Collin: TTC to me, is a way to get students involved in the cycling community as a whole, through trail building and maintenance. It’s also a great opportunity to get students involved in trail advocacy. Off road cycling and mountain biking will completely go away if the next generation of cyclists don’t step up and get involved in taking care of trails.

Travis: I see TTC as an opportunity to take students out and let them see the work it takes to maintain the environment that they need in order to ride, race, and enjoy cycling. Hopefully they see the work that it takes, and really light a fire in the next generation. It is also a way to get more youth working on trails as opposed to older generations, who will at some point have to stop working.

Collin: I use donuts, breakfast tacos, and satisfaction of work to get my team out and working. You also get to know your team better, because you have time to talk when you’re not on trails trying to ride. We try to provide the same race weekend fun feel. Our team also gets to interact and build relationships with the local cycling community and trail stewards.

Travis: I encourage students to work by providing workdays in normal practice hours. I also offer to work and build new trails, which gives the team a new place to ride. Additionally, trail work hours count towards community service hours. These hours can be used for both high school credits, and NHS hours.

Collin: College Station Composite works with BVMBA (Brazos Valley Mountain Bike Association) and many other cyclists in the Brazos Valley area to advocate at the city council meetings. This year our team was able to attend a city meeting on National Cycling Day to advocate for more trails in College Station.

Travis: At Hays County Composite we work with Kyle Trail Coalition and Austin Ridge Riders although most of their work happens in North Austin. Our team has also had the privilege of working with Forest Creek Ranch to help with their trails, in exchange for riding or a day pass.

Collin: I love seeing my completed work and the sense of accomplishment you feel when you are done with the trail work.

Travis: I really like being outside, have a goal and seeing yourself complete it. I also like seeing the path you created, and the concrete results at the end of the day.

Collin: Keep safety at number one and have goals. Don’t just show up at the trailhead and say, we’re going to go fix some stuff. You would be so much more effective if you said we are clearing from here to here, or today, we are working on these 3 features. Also, get with whomever is responsible for the trials you will be working on, usually the landowner, and make sure you are working with whatever their rules and guidelines are. If you say we are trimming points a-b and you get out there and points a-b were trimmed last week by the landowner, then you have to pivot, but if you make a plan with the landowner, you will be good. A little planning up front goes a long way. After work, try to have lunch, go for a ride, offer snacks, or play a few games. Make sure it’s not all work, but you also have some fun.

Travis: I use incentives such as food or a physical reward.  Know your group, but also challenge your group. Oftentimes we think of student athletes as kids. If you get a group of kids together, they can accomplish some amazing things. Sometimes if you put a tool in the student athlete’s hands and explain how to use it properly, they can get a lot done. Maybe this student hasn’t really been trusted in the past, sometimes that independence is all they need. They need to be trusted, not just told to pick up those sticks and move them. So, give the student athletes responsibility and choices. 

Collin: It’s more fun to ride a trail that you can see, you’re not getting hit in the face with branches, and your ankles aren’t getting scratched by vines. When trails are good, you are able to ride your bike better. Trails that are in better condition stay in shape, because they have better drainage systems. It is also less damaging when you are able to ride on the trail instead of trying to ride around a hole, or a bump. This also helps with a better view of cycling from the people that run, hike, and walk those trails. Instead of them thinking that they are always being run off the trail by cyclists, they are more likely to think, oh, cyclists do care, they are keeping the trail clean for everyone.

Travis: Safety, also when you are doing or teaching work, make sure you are cutting everything back to the base of the tree, or below the riding surface, that way if someone were to fall, no one gets hurt on pointy things sticking out of a tree or the ground. If the trails are in good condition, you don’t have to duck/tuck in, you’re not picking up ticks, getting into poison ivy, and you can see if there are any dangerous animals coming onto the trail.  Trails that are in good condition also help in restoring the land and environment.

Collin: As the Teen Trail Corps Coordinator, I am hoping to make TTC more widely known and supported. I would also like to see a better spread of hours over our student athletes. I would love to see more kids putting in a few hours, rather than 25% of kids putting in 100 hours.

Travis: At Hays County, we are planning on more TTC practices early on in the season, creating more trails closer to the team and student athletes, and getting more kids, coaches and team supports out so that the hours are more evenly spread over the team.

Collin: I love to work with an axe and spade combination. It provides great versatility on the trail. I also like to use a set of clippers to trim and cut the trail.

Travis: Personally, I really like using a mcleod because it’s a great rake, and it can be used to compact the trail. A foldable saw is also very helpful and can be carried in a backpack.