Flat Tire bike shop in Greensburg forms youth mountain bike race team

Kids interested in mountain bike racing are invited to check out the new Laurel Highlands Composite Mountain Bike Team being sponsored by Flat Tire Co. Bike Shop in Greensburg.

“It’s our passion, it’s something we love, so we’re just trying to get more kids out there on bikes,” said shop owner Ashley Reefer.

Formed in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Cycling League and the National Interscholastic Cycling Association, the team is open to Westmoreland County public, private and home-schooled students in grades six through 12.

“We’re recruiting through the end of this month and then practices will start in June,” Reefer said.

Team members can participate in competitions, adventure programming, social rides, camps and trail building, and maintenance.

“Kids don’t have to sign up to race if they’re not the competitive type,” Reefer said. “They can still sign up and come out to learn about mountain biking.”

The plan is to have summer practices on Tuesday at Twin Lakes Park, with emphasis on skills such as agility, braking and cornering. Thursday practices will get riders out on trails on the Laurel Ridge.

No experience is needed to participate, Reefer said. Team members will need a functional mountain bike and a helmet.

A $100 season sign-up fee includes a jersey and water bottle. Scholarships and bicycles are available for athletes with financial need, and team members will be eligible for discounts on purchases at Flat Tire.

Learning to handle a mountain bike could benefit team members in years to come, Reefer said.

“There are actually a lot of colleges now that offer scholarships for mountain bike racing, so it’s a thing to be able to go to school and get a scholarship,” she said.

More information on the team is available at the shop at 212 E. Pittsburgh St., by calling 724-691-0966 and online at lhct.org.