A  AWMTB Race Day- Unless they switch up the times... 

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Describing a high school mountain bike race in words is impossible, but in 2016 we had a few excellent videographers and Riders put together the following content that helps new Riders and parents get the idea:

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What does a race day look like?

• DrakeGirls Girl Riders on the Drake Team tell it like it is at Fort Ord 2016

• Drake Sophomore Boys This tight group of friends knows how to ride with a smile at Granite Bay 2016

• JV and Varsity boys talk about longer races at Petaluma 2016… #sufferfest!

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What does through a Rider’s head before, during, after a race? Racing Philosophy from a past Rider

 

What are parents supposed to do while watching a race? On supporting your Riders during a race

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What does a typical Race Weekend look like?

Race Weekend Race weekend can be a stressful time for riders and their traveling support crew, so it really pays off to prepare in advance, keep travel gear in one place, look through the Race Kit checklist, and create a travel routine. Note: If a Rider cannot come to a  race due to illness or other unexpected event, let AWMTBCoaches@gmail.com know one week ahead of time if you can.

 

Here’s a sample weekend schedule for Sunday Races. If the race is on a Saturday, then it is helpful to do all of the packing and preparation on Thursday night, as the Riders usually get clearance from the high school to leave campus at noon.

 

Saturday
9:00am Pack and prepare
12:00pm Departure time (drive times are usually 2 to 3 hours to race venue)
3:00pm Pre-ride the course with coaches (this is invaluable for Riders new to course)
5:30pm Shower and prep for dinner (sometimes group dinners will be arranged for Saturday night)
9:00pm Early to bed! Rest up for the race

 

Sunday
7:00am Pack up and get to Pit zone by 8am, or 2 hours prior to your race, whichever is earlier
8:00am Team meeting
9:00am Races begin!
12:00pm Look for lunch
1:00pm Cheer on JV and Varsity boys
4:00pm Get packed and ready to go
5:00pm Podiums for individuals and team

 

Coaches, Ride Leaders, and parents can help Riders prepare for racing by doing or helping with the following:

1. Get the students set up on the trainers at least ½ hour prior to staging, which is usually 20 minutes before races start. Check with the riders during the warm up period to make sure they have eaten (ideally 1-2 hours before the race) and have race fuel and water.

2. Check the rider’s number plate to ensure it is securely fastened and easy for the officials to read.

3. Refer any mechanicals to Team Mechanics.

4. Head to staging area with students to support and take any extra clothing they don’t want during the race.

5. Cheer on the riders during the race but don’t forget about the next group of riders warming up and staging simultaneously.

6. Greet the riders at the end of race and congratulate on an amazing effort. Remind the riders to continue hydrating and to do a cool down ride for 10-15 minutes after the race.

7. At the end of the Boys Varsity race and after all the riders/parents have eaten lunch, help with Pit Zone take-down and trailer packing. All riders are encouragee to stay for the individual and team awards.

8. Remember that Riders are under a lot of stress before racing, so help distract them and remind them to have fun!

Minute-by-minute schedules are provided for each category for each race (click for example for freshman boys), but the information above gives new Riders and Parents an idea of what the flow of the day looks like.

When you get home, remind the students to clean their bike and oil the chain- get the bike race-ready again.