Frequently asked questions
The season starts in May and ends October with practices twice a week on Monday and Thursday from 6-8 pm, every week, for the entire season. Races start in August and occur every other week. The 7th and 8th graders participate in the first three races and high school riders participate in four races. High school riders can qualify to participate in the state championship race in late October. The team is fueled by volunteers - all of the coaches and ride leaders volunteer 100% of their time to create a safe, fun, and engaging experience for the student athletes. We encourage parents to become ride leaders, and if ride leading isn't a possibility, there are many other opportunities to support the team. The team can't do it without you!
Unfortunately, it can be expensive to participate in all high school sports, and mountain biking is no exception, especially if you need to purchase a bike. However, there are ways to reduce team fees through sponsorship. Please visit the "sponsor" section of the website to learn more.
The league fee, team fee, and uniform fee are a single, one-time-payment for the entire season. Aside from travel expenses to race and practice venues, there are no other fees required (e.g., entrance fees to the race venues).
The biggest portion of the total cost is the NICA league fee which covers all the race fees, secondary insurance for riders and ride leaders, race venue costs (e.g., renting Snowbasin or Powder Mountain ski resorts for a race). Additionally, the NICA fee is used to train coaches, provide CPR / first aid certification, and background checks for adult ride leaders to ride with the students.
The team fee provides each rider a t-shirt, water bottle, bag, and end-of-year party. Team fee also pays for race day food for riders and their families, travel costs to tow the trailer, and race day supplies.
The uniform (cycling kit) is a high-quality set of professional cycling clothing and are relatively expensive. Normally, a new kit is required each year, but the team is experimenting with a 2-year kit schedule to save costs for families. (Kids usually outgrow their kits after two years anyway.)
You may incur additional costs for a bike (if you don't already have one) and for travelling to races (gas, lodging, and meals). Some people camp at the race venues (space is usually provided) or do day trips to minimize travel costs.
The Riverton Mountain Biking Team is completely run, managed, and staffed by volunteers. No one is compensated. The team can't function without the time, energy, and skills from parents -- we need you! We encourage all parents to become ride leaders even if they cannot commit to attending each practice. We will happily take whatever amount of time a parent is available to give. The league requires 1 adult ride leader for every 6 riders or 2 adult ride leaders for every 8 riders. Riverton Mountain Biking Team has around 110 riders which requires 18 - 20 ride leaders to provide safe and effective practice. There are other opportunities to support the team and, additionally, the league asks that each parent or guardian volunteers at one race.
Parents are NOT required to become ride leaders in order for their child to ride with the team. Ride leaders with any level of mountain biking experience are encouraged to participate with the team. Contact a coach for more information.
The Riverton Mountain Biking Team is comprised of two separate and distinct teams: the Junior Development (JD) team and the High School (HS) team. Anyone in 7th and 8th grade is part of the Junior Development team and anyone in 9th - 12th grade is part of the High School team. The term "devo" is a nickname for the 7th and 8th graders or Junior Development riders. Though the HS and JD teams are separate, Riverton's MTB team has decided to fully integrate and operates as if the JD and HS team are a single entity. The devos and high schoolers practice together, ride together, build camaraderie together, and accomplish hard things together.
The two types of mountain bikes that are best suited for the team are hardtails or a full-suspension bikes. A hardtail only has suspension (a shock) in the front (fork). A full-suspension bike has suspension in the fork and a shock on the rear of the bike. Either style is perfectly fine. Avoid enduro or downhill bikes, rather, look for XC (cross country) or all-mountain bikes. Fully rigid bikes are discouraged, and single-speed bikes are not allowed (unless you are a coach -- looking at you Brandon). Please note that many manufacturers (especially Trek, a league sponsor) and bike shops offer discounts to riders on the team. If you need help looking for a new or used bike, feel free to contact one of the coaches for advice (a used bike can be a much more cost-effective alternative than a new bike).
Each rider is required to have a helmet, glasses, water bottle (filled, preferably 😁), multitool, and a spare tube. Additionally, we strongly encourage riders to wear gloves, padded cycling shorts, and a breathable shirt for each practice. Clipless pedals and cycling specific shoes are not required, though it is helpful to ride with rigid, flat soled shoes (running shoes are too flexible).
In cycling, the kit is a synonym for “outfit” or “uniform.” A kit consists of a matching race jersey and padded cycling shorts. There are two styles of kits: baggy or spandex and either are fine for the team. Riders are required by NICA to wear a team-branded jersey for races. The shorts do not need to be branded with the team's logo, but they need to be black.
All of the team's cycling clothing is custom made through our kit vendor. Before the season starts, the team will have a "kit fit" night where each rider can try on kits. Kit sizing is different from regular clothing, so it is very important to attend a "kit fit" session. Keep in mind that kids grow, so you may want to order a size up. It is normal for cycling shorts to fit tightly in order to prevent chaffing. A link to the team's kit vendor is located in the "Register" section of this website. You will have a 2-week window to order your kit so they can be made and shipped as fast as possible. You can expect about 4-6 weeks for the kits to be delivered.
Kits are mailed to each rider about 5 - 6 weeks after the orders are submitted. All of the jerseys and shorts are high-quality, custom cycling apparel made for the team by Volt (our vendor). It takes about 5 weeks to make the clothing then an additional week for shipping. Most clothing items generally arrive at the end of June / early July. (Note: this is one of the reasons the team can't accommodate late registrations - there is a hard deadline by which all the clothing must be ordered to give the manufacturer enough time to make and ship the clothing before the races start.) Riders do not need their kits for practices, but it is helpful to have some padded cycling shorts.
The first few practices focus on skills. We do some fun rides to get the kids acquainted with riding together. We then have a time trial. From this trial, we place the riders in groups based on their time. You don’t have to worry about your child being with a group that is too fast or too slow for them. This is not divided by devo and high school ages. Whatever their level, they will ride with others at their level for practices. Practices take place at multiple venues. Refer to the calendar for information on places and times.
Bikes should be washed off after every ride. Once the bike is completely dry, apply bike specific lubrication to the chain. Any brand of lube will work. Get a tune-up once a year or after a major crash.
All team communications come through TeamSnap messaging or email. It is important that we have an email address for parents and riders so they can stay up to date on team happenings. A calendar on TeamSnap that shows practice times and places. Download the app or use the website.
TeamSnap (teamsnap.com)
A ride leader is an adult who rides with a group of student athletes. There are 3 types of ride leaders: Level I, Level II, and Level III. Each level requires differing amounts of training (provided by the league) and hours of experience with the team. Any parent can be a ride leader, and the team welcomes all parents, from novice to expert to join the team. In order to ride with the team, each adult volunteer must complete Level I training at a minimum. All training is available online through the Pit Zone. Learn more at: https://www.utahmtb.org/coach-licensing1
Level I: Can ride with the team as a sweep but cannot lead a group of riders
Level II: Can lead a group of student athletes and can plan practices with head coach supervision
Level III: This level is mainly for head coaches and team directors. Plans practices, leads groups, and has additional training in first-aid
There are team expectations and league expectations. The Riverton Mountain Bike team is 100% volunteer-run. Parents - we need you! From weekly practices to the end of season races, there are many opportunities to volunteer for the team. The races are massive events, and the team needs help pulling the trailer to and from the race location, setting up the race venue (tents, tables, chairs) food preparation, water, and venue take down. Sign-ups for volunteers and food donations will be sent out the week before each race.
The league has additional needs for each rider's family. The league expects that each parent/guardian will volunteer at a race at least ONCE per student per season. To successfully put on a race, NICA (the league) needs 240 volunteers between setup day and race day. Volunteer slots are usually between 2 -4 hours and include many fun opportunities. Information about volunteer positions will be posted on the race flyer 2 weeks prior to each race (https://www.utahmtb.org/race).
There are 3 separate fees for each rider: league fee, team fee, and kit (uniform) cost. Fees are only paid once at the start of the season.
NICA Registration/Race Fee
Jr Development: $290
High School: $340
Team Fee
Jr Development: $150
High school: $200
Kit (Uniform)
Jersey / Bib Shorts / Socks: $160
Note: the team fee and uniform are both paid through the team's Volt Cycling store
Team members can reach out to local businesses to sponsor our team. Donations are used to supplement team fees to cover team related costs such as food, equipment, and team activities. Riders can receive a small refund back on their team fees based on the total amount of sponsorship money they bring in. The team is incredibly fortunate and grateful for our generous sponsors.
NICA (National Interscholastic Cycling Association) is the parent organization of all state-based cross country mountain biking leagues. The purpose of NICA is to develop interscholastic mountain biking programs for student athletes across the United States. The mission of NICA is to build strong minds, bodies, character, and communities through cycling. The vision of NICA is that every youth is empowered to be part of a thriving and engaged cycling community. The values of NICA include fun, inclusivity, equity, respect, and community.
The Utah High School Cycling League is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organized in 2011 and is an affiliate league of the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA). The Utah league facilitates the development of interscholastic cycling teams/clubs for grades 7 – 12 and provides the education, training, licensing and insurance for coaches and volunteers.
The Utah league also provides a high-quality mountain bike racing experience that emphasizes the value of each participant (no one is benched), camaraderie among peers, a positive sporting behavior, and the cultivation of health over competition.
The biggest portion of the total cost is the league fee which covers all the races, secondary insurance for riders and ride leaders, race venue costs (e.g., renting Snowbasin or Powder Mountain ski resorts for a race). Additionally, the fees are used to train coaches, provide CPR / first aid certification, and background checks for adult ride leaders to ride with the students.
The team fee covers things like race day supplies, food for riders and their families at the races, travel costs to tow the trailer, rider t-shirt, rider hoodie, and an end of year party.
No coaches are paid. Your fees directly impact student athletes. All of the coaches and ride leaders volunteer their time to help NICA fulfill its mission to build strong minds, bodies, character, and communities through cycling. Running a mountain bike team is a lot of work and we need your help! Please contact any of the coaches to learn more about how you can volunteer.
The Pit Zone is a web-based application for registering student athletes, signing waivers, and paying league fees. If a parent / guardian would like to ride with the team, they can also register and complete all of their educational requirements in the Pit Zone as well. The only way you can create an account in the Pit Zone to register your child (or register as a ride leader) is through a coach-initiated invitation that will be sent to your email.