Mountain bike madness

The adrenaline, the scenery, the competition.

These are just some examples of things that drive mountain bikers each time they get on their bike. This past weekend, Palisade’s Mountain Bike team had their very first race of the season in Leadville. Even with the long climb and high elevation, the race was a successful way to start the year. As the racers completed 2 6-mile loops, each athlete accomplished the race. The overall team is made up of a Freshman Team, Sophomore Team, Junior Varsity, and Varsity.

One of these racers, Oliver Shrader (sophomore), was very enthusiastic about his ride. Finishing 29th in the sophomore boys race, Oliver says he likes to bike because “it’s really fun and it gives lots of adrenaline on the downhills. It’s always changing, it’s not like you’re on a court. Like a tennis court and a basketball court will always be the same, but mountain courses will always be different.” Oliver has been biking his entire life and enjoys being a part of the team. Behind the scenes at practice is even more impressive as twice a week on Wednesdays and Thursdays the bikers have difficult bike courses to prepare for their races. To put it into perspective, Oliver calls it “a living hell, but it’s worth it.” Lots of people are a part of the team here at Palisade including Riley Grimes, Hudson Seeman, Oliver Shrader, Sofia Reitz, Siena Newton, Paolo Reitz, Wyatt Deford, Hank Deford, Rowan Ferguson, and Kate Rizzo. There are 3 more races to qualify for state, we wish the best of luck to our bulldogs!