Independence Youth Cycling

09/23/2026

📺 IYC on 6abc!

Earlier this summer, 6abc community journalist Nick Iadonisi reached out to learn more about Independence Youth Cycling. A few weeks later, he joined us at Pennypack for a combined practice featuring all six of our Pennsylvania Interscholastic Mountain Biking mountain bike teams: SoMont Abington, SoMont Cheltenham, SoMont East, SoMont West, Philly Wiss and Philly Pennypack. (National Interscholastic Cycling Association)

The resulting story captures what IYC has been building since 2016: a community where young people develop skills, confidence, friendships and a lifelong connection to cycling and the outdoors.

While IYC President John Raisch speaks for the organization in the segment, an army of dedicated coaches, volunteers and families makes this work possible. We’re grateful to everyone who has helped carry IYC into its 11th season—and to the young athletes who inspire us to keep building.

Thank you to Nick Iadonisi and 6abc Action News for spending an afternoon on the trails with us and sharing the IYC story!

Watch the segment: https://6abc.com/post/local-athletes-develop-lifelong-passions-atop-bikes-independence-youth-cycling/19832157/

The goal of Independence Youth Cycling is to develop lifelong passions atop bikes.

09/20/2026

🚵 One out of every five racers at the Battle at Belmont represented IYC—and more than half of our 40 student-athletes finished in the top ten!

Across our six teams:

🏁 40 racers and 40 finishers
🏆 2 race victories
🥉 8 top-three podium finishes
🔥 15 top-five finishes
💪 21 top-ten finishes

That’s an exciting start to our 11th season of mountain bike racing and team development across the greater Philadelphia region.

Read the complete race analysis and see every IYC result at the link below. 👇

https://independenceyouthcycling.org/2026/09/20/battle-at-belmont-iyc-results-analysis/

Photos from Coach Mike B.

08/13/2026

🚨 FREE CYCLOCROSS CLINIC — AUGUST 22! 🚨

Ready to try cyclocross? Want to sharpen your skills before race season? Independence Youth Cycling is hosting a FREE clinic for riders racing age 10–22 — and all experience levels are welcome! 🚴‍♀️💨

📅 Saturday, August 22
📍 Valley Preferred Cycling Center
⏰ Check-in: 9:30 AM | Clinic: 10 AM–3 PM

Registration required!
https://www.bikereg.com/youth-cyclocross-clinic-beginners-to-advanced-pb-independence-youth-cycling

We’ll break into groups by experience level and spend the day working on:

🏃 Run warmups + conditioning
🚲 Cyclocross skills + technique
🔥 Skills stations
🏁 Cross laps + relay races
💬 Racing tips, discussion + Q&A

Brand new to ’cross? Come on out. We’ll teach you the basics and help you get started. Experienced rider? We’ll have plenty to challenge you too.

🎒 Bring your cyclocross/gravel bike, helmet, riding gear, running shoes, lunch, snacks and plenty of hydration.

🇺🇸 This is a USA Cycling sanctioned clinic. Riders need a current USA Cycling race license or can purchase a $15 one-day beginner license during registration.

🙌 Huge thanks to PA Cycling for sponsoring the clinic and supporting our volunteer coaches — making the clinic itself FREE for riders!

07/23/2026

Trail work and stewardship aren’t just activities we add to the IYC calendar—they’re part of our identity. We ride these trails, so we also take responsibility for understanding, protecting and caring for them. 🌲🚲🛠️

That’s why we’re excited to promote a series of Appalachian Mountain Club trail-training events on our home turf at Pennypack Park! Learning through formal instruction from experienced AMC Trails Training instructors is powerful. It helps volunteers understand not only how to complete trail work, but how to do it safely, sustainably and correctly.

Upcoming Pennypack trainings:

🌿 Corridor Clearing Workshop
Saturday, July 25 | 9:00 AM–1:00 PM

🛠️ Corridor Clearing Workday
Wednesday, July 29 | 9:00 AM–12:00 PM

💧 Drainage Workshop
Saturday, August 1 | 9:00 AM–1:00 PM

⛏️ Drainage Workday
Wednesday, August 5 | 9:00 AM–12:00 PM

Curriculum includes:

🌱 Identifying common native and invasive plants

✂️ Proper brushing and pruning techniques

🪚 Safely bucking and limbing with handsaws

🍂 Managing cut materials and debris with minimal environmental impact

🌧️ Understanding how natural drainage and stormwater affect trails

💦 Restoring outslope and clearing blocked drainage features

⛏️ Constructing different types of trail drains

🔎 Identifying drainage problems and choosing the appropriate solution

Key program information:

🥾 Sturdy, closed-toe shoes and long pants are required.

💧 Bring at least one liter of water, snacks and a backpack.

☀️ Bring sun protection, bug spray and weather-appropriate layers.

🌧️ Trail work may continue in the rain unless conditions become dangerous.

⛑️ AMC provides hard hats, gloves and eye protection.

👨‍👩‍👧 Participants under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian for the entire event.

🙌 The training is beginner-friendly and no previous trail-work experience is required.

📝 Registration is required and currently open.

The series is presented by AMC in partnership Philadelphia Parks & Recreation and Pennypack Park Trail Advocates and is part of a two-year Philadelphia trail-training program supported by the William Penn Foundation.

Pennypack is home turf for IYC. Let’s keep building the knowledge and skills needed to take care of it!

➡️ View all four events and register
https://activities.outdoors.org/s/?keywords=phillytrailstraining

Philadelphia Parks & Recreation William Penn Foundation

07/23/2026

📸 Philly’s trails—through your eyes!

The City of Philadelphia is inviting young Philadelphians ages 12–22 to enter the Philly in a Photo Contest: Trails Edition.

Whether you ride, walk, run, explore or simply hang out on Philly’s trails, grab a camera or phone and show what those spaces mean to you. No photography experience is needed—first-time photographers are encouraged!

🏆 Prizes awarded in three age groups
🖼️ Finalist photos featured in a gallery exhibit
🎉 Opening party celebrating the finalists
📅 Submit your photo by September 1

Trails connect our neighborhoods, provide places to get outside and give young people a voice in shaping Philadelphia’s future. We know the IYC community sees some incredible places from behind the handlebars—let’s see what you capture!

Learn more and enter at https://www.phila.gov/programs/philadelphia-trail-plan/

🚲🌳📷

Philadelphia Department of Planning & Development Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia

07/21/2026

05/20/2026

Philadelphia Cycling Classic is back, and IYC is proud to support Guy’s Racing Club at the PCC Amateur Time Trial. 🚴‍♀️🚴🏾‍♂️

Join us on Saturday, August 29 on MLK Drive for a fast, fun day of racing in Philly.

This one’s got something we love to see — junior categories, local racing, and a great connection between youth cycling and the broader Philly bike community.

📍 MLK Jr. Drive / Schuylkill Banks Pergola
🕘 9:00 AM start
📏 8.0 miles, out-and-back to Falls Bridge
📝 Pre-registration only
🎟️ BikeReg

Big thanks to Guy's Racing Club for helping make it happen. 💪

Learn more and register here:
https://www.philadelphiacyclingclassic.com/time-trial

05/14/2026

Pennsylvania Interscholastic Mountain Biking's Teen Trail Corps is coming to Philly's Pennypack Park! 🌲🛠️🚲

Join local SEPA Pennsylvania Interscholastic Mountain Biking teams and coaches for a 1-Day TTC Camp focused on real trail work, hands-on learning, and getting dirty for the places we ride.

Register on Bikereg - it's free!

https://www.bikereg.com/teen-trail-corps-day-camp-2026

📍 Pennypack Environmental Center — Verree Road
🗓️ Sunday, May 17
⏰ 9:00 AM–Noon
✅ Log 3+ Teen Trail Corps hours

We’ll cover:

🛠️ Trail work for all experience levels

🌧️ Drainage, shaping, and sustainable trail care

💪 Tool use and trail-building techniques

🤝 Teamwork, mentorship, and real-world stewardship

🚲 Maybe even a little ride time if the dirt gods allow

Open to rising 6th–12th grade student-athletes, returning NICA riders, coaches, adult volunteers, future coaches, and trail stewards.

Local teams — we’d love to see you out there too: Lower Bucks Youth Mountain Bike Team, Lower Merion Trailblazers composite MTB team, AIM Academy Mountain Bike Club, Bicycle Coalition Youth Cycling, SoMont Cycling Youth Mountain Bike Teams, Philly Wiss Youth MTB Team, Philly Pennypack

Come dig with us!

Let’s build the trails we ride.

05/14/2026

We love it when a bike plan comes together. 🚲💥

Yesterday, IYC donated bikes and gear to AMY at James Martin in Port Richmond to help grow their school bike program.

Huge shoutout to Coach + Teacher Tim Dickson — Guy's Racing Club member, longtime Philly bike rider, and the energy behind the school’s successful bike program.

This is the Philly bike network doing what it does best:

IYC + Guy’s Racing Club + AMY James Martin School = more kids on bikes.

05/06/2026

A big high five 🙌🏼 to the new riders who came out to our Try It Ride tonight and an enormous thank you to all the coaches who supported it!

Great to see all the new smiling 😊 faces!