NICA NorthSide Indy Mountain Bike Club

08/21/2026

Saturday Practice | FlatFork | 10:30 AM

With the additional rain we’ve had, local trail closures continue to be an issue, so we’re going to keep practice as planned at FlatFork at 10:30 AM.

The goal is to get some race-specific work in while keeping athletes engaged and having fun.

Breakfast Race Prep: Eat a race day equivalent breakfast for practice. Always good to trial/test now to know what works well for race day.

1️⃣ CX-Style Course — 21 min
• ~0.5-mile course
• Tight corners
• Long straight
• Off-camber section
• Short hill
• 180° turn
• Passing opportunities
• 3 rounds: 5 min race pace + 2 min endurance

2️⃣ Slow-Speed Figure 8 Challenge — 18–20 min
Two cone circles connected into a figure 8:
• Small circle = harder
• Large circle = easier
• Goal is slow, smooth, controlled riding
• If a foot goes down, move to the larger circle
• Athletes can work their way back to the smaller circle when ready

This is about balance, bike control and confidence, not just speed.

3️⃣ Mega Dice Game — 18–20 min 🎲
• 1: Sled hill climb + descend
• 2: Front-wheel lift over the rubber chicken for 1 minute
• 3: Ride as slowly as possible for 1 minute
• 4: Best podium pose
• 5: Track stand for 30 seconds
• 6: Sled hill climb + descend

4️⃣ Coach/Group color Circle Discussion — Rest Station
Use this time to get the kids talking and thinking about race weekend

Should be a fun, race-focused practice with a good mix of skills, intensity, teamwork and some laughs.

See you Saturday! Come fueled like it’s race day.

08/19/2026

Flatfork practice at 6:00pm 8/19

Practice Layout
* Group warm-up and ride all three courses together.
* Race starts on the green grass course.
* Split into 3 groups and rotate through:
* 🔵 Blue: Fine crushed gravel course
* 🩷 Pink: CX-style course, similar to Stony Run
* 🟢 Green: Cornering course with switchbacks, S-turns, 180° turns, and wide/tight corners
* Finish together with a large, slow-speed Figure 8 Challenge.

08/14/2026

Northside MTB Practice Update

Unfortunately, we are going to cancel practice tomorrow. More rain is forecasted for tomorrow morning, and the trails are currently closed.

The amount of rain and flooding in the fields has also created challenges for finding a good alternative location where we can safely practice.

We’ll give the trails and fields some time to dry out and hopefully have better conditions for our next practice.

Thanks everyone for understanding!

08/12/2026

Practice Canceled Tonight

Northside, unfortunately, it doesn’t look good with the weather this evening and further storms in the forecast. We are going to cancel practice tonight.

Hopefully we’ll have better weather for Saturday’s practice at 10:30 AM at Fort Benjamin Harrison Park. Looking forward to getting everyone back out there!

Meetup location:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/pVoMVxtt7oe2beJq8?g_st=ic

Practice plan:
-Warmup grass loop
-Race starts and hot laps
-Cone Corner Challenge
-Slow-Speed Figure 8
-Fort Ben upper loop 3miles

Stay safe and dry!

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

08/06/2026

Go NorthSide! Thank you for your support Heroes Foundation!

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1DCGrEu7Y5/?mibextid=wwXIfr

The Heroes Foundation is proud to announce a $5,000 gift to NICA NorthSide Indy Mountain Bike Club to further the Cancer Prevention Summit of our mission. This sponsorship funds nutrition, uniforms, bikes, and race fees for student-athletes facing financial barriers to participation 🚴‍♀️

The Impact: Mountain biking builds character, confidence, and community. When health and wellness are the foundation, amazing things happen.

A special thank you to Team Heroes athlete Brian Enlow, who serves as a coach for NICA NorthSide Indy Mountain Bike Club, for inspiring the next generation to embrace active, healthy lifestyles.

Together, we're building a stronger, healthier community.

Learn more about recent Heroes Foundation gifts: https://heroesfoundation.org/about/annual-report/

07/31/2026

Hi Northside Team!

Although the Brown County Rally event has been canceled, the local team ride is still on for anyone who wants to come out for a fun day on the bike. We plan to still meet up at the Rally area at 10:00am.

What that ride looks like will depend on the weather. If the trails are muddy, I'd prefer we be good stewards of the park by staying off the trails and taking advantage of the excellent road network throughout Brown County park. It's a great opportunity for our athletes to ride together as a tight group, practice working as a team, improve group riding skills, and build endurance and strength on the rolling park roads, all while helping protect the trails for everyone else.

I plan to be there and ride regardless. It's also a great chance to gain experience riding in light rain, build a little character, and have some fun with it. Race days aren't always sunny and dry, so learning to adapt to different conditions is all part of becoming a stronger rider.

If the weather cooperates and the trails are rideable, we'll adjust our plans accordingly.

Hope to see you there. Let's go, Team Northside! 🚵💙

07/28/2026

What a great weekend representing Northside at the Dustbowl Gravel Race!

We had four of our Northside athletes take on one of the biggest gravel events around, and they delivered some outstanding performances.

🏅 44-Mile Race• Molly – 14th Overall Junior and 3rd in her age group

🏅 100K Race• Jackson – 5th Overall Junior and 1st in his age group• Brooks – 6th Overall Junior and 4th in his age group• Ella – 10th Overall Junior and 3rd in her age group

We're incredibly proud of these athletes for stepping up to the line at such a large and competitive gravel race. Beyond the results, it was exciting to race alongside them, watch them in action, and see the hard work they've put in throughout the season paying off.

Congratulations to Molly, Jackson, Brooks, and Ella on representing Northside with determination, grit, and sportsmanship. Keep building on this momentum as we shift our focus toward the upcoming NICA season. We can't wait to see what the rest of the year has in store!

07/24/2026

🚵 Dustbowl Racers – Race Day Tips!

Good luck to everyone racing Dustbowl this weekend! Gravel racing is a little different than mountain biking, but it's a blast. Here are a few tips to help you have a great day:

✅ Bike Check

Check tire pressure before the start. (Wolf Tooth tire pressure calculator works great)

Make sure your chain is clean and lubed.

Verify brakes and shifting are working properly.

Carry a multitool, chain links, spare tube, sealant, CO₂ or mini pump, and tire levers.

✅ Nutrition & Hydration

Eat a good breakfast 2–3 hours before your race.

Bring plenty of water or sports drink. (Camelbaks work great to allow drink while having both hands on bars… and more aero!!)

Plan to fuel during the race with gels, chews, or bars, don't wait until you're hungry. (every 45mins is a good guide)

✅ What to Bring

Helmet (required)

Cycling shoes

Gloves and sunglasses

Water bottles or hydration pack

Snacks for before and after the race

Sunscreen

A change of clothes and shoes

Basic tools if you have them

✅ Race Tips

Start controlled, don't burn all your matches in the first mile.

Ride predictably and communicate with riders around you.

Keep your eyes up and look ahead for loose gravel, ruts, and corners. (I’ve heard the gravel is chunky in some spots, hold your line with both hands on bars and push through the thick gravel sections. Don’t stop pedaling)

Stay relaxed on the bike and trust it to move underneath you.

If you flat or have a mechanical, stay calm and fix it, everyone has setbacks.

Most importantly, have fun, encourage one another, and represent Northside with great sportsmanship. Every race is an opportunity to learn and improve.

Good luck, Northside! We can't wait to hear about your adventures! 💙💛

07/24/2026

📢 Northside Practice Update – Saturday

Due to so many of our Northside families being out of town, many of our athletes racing at Dustbowl (good luck to everyone, we'll see you there! 🚵), and limited coach availability to safely support practice, we will be canceling this Saturday's practice.

We encourage everyone to get out for a ride on your own this weekend to keep the pedals turning and enjoy some trail time.

We'll reconvene Wednesday at 6:00 PM at Town Run for our regular team practice.

Best of luck to all of our Dustbowl racers, we can't wait to cheer you on! 💙💛

07/18/2026

🚵 Northside Composite MTB Practice Saturday!

Join us this Saturday 7/18 at 10:30 AM at Town Run Trail Park for another great morning on the trails!

Whether you're brand new to mountain biking or getting ready for race season, we'll be working on skills, building fitness, and having fun with teammates.

Coaches will divide riders into groups based on ability so everyone gets the most out of practice.

✅ Meet at 10:30 AM
📍 Town Run Trail Park
🚴 Bring your bike, helmet, water, and a great attitude!

Let's continue building confidence, trail skills, and strong friendships.

See you on the trails!
Go Northside! 💙💛