Join The Team
Join us for the 2024 Season:
Please join us for team registration, team clothing fitting, and ordering!
The spring sign up event will be MAY 14th at 5:30 - 7:00pm in the lobby at Golden High School.
This will be your only chance to try on our team kit.
Become part of the GHS MTB Team:
DO NOT PAY THE $150 SCHOOL GHS FALL SPORT ATHLETIC FEE
GHS MTB Team is a club and that fee is a GHS school fee that does not apply to clubs.
Fees mentioned below are for 2024!
REGISTER WITH THE CO HIGH SCHOOL CYCLING LEAGUE
Golden is part of the Platte region. Team code is "Golden". This is among other reasons for insurance purposes.
GHS riders: fee is $170/rider plus there are additional race fees per event (see below under "Racing")
DEVO riders: fee is $85/rider
COACHES need to register too. Ask for the coach registration coupon code. There is a small fee for running a background check ($25 to register and $42 for background check in year 1, $15 year 2-6).
>>>Financial support: League scholarships can be applied for:
Colorado League Student-Athlete Scholarship Application
REGISTER WITH THE TEAM ON TEAM APP
We are using Team Stack App as the primary communication tool and to schedule practices, etc. We highly recommend that you download the app for mobile phones here: https://www.teamapp.com/app?_detail=v1.
https://www.teamapp.com/ and search for: Golden High School MTB Team
Then verify your email and finally join the GHS Team https://goldenhighschoolmtbteam.teamapp.com/ to complete the registration.
GHS riders: team fee is $250/rider.
DEVO riders: team fee is $150/rider
COACHES: there is no team fee for you
>>>Financial support: For scholarships, discounts, or options please contact us here: Contact
ORDER TEAM KIT - May/June 2024
Upon registration, each rider will get one free jersey. Check out the clothing page for more information about the team kit. If you miss the deadline to order your kit, we will have ordered extra and they will be available for purchase first come first served.
PRACTICE
Practice will very likely start early August 2024 until the end of October 2024
If we get enough coaches signed up early, we can start the season earlier!
Early practice will be around August 1st
Full practice
Tuesdays 4:30 pm - 6:30 pm (while daylight allows might switch to sooner later in the season)
Thursdays 4:30 pm - 6:30 pm (while daylight allows might switch to sooner later in the season)
Other night and weekend events sprinkled throughout the season (more details to come later)
Practice in groups of 6-8 + 2 coaches of similar ability
Practice locations will differ every time (dispersed meeting spots vs whole team meeting)
RIDER RESPONSIBILITIES
Attendance requirements: 75% of practices
Being a part of a team is important to our success
Before practice, speak to your coaches about special exceptions
Volunteer Requirement: Trail Work or Manning/Bell club rides
Appropriate gear (see “Student Rider Rules/Guidelines”)
RACING
You can participate in the GHS MTB team without racing, but we highly encourage it.
We race Cross Country – lots of short ups and downs, twists and turns, not overly technical (i.e. no major rock gardens, drops, etc.)
60 – 90 minute races with varying distances (10- 20+ miles)
Races are run by class (Freshman, Sophomore, JV, Varsity)
Boys and girls race separately
Racing is mentally and physically challenging, and extremely rewarding!
Single race entry is $70 and a "Series Pass" (all 4 races) for $240 (doesn't incl. State Championship if the rider qualifies). This is paid directly on the CO League platform.
Race dates for 2024 - please check the CO League Page for details
WHAT IT MEANS TO BE PART OF THE GHS TEAM?
All abilities are welcome, we do not discriminate!
It's all about having fun and learning new things!
We focus on #Shapewhatyoushred - so we'll have trail days to make sure the trails in our area are in top shape!
This site is for quick reference only, as TeamSnap is used for primary team communication during the race season.
Team fees are $250 & (and the Colorado League Member fee is $170 – NON-REFUNDABLE, required even if you do not choose to race per rider for insurance purposes). Race jersey needs to be purchased separately. For scholarships, discounts, or options please contact us here: Contact.
You'll agree to follow trail advocacy and etiquette.
The groups each have a coach.
All rides start at (and return to) GHS unless otherwise notified through TeamSnap. We are trying to stay within the Golden area.
Riders are expected to complete the entire ride with the group unless prearranged and communicated with the coach.
Coaches will monitor the weather and cancel practice if lighting strikes are present nearby. They will make the call as soon as possible.
You'll commit to our GOLDEN RULES - Let's SHRED!
GOALS OF THE GHS MTB TEAM
#1 GOAL: Safety
Bike fit and mechanical
Helmet fit: one finger of space only! Helmet ON and STRAPPED if on bike, ALWAYS!
Ride within your limits
Rules for riding streets and paths to trails
Ride like a team, no zig-zagging around
On bike paths, single-file on the right half of the path
On roads, single or double-file depending on road conditions
We use sidewalks only when there is no significant pedestrian traffic, illegal to ride with no hands on bars
Critical to stay together as a group; lead rider needs to ride a little slower, end rider needs to ride a little harder to keep up; NO GAPS!
#2 GOAL: Fun!
That should go without saying, mountain biking is a blast!
#3 GOAL: Increase your comfort and confidence on the bike, through:
Increasing your fitness:
Makes it easier to enjoy training, and being stronger allows you to advance your technical skills);
You need to ride more than 2 days/week to advance fitness (this principle applies to anysport).
Advancing your Technical Skills allows you to become comfortable on the bike, is critical to being able to learn advanced skills
Learning advanced trail and bike-handling skills will increase your confidence
Increasing your confidence increases the enjoyment factor
#4 GOAL: As your Fitness and Technical Skills improve, you simply go faster with less stress/drama
MEDICAL: If you have a medical issue that could be an issue while riding (diabetes, asthma, hazardous allergies, prior concussions etc.), please approach a coach and let them know
Bring inhaler, epi-pen, food on EVERY ride (as required)
TRAIL ADVOCACY AND ETIQUETTE
MTB yields to ALL
If a pedestrian overtly yields to you, accept and thank them
ALWAYS ask equestrian rider if you are OK to pass well in advance, horses easily spooke
Downhill MTB yields to uphill MTB
Yield by stopping and leaning your bike intothe hill (which gets it out of the way)
Basic Courtesy: Call out well in advance (or bell), say “Hi!”, “Thanks, and have a good hike/ride!”
While training, immediately yield trail to riders behind if you put a foot down, get your bike out of the way on uphillside (lean into hill)
FAQ's
Do I have to be a good mountain biker to join?
No! We were all beginners once, and we accept all levels of skills and experience, from kids new to mountain biking to Varsity racers chasing podium spots throughout the State on any given weekend.
Where do you practice?
Due to the large size of our Team and to disperse trail use, we generally split up into five groups:
“C” Group and the Devo team tend to use the GHS Short Track, the CX Track, and South Table Mountain;
“B” Group spends the most time at South Table Mountain and North Table Mountain (& CX Track for skills); “B+” Group spends the most time at North Table Mountain, Apex and Chimney Gulch;
“A” Group spends more time at trails a bit further out such as Dakota Ridge, Matthews Winters, and White Ranch.
Do I have to race?
No you do not have to race, but we highly encourage you to give it a try because it's FUN! For dates & locations we refer to the Colorado High School League.
Are there things I can do to prepare for the season?
Absolutely! First of all ride your bike. Lots! It’s hard to progress with your fitness or technical skills riding only two days/week. We recommend at least 3 to 4 days per week during the summer, if possible. Riding is much more fun when you are fit, comfortable and confident on the bike, and much of that is up to you! Also, there are many summer training opportunities, including GBX Juniors, the Curt Gowdy MTB Training Camps, the Rattler Racing Series at Bear Creek Lake SP (highly recommended), as well as the Colorado Junior Cup race for all K-12 ages.
Do you do anything over the Summer?
It depends... We will start our official practice in early August. But we highly encourage everyone to take advantage of the fantastic Colorado weather and start riding the bike in spring! There are also great local programs, such as the GBX team that have paid trainings available. Some students are discussing to start a road biking team at GHS - stay tuned for details! If we can get enough coaches to sign up, we could potentially start earlier in the season.
Do I have to use clipless pedals?
No, flat pedals are fine, especially when learning technical skills and advancing your comfort on increasingly difficult trails. That being said, most competitive XC racers use clipless pedals for a variety of reasons (we suggest Shimano SPDs).
Can parents ride with the team?
We highly encourage parent participation! In fact, all coaches on the team are parent volunteers. To join on rides, it is necessary that all coaches must be certified by The Colorado League. If one is interested in becoming a coach, contact us and check out our "Get Involved" page! For the Devo team, we highly encourage parents to ride with the team. We also need lots of support to organize food during the races, to communicate with the team, etc.
What do I need to participate?
Riders need helmet, bike, bike tube, water, snack, gloves, and tools every ride. Sunscreen or jackets may also be needed depending on the weather. We also have a team fee and require everyone to follow our rules as well as trail etiquette.