Safety
We take your safety seriously at Onward MTB Coaching.
We are accredited under the Health and Safety at Work (Adventure Activities) Regulations 2016 and we are committed to operating with the highest standards of Health and Safety protocol.
As part of our commitment to operating as safely as we can, we need a few commitments from our participants, too.
Before attending a coaching session, please read these Terms of Service carefully, as the information is important.
Risk Disclosure
Whilst we do everything to keep everyone as safe as we can, some risks and hazards are unable to be eliminated due to the nature of Mountain Biking. Occasionally, things can go wrong, so please read and understand the following risk disclosure about the activity that you have booked on.
1. The activity that you are partaking in is inherently dangerous, and there are many risks and hazards associated with it. Mountain biking involves riding at speed over rough & varied terrain that may include features, such as berms, jumps, drops and technical sections. Risks include but not limited to, serious injury, permanent disability, and death. Typical injuries that may occur include, but are not limited to, abrasions, bruising, fractured or dislocated bones, and concussions.
2. The coach will provide regular instructions on various operational and safety aspects and you must understand and follow these instructions to help us manage these risks.
3. You are ultimately responsible for your own safety, and you are reminded and encouraged to seek a safer alternative should you feel too far out of your comfort zone during the session.
4. If you have any questions or queries, please do not to hesitate to ask at any time.
We want to create a safe, fun learning environment, so that you have the best chance of success at progressing your riding!
Participants
We need a few commitments from our participants to ensure we can deliver the standards that we are striving for. So, please read and understand the following information before attending a session.
Participants must:
Arrive fresh! Have a good nights sleep, be well rested and fueled up for the session. Arriving tired, fatigued or otherwise impaired can affect the safe running of sessions.
Be familiar with the proper use of their equipment. If they are unsure, our staff are available to help.
Ensure that they arrive with an appropriate, well maintained fully serviceable mountain bike fit for technical off-road trails.
Ensure that they arrive with the equipment outlined in our FAQ - What To Bring.
Understand and acknowledge the content of the Risk Disclosure section above.
Agree that when riding with us, our instructors need to observe a minimum level of riding skills before riding any trails. Refer to our ‘What To Expect’ section of our FAQ.
Understand that any time spent teaching prerequisite skills is at the sole discretion of the instructor. Any laps or other ride time that the instructor allocates towards skills coaching for the purpose of managing risk is non-negotiable. Participants will not be taken to the trail until such time that the students are demonstrating skills correctly, consistently and comfortably.
Agree that if the instructor deems a participant’s skills not fit to take part in our activities, the instructor may remove the participant from the activity.
Understand that we will do our best to accommodate participants desires on what they want to learn, but, this may not be possible in every case due to track closures, ability levels and missing prerequisite skills.
Accept that for lift accessed riding locations, there can be lift lines that can cause delays in loading the lift. We do not have a priority lift line and have the same rights as anyone else using the lifts. Public holidays, holiday periods and weekends can have longer wait times than usual.
Performance Metrics
BYB Data Acquisition System Use:
Customers can opt to take out an additional insurance cover at $20 per session. Without this, customers will be liable for paying our excess charges for replacing damaged equipment (up to $250).
Our system fits most bikes, but there are some exceptions. If we suspect fitment issues, we will be in touch prior to the session.
Sessions run subject to weather. Wet weather will most likely result in rescheduling.
It’s best if a rider comes with an open mind and is willing to make changes to their set up. As with any change, it can take some time to get used to them, so keep this in mind when you ride.
Your bike and your suspension must arrive clean and in good condition.
If it’s been more than a year since your last full service, we strongly recommend getting them serviced before investing in this system.
We cannot guarantee a successful day if your bike or your suspension is worn out, broken, damaged, or its function is otherwise impaired.
We can get very good results from most suspension brands and products. If we are unable to get an acceptable setup using the external adjusters, we can make some recommendations on re-valving or modifying your suspension.
We’re independent, so you can trust our recommendations are for your own best interests.
Booking process
Full payment must be made at the time of booking.
Please fill in our booking forms as accurately as possible. The more information you give us, the better we can plan your session.
You will receive a confirmation email.
Prior to your session, we will be in touch regarding the expected weather conditions and any other pertinent safety details.
Additional riders added to a session must be of a similar ability level. Their intentions, reasons for taking the lesson and expectations must match that of the first rider booked on the session. If this does not happen, the session will be compromised and may affect the safe running of the session.
Please ensure you know where to meet and arrive 10 minutes early so your session can start on time. You are making an investment in your time with us, make the most of it!
If you expect to be late to your booking, please contact us as soon as possible. We will try to accommodate your schedule, but the finish time of your session will not be extended. In the event of lateness without prior contact, our staff will wait for up to 20 minutes after the start time of your session. After this period, the participant will be deemed a no-show and they will not be eligible for a refund.
For participants under the age of 18, we require a parental consent form to be filled out by a Parent or Guardian.
Cancellations
Cancellation by Onward MTB Coaching:
We reserve the right to cancel any booking if we, in our sole discretion, deem it unsafe to run due to weather conditions, track conditions or any other safety aspect.
Some of our locations use lifts that are operated by third parties. Occasionally, these operators will not operate due to adverse conditions, shut downs or any other circumstance out of our control. Whilst we are not responsible for these events, we will reschedule your session, at no extra cost.
Cancellations by Onward MTB Coaching will be offered a full refund or reschedule at no additional cost to the participant.
Cancellation by the Client:
For private sessions, cancellations within 3 days of the date of booking will not be eligible for a refund.
For group clinics, cancellations within 7 days of the date of booking will not be eligible for a refund. Our group clinics rely on meeting minimum numbers, so please choose carefully before booking.
Cancellations that occur prior to these timelines will be eligible for a partial refund.
If you need to reschedule your session, please contact us as soon as possible. We will do our best to accommodate your request, subject to a rescheduling fee.
Complaints
We understand that learning from feedback is key to improving our business. If you weren’t happy with your experience and would like to make a complaint, please visit our complaints page. We appreciate your feedback and will try to resolve your complaint as quickly as we can.
Further Terms
The ‘Activities” refers to the services that Onward MTB Coaching provides, including but not limited to mountain bike instruction, coaching and guiding.
The ‘Company” refers to Queenstown Mountain Bike Coaching Ltd, trading as Onward MTB Coaching.
In participating in the Activities, each participant must:
Accept that The Company reserves the right to withdraw any person from the activity who in the Company’s opinion is likely to endanger themselves or others. The Company reserves the right to cancel any activity for any reason if it becomes concerned for participant’s safety or the safety of any other person.
Certify that they are physically fit and able to participate in the Activities and they have not been advised otherwise by a qualified medical person. They also must disclose to the Company (or will so disclose before undertaking the activities) any medical condition, previous injury or medication that they am taking.
Consent to receive any medical treatment that may be deemed necessary in the event of injury, accident or illness while undertaking “the Activities”.
Understand that under New Zealand law the accident compensation scheme provides only limited assistance to visitors to New Zealand who suffer personal injury. The Company strongly recommends that all visitors to New Zealand should have full insurance covering any personal injury they might suffer, including medical treatment cover.
Consent to “the Company” making, taking, collecting, retaining, and using photographic images, audio or video recordings of them and/or their minor children (if applicable) undertaking the activities (hereafter the Images) and making available, publishing and/or selling the Images for the purpose of education, research, training, marketing, promotion and/or advertising. The Images may be cropped, altered, transformed or reproduced in any way, in any current or future media (including, but not limited to, print, television, cinema, internet, Youtube, signage, and offline or online social media) and they waive any right to inspect the final form of the Images. They understand that they will not receive payment or any other compensation in connection with these Images and ‘the Company’s’ use or sale of the Images and that they waive their rights of any kind that they have or may have in the Images. They agree to release “the Company” from any and all liability that may or could arise from the creation, taking, use or publication of the Images. “The Company” agrees to handle the Images in accordance with the Privacy Act 1993.