Welcome to the
BIKE DAWGS!
San Rafael High School MTB Team
Ride Hard - Have Fun!
THE TEAM
The San Rafael High School Mountain Bike Team
was founded by SRHS parents Dave Curtis and
Brooks Herrick in 2006. From a team of 7 racers
the first year, the Bike Dawgs have tripled in size
and have taken home many team and individual
awards for winning performances. We grew from
an all-boy Frosh team to a diverse team of girls
and boys who ride the full breadth of categories,
from Frosh to Varsity.
The original 7 Bike Dawgs: Clayton Herrick, Ford Zimmerman, Bart
Carrade, Will Curtis, Skyler Nilsen, Niko Kaplanis and Gavin Albertoli
THE LEAGUE
The Bike Dawgs race as part of the NorCal High School Cycling League, which was founded by a
Berkeley High math teacher in 2001. The league has grown from a few regional teams to a national
high school sport under the auspices of NICA, the National Interscholastic Cycling Association, with
leagues in SoCal, Washington, Colorado, Texas and more states added every year. Within NorCal, San
Rafael High competes against approximately 45 other teams, totaling more than 500 riders.
The League puts on all our races and has carefully designed individual racing classes so beginners,
intermediate, and advanced riders are pitted only against peers of similar ability and experience.
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WHY RIDE?
Training and racing with a team provides life lessons in self-discipline, teamwork, sportsmanship, and
concern for the environment. High school mountain bike teams function as ambassadors for safe and
low-impact trail riding. The sport engenders respect, camaraderie across teams, parent involvement,
and physical and mental fitness. Students have positive attitudes and are interested in taking good
care of themselves, and because it is such a demanding endurance sport, it leaves little room for
unhealthy behaviors. The racer’s enthusiasm for the sport is contagious, and many have gotten their
parents back on a bike for the first time in years.
WHO WE ARE
The Bike Dawgs are not officially affiliated
with the school district or with MCAL. We’re
an all-volunteer, parent-run co-op who work
together to ensure the success and longevity
of the team. We typically have a head coach
and two assistant coaches. In addition to the
coaches, we need several adult “ride leaders”
out on the trails working with the kids on
every team ride. Any new parents who are
interested in helping out in this way should
contact the head coach. These folks put their
bodies on the line for our kids and deserve our appreciation. Many parents of former Bike Dawgs
riders continue to devote their time as ride leaders even though they no longher have kids on the
team.
There’s plenty to do off the trails as well, from getting uniforms ordered at the beginning of the
season, through travel and food arrangements for our races, to the end of season party in May. Our
team director coordinates parent volunteer efforts for all those things. Because we are a co-op, it is
essential that all our team parents volunteer in one way or another. For more information on the
various roles you can play on the team, see the “Bike Team Volunteers” document on the Bike Dawgs
website.
HOW WE BUILD OUR TEAM
If you demonstrate ability, try, and keep trying, you're on our team. We have a proven history of
creating capable and confident riders out of timid, out-of-shape beginners. That said, the sport is not
for everyone. It demands great endurance and what we call “pain management.” Athletes who are
already in good condition, like cross-country runners, adapt quickly and do very well.
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WHAT WILL IT COST?
Riders must pay for a race jersey, league registration, and entry
fees to each of the races. The team also requires rider dues to
cover cost of insurance, group trail permits, professional
instructors, and mandatory training our volunteer coaches
undergo to be licensed by the league. There are optional travel/
hotel/ dining costs as well. The team does fundraising to offset
many of these costs, and scholarships are available from the
league for those who need them. Fees change over time and
depend on team size; contact the team director for information
about current fees.
GIRL POWER
Mountain bike racing is an equal-opportunity
sport, with girls and boys competing from
Frosh to Varsity categories. There are lots of
girls racing in the league. In fact, girl participation is the fastest-growing demographic.
The NorCal League and our own SRHS team
culture is truly co-ed, and we work hard to
provide an experience that encourages and
celebrates girls’ different needs and tastes.
BUT IS IT SAFE?
Forget what you’ve seen on the X-Games or soft drink commercials. In cross-country bike races, the
average speed is usually around 10 to 12 miles per hour. This is an endurance sport, where the fittest
athletes win. Each year, the League collects data on injuries from every team. Typically, for the whole
League combined, there will be one or two broken bones, some sprains, a few cuts, some bruises, lots
of nicks and scrapes, but little else. Statistically, we suffer fewer serious injuries than most other
mainstream sports, especially contact sports.
We do our best to minimize the risks to your athlete. Risky behaviors are discouraged or forbidden,
the League helmet rule is strictly enforced, and we teach each athlete bike-control skills early in the
season to minimize the risk of crashing. After all, if you crash you not only risk injury but also lose
valuable time during races.
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Even with our best efforts, crashes and injuries can occur. SRHS requires all athletes in every sport to
comply with certain athletic eligibility rules, including that the athlete have personal medical insurance. The league also purchases an additional high-deductible policy that supplements your personal
policy.
We do our best to provide many parent/coaches as ride leaders, each equipped with a first aid kit and
cell phone on every ride. There are two adults for each group if we split the team during rides. Occasionally, circumstances arise where this is not possible. In this instance, we will designate and equip a
student/athlete who we believe is adequately mature, responsible, and capable in a ride leader role.
COMMUNICATION
We use e-mail to communicate with parents and athletes. We include parents on all e-mails to our
riders, as some teens don’t habitually check their e-mail. We also have a website, which you can
reference at any time for upcoming events (including training rides), race schedule, and important
documents. Finally, our team captains will pass information along via Facebook and texts. Please
check your e-mail daily and the team website periodically!
Websites/Resources:
http://dawgsmtb.org/ is our team website.
http://www.norcalmtb.org/ is the official NorCal league website.
http://mikesbikes.com/ is the website for Mike's Bikes of San Rafael, our sponsor bike shop.
SIGN ME UP!
If you’re reading this, chances are you’re already signed up. If not, there’s a link to our online sign-up
form on our website while registraiton is open. But there are still a few things we need from you
before you can ride with the team. Riders must have a complete SRHS athletic packet with a valid
physical and signed NICA and SRHS MTB Team waivers on file with us before they can go on team
rides. All forms are available from the documents page of our website. Riders planning to be on the
team should have all forms completed and submitted before our first team practice.
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YOU’LL NEED SOME GEAR
It is necessary to have the proper equipment for maximum comfort, safety, and riding ability. The gear
isn’t just for snob appeal; you (or your student rider) will feel and do better if you are physically
streamlined, comfortable, and safe. Much of our training takes place in the winter, and it’s important
for athletes to remain warm and dry. In addition to the team kit – a racing jersey and bib shorts –
which you will order at our kick-off party, you’ll need the following, both for training and for racing.
Starred items are mandatory. If you show up without them, you’ll be sent home.
ON YOUR BODY:
• An ANSI-certified bike helmet* is required when riding
Helmet
with the team, both by team policy and by our insurance. No
Eye Protection
Jersey
skateboard helmets.
• Another jersey or two for training and race pre-rides. Poly or
blend – no cotton. Either long-sleeved or, better yet, shortsleeved with arm warmers.
• Spandex or Lycra bike shorts, which keep muscles warm
Arm
and less fatigued while riding. It’s okay to wear baggy shorts
Warmers
over these, but not too baggy or they’ll get in the way. No long
pants (like jeans) which might get snagged on your chain.
• Biking shoes with SPD clips for clipping into the pedal, which
Gloves
allow the racers to get maximum power out of their stroke
and prevent feet from flying off the pedals. These should be
Bike Shorts
mountain biking shoes, not road shoes. They can start out
using regular shoes and pedals, but should make the switch to
SPDs well in advance of their first race. But don’t send kids out
Leg
on a team ride their first time in SPDs. They’ll fall, and it will
Bike
Warmers
hurt and be embarrassing. Send them out to a level, grassy
field and let them ride around and clip in and out until they
Bike Shoes
get the hang of it.
Bike Socks
• Biking socks that are wick-drying, like Coolmax or something
similar – no cotton.
• Leg warmers or knee warmers for sub-60º weather. Bike pants will work
too but cannot be peeled off as easily if it gets warm.
• Arm warmers. Some riders just wear long-sleeve base layers like Under Armour, but
again, these cannot be peeled off easily when riding.
• Mountain bike gloves,* full-fingered to keep hands warm and allow for protection on
single track from grazing branches and such. Should be fairly lightweight to allow for
nimble shifting.
• Windbreaker.* If you can find one that doubles as a rain jacket, even better.
• Rain jacket. Many riders use the cheap plastic jackets – they make you sweat like crazy but create a nice sauna
effect while riding to keep you warm in the rain.
• Eye protection to keep rocks and mud from going in your eyes. Multi-lens are good for different conditions, but
photo-chromatic are even better, as they adapt to lighting conditions as you ride.
• A bike.* Hardtails (with shocks in front only) are sufficient for cross-country racing, and their lighter weight is a
benefit on long climbs. Many modern full-suspension bikes are lightweight enough for XC racing as well, so it comes
down to personal preference or simply what’s available to you.
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TO CARRY WITH YOU:
Cell Phone
Water Bottle
• Water bottle* should be lightweight, so get the standard (not tall)
ones. On some rides you’ll need two; for races you’ll need one per
Bike Tool
lap (up to 4 for varsity). Label them with a permanent marker; there
are hundreds of water bottles floating around at races.
• Emergency contact card and/or a Road ID* (durable bracelet
with emergency contact info available from www.roadid.com).
Pump
• Cell phone* – charged – with In Case of Emergency numbers
programmed in.
Patch Kit
• Bike tool* with hex wrenches for seatpost, headset, SPD, brake
Spare Tube
housing tightening and adjustment; screwdrivers for derailleur
adjustments, etc.
• Spare tube, patch kit, tire irons, and a pump* because, at some
point, you will get a flat. Even with tubeless tires, carry a spare tube
Wind Breaker
and some way to inflate it.
• Food for training rides and races* such as Clif Bars, Trail Mix, Shot Blocks. We
burn a lot of calories out there and we don’t want your body to start cannibalizing your muscles.
• Medication.* If you have allergies that require an EpiPen, bring it along. If you
have asthma, bring your inhaler.
Food
IN YOUR GARAGE
Floor
Pump
• Floor pump with a pressure gauge.
• Lube for your chain and other moving parts. Ask the bike shop salespeople what they recommend
for current conditions.
• Rags for wiping off excess lube, and for wiping down the drivetrain.
• A bucket, some sponges, nylon brushes and old towels for washing and drying your bike.
• A large vehicle or bike racks, as you’ll be transporting bikes on a regular basis.
So where do I get all this? Bikes and bike accessories can be purchased at Mike’s Bikes of San
Rafael, who sponsors our team. We get 15% off parts and accessories, 10% off in-stock bikes and
very good deals from Specialized and Santa Cruz under what they call their “grassroots race program” (basically bikes for veyr near wholesale). They also have bike clothes and shoes, including
Mike’s Bikes shorts and jerseys. Wearing one of those is a great way to support our sponsor.
The Recylery, on 4th Street at Irwin, is basically a thrift store for bike gear. They have a large selection of new and used bike clothing. For do-it-yourself folks, it’s also a great place to find bike parts.
Occasionally you can even find a good deal on a used bike.
Performance Bicycles, in the Montecito Center, has a large selection of bike clothing. They have
pretty reasonable prices, and frequent enough sales that you should never have to pay full price. Their
Ultra line of bike shorts are a popular item for practice rides, and a pretty good deal if you can pick
them up on sale for $50 - $60.
Often the team will have an early season “lycra drive,” in which we provide free, donated and lightly
used bike clothing for the kids to choose form.
Various big-name stores, of course, carry sports gear (think REI or Sports Basement), though we don’t
get discounts with them.
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TRAINING
Making the training rides is essential to the individual racer as well as the whole team. During
training, riders learn about technique, safety, and racing strategies, and they build muscles and lung
capacity necessary for successful and safer racing.
The training scheme is a carefully planned schedule of training rides that gradually increase in
distance and difficulty over a six-month timeframe. This ensures that the athlete progresses gradually
so as to avoid injury and is able to achieve peak fitness by the championship race at season’s end.
The training is choreographed in three basic phases so that everyone is adequately prepared once the
racing begins. The first is the “Base” or endurance phase, where we ride at low speeds, teach
bike-handling skills, and gradually increase the ride duration to build a solid foundation of cardiovascular fitness. The second is the “Build” phase, in which we build strength and power by increasing the
amount of hill climbing. The last is the “Peak” phase, where we add fast-paced race simulation.
Once the actual riding starts, we split the team workouts into fitness-based groups, since our goal is
to challenge but not overwhelm each rider. All groups do a similar type of ride, albeit at different
paces. We do our best to design a training scheme for each rider appropriate for his/her level of experience, fitness, and personal ambitions. Groups are coed where practical.
Our most essential training rides are our Saturday morning rides. Combined with three shorter weekday workouts, this schedule is designed to get us fit in a time-efficient way, while avoiding injury,
fatigue, and mental burnout. Athletes who follow our progressive training schedule will steadily gain
fitness, and those who skip practice will soon find themselves struggling to keep up.
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Thursday rides will begin in December. These rides depart from the front of the SRHS gym and start
times are either 3 or 4 p.m. depending on the bell schedule. Students have roughly a half-hour to
collect their bikes and change into appropriate training gear. In most cases we’ll ride up Gold Hill
above Dominican University, which we can reach fairly easily from SRHS. Saturday rides are typically
on Mt. Tam or the hills west of Fairfax. We usually meet at the park-n-ride lot on Bolinas Avenue near
Sir Francis Drake in San Anselmo. Weekly ride times and locations will be posted on our website
every Sunday.
In December we’ll begin strength training at Body Kinetics Tuesdays at 4PM, where you’ll need clean
bike shoes, basic gym clothes and a water bottle; and indoor cycling at Pelo Fitness Wednesdays at
5PM, where you'll will need bike shoes, water bottle, cycling shorts and jersey or other athletic top.
Athletes will need to continually monitor their own fatigue level and discuss it with the coaches. Rest
and recovery are a critical part of any training plan. It is important that your athlete avoid the temptation to do extra workouts beyond what is recommended without first consulting the coaches.
NUTRITION
Athletes are expected to be informed and responsible with their eating habits. While this is not a
weight-loss program, fat loss and increased lean muscle-mass are typical results of our training. Your
athlete will need more high-quality calories from complex carbohydrates and will also need more
protein than is required for a non-exercising lifestyle. An inadequate or junk-food diet will put your
athlete at a disadvantage against those who are eating to win. It’s also important that riders eat
breakfast before our Saturday rides, at least 45 minutes before the ride is scheduled to begin. Otherwise, instead of building muscle, their bodies will cannibalize existing muscle.
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RACES
All of the hard work that our riders do during training culminates in their participation in the NorCal
race season. The race schedule is listed on our website, and the NICA rulebook for races is available
as a download on the documents page of our website.
Also check out the NorCal website http://www.norcalmtb.org/ for race information (click on “Events/
Races”). While you’re there, it’s a good idea to get on their mailing list so you can keep informed
throughout the year.
How do riders get to the races? Many parents turn MTB racing into a family event, because it’s so
much fun. However not all parents are able to attend. If your child needs a ride to a race, let us know
and we’ll help you find another parent to “adopt” your rider for the weekend. We use our personal
cars, and there is typically room for more in someone’s car and hotel room. However, the league
prohibits coaches from transporting riders to the race venue.
When do riders get to the race? This is typically a whole-weekend event. Riders go for a leisurely
race course “pre-ride” on Saturday in order to learn the course, find good places to fuel up during the
race, and go into the actual race with more confidence. Pre-rides usually begin around 3:00 PM.
Before each race, the coaches will inform the team about what time riders need to be there.
What about accommodations? Our travel coordinator typically books a block of rooms at a couple
of tried-and-true hotels, and will send out e-mails about these as venue information becomes available. We always get a special group rate on lodging, but you must book early to secure that rate. You
can always cancel later if you need to. Racers can take a room with family or share with others. We
typically check in on Saturday before or after the pre-ride and check out Sunday morning before the
race, usually after a complimentary hotel breakfast.
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One of our race venues, Boggs Mountain, is fairly remote and
requires camping. It’s dusty and dirty but great fun; we’ll provide
specific Boggs instructions as that race approaches. Basically think
tents, campfire, great food, dirt, and a lot of laughs.
What about food? After the pre-ride, racers usually head back to
the hotel to get cleaned up and then we meet for dinner at a local
restaurant, where our travel coordinator has negotiated a special
menu and/or price. Racers don’t have to go out to eat with the
team, but the coaches like to make sure that racers are eating a
hearty pasta meal the night before a race. Eating together is also a
great way to build team spirit.
The day of the race, our legion of parent volunteers will provide
food for the racers and for team volunteers. We provide mid-morning snack, hot chocolate, and an after-race meal. We have graduated from PB&J in the first year to grilling burgers, hot dogs and
veggies.
VOLUNTEERS
For the kids to be successful, we need lots of help from team
parents and volunteers. Some help with transportation and food;
some act in the capacity of helper-coaches. Our team director acts
as our volunteer coordinator and has an extensive list of all the
volunteer positions that are required to keep the team rolling.
There will be a sign-up sheet at our kick-off party, followed by an
online sign-up form afterwards.
In addition to parent volunteers, returning riders should consider
taking on some of the responsibilities that make the team function.
Beginner riders need help learning to keep their bikes in top
mechanical shape, advice on training and racing, and encouragement and reassurance from those who were beginners themselves not very long ago. If your returning
rider would like to be formally designated as a mentor in some specific area, let me know.
We are also always looking for parents who would like to be trained as assistant coaches and ride
leaders. You do not have to be a talented rider or racer to function effectively in this role; you learn as
you go, it’s a lot of fun, and you will be in very good shape as result.
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DETAILS
Commitment: We will assume all riders and ride leaders will be at all practices unless we’re told
otherwise. If your rider is a no-show and we have no advance notice, that will constitute an unexcused absence.
Preparing for team rides and ensuring that all riders are both safe and appropriately challenged is a
difficult task and requires advance knowledge of who will be attending. We are not professional paid
trainers; we’re team parents who like mountain biking and volunteer our time to make a program
available at SRHS. We understand the bike team is a big commitment and that things will come up
that prevent your rider from attending some rides. At the same time, a rider who is not fit due to poor
attendance is both a hazard to himself and to the whole team. Athletes who regularly miss workouts
will not progress at the same rate as fellow athletes, and will start having difficulty keeping up. For
this reason riders whose participation falls below 70% will be dropped from the team.
We promise to treat your athlete like a responsible young adult. Accordingly, we will interpret a habit
of missed practices and a pattern of disinterest as a signal to be dropped from the team and e-mail
communication. If your athlete is unable to attend any of the practices for any of the typical “excused
absence” reasons – schoolwork, job schedules, family commitments – it is important that he or she
excuse the absence in advance by informing the head coach so we can adjust ride planning and
create an alternate plan to keep the rider’s season on track. No-shows will be given an unexcused
absence; four unexcused absences will result in a rider being dropped from the team.
The Bike Dawgs are a race team and, as such, students who join the team must be open to experience
racing and are required to try at least one race. If, after this experience, a rider determines that he or
she is not comfortable with racing, we will set up a meeting to discuss how that student can continue
riding with the team.
Code of Conduct: We are committed to safety. We think about safety, teach safety, and require each
rider to always ride in a safe and controlled manner. Riders who repeatedly flaunt our safety rules or
engage in behaviors that present unnecessary risks to themselves or others will be dropped from the
program. As visible representatives of San Rafael High School and ambassadors of cycling, athletes
are expected to conduct themselves in a manner consistent with that status and follow the SRHS
rules of behavior at all times and in all places, from local trails to race-weekend hotel rooms. League
riders must wear an approved helmet at all times, and will lose race priveleges or be removed from
the team if they are seen on a bike without a helmet.
Community Service: As part of being on the team, members are required to undertake eight hours
of cycling-related community service during the season. This can consist of anything from local trail
maintenance to volunteering at league events. (Some students use this volunteerism to fulfill their
school-related community service requirement as well.)
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About Academics: It is our goal to help develop students academically, physically, and socially into
mature young adults. To qualify to participate in SRHS Mountain Biking, each athlete must be achieving academically in a manner satisfactory to wishes of his/her parents and the standards of the
school. Failure to maintain satisfactory academics during the cycling season is grounds to be dropped
from the team.
The Original 7 (+1) after their final race: Skyler Nilsen, Quinlan Brow, Ford Zimmerman, Will Curtis, Niko Kaplanis, Clayton Herrick, Gavin Albertoli & Bart Carrade.
If you’re still reading at this point, I commend you. It’s a lot to take in, but you’ll be experts soon
enough. Please be sure to let me know if you have any questions. Or ask experienced riders or their
parents. There’s a lot to learn, but you don’t have to do it all by yourself.
Sincerely, Coach Jon
coachjon@dawgsmtb.org
http://dawgsmtb.org/
Thanks to Mark Kintz, Austin McInerny, Dave Curtis and Jeannette Longtin – all authors of previous
NorCal Team Info documents from which I borrowed liberally.
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Welcome to the San Rafael High
School Mountain Bike Team. This
packet of information is intended
to help you understand how the
team works and, if you're new to
the sport, tell you what you need
to be a happy and successful
team mountain biker.