ATHLETE RULES
Parents and Athletes – please take the time to read this document, the rules are very important to ensure we can create a successful, safe environment for mountain biking, both during practice and races. Clicking below indicates that BOTH PARENTS/GUARDIANS AND ATHLETES have read and understand all the elements of this document.
Participation: High School Mountain biking is a team sport. Our expectations for participation are like other high school sports. The expectation is that you will attend practice and participate in the NorCal league races. Specific expectations: You will attend all team practices. Obvious exceptions are illness, injury, and pre-arranged family or school obligations. Athletes that are not attending practices will be expected to contact their high school coach in advance to let them know. Continued absences will be means for dismissal from the team. You are agreeing to attend and participate in the four NorCal league races. The races are in various locations in Northern California and most of them will involve a full weekend of travel.
Race dates are not yet published but will be on 4 weekends starting in mid February and ending in May. Races schedule will be published here: NorCal Races Link
We begin our training in November with once a week pre-season activity. 3-4 day/week training begins in January. Our races start in late February and run though the end of April. Athletes participating in High School Fall sports are welcome to join the team when their season wraps up.
Athletes considering a Winter or Spring sport will need to choose EITHER that sport OR the mountain bike team. Due to practice and game conflicts we cannot accept athletes that want to do a Winter or Spring sport AND participate in our program. See cyclingdev.com/schedule for other sports that work with mountain biking.
Team Rules: Cycling Development’s rules are necessary to keep athletes safe while mountain biking. The Coaches and Ride Leaders of Cycling Development expect that student-athletes understand that they are representing their high school and their individual team when we are conducting team events. Even though you are not on your school campus, you should make every effort to behave as if you are and conduct yourself appropriately as a high school athlete. Your coaches and ride leaders spend their free time and considerable resources to make your riding experience possible, and we expect that our efforts result in a fun and safe cycling race season. Please respect this investment! As a student-athlete, you are a role model for younger students and your peers; therefore, we expect that you conduct yourself accordingly. The coaches and ride leaders expect you are aware of the rules below, and you understand you are an ambassador of cycling. Our team has grown large and in past seasons has had some challenges enforcing the rules of the club. As a result, we have created a new discipline committee made up of coaches and student-athletes responsible for reviewing violations of team rules and determining possible recourse for offenses.
1. Manage Risk. This is the number one rule. Mountain biking is a sport of inherent risk. It is the responsibility of each student-athlete to manage that risk. Student-athletes that show a propensity toward unnecessary risk will not be tolerated. An unnecessary risk is defined as willingly attempting anything, which is beyond one’s ability to control in a safe manner.
a. This includes the use of Helmets! You must always have a helmet on when riding your bike. There are no exceptions to this rule.
b. This includes violating traffic rules. While we generally try to avoid riding on roads where automobiles are present, at times we will need to use roads to traverse trails or get to our ride location. Student-athletes are expected to obey standard traffic laws and conduct themselves safely by making good decisions while on their bike. If ride leaders or coaches witness you engaging in unsafe behavior or violating traffic rules, you will be reported to the disciplinary committee.
c. This also means bike maintenance. You are responsible for the safety of your bike. If you are riding a bike with no brakes (for example) because you have neglected maintenance before practice, we will assess this as premeditated rules violation and will treat it accordingly.
2. Always yield on the trail. Even if at times it seems inconvenient. Being sensitive to how others perceive you will assure a positive image for cycling and minimize the restrictions that follow confrontations and negative encounters. Take special care with horses and hikers, try to communicate best course of progress while encountering them in the back-country. Bikers can easily frighten horses and significantly risk the horse rider.
3. Pass with Care. Let others know of your presence well in advance. Best course is to slow down and call out a greeting to avoid startling others.
As with rule 2, take care when encountering a horse, as individual horses react differently to bikes. Stop and ask the rider for instructions. By asking if the horse is easily spooked, you show an awareness of the rider’s needs. Sometimes it may be necessary to dismount and remove your bike from the trail to allow equestrians to pass.
4. Stay on the Trails. Riding off-trail damages meadows and fragile ecosystems. Never cut switchbacks as this accelerates erosion.
5. Control your speed. Safe speed is relative to terrain and your experience as a rider. Be able to stop safely without skidding in the distance that you can see ahead. Approach switchbacks and turns in anticipation of someone coming around the bend.
6. Respect Wildlife and livestock. Do not frighten animals. Close gates as you pass through, unless it appears obvious that they have been intentionally left open.
7. Do Not Litter. Take out what you bring in, and if possible, carry out more than your share.
8. Ride only on team Authorized Trails. Check with local authorities regarding open trails and conditions, and with landowners regarding private land access. Stay off trails that are closed to bicycles.a. When you are on a ride with the team, you are not allowed to ride illegal trails or go off on a trail that is tangent to our planned ride. Team members will not ride trails individually or with friends without a coach or ride leader accompanying them, unless they have specific instruction to do so for from a coach.
9. Plan Ahead. The off-road bicycle will open new horizons to you. Some of these should be approached with respect. If distances are involved, do not ride solo. Anticipate and expect weather changes. Leave word where you plan to go and when you plan to return.
10. No headphones. This applies to practice and (of course) races. Riding with headphones, especially in a group, is dangerous. You need to be able to hear and react to the environment around you. Headphones keep you from doing this. Special note – you will probably notice that ride leaders at practice DO wear headphones on occasion – usually you will see that they have one in a single ear. Ride leaders are doing this to help with your safety. There is no music being played. They are wearing the headphone so they can hear a phone call from other coaches and ride leaders that might need help or need to provide important information to others.
Additional Rules for the team:
1. If a rider crashes or you witness an injury to a team member, you are responsible for their well-being and care. You are required to stop and make sure the rider is OK after any type of crash event. If there is no ride leader with your group, you should use a mobile phone to call coach Ferry or call a ride leader in to assess the situation.
2. If a rider comes to practice and does not want to ride the planned practice ride, they will be asked to leave the practice and a specific consultation with coach Ferry and your parent will result. It is assumed that student-athletes are not able to assess the safety of all team riders’ capabilities, and as such are not able to safely determine appropriate courses for practice.
3. All riders are expected to be prompt to practice, and to start and end practice at the designated site. We understand that many of you have cars and can drive, but we expect that you will not “cut course” and show up on a ride mid-session. If you are late to practice and the team has already left the start location - go home. DO NOT attempt to ride up the back of the group and find us. Any effort such as this will result in a violation of team rules.
4. Bringing “friends” or non-team athletes on a sanctioned practice ride is a violation of team rules. If you show up at a practice with someone who is not on the team roster, you and your friend will be asked to leave that practice. Volunteer Expectations: The NorCal League and Cycling Development both run on volunteer power. Each family is expected to contribute to the volunteer effort that helps our organization be successful. Volunteer roles include: Assisting the team at races. This can be helping in the kitchen, helping set up and tear down, or helping hand water to races.
Assisting the league at races. This can include acting as a course marshal, assisting the league with merchandise sales, or helping set up and tear down the racecourse.
Becoming a ride leader and assisting at practice.
Lots of other things!