SAN LUIS VALLEY — The Rio Grande Composite Rattlers are one team — eight high school students as competitive riders, four acting administrators-coaches — participating in the 2017 Colorado High School Cycling Association season, which encompasses four active meets from the last week of August until the end of October. The state championship follows. Goals for the future are separate teams in area high schools.
This is not the first year for a San Luis Valley high school-age bicycle racing team, but perhaps the first to have such strong ambitions. The Rio Grande Composite Rattlers Head Coach Brian Stevenson, an instructor at Monte Vista High School, and Team Director Larry Roberts have distributed enrollment information at SLV bicycle shops and biking events since July to encourage interest. And, the preseason training workouts are not events for the shy and unwilling to put up genuine effort.
A few miles or laps in or around trails near Cole Park in eastern Alamosa or on a pedestrian/bicycle path north-south on the west side of State Hwy 17, do not quite “shake a stick” at two-hour sessions in the recreation area trails in Penitente Canyon near La Garita and Rio Grande CR 38A, which features rocky, somewhat steep angle trails. As for site location, it is about 13 miles northwest of Del Norte, with drivable access from Monte Vista as well.
Youth from Sargent, Monte Vista and Alamosa areas are members of the squad, including Cameron Roberts, Devin Arellano, Ryan Astalos, Rand Kidd and Landen Tolsma, participating in a Wednesday, Aug. 9 training workout at Penitente, plus Jacson Mumper, Kristin David and Daniel Macias, who were not presnt that morning but still active members.
While involvement in the upcoming competitive season beginning at the Frisco Bay Invitational at the Colorado town’s Adventure Park west of Denver near Interstate 70 is not strictly free, support from local organizations is widespread and volunteer help is a big part of the outlook for the Rattlers.
The 2016 team coach Tamera Rice, basically the team founder, continues as an assistant coach, along with Aaron Horrocks. Kathy Daley and Mark Skinner were active helpers and riders in the Aug. 9 workout, supporting and helping in the safety and discipline of the session. The overall parent of the Colorado High School Cycling Association is the International Mountain Bicycling Association, which governs rules for NICA and certification of coaches for high school age cycling teams, for which training is a requirement.
According to data on a promotional flyer for the Rio Grande Composite Rattlers,  “Colorado High School Cycling League started racing in 2010 with 180 racers on 20 teams. In 2016, there were 1067 racers on 67 teams, including 210 females!” Sponsors and supporters of the 2017 team include State Farm Insurance, the Gunbarrel Station, Absolute Shine in Monte Vista, Alpine Title Co., the SLV Rural Electric Co-Op, Haefeli Honey, plus the Del Norte Trails Organization and Kristi Mountain Sports.
The Colorado HS Cycling League has North and South divisions. The Composite Rattlers are in the South Division. League Director is Kate Rau, out of 1165 Oakdale Place, Boulder, (720) 272-9282, email, Cheri Merrihew, [email protected] Here’s a schedule of events key to the Composite Rattlers upcoming season:
Fresco Bay Invitational, Frisco
NORTH: Saturday, Aug. 26
SOUTH: Sunday, Aug. 27
Cloud City Challenge
SOUTH (only, no North competition) Sunday, September 10 Colorado Mountain College, Leadville
NORTH:  Steamboat Springs, Sunday, September 10, Emerald Mountain, Steamboat Springs
Granby Ranch Roundup, Granby
NORTH:  Saturday, Sept. 23
SOUTH:  Sunday, Sept. 24
Chalk Creek Stampede, Nathrop
SOUTH: Saturday, Oct. 7, McMurry Ranch, Nathrop
NORTH: Sunday, Oct. 8, McMurry Ranch, Nathrop
And, at last: State Championship, Eagle [Colorado] Qualification Required
Saturday, Oct. 21, Pre-Ride, End of Season Picnic
Sunday, Oct. 22, Race Pool and Ice Rink, Haymaker Trail, Eagle