You might think it’s risky to schedule a mountain biking trip for the last weekend of January when most people are thinking about snow adventures, but the trails at Lewis Creek Park in Bellevue offered snow-free opportunities to really hone our mountain-biking skills! On Saturday, January 30, despite some very cold temperatures, a gung-ho group of Franklin High School students accompanied by two of their teachers and three Seattle ICO volunteers went to Lewis Creek Park for an awesome mountain-biking experience led by two volunteers from Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance. These guys were phenomenal! Their enthusiasm for mountain biking and their clear instruction made for a great experience for all – no matter their previous comfort level on a bike.
The first couple of hours were devoted to fitting bikes and helmets, making sure the students were comfortable on the bikes and ensuring everyone was using proper braking techniques. Students practiced initially on the park’s paved basketball court, then graduated to riding down a gentle wet grass-covered hill. We did our best to avoid tearing up the grass with our mountain bike tires, having students take different lines down the hill. We did one ride just before lunch, staying mostly on a wide paved trail, but also testing out what it’s like to ride on a wet boardwalk through wetlands and briefly experiencing the challenges a single track presents in terms of spacing and speed.
After lunch, the sun came out (yay!), and we spent some more time on the basketball court working on “neutral” and “ready” body positions and shifting between gears. Then it was time for the real ride!
We had a very cool ride crouching low over our handlebars to duck under beautiful, moss-covered branch arches.
We also did a more challenging, longer loop around the outer edges of the park involving a series of tight, steep S-curves and a straight downhill section leading to a bridge followed by an immediate right-hand turn and an uphill climb. An awesome opportunity to practice our new skills!
All the students met these challenges with a “can-do” attitude and all came out victorious! Mike and Thomas from Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance were amazing instructors. Their enthusiasm was completely infectious. Everyone left wanting to do more mountain biking and a couple of students were very interested in getting involved in work parties that actually build trails. We hope this is the first of MANY Seattle ICO-Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance trips. Let’s get more kids biking in the woods!
Your friendly ICO volunteer,
Angie Luengen