2012 Kirby Mountain Bike Team Season Info
Team Membership: Any Kirby student can be a member of the team as long as academic standards are maintained for sports participation. Team members are riders who commit to being on the team at the beginning of the season and meet requirements for practice and race participation.
Season: The official season for the 2012 Kirby MTB team is from January 25th (first practice) through May 20th (last race).
Email Communication: Our primary method of communication is via email. Please be sure that we have your correct email address.
Website Information: Team information (along with photos from every race) will be posted on our team website. Be sure to check the homepage for the latest information about upcoming events.
Practice Requirements- all members: You are only allowed one missed practice per month.
Race Attendance Requirement: Junior high riders must attend 2 scheduled CCCX races. High school riders should attend all NorCal races.
Missed Practice Notification: If you are going to miss practice, you must contact coach Adam before the scheduled practice. You must call, text/email Coach Adam at ahaverstock@mac.com no later than 3:40pm on day of practice. Do not communicate through your fellow team mates.
Practice Days/Times/pick up: Practices will be every Monday and Wednesday. We will begin at 3:45pm and end practice at 5:30pm. Starting on March 12th, practices will go to 6:00pm (after Daylight Savings time change). We will always try to ensure that we are back at school as close to 5:30pm (6:00pm in spring) as possible.
Parents/Guardians, please try to ensure that you arrive at the scheduled pick-up time to pick up your student after practice. We will not leave a student alone at Kirby after hours. If you allow your student to ride home after practice, we need your permission to allow a student to do so. Contact Coach Haverstock via email to allow your student to ride home from practice.
Practice Routine- Bike, Books Storage: After school, students should bring all items out of the school building as it will be closed and locked when we return from practice. Students can leave all their books in the coaches' vehicle for storage until we return from practice. Students can leave their bike in Kirby's lower garage which is accessible via a code (contact Abby Christopher, athletic director, for code) for storage during the day and if you choose, between Monday and Wednesday practices. You should always take your bike home on Wednesday night after practice. Sometimes the school's electronic lock does not work, such as on weekends. We have had kids have their bikes unaccessible for races due to this issue! While the bikes are in Kirby's locked garage, we advise all students to use a lock for storage in this area.
Coach Adams Code of Conduct: We will not allow any negative or rude comments by any team member. All team members are expected to show respect for each other, coaches, teams and parents. We also will have respect for the trails and other users of the trails.
Practice Cancellations: We will rarely cancel practice due to inclement weather. We want to make sure our riders are used to riding in the same conditions that may occur during a race (MTB races don’t cancel due to weather). However, should coach Haverstock cancel a practice due to weather, or any other last minute issues, we will send all parents and riders on our contact list an email. Cancellations due to bad weather may happen as late as 3:30pm. Check your email if the weather looks particularly severe.
Practice Location/Gear: Practices will almost always be conducted at UCSC and or Wilder Ranch. We typically will ride from Kirby to get to these areas. One of the many skills we emphasize is to be prepared. It is important that riders arrive at practice with the minimal safety gear as listed below. If a student does not have an approved helmet for any team ride- they will not be allowed to ride. We have a very simple helmet rule- if you’re on a bike, you must be wearing your helmet.
Required Items-
High end mountain bike equipment is not required to be on the team.
1. A well maintained mountain bike. A suspension system (front or rear) is not required. The handlebars should not have “bar ends”.
2. An ANSI approved cycling helmet.
3. Glasses. Clear, plastic, safety glasses are available for as low as $10 from any hardware store.
4. Bike riding shorts or pants and a good breathing top shirt. Avoid any material that does not breathe well, such as cotton. We have recycled lycra clothing available for all students.
5. Water bottle and cage to mount water bottle on bike.
6. Spare Tire and pump (as well as a means for carrying these items).
7. Firm soled shoes
Recommended Items-
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A mountain bike with front suspension forks.
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A “clipless” cycling shoe and pedal (in addition to providing superior power for climbing, clipless shoes are safer than shoes in a caged pedal).
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Lycra cycling shorts/pants and top.
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Camelbak type backpack and hydration pack.
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Some type of powerbar to eat while on a ride.
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Red Blinking tail light.
Bike Maintenance: It is very important that members keep their bikes maintained at all times during the season. If your bike breaks during a race or practice, you should get it repaired immediately. Our sponsor bike shop will expedite repairs for all team members.
Bike Shop- ABS: Another Bike Shop (ABS) is our sponsor bike shop. They are located at 2361 Mission St. on the West Side. (831) 427-2232. ABS will have a list of all team members so that you will receive service as quickly as possible and discounts when available.
2012 Team Uniforms: The 2012 Jerseys are the property of the school and should be handled as such. Practice in uniform whenever possible. All riders are required to wear their team jersey (2010-12) for races.
Race Registration Process
CCCX Series (Junior High Riders): Registration for the CCCX, MTB series racing occurs on site on the morning of the race. Parent/Guardians must be present to sign the appropriate waiver. Each race will cost approximately $20.
Norcal (High School Riders): We rely on rider parent/guardians to ensure this process gets done in a timely manner. Usually, online registration closes 5 days before the given race. Late fees always apply for registrations not made on time. It is possible to register for most races at the event; however a parent/guardian must be present to sign the appropriate waivers.
Norcal League Costs: Costs for joining the Norcal league are as follows: $50 to join the league (mandatory) and $45 per race if you pay in advance online. Furthermore, at least three races will take place out of town which will add the cost of one night's motel stay plus incidentals. We always look for the best price motel near the race venue that can support the arrival of our large team. We go to dinner the night before any out of town races and ask parents to share the cost of our coaches' dinner. Finally, during every race, we need to supply lunch and snacks for 17 very hungry racers and all attending parents/guardians. We conduct a potluck to supply food and will setup specific items for families to bring to each race.
If you need any assistance whatsoever in completing any registration document, please contact Team Director, Dietmar Burkhardt.
Travel to races: Families are expected to provide transportation to and from races. If a parent/guardian cannot attend a race, work with other families and ride share to build team spirit. If you need help with transportation of bikes/equipment, Coach Adam can accommodate some bikes with prior notice.
2012 CCCX (Junior High School) Race Info:
3/10- East Garrison
This is Race 3 in the CCCX series. Saturday Race, 9:00am start. Be at the venue (parent/guardian needs to be there to sign waiver) no later than 8:00am to allow time to register and warm up for the race. Allow 50 minutes for the drive from Santa Cruz. Click here for directions to race venue. Race will be followed immediately by awards, should all be over by 11:00am.
4/7- Toro Park
This is Race 5 in the CCCX series. Saturday Race, 9:00am start. Be at the venue (parent/guardian needs to be there to sign waiver) no later than 8:00am to allow time to register and warm up for the race. Allow1 hour for the drive from Santa Cruz. Click here for directions to race venue. Race will be followed immediately by awards, should all be over by 11:00am
2012 Norcal (High School) Race Info:
2/26- Granite Bay Challenge
This trip starts on Saturday when we head for a motel in Roseville. We will have a team pre-ride of the course after our check-in, followed by a team dinner at a restaurant in Roseville. Race Sunday morning. Travel time about 2.5 hours.
3/18 Race 1-East Garrison
Located at former Fort Ord, we all arrive early Sunday morning for a pre-ride of the course.
4/1 Race 2-Laguana Seca
Located in Monterey, we all arrive early Sunday morning for a pre-ride of the course.
4/15 Race 3-Boggs Mountain
This trip starts on Saturday when we head to Cobb, about 45 minutes north of Calistoga in Napa Valley. We will have a team pre-ride of the course after our check-in, followed by a team dinner at a restaurant near the venue. Race Sunday morning. Travel time about 3 hours.
5/6 Race 4 -TBA
5/20 Race 5-State Championship-Los Olivos
This trip starts on Saturday when we head for a motel in Los Olivos. We will have a team pre-ride of the course after our check-in, followed by a team dinner at a restaurant in town. Race Sunday morning. Travel time about 2.5 hours.
Photo Ride: We will call out a photo ride (replacing one of our practices), were we will ride to the forest and take portraits of the individual riders and group shots. It is important when we call out this ride, that all team members are present and in uniform.
Other Team Events
Sea Otter Classic: April 19-22nd-- Located at Laguna Seca. Our category racers ride on Sunday the 22nd. More info coming.
Kirby Spring Sports Banquet: May 29th, at Kirby
End of Season BBQ: We will call out a date for this later in the season. Expect the first or second week of June.
Series Racing Info
CCCX Mountain Bike Race Series: The CCCX MTB race series is the Monterey Bay’s prime cycling race series. CCCX Mountain Bike races are for all age groups and skill levels. All races are generally held at one of two locations, Toro Park in Salinas or on the lands of the former Fort Ord in Monterey. See link above for complete series info.
NorCal Leagues Races (High School Members Only): The NorCal Mountain Bike League is a group of approximately 40 Northern California High Schools with about 600 plus students participating in freshman, sophomore, junior varsity and varsity categories. For more information about the league, see link above.
The Sea Otter Classic:The Sea Otter Classic is the premier cycling race event on the West Coast. This event is held over three days at Laguna Seca Race way and has an excellent MTB course. Kirby riders can compete in either beginner or sport categories for this race. Info at www.seaotterclassic.com .
Contact Info: As we rely on email communication for all MTB events, please be sure that we have your current email address. Also, in case of an emergency, coaches will carry emergency contact info, so please make sure we have correct information.
Coach Contacts
Adam Haverstock- Head Coach
ahaverstock@mac.com
Cell (831) 818-2433
Dietmar Burkhardt- Team Director
dietmar@sunnyvalevw.com
Cell (408)203-8032