MIGHTY BIKES

2010

Welcome to Mighty Bikes, a summer-long mountain biking program for kids ages 8 to 18

WATCH HERE FOR IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS AND LAST-MINUTE CHANGES

June 8th Race Results

June 22nd Race Results

July 6th Race Results

July 20th Race Results

Hey Mighty Bikes!

Wow, was that a great season?!  I had a ton of fun with the kids and the coaches did, too.   Thank you to our parent volunteers throughout the season and to those who helped set up and clean up after the party.  Be sure to check out our website—I have posted more photos of the season’s fun.  If you have a good shots that you would like me to post, please email them my way.

Here’s a little clip of the last night of Mighty Bikes:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8Wa9TuLyNI

See you next year!

Coach Janice

July 8, 2010

Hey Mighty Bikes!

I hope everyone is having a great time out on the trails. We had a nice turnout on Tuesday for the races!  Pictures and results are posted on our website under the Photo and Hotline pages. www.mightybikes.org  Please show up no later than 6:45 to register for the race.  Registration closes promptly at 6:45.

I have a Lost and Found started.  There is a very nice kid-size Camelbak waiting for its owner to speak up.  Also a great water bottle with an insulated cover.  If this describes you, please let me know and I can get you reunited with your lost items.

Don’t forget the Great Annual Bike-O next Thursday!  It’s a navigation exercise and treasure hunt for treats.  Meet at Service for the fun to begin at 7:00.  Thanks in advance to Coach Jill for setting this up.

The Winner Creek trail ride in Girdwood is scheduled for July 25^th.  This ride is appropriate for kids in Purple, Black, Blue, Silver, Green and Red Groups.  Strong Yellows may participate with the recommendation of the coach.  This is a beautiful trail that has been recently rebuilt and maintained.

Let us know if you are interested in the Chitina to McCarthy weekend, August 6-8.  We need critical mass for this weekend adventure, so if you are interested, please let us know ASAP.

“Go Moto!”

Coach Janice

July 1, 2010

Greetings Mighty Bikes!  Happy 4th of July!

It's hard to believe, but we've had a full month of Mighty Bikes!  We hope that everyone is having fun.  There are some fun events planned for July and August.  Coach Jill is organizing our annual Bike-O, a treasure hunt for treats!  There will also be a fun ride on the Winner Creek Trail in Girdwood toward the end of the month.  On the first weekend of August we have scheduled the annual Chitina-to-McCarthy weekend!  This is a fabulous opportunity to go camping with the entire family in one of the most beautiful places in Alaska!  There are photos of past Chitina-to-McCarthy trip on the photo page so that you can see what a special weekend it is! 

I have uploaded recent photos onto the website:  www.mightybikes.org.  Thank you to the mom who provided me a thumb drive of pictures.  Please let me know who you are so that I can return it for refills!  Also uploaded are the results of our races.

Enjoy the holiday weekend!

Coach Janice

June 6, 2010

This Tuesday is our first race of the season.  Joan Egeland is our Mighty Bikes race coordinator.  Please arrive at the Kincaid Stadium lower parking lot early to register.  No registrations will be allowed at 6:45 p.m.  Racing is completely optional.

There are two races to choose from:

1)    1)  Kids’ Race:  a short loop, ~2 miles on relatively easy terrain.  This is mostly for all but the Red and Green groups.

2)    2)  Arctic Bicycle Club Mt. Bike Race:  a longer loop, 4-6 miles on hilly terrain and some singletrack.  Recommended for kids in the Red and Green groups.

Both races are free for juniors.  If a junior wants to do the bike club race, please purchase a membership to the Arctic Bicycle Club for $5.

We will use the results of this race to help fine tune our groupings.  Some of the groups (pink/yellow/purple) are very large, so we will be looking to move kids upward.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

See you Tuesday!

May 13, 2010

Here is some important information about getting organized for the upcoming season:

First Night:

The first night of Mighty Bikes is Tuesday, June 1^st, 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. beginning at the Kincaid Chalet.  There will be a 1-hour orientation and safety meeting for all Mighty Bikes and parents at 6:00.  A limited number of Mighty Bikes jerseys will be for sale at this time at $48 each.  First come, first served.  At 7:00 the kids will meet in the Kincaid Stadium area to meet their coaches.  Please make sure that your child’s helmet fits properly with the straps adjusted.  Coaches will help adjust helmets but it will save a lot of time if you could do this before you arrive.

Grouping Procedures:

This year we are approaching the grouping a bit differently, which I hope will alleviate some stress and confusion.  For the first few sessions, kids enrolled in 2009 will remain in their groups from last year.  New Mighty Bikes will ride together to be evaluated.  They will be divided up into appropriate groups according to strength and ability.  The first Tuesday night race will help us fine tune the groupings.  If your child cannot attend the first few sessions of Mighty  Bikes, don’t worry—we will make sure your child is placed with an appropriate group.  Kids who must be in the same group as their buddy may do so with the understanding that if there is a discrepancy in ability, the kids will ride with the easiest group for their ability levels.  In other words, if Sally is normally faster than Billy and the two kids want to ride together, both kids will ride with Billy’s group.  Kids may move up or down during the season with the recommendation of the coach.  Groups will be assigned both a color and a number.  Colored duct tape will be placed on the handlebar. 

Parking Lot Safety:

IMPORTANT SAFETY ISSUE:  Please insist that your child walk their bikes in the parking lot until they are on the dirt.  NO RIDING IN THE PARKING LOTS, PLEASE.

Bikes:

·         24” or 26” wheel

·         Gears (kids must be able to shift gears—this is an important aspect of mountain biking)

·         Mandatory bike tune-up from a qualified mechanic or at a local bike shop

·         Kids MUST wear a helmet

·         Kids MUST wear appropriate shoes with laces that cover the entire foot.

Tuesday Night Kincaid Races:

·         Mighty Bikes coordinates the “little kids” race which is 1-3 miles in length.  The course is meant to be easy.  Membership to the Arctic Bicycle Club is not required.

·         Bigger, stronger kids may race the Arctic Bicycle Club’s mountain bike race.  The course is longer and more challenging than the little kids race, usually 3 to 5 miles per lap.  Racers will go 1 to 3 laps according to the division entered (beginner, sport, expert).  Most of these Mighty Bikes will race beginner or sport.  Membership to the Arctic Bicycle Club is required ($5 juniors; $20 individual adult; $40 family).

·         All kids/juniors race free compliments of the really nice folks of the Arctic Bicycle Club’s Mountain Bike Division and the Fireweed bicycle race.

Parent Ride Alongs:

·         Parents may ride with their kids’ groups and help “sweep” behind the group (pick up stragglers).  Parents may ride with a different group if they don’t want to ride with their kids ;)

·         A well-functioning, maintained bike is required. 

·         Parents should be able to keep up with the group. The coaches’ attention must be on the kids at all times.

Website:

·         Please bookmark our website www.mightybikes.org and check the Hotline page for the latest news and last-minute changes.

The coaches and I are looking forward to a fun summer of riding with your kids!

Coach Janice

Thanks to the following organizations for their generous support of Mighty Bikes:

ASSC - Alyeska Ski & Snowboard Club; Arctic Bicycle Club; REI, Inc., Fireweed Bicycle Race

            For general and registration information send email to:  jtower@alaska.com