Is this a high/middle school sport?

YES! We are organized as a part of the SoCal Youth Cycling League, an independent 501(c)3 organization that is dedicated to bringing Mountain Bike racing to MS/HS youth in Southern California. We are not a CIF sport, but we are absolutely in every other sense a team sport. Think of us as a High School sport thats affiliated with multiple different schools.

Do you have to race to be a part of this? (I’m nervous…)

Absolutely not! We do encourage racing, and our program uses racing as a mechanism to teach life experiences, but you do not have to race. We have athletes with a wide range of skills and abilities and those do not necessarily correlate with those who like to/want to race. Which is awesome!

Races are not just about the race. It’s a whole experience. From camping to team dinners, from cheering on teammates to pre-race jitters, from night rides to catching crawdads in the creek, SoCal races are an amazing experience.

Wait, you said camping?!?

Yes! A large part of the team (accompanied by their parents), including the coaches, choose to camp at the race venues. We have team dinners and group campsites. Its a super great part of the experience! What other HS sport involves camping as an integral part of the experience?!?!

This sounds cool! But, i’m just starting out, is this right for me?

Yes! If you can ride a bike and want to improve, then YES! We will work with you to help build the skills necessary to tackle any trail. We work with all levels and abilities and build confidence and strength through training and skill development. Our goal is to meet you where you are and provide opportunities for you to improve within your skillset. We believe everyone can level up their skills, from a beginning rider to a Varsity racer.

XC? Nah, I just ride enduro, bro.

Thats awesome! We love to ride enduro too! While we focus on XC racing, we have lots of team members that also race enduro! Many train both, as XC racing can provide the fitness needed to get through tough sections. In fact, many of the top pros also race XC to build their skills and fitness!

Many of the places we ride incorporate enduro trails like Black Mountain, Daley Ranch, Del Mar Mesa, etc.

What kind of bike to I need?

A hardtail or full-suspension Mountain Bike. Flat bars, front suspension, thats it! (No e-Bikes!). If you need help finding a bike or don’t know what to get, contact us and we can help!

What is the “SoCal League”?

A super-rad league dedicated to getting more kids on bikes and having a good time in the outdoors! check them out at www.socalyouthcycling.org

Sounds fun! I live in XYZ neighborhood, can we ride with you?

If you can make it to Del Norte High School in 4s Ranch on Tuesday or Thursday by 4:30, then yes! If not, please feel free to contact us and we can recommend an awesome team closer to you! (We know and ride with them all).

What is the rough team cost?

First, we are an all volunteer organization, so all of our team dues go right back to the team. We request a $200 donation per rider on top of league registration costs. That being said, we are very competitive cost wise with other sports and, depending on the sport, FAR cheaper.