Northwood Mountain Bikers train for league races
The Northwood Mountain Bikers, a new club on campus, is currently training for league races, the first of which will be held on March 14. The club is sponsored by Rock N’ Road Cyclery, one of the most popular bike shops in Orange County. For practice, the team has been going on several rides in Peter’s Canyon and Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park.
The Northwood Mountain Bikers club currently stands as one of only few recreational clubs on campus, another being the Surfrider Club. The club has a policy of “no rider left behind,” so the club provides for people without all the necessary equipment, including bikes and gear. The club invites riders of all levels to practice, learn and have fun.
“I feel the club provides a unique opportunity for anyone in the Northwood community to take advantage of how privileged we are with the many mountain biking trails in close proximity,” said co-president Harris. “Mountain biking is a truly a lifelong sport that one can enjoy.”
At the beginning of the second semester, junior Aaron Harris and sophomore Tyler Molnar both recruited members for the club. While they were independently trying to organize a biking club, they were unaware that their paths would cross.
In search of an advisor, both Harris and Molnar consulted with history teacher Mary Deluca, who had formerly worked for a mountain biking company. It was then that Harris and Molnar learned about each other’s pursuit of forming a team of Northwood students with an interest in mountain biking.
In a remarkable merge, Harris and Molnar went on to found the Northwood Mountain Bikers club. While Harris worked busily to get the club through the approval process, Molnar organized the competitive aspect, making the Northwood club a part of the SoCal Interscholastic Cycling League.
The team is also assisted by seven adult coaches, consisting of family, friends and other mountain bikers in the community. The coaches guide the riders through the trails, provide great tips and teach essential techniques.
The Northwood Mountain Bikers club not only gathers students who enjoy mountain biking, but also engages in charity, helping to raise money for Children in the Wilderness, an organization dedicated to helping children whose childhoods have been interrupted and disrupted by life threatening conditions such as illness, poverty and the HIV/Aids epidemic.
What makes the club unique is that while it reaches out to help a larger community, it primarily encourages people to go outdoors and exercise, a great way to relieve stress from busy school life. With such a well-organized recreational club getting started, Northwood can look forward to seeing the rise of more clubs active in both personal enrichment and community service.
