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Issaquah Mountain Bike Team Parent/Rider Expectations & FAQ 

 

       Welcome to the Issaquah MTB Team!  We are a cross country mountain bike team within the Washington Student Cycling League.  We are committed to encouraging kids to get outside and explore our amazing local trails, make friends, have fun riding bikes, and hopefully create a passion for this great life long sport!  Mountain biking is focused on endurance, trail riding skills, having fun, and getting dirty!  Our race courses consist of a mix of forested singletrack trails, fireroads, and sometimes short sections of paved paths connecting other trails. Occasionally, some of the courses may have sections with more difficult and challenging terrain including technical, rooty, and rocky sections. They may also have berms, and elements like small drops and short, steeper descents. To be clear, this is not an enduro or downhill racing team.  However, it can be an excellent way for aspiring enduro riders to build bike skills, make friends, and get in great shape! On a basic level cross country mountain biking relies more on physical conditioning than technical ability. Adding increased skills, endurance, and technique will only further the fun factor! We have an amazing group of dedicated coaches that are excited to share their love and passion of the sport! 

 

 

     Communication, preparation, participation, and involvement by both the student athletes and their parents are essential to make our team run smoothly and ensure our riders have a fun and successful season! Our team utilizes an app called TeamSnap throughout the season that is available on all cell phone platforms and is also available to view as a webpage (https://go.teamsnap.com/6858935/files/list/4022815). There you will find Team News, upcoming events, rider and coach contacts, important files, and a calendar that you can subscribe to that will add our team event dates directly to web based and mobile calendars.  Please get familiar with the app before the season gets into full swing.  Help to make the practices and races a success by using the RSVP on the app for EVERY practice and race.  Being punctual to practices and events is also very important! Please don’t wait until the last minute to map out where events are being held. Know exactly where and when your riders are expected to be ready to hit the trail.      

  

 

          Practice, practice, practice!  Due to the size of our team, we have several different rider groups and practices will sometimes have multiple locations.  Some families who have more than one rider, or have carpools may be unable get kids to 2 different locations. It is not a problem for a rider to occasionally join a different group for a practice if they cannot make it to ride with their own group. The exception may be practicing in a group above the skill level of the rider but can be taken on a case by case basis with communication in advance with the coaches.  We can not stress enough, for obvious safety and liability reasons, we can’t have riders telling their parents they are going to team practice and deciding to ride on their own instead.  Please speak to your rider about the importance of this. Lastly, unfortunately we cannot accommodate bringing a guest, friend, neighbor, etc… to ride with the team for the day due to liability reasons.

 

     We love our volunteers and they are absolutely necessary to keep our wheels spinning on Race Day.  Setting up equipment (bike racks, BBQ’s, tables, tents), donating goods (food, drinks, snacks, supplies), cleaning up, bringing home trash and recycling, breaking down equipment, and packing it all away at the end of the race takes a lot of coordination and involvement from parents and riders both.   

 

          Bike care!  Mountain biking requires that your personal equipment is well maintained, properly fitted, and in good working order during the season.  We are fortunate to have  Ride Bicycles as sponsors again this year! They both have top notch mechanics with excellent service departments to keep your bike running smoothly.  In addition, they are a full service shops carrying new bikes, parts, tools, safety equipment, and more.  It will be crucial to get your bike into a shop as soon as you notice an issue and be proactive with proper bike maintenance.   Shops will start to get backlogs of work as the weather gets nicer and folks are out riding more.  We hope you use our shop sponsors, let them know you are on the team, and how much you appreciate their support!   Ride Bicycles has offered our riders and coaches 15% off all parts, accessories, and apparel! 

 

 

 

          Thanks for joining the Issaquah Sasquatch family!  We are excited for the season and all the fun that brings!  It is incredible to look back after the final race and see all the growth our riders make.  We are looking forward to a safe and successful season of smiles, riding, and great times!  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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