Cool Bike-Related News!

Our former counselor, Marin's own super star, Savilia Blunk (not pictured above) continues to amaze and inspire in her professional racing career, with a super impressive second place finish at the MTB World Cup race in Brazil last month. Check out this interview to learn more about her training and get some tips for yourself. Many of our former campers and counselors go on to thrive in high school MTB racing, and continue their love of riding into adulthood, which we think is awesome!

Sunshine Bikes continues to be our go-to shop. Check out how they support local MTB racing by donating a bicycle to Archie Williams MTB team every year! For e-bike stuff, we love The New Wheel in Larkspur Landing.

Lastly, Marin Municipal Water District is piloting increased access for mountain bikes on some trails. Check it out here. We support responsible land use policies which preserve our watersheds, and increase connection and love for the land. Bravo!

Summer 2023 Registration Now Open!

These two notes have been on the wall since last summer. They are powerful reminders, and we like to look at them. When we started this camp over ten years ago, we set out to blend our love of biking with our experience as educators and parents. We hoped to get more kids on bikes, and more kids feeling confident and independent, all within a developmentally appropriate, safe and kind community on wheels. We are humbled and grateful that Fairfax Cycling Camp has touched so many young folks and their families, and are excited to recreate that magic again this summer!

If you’d like your child to experience some FXCC magic this summer, click here to go to our information page and register.

Summer 2023 will be our fourth year operating during the COVID pandemic, and while we still have some modifications in place, we are almost back to pre-pandemic normal. The day will run from 9:00 AM - 3:30, and beginners-advanced riders are welcome. Tuition is $545 per week, with an early bird discount of $30 applied to registrations prior to April 15. One soft and comfy camper t-shirt and snacks included. Lunches will be available to pre-order at a later date, but stay tuned!

Available Weeks Below:

Week 1: June 12-June 16

Week 2: June 19-23

Week 3: June 26-June 30

Week 4: July 10-July 14

Week 5: July 17-21

Week 6: July 24-28

We hope to see you and your camper this summer!

We Want YOU To Have a Riding Buddy!!

You may wonder, “Why does FXCC require a 24” wheel size and have an age requirement of 8 and up?” We’ll tell you why… Because we want YOU to have a riding buddy for life!

We’ve been running camp for over ten years, have raised our own two kids to be strong and competent cyclists, and we are educators and professionals who understand the importance of honoring children’s development.

We strongly believe that when kids’ development is not rushed, but when they are allowed to engage with their surroundings when they are ready, they experience much more success, which builds confidence. Over time, these experiences consolidate and become fortified, fostering joy, creating physical safety, and healthy self-esteem.

When we rush children before they are ready, they often feel unsuccessful, frustrated, and can even be unsafe.

Trust us. Trust the research. Wait until your child is ready and receptive. They will have a much better experience mountain biking, and YOU will have a riding buddy for life!

Lunches for Campers Now on Offer

This year, we are excited to offer parents the opportunity to purchase lunches through CampInTouch, provided by our friends, The Bruckners, at The Lodge, in Fairfax. We hope parents will enjoy the convenience of this, as we will be bringing the lunches to the park each morning for you! All orders for lunches must be made by the Friday prior to the start of camp, by 8:30 A.M. and cost $10 per day.

Lunch options include a sandwich (turkey pesto, turkey BLT, or vegetarian BBQ wrap) plus a side and will be purchased when registering your camper, or can be added on after registration by logging in to your CampInTouch account (if you’re a returning camper, or want to add lunch on, here’s the link).

You probably have seen the historic red building on your way into and out of town on Sir Francis Drake Blvd. The Bruckners have transformed The Lodge into a fun gathering spot with plenty of outdoor dining, great food, and yummy drinks. Plus, they have a bike mechanic on site, and offer demo bikes for rent. They also own Big Swingin’ Cycles in San Francisco. Stop by either location and get refueled or restocked.

Meet Carson

We are pleased to welcome Carson Benjamin to the FXCC family!

Carson is a life-long cyclist who grew up in Marin County. He holds a bachelor's degree from University of California, Santa Cruz, and a current middle school social science teacher in San Rafael.
We met Carson when he attended Sir Francis Drake High School (now Archie Williams), where he got his start in racing with the school’s storied team. Carson was a thrilling racer to watch, as he always left it all on the line, and raced with grit and panache. Racing was his pursuit for nearly a decade, and he took opportunities to travel the country to some of the most important races in the sport, earning many accolades and topping several podiums.

Besides being versed in racing, Carson has a wealth of experience instructing riders, and was an assistant coach of the Redwood High School mountain bike team from 2017-2019, head coach of the San Domenico mountain bike team in 2021, and an assistant coach of the Berkeley High team for 2022. He has also worked at several local bike shops as a mechanic.

Welcome, Carson!

Puzzling Our Way Through COVID

A favorite family puzzle completed!

As we embark on our third summer running FXCC during the COVID pandemic, we feel tremendous gratitude for your patience and support. So many of you trusted us with your children during the first two, mostly unvaxxed, seasons, which is humbling. We hope you will send your campers to us in 2022!

This summer, we are requiring all eligible campers and staff to be vaccinated, but due to the unknowns surrounding the many variants, we are choosing to run camp in the safest way we can, which includes social distancing and masking when appropriate. We will also adhere to current public health guidelines. 

In 2022, we are offering a two-week session (Session 1) from June 13-24. As there is always uncertainty with this virus, we decided to start the summer with a two-week long, stable cohort. We then will offer four single weeks. We found that many campers enjoyed the consistency of a multi-week experience, and grew tremendously as riders, so we anticipate that many riders will opt for Session 1.

Weeks 3-6 are single weeks, which will allow campers to drop in as their schedule suits. The single weeks also offer the opportunity for new, or intermediate riders to try FXCC and see if it’s their jam. After over ten years of camp, we are confident that many of our single week riders will have a blast, and opt to attend additional weeks.

The deets are as follows:

• Session 1 (two consecutive weeks): June 13-June 24

• Week 3: June 27-July 1

• Week 4: July 11-July 15

• Week 5: July 18-22

• Week 6: July 25-29

Session 1 tuition will be $990, and Weeks 3, 4, 5 and 6 will be $495 per week. Early bird discount of $25 ($50 for Session 1) applied to registrations received prior to April 15. One soft and comfy camper t-shirt and snacks included.

Summer 2021 Final Plans

After much uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have landed on our plans for summer 2021!

In addition to one, three week session with a stable cohort of staff and campers (Session 1), we have added two individual weeks (Week 4: July 12-16, and Week 5: July 19-23).

We found that last year’s three week cohorts were super fun! Kids got stronger and bonded more with each other and our counselors over the extended time period.

However, we recognize that some campers only want to try a single week, and with the lessening virus cases, we have decided to offer two individual weeks.

Since children will not be vaccinated by the summer, and due to the unknowns surrounding the many variants, we are choosing to run camp in the safest way we can, which includes social distancing and masking when appropriate. We will adhere to current public health guidelines. Many of us are already vaccinated, and we will be encouraging those not already vaccinated, to get vaccinated.

Thank you for your support and understanding!

The day will run from 9:00 AM - 2:30. Session 1 tuition will be $1,200, and Weeks 4 and 5 will be $435 per week, shirts and snacks not included.

Summer 2021 Update #2

Hello!

We hope that you and your family are doing well and staying healthy!

After much thought, consideration and consultation with (limited current) public health guidance and other, trusted camps, we are opting to hold camp this year in three week sessions for $1,200, just as we did in 2020. Session 1 runs from June 14-July 2, and Session 2 runs from July 12-30.

We had a great time last year, and the three continuous weeks allowed campers to get super strong and skilled, and us to form more supportive and cohesive groups than usual.

Schools and youth sports are reopening, but using strict cohorts of youths over time, to reduce the possible transmission of the virus. We are adopting the same model, as we believe it to be the safest and healthiest for all involved, especially since kids will not be vaccinated by this summer, and because there are several more virulent and infectious variants circulating. We take our responsibility to you and your family seriously, and we strive to provide the safest experience possible. There are just too many unknowns for us to resume our normal operations this summer.

If you’re game for 2021 fun, please log back in to your CampInTouch account here to update your child's registration and choose which three week session works best for your family. 

Please reach out if you have any additional questions, and know that you can always call Camp Minder and ask them for any technical support with your account. Their number is: (303)444-2267.

Thank you for your understanding and support.

We look forward to hitting the trails with your child!

Summer 2021 Update

Happy New Year! We hope this finds you and your family healthy and well.

We know this pandemic has been hard on you and your kids, and we want to provide an update to our plans for summer 2021.

Camp looked quite different last summer, and we are pleased to report that campers had a great time, and we were able to maintain safety, during the first summer of the COVID-19 pandemic. As we look toward the summer of 2021, we know we can again provide a safe and fun experience for our campers - within public health parameters.

Since there is still a ton of uncertainty about what camp will look like and how it will safely function, we have decided to try a different approach to our typical registration process by gauging parent interest and availability first, and building our camp around that - within current (closer-to-summer) public health guidelines. Tuition will be at our 2018 rate of $435 per week (if we can do one week camps), and last summer’s fee of $1200 for three-week sessions. No early-bird rates. We will collect payment down the road when we have confirmed these details. Phew! Did you get all of that??

So, if you have a sense of what your family’s schedule will look like this summer, we ask you to login to your account here, or go here to create your camp account, and “register” for the weeks you’d like. You can also check out our Summer Bike Camp page here for a listing of current weeks.

As summer draws closer, and as we have a clearer sense of what public health guidelines will be, we will reach back out to update and confirm your registration, and collect payment. We cannot guarantee you the weeks you choose now, but we will do our best, based on the many constraints within which we will be operating.

How might camp look? We really don’t know. We may have to operate three-week-long camps again, have strict, 12 rider cohorts, or we may be able to do one week camps and looser cohorts. Did we say we really don’t know?

Mostly, we want you to know that we are planning to have a camp in 2021, and that we are being as thoughtful as we can about all of the variables and needs we are managing - the safety of our community being paramount.

Thank you for your patience, and we hope to see you all on the trail (safely, with masks, and distancing, and maybe vaccinated!?) in 2021!

COVID-19 Site Specific Plans

Please find our Marin Recovers Site Specific Plans in the photos below.

Camp is Cancelled

This morning, we decided to cancel camp, and we issued you a refund. Please give our system one week for credit cards, and two weeks for echecks.

Why did we decide to do this?

Though the Marin County Health Department has issued new guidelines which would allow us to operate in a highly modified format (read more in the IJ here and our latest blog here), the Marin Municipal Water District is not issuing permits. We ride on MMWD lands almost every day, as they are the largest system with the best infrastructure, beauty and shade.

We appreciate and respect the guidelines coming from our public agencies, and believe it is in everyone's best interests to honor them in the face of the current pandemic. Safety during this time takes precedence over all else, and we believe that following rules designed to protect the common good is important modeling for our kids.

We also want your child to love cycling, and for you to have a riding buddy, and we believe that eking out a camp on the roads with minimal trail riding on non-ideal trails (steep, hot, no restrooms, no running water, etc.) for three consecutive weeks would not not be fun, and would jeopardize your child’s love for cycling.

This was not an easy decision to make, but we believe it is the right decision. Sometimes, the right decision is not the easiest decision.

What next?

There is a possibility that the MMWD will begin issuing permits if the health department relaxes the shelter-in-place. If that happens, we will re-open for as many three week sessions as we can, and email you immediately. Current registrants will have priority if this happens.

We do still have t-shirts, hats and hoodies, so email us if you're interested in purchasing any (watch for a future email about this).

We are sorry for any confusion and disappointment this may cause, and sincerely appreciate your ongoing support and trust.

In community,

Mitch and Eileen

May 24, 2020 Covid Update

Below is information we shared today with parents regarding FXCC’s operation this summer.

Dear Parents,

Thank you for your patience as we’ve struggled to figure out how to navigate these unprecedented times. The following email contains important updates to our potential operations, as well as several caveats we want you to be aware of.

We are confident that we can create fun, adventure-filled experiences for your child. That said, camp will probably best be suited to kids who have a certain love for being outside and a can-do spirit.

Updates

As expected, Dr. Matt Willis, Marin County Public Health Officer, released new guidelines for summer camps on Friday (link here). There are some expected changes (face covering, hand washing, social distancing), but one big surprise we want to let you know about.

While we were anticipating breaking camp into distinct groups of 12 kids with the same staff members, we are now required by law to offer camp to those groups for a "minimum of three weeks" (see item 6.4 in the link above). We have broken the summer into two three week chunks as follows: June 22 - July 10; and July 13 - July 31.

In addition, we also will be implementing the following safety changes to our off-the-bike time: we will not be meeting as a large group; playing any of our usual games in parks; snacks will need to come from home; and no trips to Good Earth for ice cream. We are working on a more extensive list of changes, which we will share with you next week.

Because of these changes to our operations, and the endurance required for all campers and staff to ride for three consecutive weeks with no breaks, we are shortening our day to 9-2. We will also charge a reduced rate of $1200 for one three week session.

Caveats

As of right now, the Marin Municipal Water District is not issuing permits until the SIP is lifted. We have asked for a special exception to this rule, and are awaiting information, which will probably come on Tuesday at the earliest.

If, at any time, Dr. Willis changes these guidelines and returns us to a more strict shelter-in-place, we will offer you a full (pro-rated) refund. We will ask you, however, to commit next week to the first three week block (or not), and refunds will not be available due to illness, change of heart, or the like.

Next Steps

If the MMWD issues our permit, we will email you right away and give you instructions for updating your child’s registration.

If MMWD does not issue a permit, we will issue refunds.

We ask you to think this over and decide if your child would enjoy participating under these new configurations. If not, we understand, and will provide a full refund. Please email us with the subject headline, “REFUND.”

We love witnessing the joy and confidence FXCC brings to our campers, and hope that under these new conditions, FXCC will still provide fond summer experiences (and memories) for your child.

Stay safe and healthy,

Cheer Drake MTB Team in Petaluma

Epic 35 mile ride on Coastal Trail. Click image for map.

If you haven’t been to a high school MTB race, consider coming up to Petaluma on March 21st to cheer on the Pirates. The races are truly spectacular events featuring a bicycle-themed festival atmosphere coupled with exciting racing stretching from morning - early afternoon, all in a beautiful setting. Check out the race flyer here, and the NorCal MTB website here.

This is our sixth year of involvement with the Drake High School MTB team as parents, and Mitch’s fourth year as a member of the coaching staff.

As parents, we welcome(d) any chance to spend time with our teenaged kids. As a rider, it’s a blast to get out with the team and cover a ton of ground in our gorgeous Marin backyard; a bonus for me is that many of the racers are former campers and/or students from Manor School.

Mountain biking brings a lot of benefits to our kids, including improved physical and mental health, an increased sense of healthy independence and confidence, to name a few. We feel honored to be part of this journey for so many kids and teens.

Hope to see you in Petaluma!

LeBron James on the Value of the Bicycle

In this article, LeBron James explains why he gave every student of the public school he's funded, the I Promise School, a bicycle. 

A bicycle represented freedom, James said.

"Me and my friends, when we got on our bikes, we would just ride," he recalled. "Sometimes we would even get lost, because we'd be gone for so long. But there was a sense of joy and comfort. There was nothing that really could stop us. We felt like we were on top of the world."

We couldn't agree more, Mr. James.

Bicycles Change Lives (2)

We came across this awesome, inspiring video yesterday about the East Side Riders Bike Club, "a volunteer organization in South Central Los Angeles with a mission to improve Watts through community service, charity work, and bike programs aimed at keeping local youth out of gang activity."

This all-volunteer, grassroots group teaches kids how to bike safely, provides helmets, teaches bike repair, and leads weekly rides. Please take a minute to watch the video, and show it to your kids. Their Facebook page is full of videos of their Friday night rides, bike repair classes and more. Consider a donation or purchasing some of their cool swag to support their critical work. 

Bicycles Change Lives

World Bicycle Relief is an organization which supports folks in the developing world through the transformative power of the bicycle. Click here to read more about them, and to watch the moving video about Tamara, a 12-year-old orphan who received a bicycle so she could complete her education. Consider a donation by clicking the red button at the top of their homepage. 

Ready for Summer?

Camp pup, Everett, is ready for summer!

With all of this sunny weather, it's hard to believe it's still winter, and even harder to believe that summer 2018 is just around the corner. 

Sign up by April 15 to grab our Early Bird rate of $435 per week here. 

During the last couple of years, we've had to turn away campers after selling out several weeks, so don't delay!

We are looking forward to seeing old friends and to making new friends. 

As always, feel free to contact us with any questions.

See you on the trail!

Is FXCC the Best Summer Camp?

The Pacific Sun Magazine is running its annual "Best of Marin" contest. Since so many of you have shared your positive experiences with us, we'd be honored if you'd vote for us by clicking here. 

You have to write us in under the Families and Kids section in the "Best Camp" area. Thank you for considering!

Moms Ride! And, Moms' Ride!

You've asked, and we've listened. 

This May 13, come out with your girlfriends and ride with us! 

Starting with our fun skills course and games, we will move on to a relatively easy ride at your pace. Optional catered lunch not included. 

Click here to register and email us with questions.

Win 1 Week of Camp + Support Kids

We are proud to be YES Business Partners and donors to the online auction again this year (in addition to the 4 weeks of camp we have donated elsewhere this year).

YES supports funding for arts programming (among other things) in the Ross Valley School District, which we are proud to stand behind. We believe art, music and PE are critical aspects of education for all children.

Go here to bid on your child's week of camp.