The Gainesville Youth Mountain Bike League (GYMBL) will resume this month!  We put the program on hold during the Florida State Championship mountain bike race series but I'm excited to announce that we are ready start up again on Sunday, January 29th at 2:00 pm at The Rock Trail.

 

The GYMBL has been established to make mountain biking an "organized sport" for youth ages 7 to 18 in our area.  The organized group rides will take place at a variety of locations and typically riders will be grouped by age and skill level.  Riders under the age of 14 must be accompanied by an adult.  Many rides will include a segment on developing riding skills as well as discussing topics like nutrition, trail etiquette, and bike maintenance.  

 

Another vision for the GYMBL is to provide a racing venue for youth that are interested.  These events will give youth the opportunity to participate in local races without having to spend the time and money to travel out of town.  They will also provide great practice to prepare for larger events like those put on by Gone Riding (www.goneriding.com).  The long-term goal is to develop a high school racing league similar to what has become very popular out west.

 

To join the GYMBL each youth will need to join the Gainesville Cycling Club and then join the GYMBL group.  Go to www.gccfla.org for more information.

 

After the January 29th ride, the rides will take place the 2nd and 4th Sunday of each month at 2:00 pm.  Most rides will be 1 to 2 hours in length.  The location for each ride may vary each time so please look for emails through the GCC email list.  Please note that rides will not take place if it is raining or if the temperature is below 50 degrees an hour before the ride start time.

 

Also, if any parent is interested in helping with the GYMBL, please email me directly.  We need volunteers to make the league successful!

 

I look forward to seeing you on January 29th!

 

Clint Gibbs