High School Mountain Bike Team

EASTLAKE HIGH SCHOOL CYCLING TEAM

CHULA VISTA, CA

March 2, 2013

If you are out near the trails of the Otay Reservoir or the open hillsides of Mt San Miguel on a weekday afternoon, chances are you may have seen a group of dedicated high school student athletes on mountain bikes spinning up the hills on the single-track. We are the Eastlake High School Mountain Bike Team, one of two high school mountain bike teams in San Diego County, and a part of the SoCal League of high school mountain bike racers. With 32 teams in the SoCal League, and over 300 riders, we are part of a growing movement that seeks to provide student athletes an arena in which to set and accomplish competitive goals, and to achieve their personal best. 

 

2013 marks the fourth year for the Eastlake High School Mountain Bike Team, comprised of boys and girls from freshman to senior. Our pre-season begins in October, with training consisting of skills clinics for new members, and purposeful trail rides targeted to improving the endurance and bike-handling skills of returning members.

Students come from all different backgrounds and levels of experience. Some have been riding since they can remember, while others have only just got their first bike, and are learning as they go, encouraged by their teammates.

Being a part of a mountain bike team is unique, in that while you are a part of a team and something larger than yourself, the competition is largely an individual effort. Whereas a football player who is new to the sport and perhaps at a physical disadvantage would spend time on the bench on game day, every mountain biker who comes to practice has a chance of competing on race day. If you as a cyclist know that you have put in the practice house to go the distance, and you have completed the necessary skills training to successfully navigate the obstacles on the trail, then you know your race is largely about eating properly and hydrating well in the days before the race, mentally preparing yourself for the race, mentally preparing yourself for any unexpected setbacks such as a flat tire or a crash, and putting it all together on race day so that you start and finish your race well.

If you are interested in learning more about the Eastlake Cycle Team and how you can be a part of the growing movement of enthusiast mountain bikers who want to see the sport grow (e.g., be a ride leader!) and see more young people on mountain bikes, we encourage you to contact us via this blog, through Eastlake High School, the SoCal League, or our Facebook page. And if you see a group of high school students riding together around Eastlake, wave hello and feel free to cheer us on!

Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/EastlakeHSMTB

Riding with Children: Bonita (South SD)

Bonita, CA, just south of San Diego (near CA-54 and I-805) is another great place to ride with children. When my eight-year-old friend Esther was visiting me from New Mexico, I borrowed a Trail-a-bike, hooked it up to my bike, and off we went on our trail adventure!


The Bonita Bike Path is a great ride to do with kids, even if they are on their own bikes and not hooked up to yours, because you are on a dedicated bike path and not riding in traffic. If you don't want to cross Willow Street with children on bikes, park your car at Rohr Park and ride around the golf course to get to the bike path.

Route from Donny's Cafe (link goes to MapMyRide.com)

Location: Start at Donny's Cafe or Rohr Park
Distance: 6 miles out and back to the horse stables
Elevation gain: Almost flat
Riding time: 1-1.5 hours
Road conditions: dirt path
Traffic conditions: pedestrians, horses, bikes
Difficulty: Easy
Equipment: knobby tires work best
Kid-friendly: Yes
Notes: Rest rooms at Donny's Cafe or the Bonita Library. Mostly shaded route.

Esther and I took off from Donny's Cafe, cutting through the Kaiser parking lot, and carefully crossing Willow St to get to the bike path. The bike path skirts the Bonita Golf Course and runs along Bonita Road.

Although the ride can be done on a bike with slick tires, it's best to have knobby tires, so you will have better traction in the dirt.

Once we arrived at the stables, we parked our bikes and asked the owners if we could walk through the stable and look at the horses.

Inside, we found chickens running about. It was more than we expected to find at the end of our bike trail.

From the start of our ride at Donny's Cafe down to the stables was about 3 miles. The horse stable was a good half-way point to get off the bike and stretch our legs a bit. We had some water, then got back on the bike to return home.

It was a very fun, healthy, and interesting way to spend the afternoon.

Riding with Children: Lake Miramar

One of the questions I am often asked is: Where can I ride with my kids?

We in San Diego are very fortunate to have a number of dedicated bike paths throughout the county. Over the next few months, Jane and I will be exploring some of San Diego's many great places to ride.

Lake Miramar
Location: Near I-15 and Mira Mesa Blvd.
Distance: 5 miles around the lake
Elevation gain: Almost flat
Riding time: 30 minutes
Road conditions: Paved road/path
Traffic conditions: Usually light
Difficulty: Easy
Equipment: Any bicycle
Kid-friendly: Yes
Notes: Very little shade along the route. Recommended riding in the morning or early evening, or on overcast days.

Lake Miramar, located near Mira Mesa, is a great place to take a relaxing ride alone, with friends, or with children. The five-mile paved path is wide enough in most places for two cyclists to ride abreast against oncoming pedestrian and cycling traffic.


The road is virtually flat all the way around the reservoir. Two parking areas are available, a smaller area located just as you enter the park, and a parking area for RV's and boat trailers about 400 yards down the road. Restrooms and water fountains are located along the interior parking area. Additionally, you will find a port-a-john about one mile from the parking area, on the north-west side of the reservoir. Lake Miramar is a great place for a picnic, with a picnic area on the north side of the reservoir.

Lake Miramar is an ideal place for adults and children to practice skills and techniques essential to riding safely on the road, since you are in a controlled environment with no vehicular traffic.

Drills you can do while riding (Wow! What a great idea!)
Riding in a straight line without deviation. If the path is clear in both directions, try riding the white or yellow line.
Taking a hand off the handlebars to reach for a waterbottle. Replace the bottle without looking down.
Practice riding in close proximity to your riding partner by gently putting a hand on his shoulder as you ride.

These drills will help you to become a better, more confident rider.

Jane and Laura at Lake Miramar, Jan 2009

Resources: MyBikeSite.com (Lake Miramar) - info on trail conditions, routes, and a place to share your stories

Now pack up the kids and go have fun!