Training
Prior to the racing season, the BHS Team meets weekly to discuss safety issues, bike maintenance, and physical conditioning. These meetings are held during school lunch breaks and allow team members to raise questions to the coaches and to discuss goals and concerns for the racing season. Pre-season training starts in late November with stretching and core body strengthening (these pre-season workouts are not mandatory).
Starting in early January, the team begins its official workouts with running, yoga, and stadium runs. On-bike skill clinics and trail rides aimed at building endurance and technical abilities begin in mid-January. Practices are held every Tuesday and Thursday with rides on Sunday. The team is broken into smaller groups (freshman, sophomore, junior varsity, and varsity) to allow teammates with similar abilities to ride together. A coach accompanies each group and team rides last between 1 and 2 hours during the weekdays with longer rides on Sunday.
To help gauge riders’ abilities and progress throughout the season, the team runs timed hill climbs (1.4 miles) on the Big Springs Trail in Tilden Park (click here for a trail map and recent team times). Russel Hillken, attending Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, holds the course record of 7 minutes a 32 seconds! Last year Alex Stevenson came within a second of breaking this record. The world record is still held by John Bennet of El Cerrito Racing.
Please see “Team Rules” for a description of the rules that each team member must agree to abide by. These rules are reviewed during the early part of the training program and are enforced by coaches and older team members throughout the season.