Build strong foundations on the bike in our super fun development-level program for young riders aged 6 to 10. The weekly sessions are delivered in conjunction with the Adelaide Dirt League and use games, challenges and trail riding to develop key skills like balance, control and trail awareness. It’s a supportive, structured environment that helps kids grow into confident, capable riders and nurtures a lifelong love for mountain biking.
Ability/Experience: Beginner ‑ Intermediate
Pathway Level: Development
Ages: 6 ‑ 10
Dirt Squirts is part of the Adelaide Dirt League family!
Adelaide Dirt League is the parent program for Dirt Squirts. It combines expert coaching and exciting competition for riders aged 11-15. Together, these programs are the gateway to a world of mountain biking opportunities! Check out the U13 and U15 ADL program here.
Program Outcomes
Participants will develop a solid base of practical bike-handling skills, along with key soft skills that support safe, confident and independent riding, including:
- Balance and coordination
- Developing strong movement patterns through games and riding challenges
- Bike handling and control
- Learning how to manage speed, stop safely and ride with precision
- Trail awareness
- Building confidence on varied surfaces, corners and small trail features
- Decision-making and self-assessment
- Learning to choose safe lines, recognise limits and respond to different trail situations
- Persistence and independence
- Developing resilience through challenge and learning to problem-solve on the bike
Dirt Squirts provides a fun, engaging environment that uses game-based activities to deliver age-appropriate learning.
Program Information
Dirt Squirts consists of 16 skills development sessions delivered on Saturday mornings in term 2 & 3. To enable us to provide age-appropriate content, the program features two age categories:
- Under 10 (riders turning 8 – 10 this year)
- Under 7 (riders turning 6 or 7 this year)
Riders participate in games, activities, drills and guided trail rides that are designed by our professional coaches to develop skills with a hands on, play based approach.
Sessions are delivered on Saturday mornings at various locations around Adelaide in conjunction with the Adelaide Dirt League U13 and U15 programs. This format exposes participants to the next level of riding while giving them the chance to explore a range of exciting trail networks. It inspires young riders and instils a sense of leadership among more experienced participants, deepening their engagement with the sport and strengthening their connection to the fantastic mountain biking community.
Riders will develop:
- Balance and coordination
- Bike handling and control skills
- Confidence on a variety of terrain
- Trail awareness and safe riding habits
- Resilience and problem-solving on the bike
- A love for riding and connection to the outdoors
Please note:
Mountain biking requires basic cycling skills. Riders must be able to confidently ride a bike with good control to participate in this program.
Come & Try Session
We are offering a Come & Try session at Eagle Mountain Bike Park on May 17 at 9am – 11am so you can see get a feel for the program. You will have an opportunity to meet our fantastic coaches, ask questions and get some skills coaching and riding in too.
More Information
Required Equipment
Participants do not need to have any specific equipment to participate, other than a bike and helmet in good working order.
Bikes must have:
- Working brakes (not pedal brakes)
- Working gears
- Covered/plugged handlebar ends
We require that participants bikes do not have pedal brakes as these can be dangerous on trails. As participants will be learning to ride on undulating terrain, bikes will need to have gears to ensure they can ride efficiently. Dual suspension bikes are not required, in fact we discourage them at this level. Young riders will develop skills and form better habits by riding a hard-tail bike.
We recommend the following safety equipment:
- Gloves
- Knee Guards
- Open-faced helmet
We are often asked if a full-faced helmet is preferrable. Although the protection you choose to wear is a personal decision and completely up to you, we generally find that full-face helmets are too bulky for young people and un-necessary for the speeds at which they ride. We strongly urge all participants to take the time to properly consider what level of protection is most appropriate for them.
2025 ADL Dirt Squirts Schedule & Venues
| Date | Venue | Meeting Point | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 24 | Craigburn Farm Shared Trails | Craigburn Road Entrance | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| May 31 | Fox Creek Bike Park | Upper Car Park | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| June 14 | Eagle MTB Park | Mount Barker Road Entrance | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| June 21 | Fox Creek Bike Park | Upper Car Park | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| June 28 | Cobbler Creek Recreation Park | Playground Car Park | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| July 5 | Eagle MTB Park | Mount Barker Road Entrance | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School Holidays – No Sessions | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| July 26 | Shepherds Hill Recreation Park | Ayliffes Road Car Park | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| August 2 | Eagle MTB Park | Hawk Hill Road Entrance | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| August 9 | Cobbler Creek Recreation Park | Playground Car Park | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| August 16 | Craigburn Farm Shared Trails | Craigburn Road Entrance | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| August 23 | Fox Creek Bike Park | Upper Car Park | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| August 30 | Craigburn Farm Shared Trails | Craigburn Road Entrance | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| September 6 | Eagle MTB Park | Mount Barker Road Entrance | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| September 13 | Shepherds Hill Recreation Park | Ayliffes Road Car Park | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| September 20 | O’Halloran Hill Recreation Park | Majors Road Car Park | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| September 27 | Shepherds Hill Recreation Park | Ayliffes Road Car Park | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Register Now
Registrations close May 21.
Unfortunately, bookings for the current seasons programs have closed. You can add your email address to our mailing list and we will let you know when the next programs are starting.
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Sports Vouchers
All South Australian children from Reception to Year 9 are eligible to claim the Sports Voucher offered by the Office for Recreation and Sport. You can use your voucher to save on this program by completing our online form after you make your booking.
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Head for the Hills Off Road Cycling
72 Corconda Street
Clearview, South Australia
5085
| P: | 0402 697 398 |
|---|---|
| E: | info@headforthehills.net.au |
| W: | headforthehills.net.au |
Help
Head for the Hills offers many programs to riders with a wide range of interests and abilities. We categorise our programs using particular terms that are outlined below.
Interest - Why do you ride your bike?
| Recreation (Rec): | I ride for fun and/or fitness. |
|---|---|
| Competition (Comp): | I race, want to race or simply like to push myself on the bike. |
| High Performance (HP): | I want be the best racer I can be and will sacrifice nearly anything to achieve my goals. |
Ability - What do you know how to do?
| Basic: | I know nothing. I can ride confidently on two wheels but that is about it. |
|---|---|
| Beginner (Beg): | I have a little bit of experience riding off road, but not much. I can use my gears & brakes and ride on trails about 1 meter wide so long as they are relatively smooth. |
| Intermediate (Int): | I ride trails fairly regularly and feel confident at least some of the time. I can go a little bit fast, but usually only when the trail is fairly straight and smooth. I don't do jumps or drop-offs. |
| Advanced (Adv): | I am quite confident in my abilities and ride rough trails regularly. I can do (or nearly do) small jumps and drop-offs. |
| Expert (Exp): | I am very confident in my abilities and ride extremely rough & technical trails regularly. I can do large jumps and drop-offs safely. |
Discipline - What style of mountain biking does the program focus on?
| General: | General mountain biking skills that can be used in all disciplines. |
|---|---|
| Gravity: | Skills to help you descend hills with more control. |
| Trail: | Skills for riding up & down hills over longer distances. |
| Cyclocross (CX): | Skills for Cyclocross Competitions. |
| Cross Country (XC): | Skills for Cross Country Competitions. |
| Gravity Enduro (GE): | Skills for Gravity Enduro Competitions. |
| Dowhnill (DH): | Skills for Downhill Competitions. |
If you are still unsure if a program is right for you, feel free to contact us.
Head for the Hills Off Road Cycling
72 Corconda Street
Clearview, South Australia
5085
| P: | 0402 697 398 |
|---|---|
| E: | info@headforthehills.net.au |
| W: | headforthehills.net.au |
