Youth Mountain Biking Program
UPCOMING RIDES AND EVENTS:
Saturday, July 4 — Happy Birthday, United States of America! — No ride planned, but contact Neil if you are in town for the holiday weekend and would like a YMBP ride.
Sunday, July 5 — Happy Birthday, Neil! — No YMBP ride today.
Saturday, July 11 — Loop Trail Day. Stay tuned to home page or Loop Trail page for details.
Saturday, July 11 – 1-4 pm — YMBP ride. We will ride new Loop Trail if possible. Stay tuned.
Saturday, August 15 — Loop Trail day
Saturday, August 15 — Bike rodeo, Children’s Music and Arts Festival. Contact Neil if you would like to come and help out.
To see photos from recent rides, click the Images link above and choose an album.
The FBO Youth Mountain Biking Program provides local kids (usually age 10-14, but some younger and older) the opportunity to go on fun, challenging mountain bike rides led by experienced, responsible adults. Along with advancing their biking skills and strategies, riders in our program develop teamwork and cooperation, build fitness and self-esteem, learn proper trail etiquette and environmental awareness, enjoy Flagstaff’s nature and history, practice bicycle care and maintenance, and make new friends. Over time, riders get stronger, gain confidence, and tackle trails and obstacles that they never before would have imagined themselves riding. Our ultimate goal is to give a new generation of Flagstaff mountain bikers the tools and attitudes they need for a lifetime of safe, responsible mountain biking.
We run rides almost every weekend spring through fall, whenever the national forest is open. We ride a variety of local trails, meeting at the trailhead before each ride. We choose trails that are fun and challenging — but not too difficult — for each ride’s participants, and we make sure that nobody ever gets left behind or gets lost. We have a limited number of mountain bikes available to loan to kids who want to try mountain biking but don’t have an appropriate bike; we also have helmets and biking gloves available to borrow.
There is no fee for participating in this program but we invite kids and their families to become members of FBO and/or make donations to support our programs.
Our thanks to Absolute Bikes for generous support of this and other FBO programs.
Thanks also to David Grandon for his long-standing loan of bicycles for our loaner fleet, and to Todd Yung of Houndog Electric for donating his hot rod hardtail bike.
Thanks to Golightly Tires for setting us up with Goodyear tires on the FBO van.
Check out Uncle Buzz Chocolates!!
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS:
Experienced adult ride leaders
Ride leaders with CPR and first-aid training plus DPS fingerprint card
Mountain biking skills and strategies for all levels
Bicycle maintenance
Environmental awareness and trail etiquette
Cooperation, teamwork, and self-esteem
Equipment available for loan
NOTES:
- Parents are welcome to participate in rides if they are experienced mountain bikers
- All riders must have a mountain bike in good working condition. Contact us if you’re in doubt.
- All riders must wear a well-fitted helmet. Gloves are strongly recommended. We have both available for loan.
- Kids should wear comfortable clothes. Shorts are best. Jeans are not a good choice because they are heavy and restrictive.
- Bring plenty of water! Hydration packs are best but water bottles are okay as long as they fit on the bike.
- Bring a snack or two.
For more information, contact Neil Ross at Neil@flagstaffbiking.org or (928) 814-9792.
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