Racing is (Almost) Here!
Alex M. blazing through the singletrack at our Blackhawk team relay races. Thanks to the many parents who came out to cheer, to the volunteers who put it extra time to get the course set up, and to the riders for making it a FUN, exciting event! Photo by Coach Scott C.
For more photos from the event, check out our 2021 Driftless MTB Photo Album, organized by date!
Our month of August adventuring is wrapping up, and we are ready to take on the final two months of our season, which are defined by…RACING! If you haven’t had the chance to check out our Racing FAQs, head that direction to read all about the excitement!
In this news update, we’ll cover upcoming events for the next few weeks, a shifting schedule (due to shorter daylight hours) and kit delivery.
Rider availability - it’s still important!
Many student athletes are starting up fall sports and we know that families are juggling a lot with your schedules. This also means that many of our volunteer coaches have changing availability, too. Please keep your rider availability up-to-date on the attendance spreadsheet at least 24 hours in advance so we are aware in advance how many athletes will be attending a practice or event, and can keep our rider-to-coach ratios within safe NICA standards.
As the summer light wanes, our NICA practice schedule changes. If your rider has access to a bike light, it’s not a bad idea to bring it to practice.
Changing seasons, changing practice times
Due to waning daylight hours, our NICA practice schedule shifts ahead by 30 minutes for the last two months of our season. Starting on Tuesday, September 7th, all practices will begin at 5:30 and end at 7 p.m. - please adjust accordingly so your rider is on time to start practice, and is picked up at the correct time. All of these time changes are reflected on our season calendar.
Additionally, the changing season means that fall weather is around the corner. Ensure that student athletes arrive to practice with proper clothing and hydration/nutrition. We encourage layers for chilly fall nights as temps drop quickly (especially at the top of Blue Mound) and staying warm is essential! A front-facing bike light can be helpful, but it is not required.
Local photographer Ric Cederholm will be at practice on Wednesday, Sept. 8 for team photos. Riders should wear their practice shirts.
UPCOMING EVENTS
We have several non-racing related events coming up on our calendar, including some adventures, exploration of new trails, and events that we rescheduled from earlier in the season (we really have had tough luck with the weather this year!) As always, details for each event (i.e. parking locations) can be found on our TEAM CALENDAR.
Tuesday, August 31 - Driftless Downs Trail Ride
WHERE: Cross Plains, WI
WHAT: Instead of our usual practice at Blue Mound, riders will explore the Driftless Downs trails in Cross Plains, WI. Riders will meet at Park Elementary School in Cross Plains, and
WHEN: 6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.Monday, September 6 - Dane County NICA Adventure Ride
WHERE: CamRock County Park, Cambridge, WI
WHAT: Gather with NICA teams from across the county for a fun day of adventuring on the Cam-Rock Trails system. Details about parking, timing, etc. on our calendar.
WHEN: 10 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.Wednesday, September 8 - Team Photo night AND Team Kit Distribution
WHERE: Blackhawk Ski Club (West Chalet)
WHAT: Local photographer Ric Cederholm will be taking team photos throughout the evening. Riders should wear their team practice shirt! We will also be distributing our TEAM KIT orders from Pactimo. If your rider plans to race, please plan on picking up their race kit.
WHEN: During our normal practice time, 5:30 p.m. - 7 p.m.[WAUNAKEE RIDERS ONLY] Tuesday, September 14 - Driftless Downs Trail Work
WHERE: Cross Plains, WI
WHEN: 5:30 p.m. - 7 p.m.
WHAT: Waunakee riders will meet at Park Elementary school and ride to the Driftless Downs trails to help local trail stewards with maintenance projects. We’ll follow up our workday with a quick lap on the trails!
*NOTE: Blackhawk & Mount Horeb riders will attend our regularly-scheduled practice at Blue Mound State ParkTuesday, September 21 - Cyclocross Skills with Isaac Neff at Badger Prairie
WHERE: Badger Prairie County Park, Verona, WI
WHEN: 5:30 p.m. - 7 p.m.
WHAT: Join guest coach Isaac Neff as he introduces cyclocross skills that translate to the mountain bike. We’ll practice dismounts/remounts, cornering, and more!
WISCONSIN LEAGUE Racing kicks off SEPt. 11-12
We know that racing is at the forefront of many riders’ minds as we enter September. We hope that you can find all the info you need over on our RACING FAQ’s page, but if not, please do not hesitate to reach out to a director with questions. An incredibly important resource for each weekend is the RACE FLYER created by the league. These are accessible on the Wisconsin MTB website (click on the race to access the flyer), and we’ve also compiled them into a Google Drive folder, here, for easy access.
In addition to these online resources, we are offering two, 15-minute post-practice Q&A meetings, one at Blue Mound State Park on Sept. 7, and one the following day at Blackhawk. If you have questions about racing, stick around afterward and the directors will provide answers.
Families, if you’re planning on attending the races and want to be a part of the team fun/organization, please email the director team. We are looking for volunteers to spearhead food, snacks, and some team pit-zone help. We would love to have your assistance!
Riders who wish to race should make a concerted effort to attend practice in the upcoming weeks, as we will be going over essential racing-related skills.
Team Kits & Racing Apparel
Our team Pactimo order was completed/shipped this week. Tracking information notes that it will arrive on Sept. 8th - if you ordered a 2021 team kit and your rider is planning on racing in Minooka on Sept. 11-12, please make a concerted effort to pick up your kit order on September 8th in the West Chalet at Blackhawk. It will be logistically challenging to distribute kits the weekend of racing; it will help us immensely if you can pick up your order ahead of time.
*As noted above, Wed. September 8th is also our TEAM PHOTO night. Riders should wear their TEAM PRACTICE SHIRT for photos.
Colin K. cornering like a pro at our recent team relay event.
Rider Photos & Instagram Fun
Our coaches have been compiling photos from practices and, most recently, our team relay race event at Blackhawk in a shared Google Photos album. To peruse the album and see if there are photos of your rider, click here. Feel free to add your own photos as well! Please note that at this time, ALL photos for the season are in this album. They are easily search-able and organized by date.
Additionally, did you know our team has an INSTAGRAM page? We’ll occasionally post and share photos and anecdotes there, as well! If you’re on the ‘gram, give us a follow at @driftlessmtb.
THANK YOU for reading the September team update! We appreciate all that our NICA families do to help us run our team, and provide a great experience for our kids.
Happy September!
Em & the Driftless Director Team
