Registration for the 2022-23 School Year will open August 1, 2022. Follow Us on Facebook (/CLTMTB) or Instagram (@CLTMTBCoach) for Updates, or join our mailing list. Information below, including pricing will apply to the 2022-23 School Year program.

This Ain’t NICA…

CLTMTB club is NOT a NICA team… CLTMTB is a private club. We ride and train together throughout the school year, September through May. We give riders of all skill levels, ages 8 - 18 the ability to ride, train, jump, and shred with like-minded riders of similar ability. Certified skills instructors and highly-trained high school-aged assistants teach riders the skills they need to reach their goals, from winning races, to boosting bigger airs, or hitting gnarly drops. While riding with a NICA team is a fantastic way for young riders to get introduced to XC racing, CLTMTB significantly raises the bar and gives riders the opportunity to push themselves and experience all that the sport of mountain biking has to offer.

Bigger & Better Than Ever!

It does not matter if your young rider is a racer, shredder, or cruiser, CLTMTB Club has something for them! Young riders meet as many as 3 times per week to ride with like-minded kids of a similar skill level. Coach Shawn has experience catering to riders of all abilities and interests and has a trained staff of PMBIA instructors and accomplished high school-aged student athletes to help mentor your young rider to help them develop their passion for mountain biking.

ALSO… as a member of the CLTMTB Club, all riders are eligible to attend Day Camps throughout the school year scheduled on most CMS school holidays and teacher workdays at no additional cost!

*ALL riders must be at least 8 years old at time of registration AND ride a proper mountain bike with at least 24” wheels. NO EXCEPTIONS.

Elementary & Middle School Riders

*It’s never too late to join, But this late in the season, riders will be required to have a private lesson to ensure their competency in the fundamentals before they can join regular club rides.

Available to all Elementary & Middle School Students at least 8 years old. Each group will meet for rides from 4:30-6:30 (time will be adjusted for daylight savings). When registering, you choose a primary location: Col Francis Beatty, N Meck/Mazeppa, Park Road Park/Renni Short Track, or Rocky Branch and commit to attending that ride. However, new for 2021-22 is that all riders can also choose one additional location/ride per week! This requires all riders to use the TeamSnap app and RSVP to every single ride they plan to attend AT LEAST 24 HOURS before the start time of the ride, no exceptions.

This program is for all elementary and middle school riders who are interested in riding mountain bikes! Our club is so big that there is plenty of room for everyone. At every ride, we break into many different groups to focus on different skills, riding styles, speeds, and abilities to keep every young rider engaged, progressing, happy, and having FUN. Primarily, above everything (besides safety), our focus in on fun! There is NO requirement for anyone to race. If your young rider is a jumper/jibber/shredder, CLTMTB club also has a group for them.

ADDITIONALLY, group rides will meet on Saturdays from 9 - 11am at Charlotte and surrounding area trails (very often USNWC). Also included are Day Camps (16 of them!) will be held every CMS Teacher Workday, Early Release Day, and Select Days during Extended Holidays/Vacations - these camps always meet at Park Road Park.

The club also regularly races as TEAM CLT MTB at: Winter Short Track Series, Full/Half Enchilada, and other local/regional races including USAC-sanctioned team events. NEW for the 2021-22 school year will also include a team segment who is more focused on ENDURO and DOWNHILL racing (DHSE Series). All Riders who are signed up for the CLTMTB Juniors Club are automatically eligible to race as a member of Team CLTMTB, there is no additional cost (other than the fees paid to race organizations), they are just ready to not only have a lot of fun, but also work hard to drastically improve their riding and fitness.

If you have questions or are wondering if this program is right for your young rider, please feel free to call Coach Shawn at 704-266-2581.

COST

$199/month (3 month commitment, through the end of the current school year, with recurring billing)

OR $579/year (for the remainder of the school year- 3 months)

High School Riders

*It’s never too late to join, But this late in the season, riders will be required to have a private lesson to ensure their competency in the fundamentals before they can join regular club rides.

Available to all High School Students at least 14 years old. High School-Only meets at Park Rd Park Mondays from 3:30-6:00 (time will be adjusted for daylight savings). New for 2021-22 is that all riders can also choose one additional location/ride per week! This requires all riders to use the TeamSnap app and RSVP to every single ride they plan to attend AT LEAST 24 HOURS before the start time of the ride, no exceptions. Rides Tuesday - Friday are more focused on the younger riders, but this will give HighSchool riders the chance to help mentor younger riders, as well as the opportunity to meet with other members of the highschool club to ride with some supervision and direction.

This program is for all high school riders who are interested in riding mountain bikes! Our club is so big that there is plenty of room for everyone. At every ride, we break into many different groups to focus on different skills, riding styles, speeds, and abilities to keep every young rider engaged, progressing, happy, and having FUN. Primarily, above everything (besides safety), our focus in on fun! There is NO requirement for anyone to race. If your young rider is a jumper/jibber/shredder, CLTMTB Club also has a group for them.

HOWEVER… there is certainly a segment of the high school club that will be riding for fitness/endurance training, as well as working on technical bike-handling skill. So, advanced middle school riders and those high school riders focused on racing will comprise a group at each Monday ride to ride at-speed with limited stopping to train to race!

ADDITIONALLY, group rides will meet on Saturdays from 9 - 11am at Charlotte (and surrounding) area trails (very often USNWC, but we will also have rides at other Charlotte-area trails. Day Camps (16 of them!) will be held every CMS Teacher Workday, Early Release Day, and Select Days during Extended Holidays/Vacations - these camps always meet at at Park Road Park. These camps are targeted toward the younger club members in Elementary school and Middle school, but high school riders are welcome to join us and will be trained to assist and mentor younger riders. This also puts them in line for jobs working with CLTMTB Camp in the Summer.

The club also regularly races as TEAM CLT MTB at: Winter Short Track Series, Full/Half Enchilada, and other local/regional races including USAC-sanctioned team events like the Cane Creek Cup. NEW for the 2021-22 school year will also include a team segment who is more focused on ENDURO and DOWNHILL racing (DHSE Series). All Riders who are signed up for the CLTMTB Juniors Club are automatically eligible to race as a member of Team CLTMTB, there is no additional cost, they are just ready to not only have a lot of fun, but also work hard to drastically improve their riding and fitness.

If you have questions or are wondering if this program is right for your young rider, please feel free to call Coach Shawn at 704-266-2581.

$199/month (3 month commitment, through the end of the current school year, with recurring billing)

OR $579/year (for the remainder of the school year- 3 months)

GEAR

Most of this information, below refers to the FULL DAY CAMPS - weekly rides only require: Bicycle, Helmet, Eye Protection, Gloves, Flat Repair, and Hydration.
Proper Hydration can not be met with one water bottle - being on a mountain bike for 2 hours requires more hydration that a single water bottle.

On Camp Days each rider should bring a duffle bag or backpack with everything listed other than what is specified to go into their hydration pack. Hydration packs should include: enough water for 1 hour, appropriately-sized and valved tube, tire levers, patch kit, and snack/bars. Please send lunches in lunch bag/boxes, NOT coolers — we have giant IGLOO coolers full of ice bricks that keep everything cool all day. A simple lunch bag/lunchbox they take to school is totally sufficient. Snacks / Bars should be very easy to transport in their hydration pack. BARS are best. Chips get turned to dust.

BICYCLE

Each rider’s bicycle must fit properly. If a rider cannot stand and straddle the top tube comfortably (without being in direct contact with/sitting on the top tube) then, the bike is far too big and therefore unsafe to ride. Riding a bike that is too big for the rider is NOT an advantage - it is a serious disadvantage and will hold them back and keep them from being able to learn and execute proper technique to learn the skills we teach at CLTMTB. Riding a bike that is a little small for them is MUCH better than riding a bike that is too big.

All bicycles MUST BE clean and in proper working order. Please! This includes: functional brakes front AND rear, smooth shifting, does not regularly drop the chain, does not squeak and clunk (loose hubs), does not have bald tires, has been tuned up recently by a qualified mechanic, and is clean.  If you show up to drop off your rider and their bike is in poor repair, your rider may not be allowed to participate until their bike is properly repaired.

Proper working order also includes a clean drive train. It is very unpleasant for instructors to have to help a rider fix their bike (put their chain back on or similar and the chain is a filthy black greasy mess. Please learn how to and clean and lube your rider’s drive train on their bike so that is nice and clean for the first day of camp. Cheap citrus degreaser, old toothbrushes, and shop rags work great. Chain cleaners and fancy bike chain cleaners work great and I highly recommend getting one for every family BUT they aren’t necessary. There are lots of youtube videos on how to do this and your young rider can probably do it all themselves with supervision.

Ideally, if everyone can take a few minutes to adjust the “reach” of their rider’s brake levers, that will save us a lot of time on Monday. Please give this a try yourself. This video will show you where / how MOST brake levers on youth mountain bikes can be adjusted. https://youtu.be/xwoRZL1Mcos

NO kickstands, please. Remove the kickstand from your rider’s bike if they have one and do not send them to camp on the first day with a kickstand on the bicycle. Kickstands and mountain bikes on trails do not go well together and may end in accident or injury. 

HELMET

Please make sure your young rider is wearing a helmet that fits them properly. Helmets should NOT perch high on top of their head, but should fit low across the top of their brow and cover the back of their head. If your rider has been wearing the same helmet for 3 or 4 years, it is probably time to buy a new one. Helmets should not be cracked, gouged or have any damage from a crash or fall. I have found that BELL makes excellent youth helmets. Ideally, the chin strap should have adjustable buckles on either side at the jawbone, as well as the buckle beneath the chin.

NO FULL-FACE HELMETS, please… Yes, full-face helmets look WAY cool and make you feel safe, but they just are not necessary for the kind of riding we do. They are HOT, they make it hard to hear instruction, they obscure view of the chin-strap so instructors can not make sure they are buckled and secure AND they may even give a “false sense of security” and encourage the rider to take unnecessary risks. 

SKATE helmets may look cool, too but they are very hot on your head. Cycling helmets are made with LOTS of large vents to keep the head cool without constantly removing it. We require riders to wear their helmet the whole time we are on our bikes. Think of it as a hat, not a helmet : ) Before you get on your bike, your helmet goes on your head.

PEDALS

CLTMTB Juniors will be allowed to ride clipless pedals ONLY if they are highly proficient and do not regularly fall because they are clipped-in. Young riders develop bad habits relying solely on the connection between their shoe and pedal and never learn the proper technique when they are “clipped in”.  ALL riders, including Staff members are encouraged to ride on flat/platform pedals and regular sneakers until they are totally proficient with all Beginner to Intermediate skills. At that time, they may wish to “go clipless” and when they do, they must practice and become 100% proficient with them before riding them at practice or wearing them at day camps. In terms of sneakers to wear, VANS are preferred (the traditional skate show VANS, not the new running shoe style, 5.10s or other platform pedal-specific shoes work great, but only when paired with pedals that have aggressive steel pins for grip. When paired with stock plastic pedals, they are slippery and offer no traction. Good old VANS work just as well for half the price) ideally, the sole of the shoe should be FLAT to provide maximum contact with the pedal. Running Shoes, Trainers, Hiking Shoes, even some shoes that are marketed as mountain biking shoes are NOT ideal. If in doubt, go with VANS or other Skate shoes.

Quality “Flat” or Platform pedals are preferred over the stock plastic pedals that come with most kids bikes. Stock plastic pedals are good for greenway rides and test-riding the bike when you purchase it, but should be replaced for mountain biking. These pedals are available in a huge variety of designs and price points. The important thing to consider when shopping for pedals is that they should be at least as big/wide as the shoe that your rider wears, and they should have “pins” or teeth sticking up that effectively engage with the sole of the shoe and help the two “stick” together... while your rider may not be ready for pedals with sharp steel pins, even composite pedals with composite pins/teeth are far better for trail riding than stock plastic pedals. RACEFACE Chesters are by far the most popular, but they are a bit pricey. I’ve seen sufficient pedals at Walmart and some bike shops for $15… Just make sure they have pins / teeth sticking up out of them.

EYE PROTECTION

Anything between your rider’s precious eyes and: sticks, bugs, debris, is better than nothing. Sunglasses, cycling glasses, safety glasses all work great. Please do NOT send your rider with goggles. These are not good for cross-country riding for hours in the Summer heat. Cheap youth-sized safety glasses can easily be found. Please make sure they fit properly, are comfortable with their helmet, and don’t fall off. The most important thing is fit. If they fall off and require constant adjustment, they are a hazard and doing more harm than good. Eye protection is 100% mandatory. No exceptions.

SHORTS

Kids should be wearing padded bicycle shorts even if they want to wear “baggy” shorts on top of them. This is for safety and it’s mandatory. They should fit snug so they don’t bunch and rub. These are worn in place of, not on top of underwear.  Super-loose, long, hanging basketball shorts or something similar are NOT APPROPRIATE for mountain biking and can constantly get caught on the seat and are actually dangerous.  They also can chafe, hold sweat or water and get heavy, etc. Please, do not send your rider to camp in big, baggy shorts or other bulky/baggy clothing. It’s not safe and they may not be permitted to ride until they are dressed appropriately. Aerosport is a decent brand, comes in youth sizes, and available on Amazon for fast delivery. I’ve also seen a pretty extensive selection on Dick’s Sporting Goods website. Also, Troy Lee Designs makes great Youth gear in smaller sizes.

GLOVES

If a rider falls, 9 times out of 10, the first thing to hit the ground will be their hands. We require that all riders use some kind of gloves that fit them properly. There are many mountain biking specific gloves on the market, but fitting a young rider for gloves can be tricky. Dick’s Sporting Goods has youth batting gloves in many sizes, so you may find some there. Also some Home Depots have synthetic work gloves for youth that work well. Ideally, full-finger gloves are best for mountain biking. Gloves do not need to be thick, or even cushioned. They should simply provide a layer between the hand and grip or ground for extra protection.

PADS

If your child is accident prone or really new to mountain biking and you are worried about them falling on the trail and getting hurt, soft pads would be a great idea. G-Form is a great brand of pad that is soft, thin, and breathable but with squishy padding in the important spots on elbows, forearms, shins, and knees. Pads are not required. At CLTMTB Camp, we focus on teaching riders skills and focus on riding smoothly and under control at all times. Riders who are riding to exceed their skill level will be asked to slow down. Our #1 focus is SAFETY. If you rider has aggressive “teeth” or pins on their pedals, consider shin guards as well.

RAIN

Bring a rain jacket shell. A thin shell layer is great for rain, wind, and basic protection from the elements. It should be easily packed and stowed in their backpack so they can keep it with them just in case. My adult large shell can fit inside a sandwich bag.

 Wear closed-toe water shoes like KEENS or similar on rain days. CROCS are a slippery mess inside the shoe when they get wet and are not appropriate. Neither are flip-flops. Also bring a change of clothing and a small towel. There may be some days when it rains and we do not cancel our camps on this days. We may hike the trail and explore to see what rain and water does to the trial system so they understand why we do not ride closed trails, and how trail builders plan / find ways around water damage.

HYDRATION

ALL riders should have a hydration pack with them containing plenty of WATER at all times. We will have 15 Gallons of cool/cold ice water for refills on hand every day. Water bottles are simply not sufficient for mountain biking in the Summer heat. We may spend over an hour away from our water source so each rider is required to have a backpack with hydration bladder able to carry their own water that they can access/drink without removing the pack and digging for bottles. These packs should also contain 2 snacks, a rain jacket shell, an appropriately-sized Presta valve tube (yes, even if your rider’s wheels are set up tubeless!), tire levers, and a patch kit.

Staff members will not hold anything for riders other than medical supplies if necessary like a back up inhaler or EpiPen. ALSO, each rider should have a reusable cycling/water bottle labeled with their name on it for use during snacks, lunch, break times at home base. Please do NOT send sports drinks, energy drinks, or sodas to camp. We will only drink water at CLTMTB Camp. Hydration packs from OSPREY are superior to CamelBak which are almost impossible for most young riders to open/fill/close by themselves. Ozark Trail hydration packs from Walmart are almost as good as Osprey at a fraction of the price ($25).

NUTRITION

All snacks and lunches sent with your young rider should be healthy and provide them with the nutrition to fuel their body so they can be very active for hours every day. Each rider should arrive every morning having already eaten a well-rounded breakfast, and bring a nutritious lunch in a lunchbox or lunch bag (NO coolers, please) AND two snacks packed inside their hydration pack. Please do not send candy bars or chips for snacks. Empty calories will not serve any purpose for a young rider who is on their bike for 3 - 4/+ hours per day. Please do not send soda, energy drinks, or similar for lunch. There is absolutely nothing better for your young rider to drink at a mountain biking Summer camp than WATER. To make things even better - if the ONLY thing you ever put in your hydration pack is ice and tap water - it will never get gross in there : ) *Promise.

DIRECTION

All riders must know LEFT from RIGHT. Please work on this with your child - this is a safety issue. It is important that I can use “Left” and “Right” in instruction and guiding trail rides and the rider immediately knows what I’m saying. This “rule” has been added recently, because it’s constantly an issue with some younger riders. Please test them - say “Raise your left hand” and if they stop to think about it - work on it with them. If I say “stay to the left side of the trail” and they go right, it may be unsafe and cause them to run into something I was telling them to avoid.

ELECTRONICS/DEVICES

We prefer that no electronic devices including phones, tablets, or games come to camp (anybody remember books?…) However,  due to Covid-19 we will allow riders to bring their device of choice but it will ONLY be used during: DropOff, Pickup, Snack, Lunch, Break times… when riders will be “socially distanced”. Devices will NOT be used at any other times. They will not come with the rider on the trail unless it is a phone inside their pack or wearable GPS device. Riders will not be allowed to remove their device from their pack on the trail.

PROTECTION

SUN SCREEN

Please apply sunscreen before leaving the house. We will spray Equate Kids Broad-Spectrum Sunscreen SPF50 (that we provide) after lunch every day on Day Camp days. Riders will be in charge of “rubbing it in" and applying it to their own lower face using their hands. We do not spray the face. 

POISON IVY

Tall socks can do wonders to protect ankles and lower legs from poison ivy! We also highly recommend washing all exposed skin every night thoroughly with TECHNU! One of our first lessons is how to spot poison ivy and how to best avoid it. Your young rider will become a poison Ivy Expert! However, mistakes happen and poison ivy is everywhere…

BUGS

Bug Spray is highly recommended and should be applied before your rider arrives. Permethrin on clothes is best. You can find it at REI. I have never followed the directions on the bottle which says you should saturate clothing with it (I never put it on my dog either) but I find that several “sprays” per clothing item on my adult sized shirts, shorts, and socks every three or 4 washings does wonders. Applying bug spray to the skin is left up to families - We will not be applying bug spray or supplying it to anyone. There are bugs, mosquitos, ticks and chiggers in the woods. Please do something for your rider to make sure they do not become a snack.

THANK YOU!

Thank you for signing up your young rider for CLTMTB Camp. After reading this, if you have questions, please feel free to call, text, or email Coach Shawn with any questions to help you get prepared.

Shawn Gentry, Founder/Director, CLT MTB Camp
704-266-2581 shawn@CLTMTB.com

E&M Schedule

Riders choose ONE home location but can attend 2 weekly rides! All sessions start with 1 hour of skills work, so parents have until 5:30 to arrive with their rider before we leave for a one hour trail ride.

TUESDAYs @ Beatty
4:30-6:30pm
Col Francis Beatty Park
4330 Weddington Rd, Matthews, NC 28105

WEDNESDAYs @ N Meck / Mazeppa
4:30- 6:30pm
North Mecklenburg Park
16131 Old Statesville Rd, Huntersville, NC 28078
ALTERNATE: Mazeppa Park
645 Mazeppa Rd, Mooresville, NC 28115

THURSDAYs @ Park Road Park /Renaissance Short Track
4:30- 6:30pm
Park Rd Park (plus BYT & Marion Diehl)
6220 Park Rd, Charlotte, NC 28210
ALTERNATE: Renaissance Short Track
1200 W Tyvola Rd, Charlotte, NC 28217

PLUS, everyone is invited to:

SATURDAYs @ USNWC or other Area Trails
Travel Trips to KANUGA, DUPONT, ROCKY KNOB, and more!
9:00 - 11:00 (extended hours on travel trips)

AND

CAMPING/RIDING TRIPS

AND

FULL DAY CAMPS on CMS Teacher Work Days & Other School Holidays!

HS Schedule

MONDAYs @ BYT/Park Road Park 3:30- 6:00pm
Park Rd Park (plus BYT & Marion Diehl)
6220 Park Rd, Charlotte, NC 28210

SATURDAYs @ Area Trails TBA
9:00 - 11:00

Questions?

If you have questions or want to discuss anything, please do not hesitate to reach out to Shawn Gentry, Founder and Head Coach of CLTMTB.com He can be reached at 704-266-2581 or by email at shawn@CLTMTB.com

Looking for MORE?

Endurance training programs are available for individual riders for an additional $19/mo. Let’s talk about your personal goals and create a plan for you! Training Peaks workout schedules are created in collaboration with established endurance coaches and weekly calls/meetings with Coach Shawn himself keep riders performing their best and bound for podiums at USAC, NICA, and other local/regional races!