Teams
The Berkeley Mountain Bike Team is proud to be among the most inclusive and supportive cycling teams. Our racing team is perfect for those who want to push themselves to the limit and compete against other high schools. Meanwhile, our GRIT program (Girls Riding Together) encourages young women to get involved in the sport and learn new techniques.
Racing
The Berkeley mountain bike team welcomes all high school students eager for an active, rewarding experience. Our no-cut policy means anyone can join, regardless of current skill level. Experienced coaches will help you improve your cycling techniques on scenic cross country courses. Bond with new friends during weekend races from February through May. Compete at your level in a supportive, inclusive environment. Take advantage of loaner bikes, scholarships, and P.E. credit.
GRIT
Our Berkeley MTB GRiT program is part of the NorCal GRiT initiative, which aims to recruit and retain female-identifying and non-binary student-athletes and coaches. The program is open to any female-identifying or non-binary riders who want to participate. Our activities are constantly evolving based on feedback from previous GRiT participants and include events like camping trips and away rides planned by our GRiT Student Leaders. A major goal this season is expanding knowledge around training female-identifying athletes. We strive to provide an inclusive, confidence-building environment where GRiT riders can improve mountain biking skills and become more engaged in the larger community. ​
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Wildcat
Composite
The Club was founded in 2014 to provide a team for 6-8th graders interested in riding mountain
bikes, whether racing or just recreational riding. Roughly 100 students come primarily from Berkeley, El Cerrito, Albany, and Richmond. Roughly 25% of our team are girls; we’d love
to grow that further. Like the local high schools, we are members of the NorCal/NICA league, so our 50 coaches are trained and vetted by NICA. Most of our club members go on to ride with the NorCal teams at their local high school.
Our primary purpose is to have fun, but we also seek to develop solid skills, improve physical
stamina, and build grit. The season begins in November with a couple of skills clinics and
continues with up to three rides each week (Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday) until late April.
The team participates in all the NorCal/NICA middle school races and some other races. Race participation is not mandatory, but we hope everyone will try at least one race. We love to have parents ride with us, and many do - our rides typically have about one parent-coach riding with every three students.
