*Practice on 7/20 will be held at Raptor Lane trails in Dorset
What:
At Taconic Cycling Club, you will be coached by certified mountain bike instructors as well as enthusiastic volunteers. At practice, you will focus on improving your mountain biking skills while also building endurance. Some days we may ride as one large group, and other days we may break into smaller groups. Our main goal is always to have fun, and on hot days you may find that practice includes a dunk in the Poultney River. You should come to practice with plenty of water and snacks.
For athletes who decide to race, Vermont Youth Cycling breaks racers into 5 different categories to match different experience levels. We will decide together which category makes sense for each rider before the first race. You may practice with riders in other race categories.
Parents are responsible for transporting their kids and equipment to all practices and races. We understand that many of the races involve significant travel, and we encourage carpooling. We hope that our riders will be able to attend as many of the races as possible, but races are not mandatory to be part of our team.
Who is this program for?
Novice to advanced riders in Grades 5-12
Equipment/Gear:
- Mountain bike (let us know if you need to borrow one)
- Helmet (let us know if you need one)
- Water bottle
- Flat, close-toed shoes
- Sunscreen
- Bug spray
- Snacks
- Comfortable clothes to ride in
Where:
Practices are at Fairgrounds Trailhead (131 Town Farm Road, Poultney, VT). We may occasionally practice at Pine Hill Park in Rutland and Raptor Lane in Dorset, but plenty of advance notice will be given. Races are at various locations throughout the state of Vermont.
When:
Summer practice schedule*
Mondays and Thursdays 5:30-7:30 July 6th-August 31st
*Practice on 7/20 will be held at Raptor Lane trails in Dorset
*Fall practice schedule TBD
Vermont Youth Cycling Fall Race Series Schedule
Race #1: Saturday, August 22, 2026 – Ascutney Outdoors XC
Race #2, 3: September 12 and 13 – KT/Burke double header – XC Saturday, Enduro Sunday
Race #4: Saturday, September 19 – Woodstock Mt Peg Enduro
Race #5: Saturday, October 10 – Catamount XC
Race #6: Sunday, October 18 – Craftsbury XC
How to Register:
In order to register to be on the team, please fill out this google form. There is no fee to participate in practices, but parents are required to fill out a VTYC waiver for their child. Athletes wishing to race will need to either become VTYC members or pay race entry fees.
How much does it cost to race?
A VTYC membership is $150, which covers entry fees to all six races in the series and includes a VMBA membership. VTYC is committed to making memberships available to as many kids as possible, and scholarships are available. Racers are encouraged to become a VTYC member, but it is not required. If a racer wishes to participate without becoming a member, non-member race fees are $50 per race. While membership is not required, all Taconic Cycling Club riders (whether they decide to race or not) will be required to sign a VTYC waiver, which can be found at the bottom right hand corner of vtyouthcycling.org.
What else do I need to know?
While VTYC is a competitive league, the main goal is to have fun on bikes. To help achieve this goal, all participants, coaches and parents will agree to VTYC’s code of conduct, which can be found at vtyouthcycling.org. This code of conduct ensures that all participants, spectators, and coaches are safe, and will be followed at all races and practices. Anyone unable to adhere to this code of conduct will not be allowed to participate with VTYC.
Taconic Cycling Club will be accepting new riders throughout the season, even if races have already started! We encourage you to sign up even if you are not sure how many practices and/or races you will be able to commit to.
More kids on bikes!
Please reach out to [email protected] with any questions.
