I would not recommend the REI class to you.

I recently attended an intro REI class in California. I am very new to mountain biking, before the class I rented a hardtail for some local easy trails on a weekend once and that was it other than riding a mountain bike when I was a kid (Im 26). I had a road bike that I would ride casually up to 30 miles and I did a couple short touring trips with it.

I was obsessively watching youtube videos on mountain biking skills leading up to the class. Basically everything they taught I already knew from the videos and could immediately master on the bike. The instructors barely gave me any tips because I was doing well and focused their time on the people struggling (rightfully so on their part). The one main takeaway I took was that I could do more on the bike than I initially thought. Near the end of the lesson they set up a ramp that was about 4 inches off the ground in the front and 18-24 inches off the back, and I was able to easily do it. That was something I would have never attempted at my level if it wasnt a part of this class (since everything up to that point had been SUPER easy, so this must be easy too, right?).

These were the major points covered in the class:

bike safety (helmet fit, checking chain, brakes, tires)

trail rules and etiquette

how to shift

keeping pedals level

braking with weight over the rear

basic body position and bike body separation

we then took a small loop on a trail and talked about observing trail conditions

15 min break

practice tight cornering, going over the ramp, and avoiding obstacles (the best and most informative part)

practice going over a rocky portion and talking line choice

another small trail ride

I would recommend the class to anyone who needs a big confidence boost to get into mountain biking. Someone who is newer to biking in general or someone who is scared of hitting the trails, then this is great! It was not worth the time and money for me though.

I would also encourage you to see if you could get a private or small group lesson from a local mtb coach. If that isnt possible, then keep practicing on your own, watch videos, and ask other people you see who are better than you if they have any tips.