The Winding Road to States

If you told me a year ago that Richmond Composite would have riders racing at The CA State Championships in our first year as a team I would have laughed that notion off as pure fantasy. If you’d have told me we were going to States three weeks before the event, I would have shrugged it off as something with a low probability at best. Yet, as this team continues to do on all fronts, my assumptions about what will be, have been proven gloriously wrong. We made it to States!

Going to States wasn’t our goal in our first year—fun, community, adventure, exploration—these have been our goals. We trained, practiced and threw our whole selves into riding and racing while setting more humble goals as a new team. We helped each individual student athlete set their own unique goals to work toward as well. No one had the goal to make it to States. 

So when Hunter jumped 16 spots in the last race of the year to qualify for States, we were stunned. We were also thrilled, but thoroughly dumbfounded. How did he? What place did he get? How did that happen? 

That finishing feeling. Hunter and Sergio celebrate after qualifying for States.

And when Sergio crossed the finish line at his 5th race (the only Richmond Composite rider to complete every race this year) with another improvement we knew we were going to States. 

So now it’s time to reflect on the year, to celebrate not just race placements and heroic efforts of riders who chose racing as their goal but of the team as a whole and some of the individuals who are written into the foundation of Richmond Composite in our historic first year.  

Beginnings

Before we hosted our first Fun Ride in October 2017, the idea for Richmond Composite had been brewing for some time. Norcal League Program Director and Richmond resident Robert “Coco” Ramirez wanted to see a high school mountain bike team in his town. So did two amazing longtime Albany High School MTB team coaches, Daniel Santos and Jim Zahradka. Three men with hearts the size of Richmond, got together to host a screening of the documentary “Singletrack High” at local bike shop Rich City Rides to help generate interest for high school mountain biking in Richmond.

On a rainy January night a projector was set up around a couple of chairs on the shop floor. Pizza was ordered and we waited for kids to arrive. Maybe it was the rain and cold, maybe it was lack of promotion, maybe it was the relatively foreign concept of mountain biking in Richmond. We’ll never know, but only one high school kid arrived that night, dragged in with his mom and baby sister in tow. His name was Donovan and his mom Tamika. They ate pizza, watched the documentary and tried to make sense of what we were talking about when we said someday soon, there would be a high school mountain bike team in Richmond and that we wanted to get more kids interested. 

When the guests left Jim, Daniel, Coco and I cleaned up and chatted outside. “What’s our next step?” We all offered what we could at the time, but it didn’t add up to a Richmond Team in the near future. We promised to stay in touch and keep the “momentum” up and parted ways.  

Fast forward nine months and the team is as the beginning stages of taking form. Planning has long been underway-meetings with potential coaches, partner organizations, backroom “announcements” that the team was starting, this website launched and much more. Yet, beyond that first rainy gathering, we hadn’t made contact with any kids except for Donovan.  

Coaches gather early in the first season to fix up donated bikes to loan out to kids. 80% of team riders need a loaner bike to participate on the team.

So we pushed on and prepared to host a series of Fun Rides with the goal of finding and introducing Richmond youth to mountain biking. We partnered with Trips For Kids for the fun rides which enabled us to focus on promotion and marketing and not have to worry about bike logistics. We brought the kids, Trips for Kids brought the bikes, helmets, gloves and some kind Ride Leaders.  

We made a point to host the Fun Rides at four local parks located geographically within, but spread out among Richmond. The goal was to highlight the rich diversity of local parks present in Richmond while also showing how easily accessible green spaces are to residents throughout the area, no matter what part of the city someone lived in. We also wanted to have the rides be progressively more interesting and challenging for mountain biking which meant more hills, singletrack and nature. 

The First Ride

On the morning of our first Fun Ride excitement and anticipation was high. We had seven youth RSVP to attend including two girls. I told coaches eager to attend the first gathering to please stay home so that we didn’t overwhelm kids with our enthusiasm and 1-to-1 adult to youth ratios. Pretty much all of the coaches found a (convincing) way to ignore my request and show up. I can’t blame them. I wanted to be there too. I wanted to see Richmond kids get on mountain bikes for the first time and feel the unique stoke that can only be experienced during a ‘first’. 

So there we were, seven adults, scanning for kids at Nicholl Park, waiting. We watched the clock anxiously as we talked about the day and our expectations and roles as leaders and supporters. One kid showed up, a freshman named Emilio with his step dad Gabriel. He was shy and patient as we continued to wait for others to arrive. Five minutes past, then ten, then 15 and no one else was in site. We were all dressed up with nowhere to go. 

Nervously I started texting and calling kids who had rsvp’d. Radio silence. Except for one person who picked up the phone. Tamika, Donovan’s mom.  “Sorry, we’re going to miss this one. Donovan slept through his alarm.” Tamika said over the phone. “Get him up and get him here.” I replied encouragingly. “We’ll wait.”

Two student riders and a bunch of enthusiastic adults at the first Fun Ride

30 or so minutes later Donovan arrived with the signature shrugged shoulders of a teenager who was just dragged out of bed by their mother to attend an activity they are less than thrilled about. “Hey Donovan!” We all cheered. “Let’s get you on a bike!” As if our collective enthusiasm could cure any and all apathy, we got Donovan fitted with a helmet and bike and although about an hour behind schedule, we got started with our first Fun Ride.

Luckily it lived up to its name and the next Fun Ride brought out four kids, including our returner Emilio and our first girl, Alex who was getting in some more practice time before joining the Albany High School team. We rode around Miller Knox park and the Bay Trail and celebrated our 100% growth rate from ride one to two. And then the lid blew off when our third ride brought out 12 kids for a ride at Alvarado and Wildcat Parks. It was a sign to come. There are lots of kids interested in riding or at least trying mountain bikes in Richmond. It was the first time we coaches thought, “Wow, we might actually have a problem of too big a team this year.” 

Our third Fun Ride at Alvarado Park when 12 kids showed up.

But a Fun Ride rider is not a team rider until the papers are signed and the kids keep showing up at practices. So when we wrapped up our fourth and final Fun Ride and prepared for our first team meeting to actually start the season, there was still plenty of trepidation as to whether any of our outreach efforts would equate to kids signed up to be on the team.  

Team Meeting

First team meeting @ Rich City Rides

In early December 2017, we hosted a team meeting at Rich City Rides. We invited over 40 kids and their families who expressed interest in attending a Fun Ride. Of those 40 who had expressed interest in out team, about 18 had actually showed up for a Fun Ride. Emilio had attended every Fun Ride (he was a shoe-in) but every one else was a big question mark. Would Jacob come through? What about Taesaun? and JoJo? Would William or Daylan roll through the door? What about all those girls who said they’d come to a Fun Ride and then bailed or never responded?  

At the team meeting, six kids showed up, many of them with a parent or family member and we talked about the team. We went through the season and what to expect. We walked through races and practices. We gave away a lot of free gear, had some snacks and most importantly signed people up for the team using borrowed tablets and laptops and cell phone browser windows.  

We walked away from that meeting amazed. In just a couple months an idea went from just a conversation to a reality. We were on our way.

First practice, charging up Wildcat Canyon singletrack with Richmond and Mt. Tam in the background.

From then on, the entire season unfolded as a series of miraculous firsts—first practice, first team kit, first girl rider, first race, first camping trip, first fundraiser and on and on. We basked in it, hustled our butts off as coaches and tried to stay present while continually preparing for the next challenging ‘first’. We propped the barn door wide open for the season and put out an oversized welcome mat inviting a steady stream of students and potential coaches in to get a taste of what our team was all about. Our initial six students ballooned to a total of 17 by the end of the season including four girls who came out to ride with us. More coaches joined too, rounding out the season with 10.

It was tough managing the ongoing season while essentially recruiting through May, but it was worth it. More kids got a chance to check out mountain biking outside of the small Fall recruitment window and connections were made that will serve this team in the future as we continue to grow.

Sergio warms up at States.

By the time the gun went off at States in May, we’d already won. We’d won when we had our first Fun Ride and Emilio showed up excited to ride and join a team. We won when six kids showed up for the team meeting and signed up, on the spot to join the team. We won when over 100 people gave bikes, equipment, money and time to support our growing team. We won when Lily, our first female rider, fearlessly jumped on a trail for the first time and took to it like a fish to water, becoming an instant leader and force on our team. We won when we got to go to races and be cheered on by other teams and parents, fed by Berkeley High School’s amazing volunteers, and test ourselves as a team and individuals. We are winning each time we create a connection in the community that will last beyond these seasons, practices and blogs.

Year Two

As we head into our second year as Richmond Composite, I feel as if we’ve already accomplished so much. And yet, we’re just getting started. 10 girls are joining our team. All members of the team who joined us last year and did not age out due to graduation are returning. More local adults have been inspired to join us as coaches and our community partnerships continue to flourish. One of our student riders who graduated in the Spring is returning to the team this season as a coach while he goes to community college. The world wants Richmond Composite to succeed. So do I.

Here’s to year two! See you on the trail.

-Doug Streblow // Head Coach Richmond Composite

If you want to get involved and support our team, reach out. We’d love to have your support.

We're in the Character Building Business (Race #3)

I don’t know that any teenager joins a high school mountain bike team to “build character” but lining up for your first race ever in the pouring rain after being on the team for only a week’s time is surely character building. If you survive the damn thing and come out on the other end with a smile on your face, like new team rider Hunter did during our third race, then I’d say you might just be in for a career as a character contractor. At the very least I’d say you’re hooked on the whole mountain bike thing. 

For race #3 our race crew was paired down to three riders. Jacob, entering his second race ever, new rider Hunter, his first, and our most veteran racer to date, Sergio, lining up for his third consecutive race. 

I met up with Hunter at Richmond High where we busted Sergio out of the office, telling the principal Deleon “Sergio is a rider on a mountain bike team and we’ve got a race tomorrow in Monterey. We have to go pre-ride the course.” With an expression that fell somewhere between consternation and concern, the principal paused before letting out a long slow “OhhhhKaaaay, so I guess we’ll call his parents to make sure?” I could read between the lines and upturned eyebrows. Was this even real?

”I met up with his parents last night at their house.” I said “They know. They’ve been to a race. They’ll be there again.”

Mom was called, thumbs were turned up, lights turned green. We loaded up and pointed the car southward on what has been our bi-weekly mountain bike racing pilgrimage to Monterey for the past month. 

As soon as the tires started turning, the chatter and excitement turned up. Hunter was full of questions. Sergio was his usual coy self, smiling boyishly when asked about his pre-race mentality or what it felt like to come through the finish line at a race knowing you’ve left everything you had out on the course. We talked and talked and talked. The aniticipation was building like a kettle on the burner about to whistle.

Photo by Coach Morgan

Time flew and before we knew it we’d shed the city grime and were feasting our eyes on rolling green vistas and the entrance to Fort Ord. It was time to stretch the legs on the race course for a pre-ride. Hunter got his race plate and we took off, winding along the sandy flowing singletrack that defines Fort Ord. 

After the pre-ride we ate, set up camp, told stories around the campfire and then knocked out for an early rise the next morning. Coach Morgan from Oakland Composite happened to pull into the neighboring campsite and joined us around the fire to share sage experience from years coaching a standout team. 

Race Day

Saturday morning we awoke to dry-ish tents and broke camp in record time. The sky was full of clouds but glimmers of light filtered through as the sun rose giving promise for a rainless race day [cue a chuckle from the rain gods] . We made our way to the race venue and unloaded our meager team gear from the trusty “Prius truck” and set up--10x10 canopy tent, 6 ft folding table, white board, a milkcrate of tools and a floor pump. 

“It’s time to eat!” We headed over to our friends and generous pit hosts Berkeley High for something warm and delicious to fuel the races ahead. Following breakfast we took care of odds and ends, remaining prep, lots of hellos and headed over to cheer on the ladies as they started their race. 

Race days work kind of like a roller coaster. You labor and work to get up to race day and then when you get there you throw your hands up, holler and let gravity do it’s thing. It’s one thing to the next, non stop stimulation and excitement for eight hours. Once the ladies are off and racing the next wave of racers (freshman and sophomore boys) are getting ready to warm up. 

Before we know it it’s 3, 2, 1, GO and Jacob and Sergio are on course powering up the first gravel hill leaving only a dust cloud in their wake. The rest of our team goes into support mode. We cheer, we look out for riders on course, we hand up water bottles and yell like hell when we see a Richmond Composite rider on course. Coach Doug headed out to the midway point of the course to help motivate Sergio up a tough gravel climb. Sergio responded by finishing the climb and then powering off to catch the next rider. 

As the Freshman/Sophomore boys race was nearing its end, light rain began to fall. The rain was exciting, a fitting end to a hard race, until the rain quickly escalated from light to hard to insane in a matter of seconds. Sergio and Jacob were yet to come in from their race as the rain intensified. Do we look out for our riders finishing up or go check on our tent and equipment that was loosely strewn about in the sun filled morning some 10 minutes earlier? Do we welcome Sergio and Jacob with congratulations at the finish line or go try and contain the chaos that the incoming storm was surely unleashing on our pitzone? Yeah, let the rain come down and the wind howl, we’ve got racers coming in hot! Can’t miss that. 

Racers were spotted and embraced as they rolled through the finish line completing their final lap with rain soaked faces and exasperated smiles. This time, however, the finish celebrations were cut a bit short in an attempt to go address the weather situation. 

Everyone rushed over to our tent where team members, parents and random folks were dancing around as if playing a big game of tag where the rain was “it.” There was someone holding each leg of the tent, while someone frantically wrapped duct tape around bent tent legs as if bandaging a warrior in the battlefield mid fight. Spare bikes were duct taped to the tent as anchors as well, in our team effort to keep it from flying away. Everything was wet. The clothes, the backpacks, the signs, the tools, the people, everything. Rain pooled and poured off of our beaten tent canopy, adding insult to injury and turning the scramble to recover in the face of such unrelenting rain into pure comedy. Imagine trying to bail out of a sinking dingy with a slotted spoon. That was us. 

After the most intense part of the storm passed, we started to collect ourselves and our belongings. Well, some of us did. Some of us had to race. While Sergio and Jacob and remaining supporters helped turn our pitzone right side up, Hunter headed out on a warm up. 

With all the calamity we were a bit short on time for warming up. Plus it was wet. We scrounged up some type of rain shell for Hunter and headed out to try and get in the zone for racing. Focus was hard to come by with all the rain, but we did our best to work through pre-race nerves by mashing pedals and just marveling at what a crazy start to Hunter’s mountain bike racing career this was. 

Photo by Tom Low

Hunter lined up with the rest of the pack of JV and Varsity boys and took off up the start hill when the countdown got to 1. And the rain fell on. And we waited patiently for a sign of Hunter coming back through the start/finish after lap 1. When we spotted him after about 30 minutes, his spirits seemed high. His head was up, we exchanged words, he took a new full water bottle and I think he even smiled a bit. Or maybe it was a grimace.  I’ll choose to remember it as a smile. 

Lap after lap Hunter came round with determination. He was going to finish. And the way he was drinking a bottle per lap and eating snacks I had no doubts he’d be crossing the finish line shortly. We waited cheering on other familiar faces on course until we spotted Hunter crawling up the last hill before the end.

“Here comes Hunter! Let’s get to the finish line NOW!” All of the team gathered at the finish line to welcome him in. There was even a group of solid student riders from another team all lined up at the finish line with pots and pans and other noise makers giving some serious energy to riders coming in.

Hunter rolled through looking exhausted but alive. He rolled right through the finish line and right through the finish shoot (an area where riders collect before leaving the course completely) and off into the distance. Hunter couldn’t stop. “Hunter, where are you going?” He rolled on. 

Experience and his face told me like a boomerang he’d be heading back to our pit area to our home away from home, familiar faces and food, oh sweet calories. As soon as we arrived to our busted tent, Hunter was off his bike and jogging away. “I gotta go cheer for those guys still coming in. There aren’t many of them but they deserve some support at the finish line. They’re working their butts off out there.” Hunter uttered in motion towards the finish line. Moments later Hunter was hanging over the finish line fencing with a gang of 15 others cheering his tired lungs off in support of his competitors. “That is an incredible team attitude.” I said to whomever was around me at the time. “Incredible.”

We started cleaning up and just as we finished it was time for podiums. Since Hunter was our first rider in the JV/Varsity race we got to stick around for the final celebration. The top girls and boys from each race get announced and walk up to some podium steps to stand tall in front of the crowd and celebrate their hard work and accomplishments. We snap photos and cheer    and tell stories about the living legends we’ve been racing with. “That’s Noah Hayes?” Sergio asks. “Yep, he’s won every Varsity race this season.” I respond,  “And that’s Max McFadden. He’s a junior and came in right on Noah’s wheel. He’s fast as hell, and as nice of a person as he is a talented bike racer.”

After podiums wrap up, we chat with racers, coaches and parents giving congratulations, hugs and high fives. Sergio and I found ourselves in a circle with Coach Morgan from Oakland Composite, Noah Hayes and his mom. “Give me three sentences to sum up your race Noah.” Asks Coach Morgan. Noah’s been asked this countless times post race now but he answers earnestly, honestly, and humbly as if he doesn’t have it all figured out yet. He explains some micro details about his race (which are really big things at the front of a race) including nutrition and strategy with the other racers. He tells a riveting short story about what was unfolding lap after lap, attack after attack, mud drop in the face after mud drop in the mouth. We’re right there with him.

Then Morgan asks him to share a bit of his journey to getting to today with Sergio. Again Noah is kind and sincere opening up to our promising Freshman racer Sergio. He asks Sergio questions, makes connections between the two and when Sergio tells him his favorite part of biking is going fast up hills, Noah laughs and says “If that’s where you’re at now, you’re off to a great start. That was NOT my favorite part of mountain biking when I started. Work hard and keep at it. Put in the time-and it does take a lot of time. And listen to your coaches.”

We jumped in the car and like riding down Main st. in the homecoming parade, we waved and said slow goodbyes to everyone as we rolled out of the venue and back north to Richmond.  After three races I’d like to think we’ve got this whole thing figured out. And if by “figured out” you mean we’ve embraced the chaos and go-with-the-flow attitude needed to roll with all the punches that race day throws at you then I’d agree. We’re dialed.

Race #4, here we come! 

Winning the Fun Category (Race 2 Recap)

Race Week

When Monday of race week rolls around the mind begins to shift into planning mode. Logistics and prep take a front seat as plans begin to shake out.

Are you coming? Do you need a ride? Where are you staying? Are you camping? Are you racing? Is your family coming? Is your bike in working order? Have you registered? Do you have a sleeping bag? And on and on and on.

Add in a few practices during the week and the days leading up to the race seem to fly by in a blur of to-do lists and endless follow up. But then you wake up and it’s Friday morning. You pack the car, check your final to-do list and like pushing the pedals at the beginning of a long ride, before you know it you're off and the adventure begins.

Race Day Eve

After a pretty steep first race learning curve we were feeling more settled as we drove down to Monterey on Friday afternoon for our second race. We left earlier, traffic wasn't as bad, the playlist was fire and the conversation moved from race questions and anticipation to immigration, school, work, the weather. We arrived to the race venue at Laguna Seca to the roar of Porsches burning rubber on the nearby car race track, an audible reminder that we too were there to burn some laps on the adjacent dirt. 

Six of us suited up in the parking lot, fastened helmets and made our way to the starting line to ride a lap together and check out Laguna Seca for the first time. After a short fire road climb the course hit singletrack and then picked up speed on a wide open fire road descent. It was short lived though. Before we knew it we were grunting up a paved climb that led into a super steep and rutted dirt section in the trees. After we punched up to the top things leveled out just long enough to catch our breaths before turning downward on a flowy singletrack trail that brought smiles to everyone's face. 

From chapparal to open fields, the trail twisted and turned through open meadows, alive with the green of springtime. The course was as lively as the dozens of other preriding teams out on course with us, exchanging hellos and “Hey aren’t we lucky to be out here?” sentiments. 

We made our way up the infamous “Hurl Hill“ without losing our lunch (bonus!) and kept right on going through to the feed zone stopping to take in the sweeping views and talk strategy. “When you get to this part of the course on your last lap, grab a gear and TURN IT UP all the way to the finish!”

We collected in the parking lot and chatted about how each rider would approach the course the next day-when to go hard, when to ease up and recover, when to make a pass or let someone go. Then, we packed up the bikes and drove to our nearby campsite. 

At the campsite we got settled into our sites, unpacked and started setting up tents. With the sun setting overlooking a valley below we raced to blow up sleeping pads and stake down everything before our natural light was lost for the day.   

We loaded up again to head to dinner where we’d meet up with another part of our crew, two more student athletes and another coach. We ordered two extra large pizzas and gathered together to catch up and wait for two delicious pies to come our way. Hungry, we dove in as soon as the pizzas hit the table, but not before snapping a pic of our stellar crew. 

After dinner we caravaned back to the campsite where we got to work lighting a campfire and settling in for our nighttime activities. Lily and Alex had joined us in the car that arrived for dinner and we not planning on racing the next day. They took it upon themselves instead to bring the night activities and food extravaganza. As soon as the fire was lit, the bacon came out, the jalapeños were cut, a pot went on the grill with eggs inside and the picnic table turned into a bustling food prep area. We would be dining on jalapeño poppers with cream cheese and bacon to start and subsequent courses would get more interesting. 

After some good laughs and delicious culinary adventures kids started peeling off to their tents, the telltale sign it is time for bed. As the logs turned from flames to embers students could be heard drifting off into dreamland. 

Race Day

We awoke just past dawn to dew covered tents and a misty morning with fog flitting through the adjacent hillsides. Tents were shook, slumbers interrupted and student grumbles heard. “It’s race day! It’s race day! Get up, it’s race day!” 

We loaded up again and took off to the race venue to set up our team canopy tent and get ready for the day ahead.  We arrived around 7:20am and the venue was already abuzz with activity. Grills were going, coffee was being poured and we were running around fixing things, headed to registration, greeting arriving riders and coaches and getting the blood flowing for a long day ahead. 

Before we knew it it was time to warm up. Coaches and student riders jumped on bikes and took to some nearby white gravel roads to spin up the legs and get ready to explode on the race course. We passed by San Francisco Composite as we warmed up, going in opposite directions as we got in the zone.

After warming up we headed back to our team area for last minute tasks including water bottle fill ups, snacks and some mechanical fixes. Then we shuttled up to the start line to find our place in our race groups. It was Harrison’s first race and so he chatted with other riders from Alameda and Oakland as they waited nervously for their turn to race. 

In the first wave of Richmond Composite riders was Sophomore Harrison Rivera. He was a mix of nerves, excitement and pure steel cool. As he  settled into the starting shoot and awaited his turn, waves of racers ahead were released. Then it was Harrison’s turn. 

The countdown ensued and his wave was off. Spectating you could see something wasn’t right with Harrison’s bike right out of the gate. He was frantically mashing the pedal down and then rotating it back half a turn before mashing it again. He was going nowhere. His chain, we’d find out shortly, had sucked down in between two chainrings and would need to be yanked free by hand. Coaches and another non-racing student rider jumped in to help Harrison free himself of his mechanical issue and hopefully continue the race. We got lucky and after fussing with the chain for a minute or two the pedals were turning again and Harrison was on his way, powering up the starting hill motivated by the setback to play catch-up. Within a short minute Harrison could be seen flying solo down the open fire road descent with determination in his eyes. He was finally off.

In the next wave were three of our Freshman riders, Emilio, William and Sergio. Although it was the second race for all of them, nerves had been creeping into their minds all morning. Some manifested the nervousness with focus and quiet. Others darted around physically and verbally like an animal pacing, ready to make an escape dash at any moment. 

Their race started and riders began scrambling in the chaos for a better position as they worked their way up the starting gravel hill before the trail narrowed to singletrack. Teammates, parents and coaches cheered like hell for our riders. 

After the dust had settled on the last wave of racers our remaining team switched gears to support and cheer mode. Four non racers started the long journey out to the feed zone and beyond to Hurl Hill to provide mental support, water and nutrition as riders came close to finishing each lap. 

William had a crash that took him out of the race on the first lap and wound him up in the medical tent. When we found him he was telling stories and in good spirits wrapped in an emergency blanket eager to share what had happened. Harrison finished a second lap and called it good for his first race. He’d had a crash too and many subsequent issues with the chain that got stuck at the beginning of the race. He was beat! Emilio and Sergio had gone back and forth their entire race and came to the finish line just one second apart from each other--a great site to see. 

We ate lunch in the Berkeley High tent (Thank You BHSMTB!) and then circled up for our closing gratitude circle. Harrison got a lot of love for racing his first race and overcoming many challenges on the course today and somehow coming out all smiles. New parents came out for the first time to witness high school mountain biking and were blown away by the support and community present at these races. Four of our team riders (Donovan, Alex, Lily, Lucas) who came to support but not race this weekend got lots of shout outs too. They brought so much spirit and enthusiasm to our race weekend and exemplified what a team is all about. 

Our final race in Monterey is in less than two weeks and then we're heading north to Sacramento, Clear Lake and Petaluma for the remaining races of the season. If our team keeps showing up how we've been showing up--with positivity, enthusiasm and community spirit--then we'll continue winning in the fun category. And if there's one thing Richmond Composite is serious about it's winning all the fun. 

Special Note

Join us in person on Wednesday March 28th from 6-8pm at Clif Bar in Emeryville for a team fundraiser including food, drinks, a short talk with student riders and coaches and a showing of the incredible documentary "Singletrack High".

Info & Tickets can be found at https://richmondcomposite.brownpapertickets.com/

Team Kick Off Success!

We kicked off our season with a team meeting yesterday at Rich City Rides. Prospective students and their parents sat together with coaches to talk about the season, what it means to be on a high school mountain bike team and most importantly sign up!

We shared our excitement and fears about participating with the team and everyone got excited about camping together as well as getting stronger and encouraging each other on and off the bike. We capped off the meeting by watching the new Norcal video featuring other high school racers from around the area.

We’ll be accepting new riders through the middle of January, but the sooner you sign up the better! That way you can see if you like it and enjoy a full season with everyone.  

Our first official practice is Sunday 12/17 at Alvarado Park. Join us!