Switching it up

In a sport that requires plenty of self-motivation, Luke Ramseth is accustomed to blazing his own trail. Ramseth did just that as he rode his way to the Freshman Division title at the Northern California Mountain Bike Racing League Championships last month despite not having the support of a team.And now he's switching gears, hoping for more success on his road bike. Ramseth, who just finished his freshman year at Colfax High, will compete at next weekend's prestigious Nevada City Bicycle Classic.Ramseth was on dirt trails for most of the spring. He trained with the Nevada Union Independent mountain bike team, which won the NorCal Division I championship last month, but as the lone representative from Colfax, Ramseth competed on his own. He edged Bear River's Vincent Sherman, the lone Bruin in the league, to win the Freshman Division crown."I didn't expect to do it," Ramseth said of winning the race. "It wasn't really, really tough as compared to some road races, but it was definitely hard."Ramseth made the NorCal Mountain Bike season seem relatively easy. He won his first three races in the Freshman Division, took second in his fourth race and won his final one - the championship race at Folsom Lake.Debra Little, who coaches the Nevada Union team, was thoroughly impressed with Ramseth not only for his riding talent, but also his attitude and mental approach to cycling."Luke is probably the strongest freshman mountain bike racer that I've ever seen," Little said. "He's got tremendous natural talent, but he's also super-motivated and very focused for a kid his age. I was just getting to know him at the beginning of the season and he just proved himself over and over again."Ironically, Ramseth and Sherman, from the rival Bruins, could wind up being teammates next season. The two schools plan on combining to compete as a Division II team in the NCMBL next year. Ramseth is hoping to drum up some support for the sport, which has slowly grown in popularity over the past few years."I'm hoping to get something going," Ramseth said. "I know there's a few people that ride (at Colfax), so hopefully we can get a team."This summer, Ramseth is switching his attention to the road. He finished fourth in his division at last year's Nevada City Classic and he's looking to do even better this year in the junior 15-16 division. The race is a 40-minute criterion-style race."It's really competitive," Ramseth said of the historic race, which winds through downtown Nevada City and features a brutal hill climb. Cycling legends like Greg Le Mond of Reno, and Lance Armstrong have competed at the Nevada City Classic over the years. Ramseth has a ways to go to reach the level of those all-time greats, but he's not putting limits on where his cycling career could take him."I'd like to maybe eventually get a scholarship or ride in college or even go pro," said Ramseth, who has been riding between 150 and 200 miles per week in preparation for the Nevada City Classic.Whether it's on the mountain trails or the blacktop, Ramseth seems to excel if he's on two wheels. He said he prefers mountain biking at this stage of his career, but that's mostly because he has more experience in that arena."I like both," Ramseth said. "I like mountain biking a little more, but I'm just getting into road." Little said it will be fun to see Ramseth progress over the coming years as he begins to compete at higher levels"He's done a lot of road training, which is more individual, mature-level riding for his age and that does require more self-discipline and motivation," Little said. "He's a really good kid. I'm excited to see where he goes."