Head Coach Ty Zwick Meets Riders Where They Are – and Helps Them Push Past Limits
Head Coach Ty Zwick has mountain biking in his blood. As a child, after watching his father compete in the Coyote Classic (now known as the Downieville Classic), Zwick knew mountain biking was the sport for him. “I saw him do [the Classic] and I wanted to do it. He was on a fully rigid bike and his hands were one big blister, but it lit a fire under me,” he said.
Born in Montana, Zwick grew up in Grass Valley and learned to ride at Empire Mine State Park. When he was first learning to ride, it took him almost a year to trust the hand brake when he transitioned from the coaster (foot) brake. He was afraid that the hand brake wouldn’t work and he would go careening down the hill. Zwick soon built up his confidence, riding with both the Union Hill and Nevada Union MTB teams, and developed his own love for the sport. “Cycling is freedom, especially when you don’t have a car,” said Zwick. It’s very healing and therapeutic. It helped me work through depression, providing moments of clarity.”
Zwick has been passing this love for mountain biking along to riders on the Miners MTB team for three years, and will spend one more season coaching the team. He has always enjoyed working with youth, previously serving as a camp counselor and even helping to start a youth mountain bike team in Montana.
With the kids, Zwick meets each athlete where they are, whether they want to just enjoy riding with the team, or move up in their race standings. “My goal is to create cyclists for life,” said Zwick. “If a kid comes in dead last every race, but is still enjoying cycling 20 or 30 years from now, I consider that a success.” He gets great satisfaction from teaching resiliency in the face of adversity. The advice he gives his riders works for racing, riding, and life in general: “Make a plan so you know what you are deviating from,” advises Zwick. “No plan is permanent. Start somewhere. Not knowing what you want to do is not a plan and it won’t get you anywhere.” Zwick’s superpower is (gently) pushing kids to where they think their breaking point is, and then pushing them through to where they can actually go, showing them their limitations are self-imposed. For some kids, this is life-changing.
Zwick speaks from experience when he talks about pushing through limits. When he isn’t on a bike, he might be ultra running, hiking, backpacking, or mountaineering. He recently completed a 200-mile gravel race on a tandem bike with his partner, Amy.
