Take a Kid Mountain Biking

Mountain biking, isn’t that just for rough-and-tumble kids?

Not if you’re fortunate enough to have a community of mountain bikers that likes to include everyone!  Monterey Off Road Cycling Association (MORCA) demonstrates this welcoming inclusiveness by their  schedule of rides.  They have social rides (“no drop”/no one left behind) and anti-social rides (“no mercy,” for those tough riders).  They have rapid-pace rides, ladies’ rides, and family rides.

Getting the picture?  Surprise!  Mountain biking can be for just about everyone.

What?  You know I love biking, Dad, but mountain biking?  Well, it could be fun–so, sure, let’s go.

(Photo of Annabelle Bull, courtesy of Simon Bull.)

Love a kid?  Invite them mountain biking

While different sorts of bikes and cycling activities will appeal to different kids, many will revel in mountain biking, given the opportunity.  And annually, there’s an easy way to offer them that op.

On Saturday, October 1, 2011,  introduce a young person to this sport backed by the support of MORCA, or a mountain biking group nearer you.   Why? It’s the annual Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day.

Mountain biking?  I’ve heard it’s not so eco cool….

Mountain biking sometimes gets a bad rap, due to the minority of cyclists who call themselves mountain bikers yet forget that the land they bike on is sacred and requires good stewardship.  That’s not the case with Monterey Off Road Cycling Association (MORCA).  They subscribe to the Rules of the Trail developed by the International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA), which include such commitments as “leave no trace.”

MORCA, like IMBA, encourages  low-impact riding, and cooperation among different trail user groups.   Check out the MORCA website for more about that, plus news of their rides and other activities, and helpful links.

Monterey County’s Take a Kid Mountain Biking

Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day in Monterey County is a free event hosted by MORCA at Toro Park.  (If you bike or hike into the park, no cost for park entry either; if you drive in to Toro Park, there is an $8 entry fee per vehicle.)

The local event will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.  Activities include basic bike safety, a skills course, trail rides for all ages, and a barbeque.

For details, including about bikes and helmets, refer to the MORCAmtb.org webpage:  http://www.morcamtb.org/tkmbd/

Want to volunteer?

If you are able, please jump in and give MORCA a hand, so more kids will enjoy a prime chance to experience mountain biking in Monterey County.  Volunteers are needed for a variety of tasks, including poster placement, serving as a barbecue chef, course marking, course set up and break down, and more.  Volunteer sign-ups are now being accepted online at the MORCA site.

Besides, this will help you get to know the dedicated and fun-loving MORCAns too!

Out of the area?

The day is celebrated by the International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA), so if you’re out of the Monterey Bay area, check out the IMBA site and look for a responsible mountain biking group near you.  You’ll find “Ten Tips for Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day” and related resources on the IMBA site.

But why take a kid  mountain biking?

Aaron Magenheim’s parents recognized that mountain biking could inspire an enlivened appreciation for nature, build character, strengthen health, increase physical stamina, foster solid relationships with others in the community, and much more.

Besides, Aaron found mountain biking a lot of fun!

Monterey County native Aaron Magenheim with his brand new mountain bike.

(Photo courtesy of Kay and Sieg Magenheim)

Aaron’s father, Sieg Magenheim, was one of the original members of the first organized mountain biking group in Monterey County.  Aaron, now 28, is pictured wearing the jersey of that first group, Monterey Mountain Bike Association (MOMBA).  This was the predecessor to the presently active local MTB group, Monterey Off Road Cycling Association (MORCA).

Biker for life

Seems those seeds his parents sowed in Aaron’s early years were planted in fertile ground.  He still loves mountain biking.   Get a glimpse of Aaron this year, along with other family members, in Generations of Cycling.

Check out Aaron at 16 at the Sea Otter Classic.  He and his dad helped prepare Laguna Seca for those first bike races over 20 years ago.

Aaron is also a supporter of HER Helmet Thursdays, contributing bike-there tips for some of the more remote locations.  And he inspired the newest component of the project; see Acknowledgments section of this site.  Appreciate those contributions?  Thank Aaron when you see him, and thank his parents for taking a kid mountain biking!

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This post is dedicated to the memory of Betty Krumvieda, a beloved friend and Aaron’s grandmother.  She passed away on 30 August 2010, Aaron’s birthday.

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This post has been updated from  8/30/10′s Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day story.