Southwest Michigan ThunderCats

10/12/2025

Meet our ThunderCats coaches, they are not just super fast, but they look good as well 😎

Bike Friendly Kalamazoo Kalamazoo Bicycle Club Pedal Bicycle Southwest Michigan Mountain Biking Association - swmmba Boeshield T-9 Metro Toyota - Kalamazoo Dr. Grabowski Orthodontics Open Roads Bike Program MiSCA Michigan Scholastic Cycling Association DaylightBrand Gordon Water Systems

09/26/2025

This past weekend Warnaar Trail, MiSCA race 4, and our brand-new home venue, gave us everything: blazing heat on Saturday (felt like we were being slow-roasted), followed by a dramatic thunderstorm forecast. Everyone expecting a very slippery trail, and then… just a drizzle. Just enough to make the trail perfect for racing. Go figure!

Now for the real story: 64 ThunderCats showed up to race, up from 42 last year. That’s a huge milestone and a testament to how far this team has come. The results speak for themselves, from 15 teams + independents:

- Middle School – 4th place and just 3 points behind 3rd. We’re right there!
- Elementary School – Another strong 3rd place. Keep it up and we’re locking in a historic series finish!

Beyond the podiums, the praise rolled in, people noticed our ThunderCats’ grit, sportsmanship, and the fun they bring.

Congratulations ThunderCats on another great weekend of having fun and racing bikes!!

Bike Friendly Kalamazoo Kalamazoo Bicycle Club Boeshield T-9 Open Roads Bike Program Dr. Grabowski Orthodontics Southwest Michigan Mountain Biking Association - swmmba Metro Toyota - Kalamazoo Pedal Bicycle Gordon Water Systems DaylightBrand

09/17/2025

This weekend, the ThunderCats rolled into Owasippe Scout Reservation in the Muskegon area for MiSCA Race #3, and it was a weekend for the books!!

Our elementary riders absolutely crushed it, landing 3rd fastest team for the first time ever! 👊💪🚵🏼‍♂️💨 This is a huge milestone for this young team, it is hard to believe we’ve come this far in just our 4th year. ThunderCats, we’re officially a team to watch! 😎

Next up: our first local race at Warnaar Trail!

No road trips, no hotel breakfasts — just racing and sleeping in our own beds. Honestly? Living the dream.

Calling all ThunderCats community, come out and cheer for our riders this weekend. Saturday afternoon for our Elementary shredders and Sunday morning for our middle and high school rippers.

Find more details on this link https://miscabike.org/event/2025-warnaar/

Let’s make this race a celebration of bikes, community, and ThunderCats spirit. See you at Warnaar Trail!!

Bike Friendly Kalamazoo Pedal Bicycle Metro Toyota - Kalamazoo Boeshield T-9 Kalamazoo Bicycle Club Southwest Michigan Mountain Biking Association - swmmba Open Roads Bike Program Dr. Grabowski Orthodontics Gordon Water Systems DaylightBrand

09/04/2025

At the Southwest Michigan ThunderCats, our mission goes far beyond riding bikes. We’re here to help kids build confidence, develop character, form lasting friendships, and embrace an active lifestyle. While some of our riders train for competition—and many have earned state championship titles—our focus is on creating a fun, supportive, and healthy environment for everyone.

This season, we’re raising funds to gear up for the racing season. With your support, we’ll be able to purchase essential equipment like a team tent, bike stands, and upgrades for our cargo trailer to support our growing team.

We’re proud to say that this year, 60 riders will be shredding trails across Michigan—and we want to make sure they have everything they need to succeed and stay safe.

This year, we are rasing funds by selling Right Response First Aid Kits (priced $15–$120). These make great gifts and are perfect for backpacks, cars, sports bags, and even for your pets. The team keeps 40% of each sale!
https://firstaidfundraiser.net/shop/ref/2457/

Prefer to donate directly? You can also support us via GoFundMe, where we keep 97% of your donation.
https://gofund.me/cf8e9c46

Thanks for helping us keep the ThunderCats rolling!

09/04/2025

At the Southwest Michigan ThunderCats, our mission goes far beyond riding bikes. We’re here to help kids build confidence, develop character, form lasting friendships, and embrace an active lifestyle. While some of our riders train for competition—and many have earned state championship titles—our focus is on creating a fun, supportive, and healthy environment for everyone.

With your support, we’ll be able to purchase equipment like a team tent, bike stands, and upgrades for our cargo trailer to support our growing team.

We’re proud to say that this year, 60 riders will be shredding trails across Michigan—and we want to make sure they have everything they need to succeed and stay safe.

This year, we are rasing funds by selling Right Response First Aid Kits (priced $15–$120). These make great gifts and are perfect for backpacks, cars, sports bags, and even for your pets. The team keeps 40% of each sale!
https://firstaidfundraiser.net/shop/ref/2457/

Prefer to donate directly? You can also support us via GoFundMe, where we keep 97% of your donation.
https://gofund.me/cf8e9c46

Thanks for helping us keep the ThunderCats rolling!

At the Southwest Michigan ThunderCats, our mission goes far beyond riding bik… Hugo Galvez needs your support for Help ThunderCats Youth Bike Team Ride Strong

08/26/2025

MiSCA Race #1 at Merrell Trail is in the books, and our ThunderCats showed up big time!

From our fierce elementary riders on Saturday to our strong high school and middle schoolers on Sunday, it was a weekend full of grit, smiles, and unforgettable moments.

60 strong riders, a new team record, up from 42 last season!
First-time racers? Brave. Bold. Podium-topping.
A festival of joy, struggle, and triumph, on and off the trail.

Whether they were shredding the course or swapping race stories afterward, these kids brought the Thunder and the Heart.

Let’s keep the momentum rolling!!

Bike Friendly Kalamazoo Metro Toyota - Kalamazoo Southwest Michigan Mountain Biking Association - swmmba Open Roads Bike Program Dr. Grabowski Orthodontics Kalamazoo Bicycle Club Pedal Bicycle Boeshield T-9 Gordon Water Systems DaylightBrand

08/18/2025

ThunderCats Show Up and Show Out at Skirt in the Dirt!

A huge shoutout to all the incredible girls and women of the ThunderCats who raced at Wahfield Park in Michigan’s only women-only mountain bike event 💪🚴‍♀️

This day was a celebration of every woman who rides, and our ThunderCats brought the energy, the grit, and the colors in full force.

Special recognition to our new riders—you crushed it out there, shredding the trails for the first time with confidence and style. It was inspiring to see so many ThunderCats representing and riding strong.

Here’s to more dirt, more rides, and more women on bikes. 🐾🔥

Bike Friendly KalamazooKalamazoo Bicycle ClubPedal BicycleSouthwest Michigan Mountain Biking Association - swmmbaMetro Toyota - KalamazooBoeshield T-9Dr. Grabowski OrthodonticsOpen Roads Bike ProgramDaylightBrand Gordon Water Systems

08/04/2025

They showed up, shredded the course, and stormed their way to the top of the podium 🥇🏆

Huge congratulations to Samantha, Dave, Tyler, and Clayton for crushing it at the 8-Hour Endurance Bike Race IV by Pedal Bicycle

What a performance! 🚵🏼‍♂️💨

Bike Friendly Kalamazoo Kalamazoo Bicycle Club Southwest Michigan Mountain Biking Association - swmmba Boeshield T-9 Metro Toyota - Kalamazoo Dr. Grabowski Orthodontics Open Roads Bike Program Gordon Water Systems DaylightBrand

08/02/2025

Last night marked the final practice of our Fun Session (Session 1)—and what a summer it’s been!

During our final practice, we took a moment to recognize some incredible achievements by one of our own— , SK or Super Katja as some of our younger riders call her—whose performance this season has put Michigan on the national map.

Here’s a quick look at her amazing accomplishments:

🏆 2024 National Champion in Marathon MTB and Gravel (15–16 category)
🚴‍♀️ Invited by Donovan Racing, a national team, to compete in the 17–18 category
🌎 Raced in five U.S. XC Open Series events across the country, consistently placing in the top 12
🥇 Earned two short track wins and two 4th place XC finishes
🏅 Crowned U.S. XC Open Series Champion
🇨🇦 Tackled the toughest course in North America in Canmore, Alberta
🚵‍♀️ Placed 5th in Marathon MTB at Nationals and finished the season ranked 8th in the USA in UCI points 🙌

We are incredibly proud of Katja—not only for her results, but for the dedication and spirit she brings to the ThunderCats.

We’ve been lucky to have her riding with us these past two years, and we can’t wait to see what’s next for her!

Bike Friendly Kalamazoo Boeshield T-9 Metro Toyota - Kalamazoo Kalamazoo Bicycle Club Southwest Michigan Mountain Biking Association - swmmba Open Roads Bike Program Dr. Grabowski Orthodontics Pedal Bicycle MiSCA Michigan Scholastic Cycling Association Gordon Water Systems DaylightBrand

07/29/2025

Because not everything is bikes… here’s Post 2: The Fun, The Games, and Everything In Between!

Our 2nd Camp & Shred weekend wasn’t just about taming the Dragon—it was about making memories, building friendships, and having a blast in every way possible.

From the moment we arrived, the fun never stopped. Hide-and-seek in the woods turned into full-on forest adventures, and ramp jumps had everyone flying high (and landing with style). The lake was our playground—swimming, fishing, and even cooking up the biggest pot of seaweed soup you’ve ever seen. 🍲🌿

One of the weekend’s most colorful moments? An epic Capture the Flag battle with magic powder bombs that left everyone looking like walking rainbows. Coaches included. 🎨💥

And when the sun went down, the s’mores showdown began. Marshmallows were toasted to perfection (or charred to oblivion), and stories around the fire kept the vibes strong. 🔥

Then came the Shock Box ⚡️—a hilarious test of nerves, speed, and teamwork. Whether trying to beat the record or just laughing through the challenge, it was a highlight that brought everyone together.

Massive thanks to Amy and Mark at the Dragon Adventures Base Camp for being incredible hosts. If you haven’t been here yet, add it to your list—it’s a gem!

Until next time, ThunderCats… keep the fun rolling and the wheels spinning 🐉🔥🚴

Bike Friendly Kalamazoo Boeshield T-9 Kalamazoo Bicycle Club MiSCA Michigan Scholastic Cycling Association Metro Toyota - Kalamazoo Pedal Bicycle Dr. Grabowski Orthodontics Open Roads Bike Program Southwest Michigan Mountain Biking Association - swmmba

07/28/2025

Oh, what a weekend! It was such a big, fun adventure for these ThunderCats that we’ll need to split this into two posts: one for the journey to tame the Dragon, and another for everything else—because not everything is bikes! Think: epic games, capture the flag, s’mores, and all the fun in between.

So here we go—Post 1: Taming the Dragon.

Our 2nd Camp & Shred weekend was a total success and an absolute blast with these ThunderCats!

The weather played along perfectly—light morning rain made the trails perfect, and the cool, cloudy skies kept us rolling strong all day. The Dragon Trail was calling, and these kids answered with grit and serious pedal power.

🙌 Huge congratulations to Olivia, Evan, Tyler, Owen, Sebastian, Sawyer, Elsa, and Katja for taming the dragon by completing the full ~43-mile trail! What an incredible achievement by these shredders! Just don’t forget—riding the full lap doesn’t earn you a free pass… we’ll see you at practice later tonight! 😉

And while the ride was the main event, the weekend was packed with so much more: hide-and-seek in the woods, ramp jumps, capture the flag, a shock box, lake swims, fishing, and even crafting the biggest pot of seaweed soup you’ve ever seen. (More on that in Post 2!)

Huge thanks to Amy and Mark at the Dragon Adventures Base Camp for being such amazing hosts. If you haven’t visited this place, it’s a must!

Stay tuned for Post 2—where we dive into all the off-the-bike fun that made this weekend unforgettable. Until then, keep shredding 🐉🔥🚴

Bike Friendly Kalamazoo Metro Toyota - Kalamazoo Boeshield T-9 Pedal Bicycle MiSCA Michigan Scholastic Cycling Association Dr. Grabowski Orthodontics Southwest Michigan Mountain Biking Association - swmmba Kalamazoo Bicycle Club Open Roads Bike Program