Chain Gang MTB Club is a Johannesburg/Gauteng-based mountain-bike coaching and development club focused particularly on children, families, beginners and developing riders. It has been running structured MTB skills sessions since 2016, working in schools, estates, bike parks and trail environments. What Chain Gang does: The club's approach is much broader than simply teaching children to ride fast. It combines skills, confidence, fitness, safety, trail awareness and enjoyment. Our programmes include: Learn2Ride: helping first-time riders progress from training wheels to confident independent riding. Kids MTB Skills & First Riders & Shredders: developing bike handling, braking, balance, cornering, climbing, descending and technical trail skills. Group and school programmes: structured after-school and extra-mural MTB coaching. One-on-one coaching: targeted skills development and race preparation. Race development: helping riders progress towards XCC, XCO and other competitive MTB disciplines. Holiday programmes, rides and events. Chain Gang Femme: a women-focused MTB community designed to make mountain biking more accessible, social and confidence-building for women and girls. Event planning and MTB event management: including route planning, logistics, suppliers and event-day management. Our philosophy A big part of Chain Gang is building confident riders, not just technically capable riders. We emphasise: Bike • Body • Buddy • Trail Riders are taught to understand their bicycle, their own body position and capabilities, how to ride responsibly around others, and how to read and respond to the trail. The stated goal is to help riders "ride with heart and head" while developing confidence both on and off the bike. The development side: Chain Gang also has a more performance-oriented pathway for riders who want to race. It is involved with Gauteng Cycling XCC, XCO, School Series and XCM events, and provides coaching for riders wanting to progress towards more serious competition. There is also a Chain Gang Race Team and an Academy/development component, creating a pathway from beginner → skills development → confident trail rider → competitive rider. The person behind it Smish Burge, founder and CEO of Chain Gang MTB Club, is the driving force behind the programme. According to Chain Gang's profile, she began with the simple objective of getting children confidently off training wheels and onto trails, and has coached hundreds of children, teens and adults since 2016. Her work includes youth development, skills coaching, race preparation, trail building and supporting riders with different needs. She was also awarded the Gauteng Cycling Lifetime Achievement Award in 2024. Chain Gang MTB is a South African MTB coaching and development community that uses mountain biking as a vehicle to build skills, confidence, fitness, independence and a lifelong love of riding: from tiny beginners through to competitive riders. Join THE GANG!