Urban youth hit the trail

Clinic teaches finer points of mountain biking

By MASON LERNER
Copyright 2003 Chronicle correspondent

Last year when the International Olympic Committee closed the door to Houston's Olympic dreams, many people lamented the time and money put into the failed effort to attract the most prodigious event in the world of sports. Yet, as the saying goes, every time one door is closed, many more open.

Recently, 55 inner-city children slalomed through one of the doors that was unknowingly opened by Houston's missed opportunity on mountain bikes provided to them by The Greater Houston Off-Road Biking Association. The children gathered at Sunnyside Park for the first ever Houston Sprockids Clinic.

The group partnered with Houston Parks and Recreation Department and the National Park Service to provide a mountain-biking experience to area kids at the site of the future Hill at Sims Bayou Park. This part of the park is what would have been the Olympic mountain bike venue had Houston's bid been successful.

The half-day course began with a bike safety class led by Greater Houston Off-Road Biking Association volunteer Dan Raine. Once the kids were brought up to speed on the essentials necessary to experience their first adventure in cycling, they were led in groups of five to seven through an outdoor course that allowed them to use their freshly learned skills.

Greater Houston Off-Road Biking Association events coordinator Keith Porter said that it was a true concerted community effort that made the clinic a reality.

The 12 volunteers who led the clinic took the time to fit each child with a safety helmet donated by British Petroleum. The kids each rode bikes the group purchased with contributions from various corporate sponsors, and Westside Bicycles allowed them to buy the bikes at cost.

Sprockids is a youth mountain biking program sponsored by the International Mountain Biking Association that traces its roots to Canadian British Columbia, according to its Web site, www.imba.com. After more than 10 years of spreading the rewards of mountain biking to the youth of North America, Sprockids finally made its way to Houston thanks to the efforts of volunteers like Porter.

If Porter has his way, Sprockids will soon become a mainstay in Houston, and many more inner-city kids will be exposed to mountain biking.

"We are working with Houston Parks to develop a continuing program," Porter said. "Our plans right now are to do another clinic in June."

Porter also stressed that the clinics are for children of all skill levels and mountain biking experience. He added that the enjoyment and exercise that the kids get at the clinics is all of the compensation that the volunteers need in return for working the clinics.

"There's nothing better than getting on the bike and riding on the trails. Just being outside in the fresh air and the woods, it doesn't get any better than that," Porter said. "The joy for all of us (the volunteers) was the smiles on the kids who participated.

"We had a few kids who had never ridden a bike before. We took special time and effort to teach them the finer points of riding. We have volunteers to lead and teach the most inexperienced beginners. Nobody should be afraid to give it a try."