When you look at a worldwide audience, soccer is the biggest sport. And, perhaps, little did you know, mountain bike racing is second. Living in the Catskills, we might take our amazing mountain bicycling opportunities for granted. But there’s fat chance of that during the first week in August when Windham Mountain hosts the UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) Mountain Bike World Cup. There are lots of reasons to attend with your family: to cheer American athletes up close, to try your hand at the sport, and to celebrate the Hudson Valley at Windham Mountain, which remains the only U.S. stop on the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup circuit. But there’s even more to it than that.
Within the sport of mountain biking, there are variations and different race styles, and it all comes down to two divisions: cross-country (XCO) and downhill (DHI). In the endurance test that is cross-country, racers start at the bottom of the mountain and work their way up, then back down again in long stretches and big climbs. There are opportunities to pass each other, but racers have to be strategic. Based on their gender and age, there’s a certain number of laps to complete. In downhill, racers are lifted to the top of mountain, and then race down, over obstacles, at 45-50 MPH. Taking place outside on a gorgeous Hudson Valley mountain, among thousands of international mountain bicycle enthusiasts, it’s an amazing and sometimes death-defying spectacle for families to enjoy, and might just inspire your little cyclist in wonderful ways.
Around the professional races, a festival has built up, which at Windham Mountain lasts four days. Starting Thursday night, August 6th, with a big block party, it includes all kinds of entertainment: stunt bikes, magic shows, fire stunts, mechanical bulls, music, food trucks, and fireworks. There’s an expo where riders can get expert advice on safety gear and equipment. With the opening of the Windham Bike Park on July 10th, offering trails for experienced riders, lessons, a skills park, and staff to help riders of all stages build confidence, there are now more opportunities to get your feet wet with mountain biking.
It’s as easy as riding a bike, but the World Cup takes mountain bicycling to the next level of athleticism. Interspersed throughout the UCI races, there are kids’ races for children twelve and under, who compete in heats based on age and skill. Many of the kids are really serious about their cycling, which is a fun thing to see. They do the course, get prizes, and spectators can check out the next generation of mountain bikers.
It’s all thanks to a plucky group from the mountain bike community who pulled together volunteers, donations, local hoteliers, and food providers, and put together a bid to host the World Cup back in 2010. They not only won, but won the especial honor of hosting the final race that year. Throughout the season, racers accrue points based on their performance. So the final race is the best of the best. This year, Windham’s fifth time hosting, it’s the penultimate race, the 8th of nine, before the World Cup travels on to finals in Italy.
The UCI Mountain Bike World Cup at Windham Mountain at 19 Resort Drive in Windham: August 6-9th; $10 day pass, $15 day pass plus Sky Ride, weekend and VIP packages available, children 12 and under are free. Register for races online at Bike Reg. Check out the website for a full schedule of races and activities. Don’t miss the Night Ride on Saturday – a group ride where you get to experience the mountain and the fireworks in a different way.
Catch the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup this year because it won’t be back in 2016.
This article appears in August 2015.
Introducing children to mountain biking is CRIMINAL. Mountain biking, besides being expensive and very environmentally destructive, is extremely dangerous. Recently a 12-year-old girl DIED during her very first mountain biking lesson! Serious accidents and even deaths are commonplace. Truth be told, mountain bikers want to introduce kids to mountain biking because (1) they want more people to help them lobby to open our precious natural areas to mountain biking and (2) children are too naive to understand and object to this activity. For 500+ examples of serious accidents and deaths caused by mountain biking, see http://mjvande.nfshost.com/mtb_dangerous.htm.
Bicycles should not be allowed in any natural area. They are inanimate objects and have no rights. There is also no right to mountain bike. That was settled in federal court in 1996: http://mjvande.nfshost.com/mtb10.htm . It’s dishonest of mountain bikers to say that they don’t have access to trails closed to bikes. They have EXACTLY the same access as everyone else — ON FOOT! Why isn’t that good enough for mountain bikers? They are all capable of walking….
A favorite myth of mountain bikers is that mountain biking is no more harmful to wildlife, people, and the environment than hiking, and that science supports that view. Of course, it’s not true. To settle the matter once and for all, I read all of the research they cited, and wrote a review of the research on mountain biking impacts (see http://mjvande.nfshost.com/scb7.htm ). I found that of the seven studies they cited, (1) all were written by mountain bikers, and (2) in every case, the authors misinterpreted their own data, in order to come to the conclusion that they favored. They also studiously avoided mentioning another scientific study (Wisdom et al) which did not favor mountain biking, and came to the opposite conclusions.
Those were all experimental studies. Two other studies (by White et al and by Jeff Marion) used a survey design, which is inherently incapable of answering that question (comparing hiking with mountain biking). I only mention them because mountain bikers often cite them, but scientifically, they are worthless.
Mountain biking accelerates erosion, creates V-shaped ruts, kills small animals and plants on and next to the trail, drives wildlife and other trail users out of the area, and, worst of all, teaches kids that the rough treatment of nature is okay (it’s NOT!). What’s good about THAT?
For more information: http://mjvande.nfshost.com/mtbfaq.htm .
Hey mike! Go suck an egg!!
Wow! It is so sad for someone to look at any sport with such one sided negativity. Talk about bias! Mike has a reputation for being unreasonable at best, criminally violent at worst. See his tactics http://www.baycitizen.org/news/crime/nature-lover-kook/
Mike, like most things in life, things are not all good or all bad. Mountain biking is not any different. Sure, there are downsides and risks with mountain biking. Sure, some mountain bike trails become rutted. These are real issues. But if a hiker slips and falls off a cliff to their death, should we all stop hiking? If a poorly constructed hiking trail becomes eroded, should we hate hikers?
Let’s think “out of the box” Mike. Let’s consider what mountain biking has done and will do that may be considered good. ( I’m sure not by you)
1) Rethink how trails are constructed. Engineered, responsible and sustainable trails. Fact: Prior to mountain biking, hikers developed trails that created more erosion and damage to nature than any mountain bike could ever do. By stripping the vegetation from a straight fall line, new streams are formed over time. When that trail became so eroded that hikers could not walk it, they simply began a new parallel trail, which then became a another stream, and so on and so on. Yes, mountain bikers are also guilty of this poor construction, however, mountain bikers are simply not able to climb as steep as hikers. Therefore, mountain bikers needed to rethink how trails are constructed. A mountain bikers may construct a trail to a vista, but the trail will be much longer than the hiking trail going to the same vista. International Mountain Bike Association (IMBA) has written the modern day bible of trail construction and these methods have been adopted by all major land managers in all states. https://www.imba.com/catalog/book-trail-solutions
2) Mountain biking has and will create new stewards of our precious lands. Today is not the same as years gone bye. Our children have many competing activities and….news flash, this just in, hiking is boring for most kids. You can deny that hiking is not as popular as it was years ago, but you would be wrong. Our lands need to be appreciated. Without continued appreciation, the need to use the natural resources (fracking, logging, mining and developing) will outweigh conservation. You think that mountain biking is sooooo bad for precious natural land, you are soooo wrong. Mountain biking and access for bikes is simply adding to your arguments to protect natural lands. Hikers and mountain bikers should see themselves as allies in protecting our land. You as a hiker, you love natural land. You are not any different from a mountain biker….or at least a crazy mountain biker.
What is “risk”? Hiking is risky! I can twist my ankle hiking. Should I not ever hike? Biking is risky. Is it risky to teach our kids to sit inside and be safe? They should be safe watching nature on TV! Nothing risky there! Oh, sorry Mike, I’m sure kids all want to hike. I have no doubt that all kids would choose to hike over playing with their video games, cell phones and internet. Risk is not allowing nature to be fun, and I mean fun for others, not you Mike, we all know that you think hiking is fun and you are content only hiking in nature.
In closing, let’s try to open our minds, don’t be a Mike.
1. Mountain bikers love to blame trail damage on trail design, but there is no such thing as “sustainable” trail design that is immune to mountain biking damage. All we need to do is remove the bikes, and the trails will be fine.
2. Mountain bikers NEVER advocate for land protection. All they ever ask for is bike access. That is the opposite of protection. Mountain bikers – of their own choice – are not allies. Their goal is purely selfish.
3. No one is advocating leaving kids on the couch. But there are plenty of positive activities that don’t require habitat destruction and don’t threaten their lives. If mountain bikers actually CARED about the natural world, they would find a less destructive activity. The fact is, they DON’T care about nature, whch is why they openly call their sport “shredding trails”.
Mountain biking is environmentally destructive and shouldn’t be permitted.