Early this Spring Adam and I went on a wonderful ride with the adults and teens in the Youth Mountain Bike Adventures (YMBA) on a perfect trail for beginners with sections that test even the “Mountain Goats” in the group.  This same trail is set to host the BTCEB’s Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day Celebration on October 3rd which benefits YMBA, so I thought I would let you and whatever kid you can get outside with you what a treat you are in for.

The first section is paved, but at an angle that in San Francisco, often has 90 degree angle parking.   The trail lead had everyone practice going up a dozen yards and braking on the way down.   Up a few curves of rustling Eucalyptus,  Monterey pines, we rode up through coils of cracking pavement with county lane markings disappearing utterly a mile or two into the trail after a roller-coaster worthy downhill.

There were breaks along the trail to ensure a no drop ride, a red-tailed hawk with a twisting snake in her grip being attacked by a group of tiny jay or thrush sized birds.  The determined raptor hung on for what seemed like five minutes, but the thrashing prey and the aerial bombardment were too much.  The bird’s large size lead me to guess that she was probably a mother who had to keep looking elsewhere.

The last half of the trail going out was the tough part with sections I had no shame in walking, where the soil was dry and riddled with gopher holes, but when we ended up gliding past basking turtles on logs in  Jewel Lake at the southern end of Tilden park, we had ridden hard though distractingly beautiful and varying country and fell on the sandwich fixin’s that the club provided for us.  Bragging ensued about how little walking was done.

The ride back was even more lovely and a considerable ways shorter…

-Cheryl

Mark your calender:

Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day Celebration

10AM on Oct. 3 at Pt. Pinole Regional Park.

The ride is part of the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) nationwide celebration known as Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day. The ride, supported by BTCEB Director Michael Mejia, 8-year NorCal High School Racing coach and founding Director of the Albany YMCA Mountain Bike Program, has gathered the best local mountain biking talent for a fun day on the bike. Assistance provided by Youth Mountain Bike Adventure Crew, helping disadvantaged kids discover mountain biking since 1989!

This is a great opportunity for you to pass your passion for pedaling on to kids.

Youth Mountain Bike Adventures teens at the trail head (orange shirts).