About
Rideo Mountain Biking or simply “Rideo” is a Tasmanian owned and operated business providing mountain bike skills instruction services around Tasmania for anyone and everyone with primary focus on kids, women and families.
We run kids school holiday programs and after school programs called “Shred Squad” around Tasmania.
We also run private lessons in Hobart, Launceston, Penguin and Derby.
Team
Christa Capel
Director and Lead Instructor
Christa founded the business in 2015 and manages the day to day operations.
Christa grew up on the north-west coast of Tasmania and loved watching her younger brother and friends get stoked on bikes and always wanted to have a go too. Moving to Western Australia temporarily and undertaking downhill and gravity enduro mountain bike racing, Christa raced several seasons in elite women.
Mountain biking around Australia and parts of Asia and Canada has provided a high degree of inspiration to Christa's coaching style. Coming from a downhill / freeride background, Christa enjoys coaching manoeuvres such as jumping.
Christa is accredited with the Professional Mountain Bike Instructor Association (PMBIA) which is the leading global accreditation body and is also Wilderness First Aid trained.
Ben Kershaw
Instructor (Hobart, TAS)
Ben started riding his bike before he could walk. He grew up riding around Hobart mainly in the Meehan Range. Ben has a strong cross country racing background and started racing with the local club Dirt Devils back in high school and soon progressed to national level races competing in his first national championship 2015 he as since competed at many races both locally and nationally. He is also not scared to throw his legs over a bigger bike and hit up the local enduro races.
Ben’s cross country racing background shows in his coaching style as he enjoys teaching how to ride fast while staying smooth and in control. He will even help you hit that big jump that you have always been nervous about.
Ben is accredited with the Professional Mountain Bike Instructor Association (PMBIA) which is the leading global accreditation body and is also Wilderness First Aid trained.
Alex Kehl
Instructor (Hobart, TAS)
Alex is an experienced and talented mountain bike rider and racer of disciplines including XC, Cyclocross, Enduro and Downhill. Alex is an experienced team member having been with us since 2019.
Alex is a MTBA Level 0 instructor and Wilderness First Aid trained.
Tom Battaglia
Instructor (Hobart, TAS)
Tom grew up around South Hobart and is accustomed to riding some of Tasmania’s most challenging mountain bike trails.
Tom is experienced rider and racer and has been working with Rideo MTB since 2019.
Tom is accredited with the Professional Mountain Bike Instructor Association (PMBIA) which is the leading global accreditation body and is also Wilderness First Aid trained.
Henley James-Smith
Instructor (Hobart, TAS)
Henley is an experienced, strong and fit! and talented mountain bike rider and has been working with Rideo MTB since 2019. Henley is studying medicine at UTAS in between coaching!
Henley is a MTBA Level 0 instructor and First Aid trained.
Katie Lawlor
Instructor (Launceston & Derby, TAS)
Katie has raced downhill mountain biking all the way to a world cup level, say no more!
Katie is sponsored by Patrol Bikes and currently resides in the famous hills of Derby :-)
Katie holds a Mountain Bike Australia Level 0 instructor certification and is first aid trained.
Jordan Taylor
Instructor (Penguin, TAS)
Jordan is from WA, but now calls Tasmania home. He has worked in Outdoor Education with school and corporate groups in WA, Victoria and TAS and has been an Outdoor Education and Physical Education teacher on the NW Coast for the last 10 years. As a teenager he started racing some XC and riding trials around shopping centres before moving onto downhill on the WA pea-gravel. Jordan also raced BMX and his riding style shows that as he loves to play around on the trail and pump and jump off all sorts of features. In Tasmania, when he is not riding with his young family, Jordan tries to find time to race some enduro events and ride the awesome trails along the NW coast. Jordan was recently able to travel and ride in Canada and Nepal and cannot wait for the next big overseas mountain bike adventure!
Jordan has delivered mountain biking programmes as part of Outdoor Education in schools for the last 8 years and has been coaching for Rideo for 2 years. Jordan is Level 2 accredited with the Professional Mountain Bike Instructor Association (PMBIA) which is a leading global accreditation body and Wilderness First Aid trained.
Jordan loves to share his passion for mountain biking and outdoors with young people and see them have fun and success!