Mountain biking is new team sport for high school students in Modesto
High school-age mountain bikers in Modesto now have the opportunity to become part of a team to race against other students in Northern California.
An initiative three years in the making for Darin Jesberg, the Modesto Composite High School Mountain Bike Racing Team will begin its first season in December and preseason training this week.
“For years, I have been going to mountain bike races out of the area and see high school teams show up and do well,” Jesberg said. “I wanted to provide that opportunity to the (Modesto) community.”
The team is open to all high school students in Modesto, including private, charter and home school. Junior high school students can join and practice with the team, but not race.
Jesberg, a Modesto Fire Department battalion chief, avid cyclist and now head coach, said 13 students from at least five different high schools have joined, and he hopes to attract more before the season starts Dec. 1.
“The goal is to get everyone on bikes to give them a healthy outdoor activity, and hopefully it is something they do for the rest of their lives,” he said.
The team can compete in up to 11 races put on by the NorCal High School Cycling League on courses in Granite Bay, Monterey and the Bay Area.
Jesberg said his long-term goal is to work with the city to host races at Gateway Park along the Tuolumne River.
The courses are for cross country mountain biking. They are about 20-mile, closed-circuit courses, usually with one to three loops, Jesberg said. There are some changes in elevation but no jumping.
Each race costs $50, and the fee to join the team is $75, but scholarships are available.
There are also loaner bikes available on a limited basis and a special pricing program for members and coaches to purchase bikes and equipment at a reduced cost, Jesberg said.
The team will practice twice a week and participate in six preseason clinics on topics that include nutrition and exercise, trail code of conduct, inspecting and maintaining equipment and basic first aid.
The first preseason clinic is at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Fun Sports Bikes at 1533 Oakdale Road in Modesto.
Anyone interested in joining the club can attend the meeting, visit the club’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/modestocomposite, or email Jesberg at headcoach@modestocomposite.org.
This story was originally published November 3, 2019 at 12:38 PM.
