Saluting Cyclists

Time to go outdoors on two wheels

The Coyotes, aka the South County Composite High School Mountain Bike Team, are shown with Coach Sean Fissel. Photo courtesy of Sean Fissel

It’s summer!

If you’re like me, you’re crawling out of your soon-to-be-sunburnt-skin. Sure, you’re still riding, but you’ve totally missed the Tierra Bella, the I Care Classic, and your other favorite event rides. Fear not, CalBike is offering up its Dream Ride Summer Extravaganza on June 10-13. That means four days of self-guided scavenger hunts and other cycle challenges, all while raising funds and awareness for the California Bicycle Coalition.

Santa Cruz Mountains Challenge is going virtual this summer, while other seasonal favorites (like the Marin Century and Martinez’s Bike the Bridges & BrewFest) are moving to the fall, hoping that we’ll be further out of the pandemic by then.

I don’t have to tell you that summer also means that school’s out! Besides reminding you to watch out for more kids riding bikes, this is a perfect opportunity to give a huge, end-of-season shout out to the South County Composite High School Mountain Bike Team, aka, the Coyotes! This grinding group of South County high schoolers just wrapped its second year in the NorCal High School Cycling League, the founding league in the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA).

My “Coyote Connection” is their Level 1 Coach Sean Fissel. Sean tells me the team has done well this year, and that “…it’s been awesome to watch everyone’s skills and fitness levels grow throughout the season.” Sean also gives kudos and thanks to this year’s Head Coach Chris Hauge and to Team Director Doug Hall for helping everyone grow as riders and racers!

Save the Dates

• June 10-13: CalBike’s Dream Ride Summer Extravaganza, calbike.org

• Devil’s Slide Ride, Pacifica, CANCELLED

• Santa Cruz Mountains Challenge, Santa Cruz, VIRTUAL

• Marin Century/Mt. Tam Double, MOVING TO OCTOBER

• Bike the Bridges & BrewFest, Martinez, MOVING TO OCTOBER

Curt “Cycle Guy” Hentschke is a cyclist, seeker, song farmer and scribe. Send your cycle celebrations to [email protected].