They Can Smell Your Fear: Folsom High Night Ride

Coyotes, even mountain lions, can stalk the American River Parkway at night but the creature you must truly fear – the creature you must never allow to sense your panic – is Pubescent Humanus Americanus: the red-blooded American Teenager.

Yet there I was about to fulfill my very first turn ever as a ride leader; on a bike I hadn’t taken offroad since the Clinton Era, with an untested new light, on a trail that I had never ridden before at night, facing a group of teenagers I had never before met. I could only hope that some greater power would take pity on me this night and that I would make it through somewhat whole. (Or at least able to drive home afterwards.) How had I ended up here? Let me tell you….

Last year (as mentioned in an earlier blog) I began mountain bike racing. I found out about the Folsom High School Cycling Team (mountain bike racing) and volunteered to become a ride leader. I went through the ride leader training course, I got my volunteer paperwork from the school, I took the TB test and I even took a CPR class.

I am furiously trying to get the Bontrager ready in time

When I initially signed on I had thought that I could have my mountain bike in working order or I would somehow be able to replace it. Neither turned out to be the case and as my last minute attempt to get my mountain bike up to the task failed -YET AGAIN!- I found myself scrambling to beg or borrow a suitable bike. This too failed but I would not give up! I made a promise that I would be there for those kids - the future lifeblood of tomorrow’s cycling community- <violin solo>  and if I had to jerry rig my old Bontrager to do it then it would be so! I ended up stripping the tires from  my mountain bike (dubbed “Angus” by my wife) and put them on the Bontrager (cleverly dubbed “Bontrager” by myself). With minutes to spare I packed up my gear and bike into the mini-van (named “NYT FURI” by the personalized plates ordered by my wife as her Christmas present, yeah, I don’t get it either…) and hustled away to my appointed duty.


Coach speaks at the Folsom High Cycling Team meeting




I arrive in the parking lot to find cars, mountain bikes and teenagers everywhere. The brisk night air was filled with the sounds of the clicking of gears, the slamming of car doors and the familiar clanking of car racks being emptied.

“Coach” (Jason McMillen) called everyone together for our mission briefing. Both Folsom High School and Vista Del Lago High School were represented with an estimated total of twenty-five students and eight adult ride leaders. Courses and riders were assigned and I ended up leading a group of riders from Vista Del Lago who were not experienced with night riding. My partner rider leader for the group was the Vista Del Lago cycling coach who decided to ride sweep and left me to head the pack. (I believe that I was assigned to go in front to lure away larger night predators from the kids.)  

We primarily stuck to the paved trail itself –luckily for the Bontrager, only about a third of the ride ended up being offroad-  and we deliberately rode an easier pace to let the young riders get accustomed to night riding. The small hairs on the back of my neck could detect the stares of young men chomping at the bit to go faster, like colts ready to spring from the racing gates, or perhaps I was just feeling the nuclear reactor that fueled one guy's NiteRider 700 Lumen light. My excitement at having my first opportunity to try my NiteRider 250 was quite literally shadowed. Tonight was all about lights as our main mishaps included one rider’s lights running out of juice mid-ride and another’s light fell off of his bike. Luckily, all of us emerged unscathed in the end and I survived THE NIGHT RIDE. <Insert movie guy voice here.>