Interested in learning more? Sign up for Updates »
NICA (pronounced NYE-cah) uses mountain bikes as a tool to build strong minds, bodies, character, and community.
We believe bikes are powerful tools to build strength, resilience, and character within a supportive community. Through local teams, trained coaches, and world-class events, NICA helps young people thrive both on and off the bike – building confidence, leadership, friendships, and making the world a better place.
There are no tryouts, and no sidelines! Everyone rides and trains together in a supportive team environment.
More and more studies are highlighting the dangers of a screen-based childhood. NICA’s programs eschew virtual for reality: we get kids off screens, outside, active, and connected – to each other and to their own mind, body, and confidence. Plus, our programs provide the unique and undeniable benefits of sunshine, fresh air, and time in nature:
Where many sports struggle to include every young person, NICA is built to welcome and engage all. Inclusivity isn’t an afterthought—it’s a core value that sits at the heart of everything we do. Guided by leading sports research, our programs give kids age-appropriate, fun, and supportive experiences that build community, confidence, and a lifelong love of riding.
From supportive parent volunteers to coaches who ride along with teams, NICA welcomes the entire family to participate in ways that are unrivalled by other youth sports. The result: relationship building, positive culture, and a cycling community that can't be beat.
NICA’s model rejects the “up or out” approach common in many youth sports. We don’t push kids toward burnout or make them feel they have to chase elite performance to belong. Instead, we meet every rider where they are, listen to their goals, and help them discover the joy of riding—so they build a lifelong love of cycling and staying active.
NICA’s introduction into Canada is grounded in collaboration, respect for the existing sport systems, and a shared belief that more young people deserve access to positive, inclusive cycling experiences.
Over the past 4 years, we’ve worked alongside Canadian partners to understand the landscape, build alignment, and co‑create an approach that strengthens youth mountain biking in Canada. The result is a collaboration-first, made-in-Canada approach that adapts NICA’s mission, vision, and values to the Canadian landscape.
NICA Canada introduces a new team-based model for youth mountain biking built around local teams, trained coaches, regular practices, and community-supported events. By focusing on participation, belonging, and personal growth, NICA creates opportunities for young people to discover cycling in a way that complements existing club, recreation, and performance pathways.
Working alongside Cycling Canada, Provincial and Territorial Sport Organizations, clubs, coaches, and community leaders, NICA Canada helps create more entry points into the sport while building stronger cycling communities across the country.
The partnership between NICA Canada and Cycling Canada ensures that NICA’s proven youth development model is aligned with Canada’s broader cycling ecosystem. Rather than replacing existing programs, NICA Canada works alongside provincial and territorial sport organizations, cycling clubs, and national performance initiatives to strengthen the youth development pathway.
NICA introduces a new way for young people to engage with cycling through community-based teams, trained coaches, regular practices, and inclusive experiences that prioritize fun, personal growth, and belonging.
First experiences on a bike. Learn fundamental skills and discover the joy of cycling.
Team-based youth mountain biking focused on fun, friendships, skill development, confidence, and community.
Discipline-specific training, racing, and ongoing participation through local cycling clubs.
Provincial, national, and high-performance programs for athletes pursuing competitive goals.
By providing a clear next step after Cycling Canada’s Hop On program, introducing a new way for young people to engage with cycling, and providing a bridge to existing club and performance programs, NICA helps more young people stay engaged in cycling for life. Whether their goal is recreation, competition, coaching, volunteering, or high-performance sport, every young person has a place in the Canadian cycling community.
Supported by an aligned coach development pathway, this partnership advances Cycling Canada’s long-term Playground to Podium vision for youth sports.
Together, we’re building a stronger future for cycling in Canada, one rider, one coach, and one community at a time.
NICA teams are where the experience comes to life. NICA is built on a strong foundation of local team practices, where riders connect with friends while exploring nearby parks and trails. Beyond riding, NICA’s Teen Trail Crew program empowers participants to give back by maintaining trails and advocating for greater access, helping ensure these spaces remain vibrant for the community.
The season is shaped by local riding opportunities and community connections. In regions with an active NICA League, teams can participate in league-supported festival weekends and events. Elsewhere, NICA teams can participate in existing rides, races, and community events as a NICA team, ensuring athletes have meaningful opportunities to ride, connect, and grow regardless of where they live.
To start, NICA teams may be established within Ontario and Quebec, where NICA Canada can provide direct support and build a strong foundation for growth. As NICA expands, new regions will be developed in partnership with Provincial and Territorial Sport Organizations, ensuring local alignment and a high-quality experience for athletes, families, coaches, and volunteers.
Starting a NICA team is the first step toward creating new opportunities for youth riders in your area.
NICA Leagues provide dedicated local staff, leadership, infrastructure and events to a region. They help build awareness of NICA through local events, support the founding of teams, deliver coach education and host world-class festival-style race events for NICA teams from across the region.
The first NICA League in Canada will launch in the Ottawa-Gatineau region in 2027, creating a foundation for future League growth across the country. Ottawa-Gatineau is the ideal starting point for NICA Canada with an active youth population, incredible trail networks, a strong cycling community, and a bilingual culture that reflects Canada’s diversity. Years of collaboration with local leaders, Ontario Cycling, and the FQSC has built momentum in the region, creating the perfect foundation for Canada’s first NICA League.
As NICA grows, additional leagues may be established through partnerships with Provincial and Territorial Sport Organizations, helping bring the NICA experience to more communities across Canada.
A NICA Canada season is designed to help young people build skills, confidence, friendships, and a lifelong connection to cycling. Through local teams, trained coaches, and a supportive community, athletes progress through a season that balances learning, personal growth, family time, and exciting riding experiences.
Every kid belongs on a NICA team! NICA provides team-based cycling experiences for youth ages 12 to 18, creating opportunities for young people of all abilities to ride, learn, grow, and connect through cycling. Youth athletes participate through local NICA teams, where they ride together throughout the season, develop skills, build confidence, and take part in events focused on fun, growth, and community.
No tryouts. No bench – just bikes, trails, and a rad team cheering you on.
In addition to a local team experience, NICA athletes can enjoy:
Participation in NICA’s Teen Trail Crew, a program that teaches stewardship and advocacy to help promote and maintain local trails to keep them great for everyone
Our GRiT (Girls Riding Together) community and programs, which bring more girls and women into the sport
Opportunities to thrive via both competitive and/or non-competitive outdoor experiences on two wheels
NICA Canada is launching through a phased regional growth strategy. Initial team development will focus on Ontario and Quebec while NICA Canada works alongside Provincial and Territorial Sport Organizations to build a sustainable pathway for future expansion across Canada.
The best time to get involved is now. Whether you’re interested in starting a team, becoming a coach, volunteering, or attending an upcoming event, you can help shape the future of youth cycling in Canada.