Skip to content

Something True/Something False

This simple get-to-know-you game is great for the beginning of the season. It encourages sharing while allowing athletes to choose the facts (and falsehoods) that they disclose about themselves, depending on their own comfort levels.

Race & Event Weekends: Bringing the Fun

  • by

Get ready for the races! This month we’re covering everything you need to know to create a great event experience for your NICA team.
As our spring leagues start planning for their upcoming season, and our fall leagues begin racing, we’re sharing ways to create amazing race-weekend experiences for your entire NICA community – from riders to families to coaches!

Creating a Fun & Inclusive Event Weekend for your entire team

  • by

We all have that one thoughtful, crafty, or creative friend who knows how to level-up any occasion. Maybe that person is YOU! We want to share a few team-level ideas for how to elevate your next race weekend and turn up the FUN-o-meter to eleven. And beyond!

Pre-Race Practice Activities

Mountain bike racing is awesome! And there are a lot of elements that may feel complicated if athletes don’t get your help navigating them in a manageable way. To help athletes feel ready – mentally, emotionally and physically – coaches can (need) help them prepare by including practice activities that mimic what they will experience on race day.

Process goals to set athletes up for success

We’ve all probably set a big goal without really thinking it through. Here’s how it plays out… “I’m gonna ride 8,000 miles this year. Let’s go!” Then, life gets busy. It’s June and you’ve only ridden 1,000 miles. “Geez… maybe I’m not very good at this goal thing. I just need to dig deep… Only 7,000 miles to go. I can do this!! Right? I will just stop hanging out with my friends, stop showering and spend every day on my bike. I said I would do it so….” Ever backed yourself into a corner with a goal like this? I know I have…

It’s not surprising, Temps are rising! Are you prepared?

With the start of the fall racing season comes rising temperatures, leading us all to look for ways to stay cool and safe out on the trails. Higher temps introduce a range of factors teams and coaches must consider, from hydration and preventing heat-related injury to heat acclimation.

NICA Etiquette: Yielding the trail

You’re riding along your favorite trail and see a group of hikers up ahead. The trail is fairly narrow with little room to pass. Do you know who yields the trail? What if these hikers were actually equestrians riding horses? Do you know what to do when you approach horseback riders? What about other mountain bikers? Who has the right of way on the trail?