We're the primary apparel provider for the largest high school mountain bike league in the country. That means every fall we watch a few hundred teams solve the same problems, and make the same three or four mistakes.
This is the kit list we'd give a first-year coach, in the order the decisions actually come up.
The race day kit
Jersey. A trail-cut jersey, not a road cut. This is the most common ordering error we see. A road jersey is slim, long in the rear hem, and built for a rider folded over drop bars. High school mountain biking is upright, athletic, and full of riders standing on the pedals and shifting weight on descents. A road cut feels constricting the moment they get out of the saddle, and the long tail bunches when they're not in an aggressive position.
Short sleeve is the default. A 3/4 sleeve is worth considering for teams racing in cool conditions or on courses with real brush — it covers the elbow without the heat of a full long sleeve.
Shorts. Two workable approaches. A liner short or bib under a baggy is what most riders prefer and what most of the league wears — the baggy takes the abuse, the liner does the comfort work. Straight lycra shorts work for riders who want them and are lighter, but they're a harder sell to a fifteen-year-old.
Socks and gloves. Cheap, worn every ride, and the fastest way to make a team look like a team. Sublimated socks in program colors do more for the group photo than another detail on the jersey.
That's the race kit. Everything else on this list is about the other 95% of the season.
The weather problem
This is where first-year programs get caught, and it's specific to the sport's calendar.
The season runs late summer into fall. A practice in August starts at 90 degrees. A race in late October starts at 35 and finishes at 60. Riders are at altitude, in the wind, going fast downhill and slow uphill, and the temperature they experience swings enormously inside a single ride.
You cannot solve that with one jersey. You solve it with layers that pack small:
Arm warmers and knee warmers — the highest-value items on this list per dollar. They roll into a pocket, come off mid-ride without stopping, and cover a 20-degree swing.
A vest. Blocks wind on descents, doesn't overheat on climbs. For fall mountain biking it's arguably more useful than a jacket.
A packable wind jacket for genuinely cold mornings and race-day staging, where riders stand around for 45 minutes before starting.
A base layer for late-season racing.
Programs that budget for jersey and shorts only end up with riders in cotton hoodies at the start line in October. The layering pieces are what make the season work.
Training and everyday gear
A tech tee or two for practice. Riders won't wear their race jersey to every training session, and you don't want them to — a jersey that's saved for race day still looks like race kit come championships.
A team hoodie. Worn more than anything else on this list, by riders and parents, on and off the bike, for years after. If the budget only stretches to one non-riding item, this is it.
A hat. Same logic. High visibility, long life, low cost.
A gear bag if the program travels together.
Sizing riders who are still growing
Two things are specific to this age group and both catch programs out.
Youth sizing is a different pattern family, not smaller numbers. A youth XL and an adult small have similar chest measurements, but the adult runs two to three inches longer in the torso with a wider shoulder. On a fourteen-year-old that means the shoulder seam drops off the shoulder point and the hem hangs past the hip. Our youth line is patterned separately for this reason. Check measurements against our sizing charts rather than converting from an adult size.
A high school roster spans an enormous range. You'll have a twelve-year-old in a youth medium and an eighteen-year-old in an adult XL on the same team, and both need to look like they belong to the same program. That's a normal order for us and it's worth confirming any supplier can run both pattern families in one job.
On sizing up for growth: it works on the jersey, which is cut loose anyway. It works badly on bibs and liners, which are compression garments — a bib a size too big does nothing useful. Order the jersey with a little room and the shorts true to measurement.
How to run the ordering
The thing that breaks down for coaches isn't the gear, it's the coordination — collecting sizes from thirty families, chasing payments through four different apps, and sorting a box the night before the first race.
That's the reason we build a storefront for each program rather than taking a bulk order. Riders and parents pick their own sizes, pay directly, and gear ships to them. The coach shares a link and sets a close date. No spreadsheet, no float, no sorting. You can see how it works.
Two timing notes specific to this season:
Open the store before the season, close it early. Enthusiasm peaks at the start, and production takes time. A window that opens in week three catches a fraction of the roster and delivers gear at championships.
Plan for late additions. Riders join after the roster is "final" every single year — it's the nature of a sport a lot of kids try for the first time in high school. Agree with your supplier up front what happens when a rider joins in week four, rather than negotiating it when it happens.
What programs consistently under-budget
In rough order of how often it comes up:
Layering pieces. Covered above. The single biggest gap.
A second pair of shorts. One pair means washing after every ride and riding in a damp chamois when the timing doesn't work.
Coaches and volunteers. A staff in matching gear at the start line signals an organized program, and it's usually four or five pieces.
Parent and fan gear. Families are going to buy a hoodie. Run it in the same store window and the margin comes back to the program.
Common questions
What does a high school mountain bike rider need to race?
At minimum a trail jersey, shorts with a liner or bib, gloves, and socks. Helmet and eyewear are separate and usually the family's purchase.
Should riders wear baggies or lycra?
Most high school riders wear a baggy over a liner short. It's the more comfortable option socially and it protects against brush and crashes. Lycra is lighter and some riders prefer it.
How early should a team order kit?
Start before the season, not during it. Between size collection, artwork approval and production, most programs should begin the conversation a couple of months out from the first race.
Can riders order individually instead of the coach placing one order?
Yes, and it's the better model for most programs. Each family orders and pays through the team store, and gear ships to them directly.
What about riders who join after the order closes?
Ask your supplier how they handle it before you place the first order. We keep artwork on file and build reorder windows in, because in this sport late additions are the rule, not the exception.
Setting up a program for next season? Send us your roster size and race calendar and we'll build the store around your dates.