking to boost their gravity skills, including dynamic cornering, developing more stability at speed, and getting smoother over all terrain features resulting in increased confidence. Beginner riders to gravity, with a can-do attitude, will enjoy the program thanks to the addition of Upper and Lower Easy Rider trails accessed by the Cruiser Chairlift at Merritts. These trails consist of easier, flatter corners linked together by more gentle terrain, supporting the beginner gravity rider to gain confidence as momentum builds.”

The gravity track consisted of a downhill snake-like weave from side to side, with berms and unforgiving obstacles, like rocks and dirt patches. Riding down this track kept us focused, and we had plenty of little stops where Jo and the team corrected our stance, grip, or pointed out different areas where small improvements could really elevate our experience.

Growth in Women’s Mountain Biking

There has been a huge growth in women participating in mountain biking over the past five years. With this, Jo has seen a big increase in ability levels, bikes, and gear since launching the Gravity Girls program in 2016.

“A lot of women are riding quality bikes, investing in good gear, and certainly can ride! Gravity Girls helps take their riding further, whether it be smoother or more dynamic cornering, exploring pressure control by using their suspension more effectively, or achieving better lines over rock gardens,” says Jo.

If you head up to Eagle’s Nest on the chairlift during the MTB season, you’ll notice a criss-cross of trails below, many with large jumps and very accomplished riders flying off the lips of them.

READ: Check Out AMB’s Skills Tips

“The Merritts area has a number of trails including Upper and Lower Easy Rider Grasshopper, mid-all Mountain, and Sidewinder to progress gravity skills. The more intermediate and advanced riders enjoy developing their skills on Paparazzi, Ricochet, and Lower All Mountain, along with the Kosciuszko Flow Trail and sections of Cannonball. Due to small group sizes, coaches provide individualized coaching to reinforce the skills and techniques being covered on the trail. Coaches work on body position, cornering, pressure control, effective braking, and rider flow, and aim to ride as many suitable trails across the park to help riders gain important mileage while learning new skills,” Jo explains.

A Stunning Experience

I’ve ridden at Thredbo before, along the valley floor, and know it’s an absolutely stunning location to be in. The mountains seem to breathe and pulsate with life, creating an environment that buzzes with enthusiasm and passion. Spending a day with the professional crew, who were patient (I’m sure I was the worst of the group), explaining obvious things and taking me to practice leaning into turns, was an absolute blast. Not to mention eating our picnic lunch next to the babbling Thredbo river—it was magic. It definitely makes me want to try the Easy Rider trail again this upcoming season and bring some friends of my own along.

Upcoming Events and Workshops

For upcoming events and workshops, head here to book.

Gear Recommendations for Gravity Girls Day:

– Full-face helmet
– Full-finger gloves
– Knee pads (essential) and elbow and chest protection (recommended)
– Comfortable pants or bike shorts, jersey, and MTB shoes (non-slip-soled sneakers work, but proper bike shoes are best)

Not sure what gear to get?
READ: AMB Full Face Helmet Group Test
READ: AMB Mountain Bike Grips Group Test
READ: AMB Knee Pads Group Test

For all mountain bike courses and clinics, visit thredbo.com.au/biking.

Jo Larkin has been involved in mountain bike instructing since the late ’90s and more consistently since 2015 when the sport really started to take off. She is a Level 2 & Air PMBIA Instructor and caters to all levels of riders.