FAQ

San Francisco Composite (a.k.a. SF Composite, SF Comp, @sfcomp) is a mountain bike team open to any high school student going to school in San Francisco. None of the individual schools in the city have enough riders to field an entire team of their own (yet), which is why we have a city-wide (composite) team. The team has been going for the last 10 years! No cycling or racing experience is required, just a positive attitude and desire to learn.

The tentative schedule for the 2024 season is

Tuesday/Thursday

5-6:15pm (before daylight saving time we may meet earlier)

Sunday

8:30am-11:30pm (non-race weekends)

Practice locations include the Mission Cliffs spin room (no bike required), Golden Gate Park, Mount Sutro, Laguna Honda, McLaren Park, the Marin Headlands, and various Bay Area trails.

The NorCal League of NICA hosts the races.

The races are cross-country discipline races (not downhill) that are appropriate for beginners to advanced riders.

There are 5 races February through May that take place 2-3 hours from SF at locations TBD, such as Laguna Seca (Monterey), Fort Ord (Monterey), Granite Bay (Sacramento), Six Sigma (Lake County). The final race is the Championship for racers who qualify.

Tentative 2024 race dates* are TBD. Here’s a previous season’s schedule:

March 7 (Saturday)

March 21 (Saturday)

April 4 or 5 (depending on the location)

April 26 (Sunday)

May 3 (Sunday)

and

May 16 & 17, Championships for riders who qualify.

For each race, riders should plan to pre-ride the afternoon before the race and then camp or stay nearby for an early morning arrival at the venue.

*Race day (Sat or Sun) depends on the location of the race. We are in the Southern Conference of the NorCal league and the border is between Marin and San Francisco. This means we race early in the weekend (pre-ride on Friday then race on Saturday) if the race is located to the south of San Francisco. If the race venue is north of San Francisco, we will pre-ride on Saturday afternoon and then race on Sunday. Note: This means you should block out the entire weekend until the venues are confirmed.

Loads of fun! Kids from every school are on course cheering while the official NorCal League announcer calls out the kids names as they cross the line. Girls and boys race separately in Varsity, JV, Sophomore, and Freshman categories. There are 3 waves of races approximately every 2 hours. The beginner categories race about 12 miles while advanced riders race up to 25 miles, or 4 laps. Families should expect to be at the Saturday or Sunday race from 7:30am to 4pm, which includes a podium presentation.

Estimated Costs:

Race ready bike $1,500 — Our team shops can help

Bicycle upkeep $350

Kit (clothing) $200

Helmet and shoes $200

Travel (5 races) $750 - We camp (in dry weather) to reduce costs.

Race participation fees (5 races) $TBD - The NorCal League is a non-profit that aims keep fees low. In 2022, race fees were $50/race.

We believe in every kid getting an opportunity to ride with us. SF Composite and the NorCal League have bikes available for loan along with a scholarship fund. Contact the team managers, Sheila Somers and Sarah Buecher, for more information.

This is a very common question for incoming Freshmen or new riders. Based on the terrain and trails we train on, and the courses we race on, the hands-down choice is a hardtail with any size wheel (usually 27.5” or 29”). Hardtail means it does not have rear suspension, only front suspension. A 29” wheel size will be suitable for most, although some smaller riders may prefer the slightly smaller wheel set such as 27” (or possibly 26”). The lighter the frame, the better, but the lighter the frame, the more expensive it tends to be. Carbon fiber frames are the frame of choice for many, as it’s the best combination of stiffness, durability, and weight. We also highly recommend setting the bike up with clipless pedals. Once you learn how to use them you will gain more power and control when you pedal and maneuver. Note: Please let us know if you need help finding a bike. There are programs within the league to help kids who need assistance. In addition, we have great partnerships with our team shops that can help you put together a suitable and fun race bike.

Mountain biking is a whole new experience with THIS TEAM because we are known for our STOKE. However, for the stoke to continue, we all have to pitch in. This means:

Riders must attend races AND weeknight and weekend practices. It is nearly impossible to have the time (and energy) to play another sport during the mountain biking season. If riders skip SF Comp practice to go to another team’s practice, they cannot race. Coaches review important skills and race tactics at practices, and if you miss them, you are more likely to get hurt at a race. That is no fun for anyone.

Families commit to helping the team throughout the season. Most of this work occurs at races where we all pull together to get riders and gear (as well as pit zone tents, cooking equipment, and food) to the race site. Some teams are from big schools with custom trailers, but that’s not us. We’re a volunteer outfit. When we all pitch in, it works -- and it’s a lot of fun!

Every volunteer coach makes a great commitment to helping everyone meet his or her personal goals. They skip powder days in Tahoe, rush home from work, shave some billable freelance hours, and sacrifice evenings at home to be there for the team. Families and riders can respect their time by helping out as needed and listening to all coaches' instructions. With a full team behind the team, 2023 will be grand success!

Parents who want to have a larger impact in planning, fundraising, or other back-end work should reach out to team managers and head coach for more information.