Riding on a pump track can help perfect your skills level on any mountain bike course. Learning to shift your weight, when to stand or sit and when to pedal are cycling skills you can improve to make any ride memorable and fun.

Thanks for viewing the Bike Pic of the Day here at HaveFunBiking, hope you enjoy the photo?

Now, rolling into our 10th year as a bicycle media, our goal is to continue to encourage more people to bike, while showcasing unforgettable places to ride. As we search and post more fun photos worth a grin, scroll through the information and stories we have posted to help you find your next adventure. Then, if you see us along a paved or mountain bike trail, next to the route you regularly commute, or at an event you plan to attend with your bike, be prepared to smile. You never know where camera will be and what we will posted next!

Do you have a fun photo of yourself or someone you know that you would like to see us publish? If so, please send it our way and we may use it. Send your picture(s) to [email protected] with a brief caption (of each), including who is in the photo (if you know) and where it was taken. Photo(s) should be at least 620 pixels wide for us to post. If we use your photo, you will receive photo credit and an acknowledgment on Facebook and Instagram.

As HaveFunBiking continues to encourage more people to ride, please reference our blog and the annual bike guide to find your next adventure. We are proud of the updated, at-a-glance information, and maps we are known for in the Destination section of our website. Now, as the Bike/Hike Guide goes into its seventh year of production, we are adding a whole new dimension of bicycle tourism information available for mobile device. Plus, beginning September 2015, this year’s e-version of the Guide will move to quarterly editions where you may see some additional bike pics posted.

 Bookmark HaveFunBiking.com and find your next adventure – we may capture you in a pic to post!

The Minnesota Mountain Bike Series (MMBS) is offering Race For Free again this year. For those new to the mountain biking scene, MMBS has been operating a state wide series for all ages since 1990 and is a proud sponsor of the Minnesota High School Cycling League. The Race For Free program allows Minnesota League athletes to race in the Citizen’s class at the following MMBS series races, for free!

Hillside race stirs up a little dust between school teams. photo from MN High School Cycling League.

Check out these dates!

June 28 – Cuyuna Lakes Crusher – Crosby, MN – Race Site

July 26 – Border Crossing – River Falls, WI – Race Site

August 16 – Great Hawk Chase – Duluth, MN – Race Site

Have questions, need more information, registration forms or waivers, click here.

More youth mountain biking opportunities

In the latest Minnesota High School Cycling League, Single Track Times Newsletter check out the: Try it Out Session; the NICA Scholarship Program, the MTB 101 Classes and 2015 Race Schedule; Trek Factory Demos; Track Day at the Velodrome and Sho-Air Midwest Scholarships.

Paul Skilbeck [email protected]

From six teams in 2013, League sees a 300% increase this year.

High school and middle school students across the State are flocking to the new Wisconsin High School Cycling League, and its annual mountain bike racing series. The inaugural event, the first of four, was held at Minooka Park, Waukesha, last Sunday, August 31st.

The enthusiasm for the first race, this year, was overwhelming.

Laying the groundwork for this new league began with a Wisconsin state championship event held in 2013, which attracted 60 riders from six teams.

This year, those six teams has grown to 19 teams with close to 200 entries at  the August 31 league race. The first race, in a series of four, that ends October 19 at Cascade Mountain, Portage Wisc. See photos here from their first race.

Kathy Mock, the Wisconsin League co-director, said, “We expected some growth from last year, but 300% growth exceeds our greatest hopes. Middle and high school mountain biking is taking off in states across the USA, under the umbrella of the National Interscholastic Cycling Association, and we are seeing similar here. School teams are being written up in local newspapers, parents are excited and the kids are lining up to join and start teams. There is so much activity surrounding this new league, as an experienced event organizer, this feels like the right idea at the right time.”

Austin McInerny, executive director of the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA), said, “It is really impressive to see what’s happening in Wisconsin, and we are doubly excited because it’s the home state of Trek Bicycles which has supported our efforts since NICA’s inception in 2010. With 15 NICA leagues now operating across the USA, we are experiencing a transformation in what schools recognize as legitimate sports. Initially, many thought cycling was a sport just for kids that aren’t into the traditional bat and ball sports, but now, after the success of our early leagues, and seeing many of our participants develop into both strong athletes and very capable young adults, participation is growing exponentially, as is support from parents and school administrators. Simply put, mountain biking is a sport for everybody that can be pursued from youth into the golden years. NICA leagues such as Wisconsin make an effort to ensure everybody is included and treated equally.”

The 2014 Wisconsin High School Cycling League schedule is:
Race 1, was held on August 31 at  Minooka Park, Waukesha
Race 2, is September 21, at Iola Winter Park
Race 3, is October 5, at Nordic Mountain, Mt. Morris
Race 4, is October 19, at Cascade Mountain, Portage

The league website is www.wisconsinmtb.org. Team lists and contact information are available on their website, as are links for online race registration. Students must be on a team to enter.

The Wisconsin High School Cycling League, founded in 2013, serves all Wisconsin high school and middle school-aged students, and regardless of ability level, is committed to providing a positive co-ed cycling experience. Each WI League season includes summer clinics, a four-race series, and a Spring Leaders’ Summit for training and certification of coaches. The WI League exists by virtue of a range of fundraising activities, as well as generous donors, including WI League specific sponsors: Wisconsin Off-Road Series (WORS), Trek Bicycles, Trek Travel, Trek Bicycle Store of Madison, Wheel & Sprocket, Erik’s Bike and Board Shop, Heinrich Company, Hostel Shoppe and Wildside Adventure Sports. WI League is proud to have the support of over 25 National Sponsors, including the founding national sponsor, Specialized Bicycle Components; as well as establishing NICA sponsors Easton Foundations, SRAM and Trek Bicycles. For more information on the WI League, visit wisconsinmtb.org.