In Salida and all of Colorado, mountain biking is a popular recreational activity. People of all ages can participate and enjoy this sport. With the start of the Salida school year also comes the start of the Salida High School mountain bike team season.
Clara Harris, a Salida High School junior, is a member of the mountain bike team.
Harris explained that there are practices in the tail end of the spring semester and into the summer. As school starts, the team starts their weekly practices after school.
“[At the] end of the second semester, and then into the summer we have Wednesday practices. Then around a week before school starts, we begin our Tuesday through Thursday practices,” she says.
Before the first week of their official practice the team has a bonding exercise. Harris says that this year they went camping and then went on a bike ride over the Monarch Crest Trail. However, the Crest is not your average mountain bike loop. This route is famous for high altitude and scenic views, but what makes this no ordinary route is it spans for around 35 miles. Each day at the campout they rode about 16 miles.
So far this season, the team has had races in Summit, Eagle, Leadville and Nathrop, and qualifiers will race in State. On Saturday, October 4, the team had its home race in Nathrop. Throughout the season there are five races. Four of these races are league and the other one is the State race. Other than State, these races are within a regional league.
During the season, practices are on Tuesday through Thursday. Practices won’t be the same thing everyday and might even be different for each rider. However, practices will still follow a system of meeting as a team, discussing the ride, and splitting into groups. The rides the team does will always be posted on their team app. Each ride lasts about an hour and a half.
A day prior to the race, the bikers will do what is called a pre-ride. This is an easy-going “roll through” of the trail they are going to be racing the next day. For the race day itself, Harris explained that you show up an hour earlier than when you stage and warm up. Stagings are when you get your identification and are matched against your opponents. “For example, they will write on your leg SG for sophomore girl, or FB for freshman boy. After this they will call up the top 16, then they will start the race,” said Harris.
The race usually lasts about an hour and fifteen minutes. The Varsity level racers will do three laps and the Junior Varsity will do two. Once students finish the race, they can hang out.
The mountain bike season is one of the sports that jumps right in as the school year begins. The Salida Spartans’ mountain bike team works all summer to prepare for this quick start up and are ready to race as soon as school begins. Good luck to all Salida Spartan Mountain Bikers at State!
