Yes! Organized middle and high school mountain biking has been available in North Carolina since 2016 when our state league was organized under the National Interscholastic Cycling Association.  NICA started as a high school club in California in 1998 and now has leagues in 30+ states with over 20,000 student-athletes nationwide.  NICA’s mission is to build strong minds, bodies, character, and community through cycling which is summarized by the popular hashtag #morekidsonbikes.  Any 5-12th grade student in Forsyth county is welcome to join our team!

We ride bikes!  But we do so much more.  At our core, we are a youth development organization and our club’s mission is to build character, confidence, and community in our local youth.  To put it another way, we use mountain bikes as a tool to accomplish our greater goal of developing quality human beings that are prepared to overcome any challenge in life.  Mountain biking is very much an individual sport but we believe life is better in community and place a high value on the social aspects of cycling.  In addition to practicing bike handling skills and improving physical fitness, we play team building games, host mechanics workshops, take social rides for pizza and ice cream, participate in Teen Trail Corps activities, and explore new trails outside our local area.  Most importantly, we have fun together!

NICA registration for 2025-26 is $420 and includes access to every event and race offered throughout the season.  We desire for all interested student-athletes to participate with NICA, so please email me if this fee increase may be cost prohibitive for your student-athlete.  Scholarship opportunities may be available based on team funding so please inquire if interested.

Eventually yes, but at first, just about any bike that you can get your hands on will do.  Loaner bikes are often available on a first come first served basis.  Many local bike shops are committed to helping get kids on affordable high quality bikes. Trek, Canyon, Polygon and Specialized offer discounts on select bikes for NICA student athletes and coaches through your local retailer or direct from the manufacturer.  The bottom line is that if your child wants to participate, we will find a way to get a bike in his or her hands.  Please talk to any of our coaches if you are interested in purchasing a bike and we will help guide you through that process.

A bike and helmet are the only required equipment.  Many companies sell mountain bike specific clothing, but athletic shorts and a t-shirt are all you really need to ride comfortably.  Running, tennis, or “skater” shoes all work great with flat pedals.  Advanced “clip-in” pedals are discouraged for beginner mountain bikers.  Athletes should also bring a source of water to all practices and races.  Water bottles are fine for practices, but I recommend purchasing a hydration pack (Camelbak, Osprey, etc) if a student-athlete plans to race in the spring.  An order for team jerseys will be placed in January generally costs ~$65.

To participate in extracurricular activities, your child cannot be failing any classes in school.  Clearly if that’s the case, their focus and energy needs to be on school work.  Students must also have a current physical with 1 yr.  For WSFCS students, this is uploaded along with other required documents through the DragonFly app.

Our regular season takes place from Jan - May.  Practices will typically start mid-January (weather dependent) and occur Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5:30 - 6:45 throughout the season.  The weekly schedule will be updated on Sundays via the TeamSnap app.  Later in the season we may have some Saturday practices to provide longer “adventure” rides on trails outside our local area.

It is very common for students to be involved in other sports and activities and we always encourage kids to pursue other interests outside of biking.  Once your child is registered and fees paid with NICA, they are welcome to attend as many practices and races as they are able.

No, races are optional but highly encouraged.  The emphasis of racing is to have fun and stretch an athlete’s personal limits; winning is rarely, if ever, the goal.  Our league puts on high quality events with music, food trucks, games, and plenty of socializing.  Races are the highlight of the season and offer fun and excitement for the whole family.  Race weekends typically involve a half day of pre-riding a course on Saturday and a half day of racing on Sunday.  There are typically opportunities to camp at race venues on Saturday night but this is based on the venue and availability.

NICA is committed to increasing access and diversity in the sport of mountain biking.  GRiT (girls riding together) fosters community and camaraderie among female riders by hosting a “girls only” tent at every spring race and organizing several special events throughout the year.  If your daughter would like more information or is interested in applying for the GRiT mentor program, please contact our GRiT coordinator, Ryan McDonald at rklamcdon@triad.rr.com.

My greatest ask is that you support your child’s decision to join our club.  It’s no easy task to transport your child, a bike, and all necessary equipment back and forth to practices twice a week, but I promise it is worth the time and effort!  Your support encourages an activity that can be enjoyed for a lifetime and has been proven to benefit every aspect of health and wellness.  I don’t need to remind you that kids need activities that get them outside now more than ever. 

If you would like to be more involved, the league has volunteer opportunities for event prep and execution, course marshals, parking and more.

You can also help with our Pit Zone set-up and take down, meal prep for the team and families on race days, etc. There will be an opportunity to sign up for snacks, drinks and more ahead of event weekends.

NICA allows parents to participate in 1 trail ride with the team after signing a waiver, but afterwards you must pursue training as a level 1 coach to continue participating with the team. You don’t have to be an “expert” to coach as long as you are committed to helping our athletes achieve their biking and life goals.

We use TeamSnap to announce practice times and locations, but will occasionally utilize email for important announcements such as race/event planning.  You will get an invite to download and join TeamSnap in Dec/Jan prior to starting the regular season.

Yes, NICA student-athletes can earn USA Cycling points by participating in NICA races. Student-athletes can add their USAC License Number to the Pit Zone to link their accounts. Results will be uploaded on a monthly basis.

Forsyth County Composite was formerly called the “Psycho Squirrels”. We are now “Forge” but honor the original team and mascot with our throwback logo featuring a squirrel crazy about mountain biking and the new team.