When is the season?
All the information about the dates and times of the season are listed HERE on the PICL Page. But for general purposes, Here are the dates:
May 1 – June 30: PRE-SEASON activities can commence limited activities on April 1st. Allowable pre-season activities are bike checks, fun rides, mechanical workshops or skills clinics. Between May 1 – and June 30, teams are allowed to have up to 6 scheduled pre-season activities. These activities must be approved by the League director and comply with training limits.
July 1- October 31: REGULAR SEASON training practice (3-4 times a week) can commence on July 1. All team rides or other training activities must end within two weeks of the final League race. A more detailed description can be found in the rulebook (PDF).
What does it cost?
This is a more complicated question than it appears. Although our goal is always to provide the most mountain biking for the least money, here is what you can expect:
It’s fluid - Some years the league will throw us something new. For example, two years ago…the leagues raised dues to $300. (from almost nothing) but that came with a more inclusive reace fee structure. But, we used out sponsors to help offset those costs. This is what we always strive to do. The more sponsors we get, and the more we all share and contribute: the lighter the load for all. Or goal of course would be the appearance of "free" membership to our riders, but that is realistically a variable of each season. See more on this in the “Sponsorship” sections below.
$100. team dues - (this basically covers the cost of jerseys). The jerseys are yours to keep. If you don’t want to keep it, we have a pretty robust aftermarket for jerseys.
$45. / race Fee - There are usually 6 races per season. Racing is not mandatory, but we hope you will race (because they are fun). You can do zero or all six races, this will effect overall season costs.
Accommodations
Camping with the team usually costs between $5.00 - $10.00 per person per night. This number is the overall cost of the camp site divided by the number of people who attend.
Hotels, Friends houses, etc. can all yield different costs for the overnight stays.
NICA Fees - Usually around $85.00/rider. This covers the cost of participation in the league, and insurances on each rider.
Food - We all usually share the load of food costs. There is also food for sale at the meets.
Bikes - This is a real variable. We have school bikes that the riders can use. The school also provides basic maintenance for those bikes. However, many (really most) riders eventually need/want their own bike. And with bike ownership, is associated maintenance costs.
Gear - Helmets, gloves, riding shorts, shoes, Camelbaks, tubes, tools, pumps, maintenance kits, etc. These are all things you will see riders wear and use. Learn more HERE. Again, this is a variable cost or riding, but it is a cost to be factored into your overall budgeting.
Transportation - Some meets are pretty far away. We need to get gear, bikes and kids to each meet. We try to share rides, but this is a cost to be considered regardless.
Sponsorship - As you can see, this is a pretty substantial list and costs can add up. As a result, sponsorship has been a key focus of the team. We have NEVER turned a rider away based on the cost of the sport. If you have any concerns in this area, please let us know. We have some really nice bikes kids can borrow, and we have very generous sponsors who have helped make mountain biking accessible and available to all who want it.
Is mountain biking Dangerous?
Banged up at Jordan creek.
Like any sport: you can get hurt mountain biking.
NICA provides comprehensive liability insurance to all teams and coaches who officially register with the Pennsylvania League.
The league spends a good deal of time worrying about safety and liability.
Coaches are trained to always error on the side of caution. We don't push the kids too hard, and we always put safety as our top concern.
But even with all that, we are still going pretty fast, on bikes, through the woods. And things can - and will - happen.
Most of our injuries are like what you see in the photo at left. But we could have worse. You need to be realistic in your understanding of the dangers of this sport.
Do I have to wear a helmet?
Yes. Full stop.
WHERE CAN I GET MORE INFORMATION?
We make an “info sheet” most years. Use the button to download the latest version.