FAQs

Team Info

How old do I have to be to be on the team?
The league goes from 5th grade to 12th grade, however there are exceptions made for advanced 4th graders who have the stamina to ride for 2 hours.

How big is the team?
The Swamp Yankees usually have between 20 and 30 athletes on the team, along with 10 or so coaches.

Is it hard?
It’s as hard as you make it! We separate into three different leveled groups, so you will be with others who are at your level. We are out there to have fun, but to also break a sweat and improve with each practice. The thing about riding a trail is that there isn’t really an option to stop - you always have to make it back to the parking lot.

What ages can participate?
NEYC is open for kids aged 12–18, and there are ride lead & coaching spots for anyone older.

What types of trails do you ride?
We do cross country style mountain biking – mostly single track with some fire roads. The trails can get pretty rocky and rooty with some hills, but nothing extreme.

Registration

When is registration?
For returning riders, registration typically opens near the 1st of December. New rider registration opens shortly after. All registrations typically close in March. However, a team jersey is required for all racers and jersey orders close on January 15th, so register early if you can!

How do I register?
You can register for NEYC and the Swamp Yankees on http://neyouthcycling.com. The first step will be to enter your zip code; if you're within the Swamp Yankee area, you'll be directed to the team automatically.

How does registration work?
Each rider will need to register for the NEYC league. Then, each racer will need to register for each individual race during the season. This gives some flexibility in case a rider won't be able to make all six events. There will be an option to register for the entire series when you sign up and you'll get a free race if you take this option.

I'm interested, but I've never raced and I'm a little afraid, can I try it out?
YES! The Swamp Yankees and NEYC have places for everyone, regardless of skill, age, and experience. We'd love to have you on board! The NEYC registration will get you onto the team and make you eligible for everything the Swamp Yankees do. Since NEYC allows you to register per race, you don't have to commit to a whole season at once; once you are on the team you can register for races as you feel comfortable.

Please note, however, that NEYC registration is not refundable.

Practices

When do practices start?
Practices start in mid-March after daylight savings time. Depending on trail conditions, that might be the day after, or the week after. At the beginning of the season, practices are from 5:00 to roughly 7:00. As soon as we get more daylight, we will push it back to 5:30–7:30 ish.

What are practices like?
Practices are about two hours long and start with a short warm-up and stretches. One day a week is usually skills focused – we will do a demonstration of a particular skill with some short drills followed by a trail ride where we might session a couple sections to hone in on that skill. The other day each week is more of a longer endurance trail ride.

Where do you practice?
We practice in 5 general locations:

• Freetown HQ – 110 Slab Bridge Rd. Part of Freetown State Forest. This is where our “practice loop” is and where we start the season

• Copicut – Indian Town Rd., Westport, MA. Another section of Freetown State Forest. Small parking lot off of Bell Rock Rd. near the intersection of Copicut

• Assonet – another section of Freetown State Forest Google Maps link

• Village Park – 81 Main St., Swansea. Park behind the school

• Weetamoo Woods – 639 East Rd., Tiverton
  
  

What should I bring to practice?
Bike, helmet, shoes, water bottle or CamelBak, a snack if you want one, a phone if you have one.

What should I wear to practice?
Bike shorts, or comfortable shorts or pants that are athletic fit and not too baggy. Dress for the weather and it’s also good to layer – it is usually chillier in the woods, but you’ll also be sweating.

Racing

When are the races?
There are always 6 races and they are always on Sundays in May and June, with the exact weekends varying year by year. The race calendar is usually out by the time team registration opens up. Race registration opens up on April 1st for all races. Race registration closes the Wednesday before each race. The first 3 races, Senior Series races in the morning, and Junior Series races in the afternoon; the last 3 races, the order is swapped.

How do races, ages, & categories work?
Each NEYC event is a series of races along a 4-mile cross-country mountain bike course. Each racer races in a category based loosely on school grade, with the newest racers riding a single lap, then additional laps are added with more experienced and older riders. While there may be a couple groups on the course at the same time, they are close in age and ability, so there's no worry about older and younger racers passing out in the woods.

Our practices operate in a similar model, with multiple groups being led based on experience and ability.

How do I know what category I am in?
Your coach will make sure you are placed in the correct category.
There are two series: Junior series is for 5th–8th grade. Senior series is for 9th–12th grade. Within those series, there are different categories:

• Junior Series

  • JS4 – most beginner category, does one lap of the race course, mainly for first-year athletes/younger athletes

  • JS3/JSJV – both of these categories do two laps of the course, and they are split up after the 2nd race based on your results from the first two races – top 50% go to JSJV, bottom 50% go to JS3

  • JSVarsity – most advanced category, does 3 laps of the course
    
    

• Senior Series

  • HS3 – most beginner category, does two laps of the course

  • HSJV – next level up, does 3 laps of the course

  • HSVarsity – most advanced category, does 4 laps of the course
    
    

Do I have to race?
We do not require our athletes to race, however we do encourage everyone to try at least one race. If you’re not sure about racing, try coming to a race to just watch. If it’s really not your thing, we are happy to have you riding with us at practices and having fun on your bike – that is really what this is all about!

What should I bring to the races?
Bike, helmet, shoes, Swamp Yankees kit (jersey/shorts), race plate, water, food (you have to bring all your own food/water for the day – we usually have someone organizing team food items also, but there is no food/drinks available to purchase at the race venues).

What’s the deal with the race plate?
The race plate is how you are timed at the races. Each athlete gets one – the coaches will keep them for you and bring them to each race, but you are responsible to turn it back in at the end of each race!

Equipment

Do I need a jersey or kit?
Yes. NEYC requires all racers to wear their team jerseys. Jersey orders must be placed prior to registration.

What equipment do I need?
You'll need a helmet and a race-ready bike. What do we mean by "race ready"? There's no cut & dry rule, but generally speaking the bicycle must be a decent quality (big box store bikes may not work), have working brakes, and knobby tires. If you're not sure, please get in contact for more guidance.

What type of bike do I need?
You will need either a hardtail or a full suspension XC mountain bike. The main difference between these two is that a hardtail has suspension only in the front fork, and a full suspension also has rear shocks.

Support & Community

What other ways can I help support the Swamp Yankees?
Show your Swamp Yankee pride by sporting team swag around the races, your school, and your town!