Holiday Gift Guide 2023

Have you finished your holiday shopping for your favorite cyclist?

If not, We’ve got you covered!! check out our RCC Gift Giving guide for 8 gifts we think will help cover all the different things the cyclist in your life may need and want for the holiday season.

What's not to love about a handmade, high quality bike bag that's also made LOCALLY? We are lucky to be able to list a few:

Jacks Sacks One Size Fits Most Frame Sack

Based on a medium-ish standard-ish gravel geometry, this “sack” will fit more bikes with less complications. Includes one main pocket and one map pocket. Fully Lined. Includes daisy chain attachments and four straps. Three colorways available. We really dig the Glacier Blue with Brown Mountain Accents. $120

www.jacksbikesacks.com

Alpenglow Handmade Cadmium Green Hip Pack

Made from durable and water resistant materials, this hip pack will fit any of your leisurely outdoor adventures. Whether that be cycling, fishing, dog walking or bird watching. Well suited for holding first aid, water purification tools or snacks for a full day, this bag is an RCC favorite! $115

www.alpenglowhandmade.com

Endura Pro SL Jacket

Wear it as a mid-layer, outer layer, overlayer, underlayer. This MT500 thermal layer is super versatile. This jacket has been a key piece of gear for our riders during our evening mtb rides this time of year! The windproof panels are strategically placed in the most exposed areas to keep you warm and able to perform in a wide range of weather.

We recommend the Aubergine or Black colorways. $139.99

us.endurasport.com

Dyna Plug Racer Tubeless Tire Repair Kit

We’ve tried a lot of tubeless repair plugs on the market and we trust Dyna Plug the most. IT’S ONLY 14 GRAMS. Their tools are fast, light and offer consistently superior performance when you’re standing on the side of a remote trail in terrible weather with daylight fading and a geyser of sealant spewing from your tread (we’ve been there). $50 available via our friends at Outpost Richmond.

shop.dynaplug.com

Hammerhead Karoo 2 GPS Bike Computer

If you’re looking to upgrade your GPS computer, this is your best bet. Powerful features on this bike computer make it simple for cyclists to do structured workouts, follow routes, connect to Strava and other third parties, and get the most out of every ride. Available on sale right now from our friends at Outpost Richmond for $299

www.hammerhead.io

Arundel Looney Bin Bottle Cage

The Looney Bin is a necessity on any adventure bike. Not every bottle is 73mm and not everyone wants to use a “regular” bottle on their bike. The Looney Bin will hold anything from a convenience store bottle of H2O to a nice bottle of Pinot Noir. This is the perfect cage for a commuter rig or the Mixte for that spring picnic.

Drink and ride responsibly…

Fits bottles 65-95mm

www.arundelbike.com

Haute Bicycle Co Custom Build “The Sauce”

If you're looking for a fine-tuned, high-quality custom bicycle that can handle all types of gravel and even the chunkiest of jeep trails. Haute Bicycle Co’s “The Sauce” is what you need! Custom stack, reach and head tube length for the smallest and largest human and everything in between. $1500

Add a little Haute Sauce to your bike stable this year

www.haute.bike

Life after NICA - The Late Fall/Winter Season

Night Rides with the Team

Though the NICA racing season is over, it has not slowed us down at all. Our riders pushed hard through the season and are now continuing that stoke into the off-season.  Since we can’t start practice until 4:00 (when school lets out) and it gets dark at 5:00 these days, we have to rely on lights to ride for this part of the year.  If you haven’t done it before, mountain biking at night is like riding a whole new trail system - we love it!

A night ride around the top of Belle Isle

We welcomed four new youth riders this season, all competing in their first mtb race in the past two months, their confidence and desire to spend time on the bike has only grown.

Cycling is not easy, especially trying to compete with those who have been riding longer or that have more access to resources that support it. Now that the season is over, we’ve added another six new riders to the squad! The nights, and practice may be cold and long, but our youth show up determined and ready to get after it.

2nd Quarter of the Year with AJC

Earlier this month, we began our second quarter with Anna Julia Cooper School for their middle school PE curriculum with a new crop of riders! A few of them had some experience and skills on the bike so we are excited to see where the next few weeks go. We work with their students for over 40 weeks a year!. It’s wonderful to see how these students grow and progress in confidence on the bike! Many of these children have never experienced hiking on the James, let alone ride a bike on one. The experience of riding a bike in their cities’ greenspaces instills confidence and a feeling of ownership in the spaces around them.

“I don’t go outside like that” - One AJC youth on why they like cycling class with RCC.

Some of us can take for granted the nature that surrounds us. But for youth living in public housing, some of those things are much harder to come by. The outlet of nature and physical activity or a community are all why we exist. And the reason many of you support our mission.

Some of the most confident riders were able to hit jumps on the bmx track not long after getting on the bike. Other students need a bit more coaching until they feel confident to ride the course. 

The AJC crew lines up at the start of the Gillies Creek BMX Track

We are frequently looking for cyclists in our community to volunteer with our AJC practices. If that is something you are interested in, please reach out!

Bike Raffle

We have teamed up with some of our very talented friends at Haute Bicycle Co to create this very special bike raffle.  

Formerly an RCC program bike, this Kona Unit has been meticulously updated by Richmond’s Haute Bicycle Co. with internal dropper post routing, mounts for racks, more bottles, and gear.  The handlebars are custom Haute one-of-a-kind mid-sweep comfy shred bars.  A fresh paint job and decals seal the deal.

Enter now for a chance to own this customized Kona "Legacy” Unit and pedal towards a meaningful cause!  We’re raffling off this sleek ride to support the Richmond Cycling Corps in its mission to educate and empower the youth of Richmond’s East End.  Every ticket purchased not only brings you closer to this unique ride, but also contributes to our programming.

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Jack & Jill of America, Richmond Chapter  

Last weekend, we were able to help out a local chapter of Jack & Jill of America.  Jack & Jill of America is an organization that focuses on nurturing future African-American leaders while advocating for all children. They were doing a lock-in on leadership that weekend in Charles City and their planned event for the next day fell through due to the organizers of that event all coming down with COVID-19.  The leadership at J&J initially reached out to The Kickstand to see if they could rent bikes to do a ride, but we had a better idea - meet us at Gillies Creek BMX Track!

The program ran similarly to our group cycling program with AJC - the parents met us at the track and we arrived with the bikes and equipment necessary. The goal of this program was to help riders of all ages progress toward learning the fundamentals of riding on two wheels in a safe, judgment free environment. Riders who needed a little extra help  started by practicing balance on their own, moving on to turning and then finally, pedaling on their own. Overall a great experience and turn out. The president of the organization came. A few kids were able to complete the bmx course and their first lap, some others needed a few repetitions before they felt comfortable. All the moms also took a turn riding the track! Overall a great experience and turnout. About 16 kids showed up with nine girls and six boys. A few kids mentioned overcoming their fears to ride the track and get air on a bike. We are thankful for opportunities to work alongside organizations making a difference in the lives of youth by educating and ultimately empowering them through cycling and physical activity.

WeeWheel Event

On Sunday the 12th, WeeWheel hosted a Learn to Ride a Bike Day benefitting the Richmond Cycling Corps in Forest Hill Park. We collaborated with WeeWheel to put on a class to help parents help their children make the leap from striders to pedal bikes and raise money for our programs. We met the parents in Forest Hill Park and they came with their trainer bikes. Several families came to participate. Two of our youth riders Knowledge and Kamari came to help out. A few kids got it immediately, others needed some extra help balancing and repetition before it stuck.

With perfect fall weather, the class went really well. Six kids came, two boys and four girls. We are very appreciative of opportunities to help the community, give volunteer opportunities to youth in our programs while also raising funds to benefit our mission. The parents loved it. Many people assume training wheels teach the skill of balancing, but in reality it’s the opposite - a child may lean on them for support too much. Taking the training wheels off can become a time of fear and essentially starting from scratch. Most parents know what they experienced themselves: training wheels. The (often painful) memories of this rite of passage tend to stick with us. But a new generation of riders who are starting out on balance bikes and skipping the training wheels entirely, are learning to pedal at a much younger age. This young age and the ease of the experience has led to what we think is a pretty cool phenomenon: a generation of kids who won’t remember a time in their lives when they couldn’t ride a bike.

More info on why Training Wheels can be detrimental to learning to ride 

Tour de Fall Line VIII

The eighth iteration of the Tour De Fall line took place this weekend on Saturday.  TdFL is a local trails fundraiser race put on by rvaMORE. This year, the race started and finished at  our very own Kickstand parking lot! With course options of 14, 28, and 50 miles, riders were able to choose their own adventure. About 150 riders showed up Saturday morning to ride our beloved park system, with beers and Lee’s Chicken provided at the finish.  We’re looking forward to next year!

The start of the 28mi ride in front of the iconic RCC Bread Truck

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Giving Tuesday

Giving Tuesday is coming up!  This year, we have set a goal of $5,000 to benefit our programs and fuel us through the off-season. 

Giving Tuesday started in 2012 as an idea centered around radical generosity. There are many causes that need support and we hope on this year's national giving holiday you choose one that is important to you.  Giving Tuesday is one of our most important fundraising days of the year. If you choose to support RCC, your contributions will go towards our programming and outreach that supports youth living in Richmond’s East End.

NICA 2023 Wrap-Up

That’s a wrap!  We concluded our 2023 NICA Race season at Monticello High School this past Saturday. We had five students racing this week - Chip, Junior, Malachi and Marshaun.  With a high of 85 degrees it was an unexpectedly hot day of racing. The course was a good 3-mile long trail along the school campus - the only race venue at a public school. Junior led us out in the Middle School Boys C race as he’s accumulated the most points this season.

The start of the race was another fight to the front! This time with a long climb at both the start and finish line. Junior found a few riders to chase and maintained his position throughout the race with Malachi about 30 seconds behind.They both finished the race mid-pack and feeling like they could’ve gone faster! Marshaun finished the race absolutely exhausted! He left everything on the course.

Marshaun’s Earth science teacher, Ms.Valence, from MLK Middle School reached out to us and made the long drive for a surprise visit to cheer him on! We are incredibly thankful for teachers and educators who go the extra mile for the youth in our programs!

Frankie Slaughter, a long-time supporter and mentor of Junior and RCC also came out to cheer us on! It is through support from individuals like this that empowers our youth and reminds them that they do have someone in their corner to help push them to achieve their goals. 

Frankie and Junior post-race

The warm weather and added support was a great morale booster, everyone was all smiles at the end of the race. 

Chip’s race, Freshman Boys, wasn’t until 1:50pm so he had a good amount of time to recon the course. He felt strong in his warm-ups and throughout the race. Finishing with a negative split in lap two! The race ended with an uphill sprint between him and two other riders! He finished strong but also felt like he could do better! He said it felt like his best result yet.

The whole team (and Chip’s mom!) came down to the starting line to cheer him on

We had an all-around successful day of racing with great attitudes and a strong finish to our season. On the way home, we voted on what our end of season post-race meal was going to be and the team chose their usual, Chick-Fil-A. With the team completely zonked it was a quiet ride back to Richmond.

We want to say thank you to all of our supporters and those who have helped us throughout our race season. To contribute to race season costs, head HERE or reach out to us directly!

Summer 2023 (so far)

Snowshoe

This past weekend (June 30 - July 02), the Richmond Cycling Corps was invited to take part in a short film being made about Angelo Washington.  Angelo is a mountain bike coach that grew up in public housing here in Richmond, VA and now races and coaches mountain biking all over the East Coast.  He invited us out to ride at Snowshoe Bike Park in West Virginia to take part in a clinic led by him, and then some real-time coaching while we were riding.  

Leaving Friday afternoon, we took a squad of four of our senior riders and five new members to RCC.  These five have ridden with us a little bit, but so far have preferred to cruise around the city or ride bmx to any actual mountain biking.  With Angelo’s expert help, they were able to confidently ride and handle features on the mountain that otherwise would have been overwhelming to a beginner rider.  They were able to take on the mountain with ease (and style!)

For four of the kids, it was their first time seeing/being in the mountains.  It is very fun crossing over Rockfish Gap and seeing the view of the Shenandoah Valley for the first time and there are even better views when you get to the top of Snowshoe.  It really is something.

Enjoying the view

Saturday morning, we woke up, made breakfast, and then got going!  Angelo and the film crew met us at the bike rental place and helped make sure the team got everything they needed.  From there, we rolled to an empty blacktop at the top of the mountain for a pre-ride clinic.  We worked on fundamentals like accelerating, braking, bike/body movement, bike/body positions, etc.  This sort of thing is so good for the newer riders to learn to connect with the bike and ride it confidently.  It is also a great refresher for our older, teenaged riders that know everything about everything but could still use a reminder every now and then.

Coach Angelo talks about pedal position when riding

Once we went through all the basics, it was time to ride!  We took a Green trail (easiest) down the mountain first as a team.  Stopping every now and then to check in on riders or practice a feature, it was a great way for the newer riders to dip their toes into downhill mountain biking.  And once we got to the bottom, we got to take the ski lift back up!  The lift can be intimidating at first, but once you do it once, it gets a lot less scary.  

The team had an absolute blast riding all day Saturday and part of the day Sunday.  Even a little rain couldn’t dampen anyone’s spirits, they just kept on going in the mud.  At the end of the day Sunday, after we returned all our bikes, we let all of our riders choose a t-shirt from the Snowshoe Gift shop. 

This sort of trip is the kind of experience that we believe every teenager should be able to have - going on a trip with their peers, doing something challenging and fun, and gaining stories to tell.  This is what the Richmond Cycling Corps is all about.

We want to say thank you again to Angelo, his crew: Jonathan Mehring and Korey Hopkins, and Snowshoe Resort.  Thanks to them, RCC was given lift tickets, downhill bike rentals, AND hotel rooms for the weekend.  

Unfortunately, even with all of those huge expenses covered, trips like these aren’t cheap.  Between shirts for the team, gas to/from West Virginia, and food for 11 people for three days, things really add up!

We would be grateful if you would consider making a donation to help us offset the costs of this trip and support future endeavors. Your generosity will make a tangible difference in the lives of our aspiring athletes, empowering them to pursue their dreams and reach new heights.

To contribute, please visit our website or reach out to us directly. We are also open to discussing partnership opportunities or sponsorship arrangements that align with your philanthropic goals and values.

CAN’T STOP.  WON’T STOP.

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Kickstand Event

Last Wednesday, we hosted a volunteer clean-up day at The Kickstand.  The past few years have not been very kind to our little shipping container and due to the weather, graffiti, and time, she was in desperate need of a face-lift.  With your help, we were able to move a gigantic pile of gravel to fill in low spots in the parking lot, and get the container painted to cover up old graffiti marks.    

RCC Alumni Nigel came out to help and did all the fine detail work around the letters. 

We can’t thank everyone who came out to help enough!  The Kickstand looks brand new!  

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MTB Nationals

This weekend, Korey and Matt are headed to the USAC 2023 Cross-Country Mountain Bike Nationals in Pennsylvania!  Korey is excited and nervous to toe the line with the nation’s best in the U23 Cross-Country (XC) race Saturday, and U23 Short Track (STXC) race on Sunday.  

Last year, MTB Nationals was hosted in Winter Park, Colorado.  While it was beautiful to visit, and the trip of a lifetime for Korey, the altitude of the race (10,000ft!) ultimately decided the outcome of his race.  This year, with the race venue on the East Coast at Bear Creek Mountain Resort near Allentown, Pennsylvania, he’ll be able to breathe and concentrate on the actual racing.

Our goal this year is to stay with the pack and see how we stack up.  With a technical course already, it’s looking like thunderstorms several days in a row leading up to the race.  This will give Korey a technical advantage as bike handling is one of his specialties, but he’ll have to have his game face on for sure.  Anything can happen in the mud!

Follow along on our Instagram page to see how he’s doing and what else we’re up to! 

Bonus points: On Friday, after registration and a course recon in the evening, we are headed to T-Town!  The Valley Preferred Cycling Center (Trexlertown Velodrome) it’s directly in between the race venue and our hotel.  On Friday after our pre-ride, we plan to head to the velodrome to watch their Friday Night Under the Lights series!

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Wedding Ride

A few weeks ago, The Kickstand hosted a group ride from Colonial Jamestown to the Kickstand along the Virginia Capital Trail.  While trip shuttling and tour guiding are not something we normally would do, it is something that we are considering expanding to do and this was a great way to test out the waters.  

As you probably know, RCC has been working with Anna Julia Cooper School in Creighton Court for some years. This summer, one of our favorite teachers at the school let us know that her daughter was the Maid of Honor in a wedding and that the wedding party was looking for fun things to do during the week that they were staying in Richmond. As they were getting married at Shirley Plantation, a Capital Trail ride seemed like the perfect option.

For those unfamiliar with the Cap Trail, it is a dedicated, paved bicycle and pedestrian trail crossing four counties and 51.7 miles between Jamestown and Richmond, Virginia — that is, between the Colony of Virginia's first capital and Virginia's current capital, with an alternate end at Williamsburg, the last colonial capital.

Quite a haul for a wedding party of fourteen!  Seven of the party brought their own bicycles with them, but the other seven out-of-towners that were unable to bring rides were able to rent from The Kickstand.  

The morning-of, we met everyone at The Kickstand, made sure everyone was situated with bikes helmets and water and set off.  First, we stopped at Upper Shirley Plantation to pick up a few more riders who were only going to ride the first part (Jamestown to Upper Shirley Plantation - the wedding venue!).  After picking up the last of the crew, we drove the rest of the way down to Colonial Jamestown, Mile 0.

Pre-Ride Meeting

Knowing that food and water make the difference between a good day and a bad day on the bike, we drove ahead with the van and set up a little rest stop every ~10 miles with snacks, water, and tools/supplies in case anyone had any mechanical problems. 

We also had Monte ride with the group and act as tour guide.  He rode the whole way with them, answered questions, and gave trivia about the area.  With only one flat tire, and one small crash (we were able to get them patched up and back on the bike in no time), everyone had a great day.

Crossing the Chickahominy Bridge at Mile 8

The entire week leading up to the ride, the forecast said rain all day long for our chosen ride date. The Wedding Crew was down for anything though and said they didn’t mind a little rain.  We all did our rain dances anyway, and something must have worked because it turned out perfectly.  At the end of the day, the entire group rolled back up to the Kickstand around 2:00pm, seconds before the rain started coming down.  

We’d like to thank Laurie Shadowen from AJC for getting us connected with the group (and for just being a rockstar in general), and Sue Christopherson for managing the family side of the arrangements/logistics.  We had a lot of fun riding with everyone, and are so happy that we were able to help them have a great event. We’d also like to congratulate the happy couple!

Smiles all around

Mile 0 at Colonial Jamestown

While this is not the sort of programming that The Kickstand or RCC normally does, we had a great time with this group and are considering making shuttles/group trips something that we offer for everyone - is this something that you or your friends would be interested in?  Let us know!

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Chip - Then and Now

In 2021, when the team was training for a ride from Richmond to Jamestown along the Virginia Capital Trail, Chip wasn’t ready.  He had a problem with stopping.  Eventually, we made a goal to ride from the Armstrong Bike Park to Four Mile Creek Park with only three stops (about 12 miles each way)

He did great and met his goal of only stopping to rest three times on the way to Four Mile Creek, but on the way back, had to stop probably nine times.  It was a hot day, and a looong 12 miles back to the Armstrong Bike Park.

Chip, August 10, 2021, after only stopping three times

But that was two years ago. Chip has been riding a lot and training hard since then.  Last week, I found a loop out East that I had never done before and wanted to try.  It was about 40 miles long - Heading out of town on the Cap Trail, you go several miles past Four Mile Creek, make a left up Malvern Hill to a gravel road through a corn field, then back down a fun hill all the way back to the Cap Trail.  

“Road” Ride

As we were blowing through Four Mile Creek, Chip asked if he could stop at the huge bike to recreate his photo from last year.  We did the full 40 mile loop, and our only stop was to take that picture.  Not only are Ryan and I crazy proud of him, but he is proud of himself.  He is able to recognize the progress that he has made on the bike, and sees that it is the direct result of his hard work.

Chip last week on our ride

When we finished the ride back at Headquarters (frustratingly at Mile 39.6), we talked about how it really is only 12 more miles to do the full Jamestown → Richmond ride.  Two days later on Thursday morning, we got Ryan to drop the two of us in Jamestown.  Three and a half hours later, Chip and I rolled into Shockoe Bottom in Richmond after averaging about 17mph the whole ride, only stopping to refill our waters.

We are super proud of Chip and his progress. Cycling is a sport of marginal gains and getting stronger is mostly a battle of mental fortitude. Not only has he improved and grown physically, but his dedication and hardwork have improved his confidence on/off the bike. We’re excited to see him continue to grow!

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🚴 Pedaling for Purpose Challenge: Join Our Dollar-Per-Mile-Donation Ride! 🚴

Calling all cyclists and RCC supporters! We are thrilled to announce our upcoming fundraiser, the Pedaling for Purpose Challenge, and we invite you to be a part of this fun weekend. Get ready to hop on your bike, pedal for a cause, and make a difference in the lives of young people living in Richmond’s East End!

Here's how it works: We're asking participants to donate a dollar for every mile they ride. It's that simple! Whether you're an avid cyclist or just starting out, you can choose a donation amount that matches your riding goals. Donate $20 and challenge yourself to ride 20 miles, or go the extra mile by donating $50 and cycling 50 miles. For those seeking an ultimate challenge, a $100 donation will motivate you to conquer 100 miles!

To kick off the Pedaling for Purpose Challenge, we will be leading a 40-mile group ride on Saturday, August 19th and Sunday, August 20th. This ride will not only provide an opportunity to ride with your friends, but also contribute to our fundraising efforts. Together, we can empower the youth in our community, and promote a healthy and active lifestyle.

Your generous contributions will directly benefit our team by assisting with essential expenses such as transportation, equipment, training, and competition fees.

We encourage you to spread the word about this incredible opportunity to your friends, family, and colleagues. Together, we can make a significant impact and ensure that our youth continues to flourish. So grab your helmet, strap on your cycling shoes, and join us for the Pedaling for Purpose Challenge!

To learn more and sign up for the challenge, please visit our website or contact us at info@richmondcyclingcorps.org

Thank you for your unwavering support and enthusiasm.

Happy Cycling!

Matt Kuhn

Richmond Cycling Corps

CAN’T STOP.  WON’T STOP.

Monte: Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop - A Patagonia Film

We are excited to invite you to the upcoming premiere of the film "Monte:  Can’t Stop Won’t Stop," starring Demonte Cosby, produced by Patagonia. The film tells the story of Monte, an RCC alumni, who, as a high schooler growing up in the public-housing projects of Richmond, Virginia's East End, faced endless challenges. However, through his passion for mountain biking, he discovered a different route forward and overcame the struggles along the way.

"Monte" is a powerful tale that showcases the transformative power of a simple object: a bicycle. For Demonte Cosby, the bike became a bridge between two different worlds and a vehicle for overcoming adversity.  

His story was first picked up by Jess Daddio from Harrisonburg who wrote about Monte and the Richmond Cycling Corps in an article for REI.  Since then, Monte’s trajectory has only gone up.  Jess shared his story with Patagonia, and has been instrumental in making this project happen.  We cannot thank her enough.

We invite you to join us in celebrating the premiere on April 29th at Warren Wilson College, and will include a pre-screening bikepacking workshop, a raffle, a screening of the film, and an exclusive Q&A session with the Monte and the Director, Dave Mayers

The premiere promises to be an unforgettable event, where you will have the opportunity to experience this incredible story on the big screen for the first time. Jalen Bazile, the film tour host and professional outdoorsman, will kick off the event with a mountain bike expedition workshop, during which he will share skills for all-day or multi day trips—from bikepacking and backcountry pro tips, to building your repair kit and route planning. After the screening, he’ll be hosting the Q&A with Monte and Dave to answer any burning questions you may have.   And of course, we will be there to answer and questions and celebrate our boy Demonte!

This is a unique opportunity to support an RCC alumni, and to be inspired by a story that transcends boundaries and touches the hearts of audiences of all backgrounds. We look forward to welcoming you to the premiere and sharing this unforgettable experience with you.

Don't miss out on this event!  Join us for a night of cinema, celebration, and inspiration.

See you at the premiere!

Sincerely,

Matt Kuhn

Spring Break 2023

As the school year approaches its end, students look forward to the much-awaited Spring Break. It's a time for relaxation, rejuvenation, and exploration. For some, it's an opportunity to take a break from studying and schoolwork and engage in exciting activities with friends.  This year, for RCC, Spring Break was BUSY.

Read on to find out more about how we snuck away from Richmond and made the most of our week!

High school is a time for students to explore their interests, plan for their future, and consider their options for higher education. This year, to kick off the week, three of our high school students, Khnaz, Kamari, and Joe, embarked on a college visit trip to Warren Wilson College near Asheville, North Carolina.

We wanted to visit during the week so we could sit in on a class to see what it would be like, so we left Thursday morning - which meant break started two days early for this crew!  On the first day of their trip, we drove down to North Carolina, eager to learn more about the school and its programs. Upon arrival, we were met by Harris Wagner, the school’s Head Cycling Coach.  Coach Wagner took us on a tour of the athletic facilities, including the student-built mountain bike trails and pump track. Our crew was impressed by the state-of-the-art equipment and facilities.

After the tour, we went for a road ride with the Warren Wilson Cycling Team up to the Blue Ridge Parkway. The WW team led us through the beautiful countryside and stopped at a lookout point that offered a stunning view of the surrounding mountains.  It was a long haul up to the view and a chilly, fast ride down.  

Kamari stands triumphant at the lookout point on our road ride with the Warren Wilson Cycling Team

Following the ride, we headed to Downtown Asheville for dinner. Everyone enjoyed exploring the city's nightlife and trying out some exquisite North Carolina BBQ before retiring to our hotel for the night.

The next day started with a tour of the Warren Wilson campus followed by lunch at the dining hall. After lunch, we sat in on what we though was supposed to be a history class that turned out to be a biology field class! 

Boy were we surprised when the professor came in and told us that we were headed to the gear depot to grab waders and nets.  We spent the next hour collecting and observing macroinvertebrates in a stream just steps away from the campus.  What an experience!

Khnaz checks to see if he caught any critters

Our crew was excited to learn more about the college's unique approach to education, which emphasizes hands-on learning and encourages students to explore their passions and interests. We gained a better understanding of the college's programs and philosophy, and had the chance to meet with faculty and students to learn more about the college's culture and community.

The trip to Warren Wilson College was a valuable and exciting experience for Khnaz, Kamari, and Joe.  We are incredibly grateful to the Warren Wilson Cycling Team, Coach Wagner, the admissions office (Thanks Skye!!!!!) and everyone else who made this trip a reality for our team.

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After getting back from North Carolina Friday evening, it was time to turn around and get ready for a bike race Saturday!

RVA Racing's Underground Series Race #2 took place last Saturday at Pleasant Grove Park in Palmyra, VA. The weather conditions were not ideal, with rain pouring down all morning, but that didn’t stop anyone from having a good time in the mud. Due to the rain and rising creek crossings, the race organizers made the decision to shorten the course from a longer XC course to a shorter, faster Short Track style event which suited our riders a little better.

Despite the race conditions, all the racers were eager to compete and show their skills on the bike. Our team had several riders racing, including Joe, who had taken a break from cycling the previous Fall but has come back into the fold recently. He showed no signs of rust and took on the challenging course with determination, finishing strong. 

The high school boys line up to start

Korey blasts through a creek crossing

Chip leads a small group in the Middle School race

A muddy but cheery group

The muddy conditions made it a memorable and exciting event. Everyone slid, jumped, and skidded through the course, all in the name of fun and competition. We were happy to see that the rain couldn’t dampen the spirits of the racers, who were fully committed to enjoying the event and pushing themselves to the limit.

Overall, the second race in the Underground Race Series was a great event that showcased the community’s passion for mountain biking.  This event serves as a reminder of the joy and camaraderie that can be found in cycling, even in the toughest conditions.  We were happy to be there, and are looking forward to Race #3 at Leakes Mill this Sunday!

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Spring Break is a time to get away.  Our team is used to riding around the city with many ups and downs but no real elevation.  It is rare that we are able to sneak away and do some real mountain riding.  We took full advantage of our time off from school last week with a mid-week camping/riding trip to the mountains.  

The trip began with the long drive from Richmond to Stokesville Campground. Along the way, we made a quick stop to check out a cave that is near the campground. This cave is always worth a visit when we’re in the area!  It’s fun to take kids down to see what it’s like under the ground, experience total darkness when we turn the lights off, and we even got to see a small sleeping bat!  But unfortunately, without the proper equipment, we couldn’t go very far into the cave.  We made our way out and headed to the campground.

The crew wasted no time and immediately set up camp and went for a ride to do some course recon for an upcoming race.  The Virginia High School (VAHS) Race Series starts up this Saturday April 15th at the Miller School of Albemarle.  Race #2 is Saturday April 22nd at Stokesville.  We used this as an opportunity to ride the course, scout obstacles, and get ready for the race.

For dinner that night, the team cooked up some nachos on the camp stove. The next day, after breakfast burritos, we embarked on a challenging ride up to Narrowback West.  This proved to be quite the accomplishment for some of the team's less experienced riders. But the ride back to camp was almost entirely downhill and was a nice reward for the morning’s hard work.

Afterwards, we hopped in the van and drove to Massanutten's Western Slope, where we enjoyed the jumps at the bottom of the mountain before setting up camp and making dinner. The next day, we had pancakes, rode to the top of the mountain and enjoyed the beautiful scenery all the way down.

One standout rider from this trip was Knowledge.  Knowledge, who will be the first to admit that he is not the strongest rider on the team, pushed himself on every ride. He made it to the top of every mountain and his determination and hard work paid off as he emerged from spring break a stronger rider and a stronger person.

Overall, the Spring Break camping trip was a huge success for the Richmond Cycling Corps. The team enjoyed challenging rides, beautiful scenery, and great camaraderie. Trips like these are a valuable opportunity for our youth to develop important life skills, such as teamwork, perseverance, and problem-solving.  They are a great way to step out into nature, step out of your comfort zone and find out what you are capable of.

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And finally, on Saturday the 8th, we had a Tire-Filling Party sponsored by Stan’s NoTubes. 

Exactly one week before the first race of the high school mountain bike season, Isaac from Stan's came to visit and to help the team get their race bikes ready for the upcoming races. It was an exciting evening for the team as we learned a lot about how to set up and use tubeless sealant and even how to use a Dart to stop a flat tire in its tracks.

The evening started with superstar and longtime RCC volunteer Sam Park giving the team a rundown on the best practices for setting up tires tubeless instead of with tubes. This is an important step in getting ready for the season as it can be the difference between finishing a race and having to pull-out due to a flat tire. Once everyone got the gist of it, we moved on to refilling the sealant in all of our race tires - We refilled the tires on 12 bikes which was 24 wheels!  We were lucky to have such a great crew to help out and get through them all quickly.

After we got all of our tires set up, Isaac moved on to showing everyone how to use a Stan’s Dart, a small device that can be inserted into a tire to seal a larger puncture than sealant can handle alone. Everyone was amazed at how easy it was to use the Dart and how effective it was in sealing punctures.

Isaac from Stan's shows Knowledge how to use a Dart to stop a flat tire

Photography by Vertical Sandbox Productions

Close-up of the Dart in action

Photography by Vertical Sandbox Productions

Korey adds sealant to a tire

Photography by Vertical Sandbox Productions

Photography by Vertical Sandbox Productions

Sam and Wes walk Chris through using the air compressor to seat newly filled tires

Photography by Vertical Sandbox Productions

Photography by Vertical Sandbox Productions

Throughout the evening, Isaac and our volunteers answered questions from the team and provided valuable insight on everything from tire selection to maintenance.  The team now feels more confident in their ability to set up and maintain their bikes and is ready to tackle the upcoming season. The Richmond Cycling Corps would like to thank Isaac and Stan's NoTubes for their support and for helping us get ready for the Spring VAHS races!

We would also like to thank superstar volunteers Robin Pyle, Sam Park, and Wes Bailey for their knowledgeable help with the event!

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Spring Break 2023 was a full, long week.  In our opinion, it is extremely valuable to make time to step away from the city, get into nature, and push your limits.  Our legs are sore from riding, and our faces are sore from smiling.  

Thank you, reader.  It is thanks to your generosity (yes, you!!!) that we are able to share these experiences with this incredible group of kids from Richmond’s East End.  I find myself saying this a lot, but we are so lucky to have such an incredible community around us.

Thank you.

Matt Kuhn

Can’t Stop.

Won’t Stop.

Richmond Cycling Corps