Chelsea’s new mountain bike team begins first season

Mountain biking as a sport has been growing in popularity in Shelby County.

To accommodate the rise in new mountain bikers, County Manager Chad Scroggins is heading up a new team for Chelsea middle and high schoolers.

Students from Chelsea who previously competed in the National Interscholastic Cycling Association mountain biking races were a part of the Shelby County Composite team, which included racers from all over Shelby County. Three years ago, this team had 16 racers. In its next year, it had 26 racers, and then last year, there were over 40.

The Shelby County Composite team had grown too large by the league’s standards. After the end of last season, the team split into three teams: Helena, Thompson and Chelsea.

Scroggins, who has a son on the Chelsea team, stepped up to become the coach for the team. He said he anticipated having 10 or 12 riders in the Chelsea team’s first season, but so far, 30 riders have signed up. A majority of these riders are middle schoolers, Scroggins said. There is one senior on the team, plus one junior and two sophomores, and the other 26 riders are freshmen or younger.

The team had its first official practice in December. The Alabama NICA league will have its first races of the season the weekend of March 6-7 in Gadsden, inviting approximately 600 or more bikers from all over the state to compete at Noccalula Falls. There are five races in the season, including one in Chelsea’s backyard at Oak Mountain State Park.

In addition to drumming up interest and answering questions about mountain biking, Scroggins also has a duty as head coach to lead practices. They’re held once a week at Oak Mountain. This 9,940-acre state park has 30 miles of mountain biking trails. The mountain biking trails there are diverse and accommodate a range of riders, but other trails, such as Blood Rock and West Ridge, present a challenge to even advanced riders.

Nonetheless, Scroggins said the riders are handling the challenge well.

“We’ve had kids that have never ridden a trail before now, and now they can ride a majority of the trails at Oak Mountain,” he said. “Even in just a few short practices, they’ve really picked up on their skills. It’s really exciting to watch them go.”

Scroggins usually rides with the younger groups and first-timers during practices. He coaches them through difficult obstacles in the trails — tree roots, rock gardens, narrow bridges and more.

“They may see an obstacle for the first time and they don’t necessarily clear it the way they want to,” he said. “Then they come back after the second or third time, and they ride it like they’ve been riding it for years.”

The riders aren’t just overcoming obstacles in the trails, though. They’re building an overall sense of confidence in their riding abilities.

“You can see the hesitation the first time, and then they come out with a sense of confidence,” he said.

In mountain biking, Scroggins said riders must ask themselves, “Do I have what it takes to be able to do that?” His goal as a coach, he said, is to teach them that they do have the ability; they just need to be taught the right way.

“It’s interesting to watch them doubt themselves at first and then overcome that doubt when they realize that deep down inside they do have what it takes,” he said. “They just needed a little bit of education on how to accomplish that goal.”

His coaching philosophy might sound different than other coaches for other sports: he tells the riders that when it comes to race day, they should ride as fast as they want to ride, he said.

For some bikers, that means riding as fast as possible, and Scroggins said that’s great. And for the riders who want to take it slow, even on race day, Scroggins said that’s great, too.

“It’s totally up to the kids themselves how fast they want to be,” he said. “We are a team, and there are team points, but it’s an individual thing when they’re out there riding the bike. There’s not much we can do during the race to help them. So we just encourage them to be comfortable and ride as fast as they want to ride. And that will all shake out to their enjoyment.”

Colin Lusk, a seventh grader on the team, said he started biking three years ago because his father wanted to ride with him. From the beginning, he enjoyed feeling the momentum of riding, he said.

He had been riding individually for about a year when he joined the Shelby County Composite team and began racing. Compared to riding on his own, he said riding on a team has made him grow as a mountain biker.

“You get pushed more (on a team),” he said. “There are some people who are faster than you are, so you have to catch up.”

He also said he enjoys being on the Chelsea team and riding with close friends. He has upgraded his bike to one with a carbon frame, which allows him to bike faster.

Although Scroggins said he doesn’t see many riders getting frustrated on the trails, he said he can tell some riders are a bit limited by their equipment. A quality hardtail bike — which is one that only has front suspension — can range from $500-$1,000. Full suspension bikes start at about $2,500. And on top of that, many prospective bike owners have had a difficult time finding the bikes they want in stock because of a shortage created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

But it’s a sport you can carry with you your whole life, Scroggins said. Between being the county manager and a parent of two children, Scroggins said he still tries to find time to bike with his friends.

For more information on the Alabama NICA league, visit alabamamtb.org.