FayCo’s goal is to have fun riding bikes while building skills, fitness, and confidence. We strive to help each athlete achieve their personal goals. Some kids want to compete, and others want to practice with the team and have fun. Either is fine! We will help kids get as proficient as they want on their bikes. It’s up to the individual as to how competitive they want to be, but they are all team members.
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Easy answer, no.
If your child will be in grade 5-12 in the fall and can ride a bike, then our coaches can teach them the skills and confidence they need to ride the trails
Our season runs from July through October, with some pre-season “try-it-out” events occurring in April, May, and June. Our home practice venue is Veterans Park, where we meet at Shelter 3. General practices are two hours on Tuesday nights and Thursday nights. On select Saturday mornings, special practices focus on endurance training and advanced skill progression at different and/or more advanced trails. These special practices occur at trail systems within a 30-90 minute drive from Fayette County.
What type of bike you need depends on how experienced you are and how competitive you want to be. The two most important things are that the bike is in proper working order and fits. Any bike will do if you are checking out the team and program to decide if you want to be a team member. If you become a regular team member and attend the practices, you will quickly see that “box store” bikes will not take the abuse from trails and number of miles. Coaches are more than happy to advise you, so please ask! If you are a team member, several bike manufacturers offer significant discounts through our NICA affiliation through local bike shops. In addition, used bikes are often available through teammates who have outgrown their previous bikes.
You must have a properly fitting helmet – No exceptions!
Beginner riders usually start on “flats” or regular pedals. As kids become more advanced, they may desire to move to a “clipped-in” pedal. Clipped-in pedals work with a special kind of shoe to allow the rider to push down on the pedals and pull up.
Riders who race must wear a team jersey during the race. Most kids also ride with gloves and some ride with eye protection.
At all practices, riders should have a spare tube, tire tools, and a bike pump or CO2 cartridge on their person or bike.
Costs vary. There is a season fee paid to our national association (NICA) and one to the local league (KICL). These fees covers programming, insurance, and supports our state league and its programs. If an athlete chooses to race, then there are either
à la carte fees per race or a race season pass fee. Please inquire with our coaches for more information.
No. Team members do not have to race. You will still be considered a full team member if you choose not to race. You will ride and practice with the team just like someone racing. We will still push you to be your best and achieve a race-ready level of skills and fitness.
NICA (National Interscholastic Cycling Association) is the national sanctioning body. Think of it like KHSAA meets NCAA. NICA creates the race rules, provides our training and certification programs, and provides insurance for practices and races.
