Gainesville mountain biking gains traction
Though Gainesville has made significant investments to build its sports scene, a lack of mountains makes mountain biking an unlikely addition. But for five years now, a growing group of middle and high school students has been paving the way for the sport in North Central Florida.
The Gainesville Composite Mountain Bike Team (GNV MTB) was founded in 2019 to provide a safe and high-quality opportunity for students to experience mountain biking. The team is sanctioned by the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA), whose core principles include fun, inclusivity, equity, respect and community.
Jason Lokkesmoe, head coach at GNV MTB, said mountain biking has many benefits– from helping racers with learning disabilities to process information, to improving self-esteem. He described the sport as a perfect blend between skill and endurance, where, unlike a sport like volleyball, basketball or football, a predisposition to athleticism does not matter as much.
Lokkesmoe said he loves watching young racers develop joy and excitement as they improve a skill from nothing. Over time, and with consistency, riders acquire better balance, better stamina and grit.
All this helps racers reach their greatest potential, which Lokkesmoe said is more important than a determination to win, which Lokkesmoe said would be short-sighted. He said he does not focus on just improving race results.
"Results will be a result of all your hard work, and your effort and attitude," Lokkesmoe said in an interview. "So if you get last place, but you put 100% out there, that's fantastic. If you get first place and you have a lot of a lot left in the tank, you didn't reach your potential... I want them to know effort matters the most, because that translates to real life, your effort and attitude."
With 29 racers from schools across North Central Florida on the team last year, GNV MTB is purely composite for the time being, though if the group accumulates five or more athletes from the same school, they will have the opportunity to race under their school's name. Though racing for their school, those racers would still be part of the composite team.
Any youth in grades 6-12, aged 10-19 and in good academic standing, is eligible to participate. The team offers a trial period between Oct. 15 and Dec. 1 where students can come to practices and try the sport out without any expectation of a commitment.
Lokkesmoe said he aims to optimize mountain biking's likability, hoping for racers to have a positive experience, whether they decide to stick with the sport or not. Participation in races is optional, though Lokkesmoe said the only way to race your best is to race against competitors.
"My hope would be that other kids see that they could do it... there's also a self-esteem piece that can be beneficial... it has the potential of giving kids a window into who else they are, versus who they thought they were," Lokkesmoe said.
Mountain biking's one downside, according to Lokkesmoe, is the cost barrier, though GNV MTB aims to help students past that barrier if they show interest in the sport. A low-end, entry-level bicycle costs about $750, he said, and a low-end racing bike costs about $2,000– and that's before considering race fees, helmets, shoes and other miscellaneous equipment.
The barrier is not insurmountable. Lokkesmoe himself grew up on welfare and raised money in high school so that he could race, eventually racing professionally as a road cyclist from 2003 to 2005 , riding for a UCI Division II team.
"I know there are plenty of kids like me who this can be a great opportunity for, but don't have the economics to do it," Lokkesmoe said.
Last year, team leadership set two goals: grow from 12 riders to 30, and draw in 10 new racers who did not have bikes. Though the team nearly reached the first goal and received three donated bicycles, it has yet to gain a racer without a bike.
The team is welcoming local business sponsors to help as it shoots again to draw in bike-less riders, but Lokkesmoe said the goal is not just as simple as making transportation and equipment available. He said children want to see coaches with whom they can identify and relate while they adjust to a new sport. The team is also open to adults who want to join the coaching staff, and to donations of adult bikes for coaching hopefuls who do not have their own.
"I believe everybody has potential, but that they get to see that they have what it takes [is the biggest lesson for racers to learn]," Lokkesmoe said. "If I could summarize it all, it would be that kids know they have what it takes. More than just mountain biking, that they have what it takes for life, and that this is just a microcosm of what life is like."
