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.
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 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!
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.
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.
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!
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