Please reach us at BoulderHighMTB@gmail.com if you cannot find an answer to your question.
This is a Fall Team at Boulder High School listed under CLUBS on the BHS Website. We practice Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:15 - 6:30pm from August - October. Registration opens in May!
Cross-country mountain biking (XC) is a cycling discipline that focuses on speed and endurance over a variety of off-road terrain, including hills, descents, and singletrack. It differs from other mountain biking styles like downhill, which prioritizes technical skills and gravity-based riding.
That depends! XC mountain biking is an endurance sport. That means we put in real miles at practice with an emphasis on climbing. Groups will ride anywhere from 18 to 30 miles in a practice with significant elevation gain. We rarely go to Valmont, although we do utilize the park for skills sessions and the occasional easy day.
Cross-country mountain biking can significantly benefit enduro and gravity riders by building a stronger fitness foundation, sharper bike handling skills, and better line selection under fatigue. The endurance and climbing power developed through XC riding help riders maintain control and speed during long, technical enduro stages or downhill runs. Additionally, the constant need for quick decisions and efficient riding in XC races improves a rider’s ability to read terrain and adapt rapidly, key skills for excelling in gravity-focused disciplines.
Scholarships are available.
BHS MTB Team registration is open May 1st the Spring BEFORE the fall season. You only need to register with the BHS Team in the Spring. This gets you on all the mailing lists and set up in the team group emails. Colorado League membership needs to be completed before your first ride with the team. The registration link will be available on this website as soon as the window opens. Anyone who completed the interest form will receive emails reminding interested riders to sign up.
We start and end all practices from Boulder High School. We ride out from the school to local area trails. We head South to CU South / Marshall Mesa / Dowdy Draw / Spring Brook. We head West for hill climbs, Betasso and the Betasso Link trail. We head North to Joder, Eagle, & rez trails. We head East towards the East Boulder Rec center and connect with a variety of bike paths and some trails. Sometimes we practice skills at Valmont Bike Park. We use some roads but try to use bike paths to get around town as much as possible.
We don't do jumps at Valmont, we don't do a bunch of downhill shredding, we don't drive to ride locations. This is a cross country MTB team which is an endurance sport and that means miles, miles, and miles.
We limit our ride groups to 10 students with a minimum of 2 Colorado High School Cycling League licensed coaches. We aim to ride in smaller groups.
All ride coaches are licensed through the Colorado High School Cycling League. All of the coaches are volunteers, many have or have had student athletes on the team. Coaches receive training in ride management, Wilderness First Aid & CPR, basic MTB bike handling skills, as well as youth mental health, concussion awareness, and many other topics. Some of our coaches have been doing this for up to 10 years! That's a love of youth cycling!
The Colorado High School Cycling League is an organization, similar to CHSSA, that supports and insures middle and high school level mountain bike teams and organizes a season of competition for teams across 5 states including Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming, South Dakota and North Dakota. Originally a member of NICA, the Colorado League has branched off on its own in 2021 to support the over 1,000 riders, coaches, and families that participate in the sport of High School Mountain Biking. The BHS team, coaches, and each rider pays an annual fee to be a member of the CO League. Each race has an additional fee for each student athlete.
You need a great attitude, a willingness to have some fun on bikes, a willingness to train hard. A bike, helmet, & shoes are a great start but if you are in need of loaner items we will work to support you. We love getting more kids on bikes. A, "will try" attitude is the best place to start.
There are 4 regular season opportunities to race. Qualified riders will have the opportunity to go on to the State Championships to close the season. Qualifying for states is based on your regular season race points and ranking. Details about ranking, starting positions, and race dates are updated regularly on the League website at ColoradoMTB.org.
While racing is optional it is highly encouraged. Whether you are dead set on the podium or just out to set a personal record for the love of riding bikes, racing brings a sense of accomplishment like nothing else. As a team we work to support each other no matter what, cheer everyone on, and know that we've accomplished something very hard no matter what the finish looks like. Our team saying is "Finish it!". No one knows what a race will bring and finishing a race, no matter the difficulties, is a true accomplishment.
The informational night is an effort to provide you with as many details as possible regarding the upcoming season. It is important for every rider & family to participate so that expectations can be heard by everyone. Once you've registered for the team you'll be on the email list to receive these specific dates and details.
Stack Team App is our communication platform, so yes you will need this. Only registered riders and their parents/guardians, coaches have access to this closed group. You will be entered into the system after registration closes, please accept the invitation. We share the ride calendar, social events, race details, any other all team messages, and tons of photos through this app. It is really important that once you're registered on the team that you accept the invitation to join that is emailed to you. The app is based on unique email addresses so it's really important that we collect everyone's current email address. During the ride season the team pays to have ads removed to make the app work a little smoother. A tutorial on how to use the app is organized at the beginning of the season.
We want more kids on bikes! As a result we will do all that we are able to help you get on a bike saddle for the season. If it's a loaner bike, fee scholarships, league scholarships, clothing scholarships, or even support to get to the race weekends. There is help out there, simply ask. boulderhighmtb@gmail.com
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