Amid the seemingly endless variety of clubs and sports to participate in this year, mountain biking stands out for many reasons. The team spends hours and hundreds of dollars to participate in the club, only to be met with little recognition.                                         

     Mountain biking requires lots of time and dedication, even sometimes having to spend the night at the location where the race takes place. Races take place up to six hours away from the school, and can last up to six hours as well. 

    “You need to have a lot of commitment for mountain biking,” Cowan McCune ‘20 said. “[You have to] be able to spend the night at the races, pack for them, and you have to be able to bike for up to three hours and be fit enough to bike, it’s a lot of dedication.”

    The club has two teams, Varsity and JV. McCune is on the JV team. While both teams use the same equipment, the Varsity competitions consist of four laps of six miles, while JV does one less six-mile lap.

    “You need a bike, of course, a helmet is required, sunglasses, and it’s recommended to not have pedal clips, and instead of a camelbak you should use a water bottle cage.” McCune said. McCune also recommends to use Pit Viper sunglasses for the races because of their comfortability and style. 

    Mountain biking is mainly an individual sport, so you get to do the races and be on your own. There’s no need to be attached to a ball or bat; just you and the bike. “I got into [mountain biking] because I was in the biking club in middle school and I thought it would be more interesting when I got into high school,” McCune said.

    Even though the Mountain Biking Club requires students to bring their own equipment and drive themselves to races, they have 100 members. Speak to Roger Ryburn or [email protected] for more information.