Minnesota High School Cycling League Introduces "Try It Out Sessions" For Student Athletes

Image Credit:  Todd Bauer/MN High School Cycling League

The Minnesota High School Cycling League has just announced a new program to introduce mountain biking to middle school and high school student athletes (grades 7-12).  Through a series of "Try It Out" sessions, students will have the opportunity to get on a mountain bike and see what mountain biking is all about.  Experience is not necessary and it is a great chance to meet with team coaches and other racers.

Image Credit:  Todd Bauer/MN High School Cycling League

Thanks to generous support from Penn Cycle and Erik's Bike and Board Shop, the League has a fleet of demo bikes for student athletes to try out and borrow for races.  Helmets, donated by the MN High School Cycling League are also available.  Bring your own bike or borrow one of these demo bikes.  There are a limited number of bikes so e-mail joshua@minnesotamtb.org to make sure one is available for the Try It Out Session you will be attending.

Each Try It Out Session will start at 6:00pm and run until 7:30pm.  Student athletes are encouraged to arrive 15 minutes early to register and bring a signed waiver by parents to participate.

Try It Out Session Dates/Locations

• Thursday, May 22 – Salem Hills
• Tuesday, May 27 – Elm Creek
• Wednesday, June 4 – Carver Lakes
• Thursday, June 12 – Murphy – CrankSisters Session
• Tuesday, June 17 – Salem Hills
• Wednesday, June 25 – Elm Creek
• Thursday, July 10 – Carver Lakes
• Tuesday, July 15 – Murphy
• Wednesday, July 23 – Salem Hills – CrankSisters Session
• Thursday – July 31 – Elm Creek

Credit:  MN High School Cycling League

Crank Sisters Try It Out Sessions

The Crank Sisters outreach initiative encourages girls to join the League and become racers.  There will be two Crank Sisters Try It Out Sessions for girls-only that will have open skill sessions with former pro mountain bikers Jenna Rinehart and Kyia Anderson.  No racing experience is necessary.  Helmets are required and bikes are available for use from the League's demo fleet for girls that need to borrow one.  There are a limited number of bikes so e-mail joshua@minnesotamtb.org to make sure one is available for the Crank Sisters Try It Out Session you will be attending.  A waiver signed by parents is required to participate.

 Crank Sisters Try It Out Sessions Dates/Locations

• Thurs. June 12 – Murphy Hanrehan Park Reserve – 6:00pm – 7:30pm
  15501 Murphy Lake Road Savage, MN 55378
  Recommended student-athletes show up 15 minutes early.
  Instructor: Jenna Rinehart
• Wed. July 23 – Salem Hills (Harmon Park) – 6:00pm – 7:30pm
  Inver Grove Heights area. Directions: Take I-494 to the Robert Street Exit #67.  Turn Right onto South Robert Trail/MN-3 South.  Turn Left onto Upper 55th Street East.  Asher Avenue will be on your right – take this road directly to the parking lot.
  Recommended student-athletes show up 15 minutes early.
  Instructor: Kyia Anderson

If you have additional questions or for teams outside of the Twin Cities Metro Area that would like to request a Try It Out Session, please send an email to joshua@minnesotamtb.org.

2WheelWeather to Furnish CycleCasts for Minnesota High School Cycling League Race Season

Image Credit:  Minnesota High School Cycling League

Meteorologist and avid mountain biker Kristin Clark will be providing the 2WheelWeather Cyclecast for the 2013 Minnesota High School Cycling League season.  These race specific CycleCasts will include highly detailed hyper-local weather forecasts and trail information for all five races this year.  Kristin aims to help the 300+ racers on 25 teams to do their best by keeping them informed of race day weather conditions while getting them excited about the science of meteorology.

"The Autumn season is great for racing mountain bikes. Sunny days, fall foliage, comfortable conditions all make for a spectacular time to ride and race. The fall weather, however, can come with its own set of forecasting challenges. The sun angle gets lower and lower in the sky, daylight hours become increasingly shorter and cold, arctic air begins its descent southward towards the Midwest.  2WheelWeather aims to keep the high school racers prepared and informed with a race specific CycleCast." - Kristin Clark, Certified Broadcast Meteorologist

CycleCasts for the 2013 High School Mountain Bike race season will include:

9/8 - Race #1 - Salem Hills, Inver Grove Heights, MN
9/21 - Race #2 - Jail Trail, St. Cloud, MN
9/29 - Race #3 - Hillside Park, Elk River, MN
10/13 - Race #4 - White Tail Ridge, River Falls, WI
10/27 - Race #5 - State Championships: Mt. Kato, Mankato, MN 

 Each CycleCast will be published on the Wednesday before race day on 2WheelWeather's High School Cycling page.

Follow 2WheelWeather on Twitter @2WheelWeather, on Facebook and the MORC Weather Blog to stay up to date on cycling weather conditions.

If you are a race, ride or event organizer that is interested in 2WheelWeather's forecasting services, contact Kristin at Ride@2WheelWeather.com.

Minnesota High School Cycling League Getting Ready For 2013 Season

After a successful inaugural season, the Minnesota High School Cycling League prepares for 2013 with the addition of new teams & more racing, a series of informational meetings, Leader's Summit, the introduction of the new outreach initiative "Crank Sisters" and a movie night fundraiser.

Twenty teams are now registered for the 2013 season with additional teams forming in Chaska, Cuyuna Lakes, Maple Grove/Osseo, Shakopee and Champlin.  There will be two informational meeting for teams now forming in the Duluth Area on March 22nd & 23rd and another meeting has been scheduled for April 22nd at REI in Roseville.  If you would like to learn more about mountain bike racing, have an interest in becoming a coach or would like to volunteer at upcoming races, please attend one of these meetings.  To learn more visit the Minnesota High School League's Informational Meetings page.  A two day Leader's Summit has been scheduled for April 20-21, 2013 at Quality Bicycle Products in Bloomington for parents and volunteers who would like to become licensed coaches for the Minnesota High School Cycling League.

 Join Us – Let’s Get Girls Racing!
Our new outreach initiative, Crank Sisters, encourages high school girls to become racers and women to become coaches in the MN League. Through networking, knowledge sharing, scholarships, league and fee discounts, and coaching rebates, Crank Sisters will be the channel to overcoming fears, setting goals, and learning how racing and coaching in the MN League is both rewarding and the basis for a healthy lifestyle.

Image Credit:  Minnesota High School Cycling League

One fourth of the racers in 2012 were girls and the Minnesota High School Cycling League would like to see that double.  A Crank Sisters Summit Day has been scheduled for April 20, 2013.  More details and sign up information are coming soon. 

Image Credit:  Minnesota High School Cycling League

Singletrack High Movie Night is a fundraising event for the Minnesota High School Cycling League that will be held April 18, 2013 at the Edina Cinema-3911 W. 50th Street Edina, MN 55424.  Online ticket purchase for this event is recommended due to limited seating, but tickets may also be purchased at the door.

Singletrack High is a wonderful film that depicts what participation in mountain bike racing does for a community and its students. The film follows six athletes from the NorCAL League in the 2012 season.  The film does an excellent job of showcasing what NICA is all about and what the kids who participate in the league get from it. From an inner city kid that finds a means to escape the rough neighborhoods of South Sacramento to a pair of girls breaking into a sport traditionally dominated by boys. The film explores the wide range of positive outcomes from keeping adolescents active on bikes at an age when many are "trading in two wheels for four," as one of the subjects puts it.  "Come see what the MN League is bringing to our Minnesota student-athletes," said MN League Director Gary Sjoquist, "You will not be disappointed, more likely...inspired. See you at the movies on Thurs. April 18!"

Image Credit:  Minnesota High School Cycling League

About the Minnesota High School Cycling League

The Minnesota High School Cycling League, founded in 2011, serves all Minnesota high school-aged students, and regardless of ability level, is committed to providing a positive co-ed cycling experience. New for 2013, the MN League launched Crank Sisters, an outreach program established to recruit girls to race and women to become licensed coaches in the MN League. Each MN League season includes summer camps, a five-race series, wilderness first aid certification courses and a Spring Leaders’ Summit for training and certification of coaches. The MN League exists by virtue of a range of fundraising activities, as well as generous donors, and MN League sponsors including the founding national sponsor, Specialized Bicycle Components; as well as establishing NICA sponsors Easton Foundations, SRAM, and Trek Bicycles; major sponsors Sho-Air, Clif Bar and Company, Clif Bar Foundation, Primal Wear, Quality Bicycle Products, GU Sports, Kinetic, Maxxis, CamelBak, Feedback Sports, Fort Lewis College, Fox Racing Shox, and Ritchey Designs; media partners Mountain Bike Action, Dirt Rag, and Cyclingnews. MN League specific sponsors include Founding Retailers Penn Cycle and Erik’s Bike and Board Shop, Mt Borah, Life Time Cycle, HealthPartners Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine, the Minnesota Mountain Bike Series, Park Tool, Ipsity Marketing, Random Bikes, and Valley Bike and Ski. For more information on the MN League, visit minnesotamtb.org.

Image Credit:  Minnesota High School Cycling League

Image Credit:  Minnesota High School Cycling League

Mission Statement
The Minnesota High School Cycling League works to establish and maintain safe, quality high school mountain bike programs. The MN League is responsible for establishing a climate that will:

• Provide students who have the desire to mountain bike with the coaching and camaraderie that will help them achieve both competitive and non-competitive cross-country mountain biking goals in a safe and enjoyable manner;
• Develop an awareness of what it is to be an amateur athlete that is both gracious and respectful to their community;
• Create an environment in which they may discover new friendships and find role models;
• Guide students towards learning new skills and disciplines, and spread the foundations of mountain bike racing across the U.S.;
• Foster a responsible attitude toward the use of trails and wilderness;
• Promote the value of cycling to our community as a mode of transportation and as a life long sport.''

Image Credit:  Minnesota High School Cycling League

If you would like to become a sponsor, make a contribution or volunteer please visit the Support Minnesota page.  Stay updated on the Minnesota High School Cycling League by signing up for League Newsletters, following on Twitter @MinnesotaMTB, or liking on Facebook.