WHEELING, W.Va. – The Northern West Virginia Composite Ridge Riders Mountain Bike Team (Ridge Riders) invites Ohio Valley youth to a free event this weekend to try out mountain bike riding at Heritage Port in downtown Wheeling. The event takes place Monday, May 29, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the waterfront and is open to student-athletes in grades 6-12, according to a press release.

Ridge Riders is a Wheeling-based mountain bike team for middle and high school students in the Upper Ohio Valley. The team competes in the West Virginia Interscholastic Cycling League, a league of the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA).

“This is our final “Try It Out” event of the year through which students can see what mountain biking is like,” said Chris Gardill, team director for the Ridge Riders.  “We are excited about our upcoming season and our goal with these events is to give kids the opportunity to experience mountain biking whether they have their own equipment or not and to meet some of our coaches and student-athletes. We hope to see some new faces join us for summer practices and fall races later this year,” Gardill said. 

Participants can pre-register online at wvridgeriders.com or complete their registration on-site. Bikes and helmets will be provided.

“The Ridge Riders is a youth development team, and we seek to build strong bodies, minds and characters through a shared passion for mountain biking, “ he said. “While we participate in race events, and some of our students even race at a high level if that is an interest to them, we are squarely focused on creating a team culture that is welcoming, safe and fun for all coaches and student-athletes.”

If you have questions about these events or the team, please send inquiries to coach@wvridgeriders.com. Want to know more about the team? Check out their page: https://www.facebook.com/WVRidgeRiders