#NICA

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More Kids on Bikes: How NICA is Changing the Culture of Youth Sports

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More Kids on Bikes: How NICA is Changing the Culture of Youth Sports

Stacked on a foundation of building strong minds, bodies, characters, and communities, The National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) has been getting more kids on bikes through mountain bike racing, adventure riding, trail building, community outreach, and scholarship programs since being officially established in 2009.

Katie Sox spills the beans on her experience photographing for the Oregon League and how NICA continues to expand its offerings while cultivating a healthier and more equitable approach to youth sports.

Blackburn and Bikepacking Roots Bring Bikepacking to NICA

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Blackburn and Bikepacking Roots Bring Bikepacking to NICA

This is an exciting announcement from our friends at Blackburn and Bikepacking Roots!

“The National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA), Blackburn Designs, and Bikepacking Roots are excited to announce a new partnership that establishes a bikepacking curriculum and traveling gear library for NICA student-athletes and coaches. Bikepacking Roots is providing the on-trail expertise and Blackburn is providing the funding and bikepacking kit for 20 riders as part of their Bronze Level sponsorship with NICA for 2020.”

Keep an eye here on the site for more coverage from this exciting announcement!

1-Up USA’s Patriotic Racks Benefit NICA

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1-Up USA’s Patriotic Racks Benefit NICA

1-Up, the maker of the best bike rack on the market, got patriotic with its latest release. These red, white, and blue-anodized racks are only available in the 2″ Super Duty Single and Double models.

Pat yourself on the back if you do pick one of these up because proceeds from any 1UP USA patriotic items will be donated to the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA), an American nonprofit organization promoting high school mountain-biking programs in the United States.

Unfortunately, these are only available for 1-Up newsletter subscribers due to their limited numbers. If you’d like to order one, you can contact 1-Up directly.

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Wild Virtue

Start ’em young! … and not just with racing, because there’s so much more to cycling than racing! In the Summer of 2019, the Oregon Chapter of National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) took 18 of its riders bike packing along a section of the Oregon Timber Trail (OTT)…

NICA: In league With the Next Generation; an Interview with Oregon’s Heather Wolfgang

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NICA: In league With the Next Generation; an Interview with Oregon’s Heather Wolfgang

Words by Kyle von Hoetzendorff, photos by Gritchelle Fallesgon, Dan Sharp, Lauren Bell, Dylan VanWeelden

I raced mountain bikes as a teenager. It was great, super fun. And I am here now, in this space, in your mind, in a large part because that experience set in motion a long series of events. You get it. Racing or even riding hasn’t been a constant in my life and back then, even before the allure of anodized parts and the thrilling rush of a fast descent was ambushed and summarily executed by the thrumming belligerence of teenage hormones I knew a lot went into racing. There was the obvious, the training and the expense; from equipment to entry fees, cycling is definitely not frisbee cheap.

Just Kids: The NICA State Championships in Tehachapi

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Just Kids: The NICA State Championships in Tehachapi

On Sunday, May 19th, I attended the National Interscholastic Cycling Association’s California State Championship mountain bike races in Tehachapi, California. I’m no stranger to a bike race but this was my first time seeing the for high school kids-only mountain bike races, a phenomenon I’ve been aware of since the mid-2000s. The weekend was an illuminating moment, where I was reminded of the joy of racing mountain bikes, and where I witnessed hundreds of kids fiercely battling each other during competition and alternately giving themselves in support of their teammates as well as other competitors. Sunday was full of tears, hugs, smiles, frustration, and joy.