NCNCA Juniors Ride — A Huge Success for the Future of NorCal Cycling

Yesterday’s NCNCA Juniors Ride was an awesome reminder of why building community matters so much in cycling.

We had a great turnout of junior riders from across NorCal come together for a fun, supportive, and challenging ride out of Orinda BART. More importantly, we saw experienced riders, mentors, clubs, and parents all showing up together to help grow the next generation of the sport.

Huge thanks to Fast Freddie for leading the ride and giving back to the community. Seeing former BBC Juniors now racing with programs like Red Peloton U23 come back and mentor younger riders is exactly what development should look like. That cycle of juniors becoming mentors is how we keep the sport alive and moving forward.

Special thanks as well to everyone who came out and supported from Berkeley Bike Club, SJBC, Team Fremont, and Kai Velo. This wasn’t about one team, this was about the entire cycling community working together to create opportunities for young riders.

The ride focused on more than just fitness. Juniors were learning group riding skills, teamwork, pacing, communication, and confidence on the bike. These rides help bridge the gap between casual riding and racing while creating friendships and community along the way.

One of the best parts was seeing the energy and excitement from the juniors themselves. Smiles, attacks, conversations, mentorship, and riders pushing themselves together. That’s the kind of environment that makes people fall in love with cycling.

The future of NorCal cycling depends on continuing to invest in junior development, mentorship, and creating welcoming spaces for new riders to learn and grow. Yesterday was a strong example of what can happen when the community comes together with that shared goal.

Thank you again to everyone who showed up, helped lead, mentored, supported, and rode. This is how we grow the sport together.

See you all at the next ride.