New rider registration opens April 1st, 2024 at 9:00 a.m.!

MISSION
Developing lifelong cyclists while building self-confidence, having fun, and playing outdoors.

GOALS
Demonstrate improved bike handling and safe trail riding skills while gaining self-confidence
Practice proper trail etiquette and stewardship
Develop a love of physical fitness through the lifelong activity of cycling
Value a connection to nature by exploring outdoors
Create riding comradery, friendships and fond memories while having FUN!

ELIGIBILITY
Open to youth ages 8 – 15 years old who are proficient in basic road/sidewalk bicycle riding skills. (Must be turning 8 in 2024.) Previous mountain biking experience is NOT required.

REGISTRATION
Registration opens April 1, 2024, and will remain open until 80 riders have registered, or until April 15, whichever comes first. Families with returning riders will have an opportunity to register early.

LESSON DATES
• June 4, 6, 11, 13, 18, 20, 25, & 27
• Lessons are from 6:00-7:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays and start at the Bike Shack beside the Skyview Middle School hockey rink.

FEES
$100.00 per biker for 8 lessons. Additionally, each biker must be covered under a Tsalteshi Trails membership, either individually as a student ($25) or as part of a family membership ($150). Start or renew a TTA membership here. A limited number of need-based scholarships are available. If you are interested, please contact tsalteshisprockets@gmail.com.

(The fee covers TTA liability insurance, trail maintenance, safety equipment, lesson equipment, use of basic bike repair equipment, use of the Bike Shack, Port-A-Potty rental, a bear bell, helmet medical info carrier, fun Sprockets socks and other program expenses.)

ATTENDANCE
Though occasional absences might be unavoidable, please do not register for this program if you know your rider will miss more than two lessons. Groups progress quickly and it will be difficult for a rider to keep up (and have fun in their group!) if they miss several lessons. Sprockets does not offer refunds for missed lessons.

MANDATORY PARENT MEETING

An informational parent meeting will be help over Zoom at 6:30 p.m. May 28. Please be prepared to attend! This is your chance to ask questions and find out vital information about the program.

MORE PROGRAM INFORMATION AVAILABLE HERE

The Soldotna Cycle Series is all new for 2024!

The Soldotna Cycle Series is now a points based series encompassing 3 mountainbike events. The traditional Thursday night 6k & 12k races, 3 Sunday Night Heat shorttrack style mountainbike races, and the Tsalteshi Gauntlet.

The Tsalteshi MTB Races happen Thursday nights at 6:15 p.m. from July 11th through Aug. 15th for MTB racing at Tsalteshi.

Sunday Night Heat races are short, 30 minute, short track style mountainbike races where riders do multiple laps of a short, sometimes technical course. All racers finish within the stated time.

The Tsalteshi Gauntlet is our treasure hunt, navigating, hard riding and smart thinking bicycle race. Described as "the best thing I've ever done on a bicycle" you don't want to miss it.

Come ride bikes with the friendliest, most welcoming bike community around!

Single race registration is available in person at the beginning of each race. See subseries event pages for more details.

The Tsalteshi MTB Races are part of the 2024 Soldotna Cycle Series.

Join us every Thursday night at 6:15 p.m. from July 6 through Aug. 10 for MTB racing at Tsalteshi. The Tsalteshi MTB Races are open to riders of all ability levels. There will be a 6k and 12k race distance every week. The series progresses in difficulty from easiest to hardest. Racers should be able to finish their event distance within an hour. Come ride bikes with the friendliest, most welcoming bike community around!

Single race registration is available in person at the beginning of each race. Registration begins at 5:45 p.m. and racing starts at 6:15 p.m.

The Gauntlet is a checkpoint race where the riders decide their own route. Starting at 2 PM sharp, the goal of the race is for the riders to complete as many laps as possible within the 3-hour time limit. All laps or partial final laps must be finished by 2 PM. riders returning after the time limit will default to their last completed lap. 

At the start of the race, the map of checkpoints (all located on Tsalteshi property) is revealed and riders are handed a copy of the course. Riders then must navigate to each of the checkpoints listed, collect a page from each checkpoint, and return to the start finish area to begin a new lap. Riders are responsible for choosing their route between each checkpoint, for finding each checkpoint, and for riding within the safety rules of the event.

5 out of 5 participants say its their favorite race of the year!

Registration opens at 1:30. There is a mandatory riders meeting at 1:45 PM, race starts at 2 PM sharp.

The rules of The Tsalteshi Gauntlet 2024*
1. The Bear/Dragonfly singletrack is downhill only, the all other singletrack is bi-directional. Practice good trail etiquette and yield to uphill riders.
2. Goat, Bear, Rabbit and the steep downhill on Raven are only to be ridden in the correct direction. As in, steep hills are only to be ridden as they would be skied.
3. Any singletrack entered must be ridden for the duration of that section. That means after reaching the checkpoint, riders must continue in the same direction until they exit that segment of singletrack. No turning around on the trail, creating your own trail, or using social trails.
4. To complete a lap and start a new one, riders must acquire pages from all checkpoints and return to the finish area. For their final lap riders may complete a partial lap, gathering pages from as many checkpoints as possible and returning to the finish area before 5 pm. Any riders not in queue to turn in pages by 4:59:59 pm will not have their last lap count.
5. Anyone who runs into another rider will be disqualified. It's an endurance race, not a sprint. Take the time to avoid one another

6. No bringing bikes into the start/finish queue. Please lay them outside and stand in line.

*rules of the race are subject to change at any time during or before the race, per the race directors discretion.