Exploring Newbury Park one ride at a time
Amongst the trails and terrain, the Newbury Park mountain bike team rides along admiring the nature throughout the local area. The team consists of 125 riders and is split into numerous groups based on skill level where the head coaches choose when each group rides and for how long. Throughout the week, each group rides for about two hours on their designated days.
Ben Kreinces, junior, embraces the special feeling of being deep in the mountains away from any towns and cell towers. “Biking has kept me in shape but it’s [also] taught me how to be confident and trust myself,” Kreinces said. “I’m also lucky to have traveled outside of our local area to Northern California and other neighboring states to ride, which have all just been incredible places that I would not have been able to visit if it wasn’t for biking.”
Setting aside a few hours to bike has provided Evan Frank, junior, an escape from the lively world. “If you have a week of hard tests, [biking] is a good escape to get your mind away and then you can come back and think more clearly, which often helps me rather than taking time away,” Frank said. “It’s a great escape because you get to be in nature and have fun, especially if you’re riding with friends.”
Training hard, eating properly and achieving the right mindset are all ways riders prepare for the competitions that occur in mid February. Matt Pond, team director and a head coach, enlists the team for these competitions. “[The team] is a part of the SoCal League so we race against other high school teams from all over Southern California. The league has done a really good job of having a race for all levels [and] the racing truly is encouraged for every rider on the team but it is not a requirement,” Pond said.
Each ride is a new adventure full of unexpected surprises that lead to long lasting memories for the riders.“First you have to make sure everything is good to go and then you go out and meet up with your coach and buddies. You can either do repeats of certain trails or a loop of a bunch of trails that meet back at the same point,” Frank said. “You always get to talk on the way up and down and are able to share a fun experience with everyone which usually brings you close with your friends.”
The Newbury Park mountain bike team is a great resource for those interested in biking and Kreinces shares a few words of advice for beginners. “Take it slow, do not push past what you’re comfortable with and build a strong base of fundamental skills. Also the sport can get expensive quickly but you do not need the most expensive equipment to enjoy the sport. Getting started on a hardtail or a base full suspension bike will be plenty for you to learn on and get you hooked. While a high end bike is not necessary, I would definitely recommend investing in a quality mountain biking specific helmet though,” Kreinces said.
