Spring Recap

R&R held three MTB Schools is spring. Two were local and one was in Des Moines, the first-ever MTB School road trip. One of our clinics was co-ed and the other two, including the Des Moines clinic, were women only. We continue to see more and more ladies on trails and that is a great thing! Women on bikes, research has shown, leads to families on bikes. We’re super stoked to be part of their journeys to better themselves.

For any rider, male or female, trail riding can be very intimidating and R&R must always remember this. We are so far removed from our beginner days and it’s our responsibility to always be aware that what comes so naturally to us could be absolutely foreign and scary to a new rider. This is the very reason why we break down all of our moves in small increments and build on each of them throughout the day. Still, it’s a lot of information and sometimes it’s fatiguing, especially when all you want to know is how do I not crash?! So, we’ll take all the feedback we’ve received this year and see how we can continue to improve and accommodate riders at all levels so everyone leaves stoked to ride!

On a fun note and yes, we’re bragging here, a few of our students felt brave enough to try a mountain bike race. That is amazing!! Racing is not the end goal at R&R but we believe it’s a great tool. For students to find the courage to strap on a number plate and line up with seasoned racers is a big step, both mentally and physically. Racing puts you in situations where you will push beyond what you thought you were capable of doing. Clinics are a safe environment for practice and repetition. Race environments are stressful, uncontrollable sometimes and will force riders to make decisions in real time. I commend anyone who lines shows up on a start line. No matter how seasoned, the result is never guaranteed, and it takes moxie to believe you belong there! Congrats to our students for stretching their limits!

So what’s next for R&R? Clinic season is done (too hot) so it’s time to travel and see some new trails and also some oldies but goodies. Then in the fall, we’ll be working with the NICS (Nebraska Interscholastic Cycling Series) to keep pushing to expand youth cycling in our state.

Until then, thanks for reading and hope to see you on the trails. As always, ride inspired!