(Photo: NICA Oregon Chapter)
If you know a young person in Portland who’s stoked on mountain biking, now, for the first time ever, they can sign up for a team through their school.
The Portland Metro Composite MTB Team is the latest evolution of the fledgling Oregon chapter of the National Interscholastic Cycling Association we first reported on back in December.
In April, over 30 volunteer coaches from throughout Oregon participated in the inaugural Leaders’ Summit held in Portland. Now they’ve fanned out across the state to build their teams in advance of the first races which are set to begin this September.
With a team of certified and insured coaches, NICA Oregon is ready to get rolling. All that’s missing are the students! Let me make sure the Portland area fields a strong team and does us proud! Read below the jump to find out about how to get involved…
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The team is open to students from any school in Portland, grades 6 through 12. Once the team is set up there will be weekly skill-development and practice events this summer to be held at Portland’s home court: Gateway Green! No previous mountain biking experience is necessary, there are no tryouts, no one gets cut, and all genders are welcome. Team dues (which includes NICA membership and registration at four race weekends) are $275 and there are scholarships available.
If you’re interested, the first team meeting for parents and guardians happens tomorrow (June 12th) at 6:30 pm at Irving Park in northeast Portland (near the basketball courts).
For more information, check out the Portland Composite Team homepage and NICA Oregon.
— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org
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I wonder why their season is so late in the year and in the middle of cyclocross season which has great participation by age 18 and under riders in Oregon? There were over 80 junior riders at the 11/12/17 OBRA cyclocross race. Why not have a spring race season like they do in Northern and Southern California that ends in May so they don’t conflict with cyclocross? By the middle of October I’ve put my mountain bike away because the trails are a muddy mess in most of Oregon.
Doesn’t make much sense, does it. Unless they’re planning on indoor tracks.
Do you support mountain biking now?
Good question. Send them an email. I have found the OR NICA people to be very friendly.
You put your mtb away in the middle of October? The poison oak at Syncline has barely died back by that time! Hidden Valley is an amazing trail, especially in Winter when the hiking crowds have all but disappeared.
Armored trails, IE sandy ridge and Gateway Green, can handle riding when wet.
Hey All,
Thanks for the interest and discussion! One of the Portland Metro team coaches here. 🙂
The decision was made to hold races in the fall, because that’s the best time of year for riding and racing in our region.
Sure, it’s cyclocross season, but the folks involved with the new Oregon League are making every effort to schedule league races around OBRA’s racing calendar…so in the end it just means more great weekends and more great options for kids looking to have fun on bikes.
For any kids who are dedicated racers, this fall has the potential to be the fall of their dreams…and having our team members (with their parent-guardians) at the Oregon League races will be a welcomed and encouraged experience, but, it’s not a strict requirement of team participation.
In the meantime, the focus of Portland Metro will be on inclusivity and fun as much as it will be on racing. NICA serves those with zero bike racing experience…as well as those with zero mountain biking experience.
– 90% of the kids that participate in a NICA race have never raced before.
– 75% of kids that join a NICA team have never ridden single track before.
The bottom line…this is a huge opportunity to get more kids introduced to a life spent on bicycles.
– Coach Mitchell