2016
FloridaDEVO
FLORIDA
XC MOUNTAIN BIKE
JUNIOR DEVELOPMENT
OVERVIEW
Florida DEVO junior mountain bike development calls the rugged trail of Santos Trailhead located on the Cross Florida Greenway home.
Beginning as an answer to a need two dedicated fathers who loved racing mountain bikes and believed in the ability of cycling sports to positively impact kids had a vision. A dedicated group of young FLorida XC mountain bike racers needed hands on coaching to reach their full potential as competitive athletes and Steve Mace and Matt Donovan started meeting weekly with the kids to provide that training moving from trail system to trail system honing their skills.
As the need grew the vision expanded. In 2015 Steve Mace and Brian House incorporated Florida DEVO as a Florida non-profit corporation. With the cooperation of friends at the Ocala Mountain Bike Association and local bike shops Florida Devo began offering weekly instruction at Santos Trailhead.
Located on the Florida Green-way, Santos offered terrain for all types of training and skill levels which allowed Florida DEVO to offer the experience to any junior racers that were interested. Wanting to grow the sport and offer the same experience to kids that just wanted to ride trails, Steve and Brian enlisted the help of dedicated volunteers and expanded their offering to include all instruction for all ages and skill levels including a larger and even more competitive Jr XC race team.
No matter your skill or age we encourage you to come out and explore the ways XC Mountain Biking can build great kids from the dirt up.
PHOTOS
WATCH
VIDEO
Practice DETAILS
Date: Every Monday March - June and August - December
Event Type: Skills Training (Introductory - Competitive)
Location: Belleview, Florida
Venue: Cross Florida Greenway, Main Santos Trailhead
Registration Opens: 5:15pm
Start Time: 5.30pm - 7:00pm
Participation Requirements
Bike - A mountain bike with gears and suspension is recommended
Water - A bottle or hydro-pack of water that can be carried on the rides
Shoes - Closed toe athletic shoes are required, cycling shoes recommended
Helmet - A helmet rated for cycling sports is mandatory
Gloves - Recommended but not required
Cycling Apparel - Padded shorts or bibs will make the training more enjoyable
PARENTS - MUST STAY UNTIL EVENT IS OVER unless child is self sufficient!
Training INCLUDES
▪ Four different difficulty levels
▪ Instruction on Basic Bike Handling
▪ XC Mountain Bike Skills training
▪ Trail Rides
▪ Basic Bike Maintenance Education
▪ Basic Nutrition Education
▪ Advice on proper training habits
▪ Discounts at local bike shops
▪ Information on local race series
▪ Opportunities to gain college community service hours
MAPS & Trail INFO
DOWNLOAD MAP
Trail Types
Here is a look at some of the trails that we ride every week. More information about these trails is available on the O.M.B.A. website.
Yellow Trails
Yellow Trails are among the easiest trails in difficulty and are suitable for most new riders. These trails are 24"-36" wide and have minimal inclines. Our beginner groups will utilize these trails weekly to learn basic riding skills. We encourage new riders and their parents to master these trails first.
Blue Trails
Blue Trails are the next step up from the yellow trails and are designed for intermediate level riders. They are narrower and more difficult than yellow trails. They often contain more difficult trail features like bridges, rocks and logs. These trails are used by our intermediate and advanced groups to hone their bike handling skills and learn to race.
Red Trails
Red Trails are the most difficult. These trails are as narrow as 6" and have drops of varying heights, elevated obstacles and bridges. These trails contain features that require excellent bike skills to traverse. Many of these trails do not have an option to bypass the obstacles and should only be attempted by seasoned riders. Our advanced groups and racers will ride these trails weekly learning how to safely ride these trails.
Green Trails
Green Trails are usually connectors and have firm flat surfaces with trails often exceeding 3 feet wide. The Cross Florida Greenway has miles of these roads and we use them to teach kids how to increase their power and stamina using various drills. These trails also make a nice ride for parents looking to stretch their legs during practice.
Skills Areas
We are very blessed to have an amazing skills area at the main trail head in the center of the parking lot. This area is used for all groups to teach specific skills they will need out on the trails.
Our Success Stories
Our Success Stories
Our success can be best measured by the smiles we see on the faces of the kids in our group.
We have a huge number of medals and trophies in our trophy case but they all seem dull compared to the smile on the face of someone that has done their best .
With that said, here are a few of our most notable achievements.
- Multiple XC MTB state champions
- Multiple USAC XC National podiums
- Multiple USAC CX State Champions
- Many, many more ……...
More about our story
But we’re not just about racing. We have just as many stories of kids learning to ride without training wheels, riding their first trail or completing their first Epic Trail Ride. Most importantly we have stories about the joys of families riding. We believe strongly that parents spending time with their children learning to do hard things will build a relationship that will last for years. The people we meet and the challenges we conquer are what shapes us and at Florida DEVO we take the opportunity to use those opportunities in a positive way.
REGISTRATION & Classes
CLASS
AGES
BIKE
DIFFICULTY
PRACTICE
PER YEAR
DONATE
Team Vortex
Race Prep
12+
Geared/Susp.
5/5
1.5-2 hrs
$25
Team Twister
Trail Riders
10+
Geared/Susp.
4/5
1.5-2 hrs
$25
Team Speedway
Skill Builders
8+
Geared
3/5
1-1.5 hrs
$25
Team Canopy
Learning to Ride
4+
Any
1/5
1 hr
$25
Please Note: Donations are suggested amounts. We do this as a service to the community but need your support to continue to operate. Please help with any amount. Children under 16 must be registered and arrive with and adult to sign them in, valid ID is required. Registration expires at the end of each spring session. We are currently in the 2016/2017 registration period. We run two sessions per year (Spring starting in March and Fall starting in August) that last approximately 12 weeks. One registration is good for both sessions. Next fall you will need to sign up for the 2017/2018 season.
DOWNLOAD Waiver
F.A.Q.
WHAT KIND OF BIKE IS BEST?
We recommend that you contact your child’s coach for a recommendation. You can save a lot of time and money by purchasing what your child will need the first time. Department store bikes are rarely able to handle the use our kids give them.
WHAT ARE MY DONATIONS USED FOR?
There are expenses every week to provide this service to the community. We spend your money every week on training tools, USAC licensing, prizes for the kids, food for functions, bikes and parts for deserving kids, race entry fees, equipment and so much more. Every penny you donate goes to purchasing items for the kids. Because we are an all volunteer organization rest assured your money wont be wasted. Many times we will try to provide you with something for your donation (a shirt, bottle, jersey, drink, etc) but understand that our goal is to help kids learn to ride their bikes not retail products. We hope you will support our efforts to grow the cycling community,
HOW FAR WILL THEY RIDE?
Distance is a factor of many things. The goal of each practice is to teach a skill. Some weeks they may only ride a mile or two and others they may ride 10-20 miles. Our coaches know the abilities of each group and will provide the best possible experience. You are welcome to ride along to see what your child is doing.
WHAT IF I GET HURT?
While every precaution is taken to protect the children accidents happen. Cycling is an inherently dangerous sport, We are an all volunteer organization with no financial means. We highly recommend that you have medical insurance for your children and remember that you participate at your own risk.
DO YOU PROVIDE INDIVIDUAL TRAINING?
Individual training is available from some of our coaches. Talk to your coach to get more information if you feel you need one on one training.
HOW CAN I HELP?
We are always in need of assistant coaches, coaches, and parent assistants. You don't have to know how to teach or even ride well to help. From check in to following a group we have a lot of opportunities for everyone to get involved. If you can't physically help please donate what you can to help us grow Junior Mountain-biking.
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