For our 6th – 12th grade riders, practice begins in July and run through October. We meet on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings. While attending practice isn’t mandatory, we encourage riders to come at least once a week if they can. Regular practice not only helps improve bike skills but also boosts overall fitness. Generally, the more you practice, the better your results. Riders who are injured or not feeling well should take the time they need to recover without feeling pressured to attend practice.

All skill levels are welcome at every practice, and after a brief team meeting, we’ll split into 3 to 4 small groups based on skill level. Riders are encouraged to try out different groups as their skills improve over the season. This helps them challenge themselves, gain confidence, and ride with various friends and coaches. Each small group will have licensed coaches based on the number of riders in that group.

The practice format will change during the season. Typically, our sessions will feature trail rides combined with skills training, closed course loops, time trials, hill workouts, and even bike games. We aim to make every practice enjoyable, and to add to the fun, we occasionally host cookouts or other fun activities.

WHERE WE RIDE

Nine Mile Recreation Area

With over 12 miles of single track, Nine Mile County Forest is great place for all levels of mountain bikers to ride. A variety of terrain gives the rider plenty of play-in-the-dirt fun. From the flowy Yin to Yang to the technically advance expert loop, Nine Mile has it all. Just 4 miles west of HWY 51 which makes it easy to get to.

Ringle Trails

Located at the Marathon County Landfill, The Ringle Trail System has a total mileage of 10-11 miles. Trail is a network of smaller loops that can be combined into one larger loop. All trails, Rock the Wierzba, Ruby Ridge, Lost Forty and the Rookery are fully machine constructed through the glacial terminal moraine ridges of Marathon County. Numerous jump, gap, drop features are scattered throughout the trail with all features being optional with a ride around if you want to keep your tires on dirt.

Rib Mountain State Park Road

For an added challenge, a few times each summer athletes can choose to take on hill climbs on Rib Mountain State Park Road. This 2.4-mile bike climb has a total elevation gain of 695 feet, making it excellent hill training for our most courageous athletes. Athletes looking to avoid hill climbing are typically given an alternate riding option.