Coach Supporters

Committed to giving back to the cycling community that sustains him, John volunteers as a Coach Supporter for the Oakland Composite High School Mountain Bike Team, Piedmont High Mountain Bike Team, and supplies a training plan and advice to several teams in the Norcal Interscholastic Cycling League. He has also served as director of the Junior Program at Hellyer Velodrome, a co-director of the Earlybird Training Series, and as a coach at USA Cycling Junior Talent ID camps.
Based in Marin County, John enjoys long trail rides and runs, as well as rock climbing and bike park sessions with his family.

My name is Dylan Renn and I  have been passionate about mountain biking since I was 6 and it has only grown deeper over the years. My love for the sport expanded into racing and then into a professional coaching career. I started to race when I was 13. My early years racing were predominantly cross country for the most part with hill climbs mixed in. As soon as gravity racing started I jumped on board and raced downhill until 2005 transitioning into the pro category. I ventured into racing dual slalom and more recently Enduro as a masters pro. I still race on and off but mostly the past 12 years I’ve transitioned from being a professional athlete to being a professional mountain bike coach. I now own a mtb skills coaching business called A Singletrack Mind.

With understanding the value in training I continue to grow as a coach. With ongoing certifications with the highest level of training through BICP, USA Cycling, NICA, WFR and Betterride, I know learning  never stops.  In 2009 I became a Betterride certified coach and started coaching for my good friend and founder Gene Hamilton as his head coach as well as co-coaching several clinics with world champion Greg Minaar.  As Betterride slimmed down in 2015, I started A Singletrack Mind and offer skills clinics for all ages and levels of riders all over the west coast. 

For 2 consecutive years I worked as the skills coach and head coach for a private high school MTB team. This team finished third in state despite that they were one of the smallest teams in division 1. Their smiles were big and their progress was infinite. Later on I became the head coach and skills coach for several other youth, collegiate, corporate and club teams.

Even as a coach  I still break bicycles on occasion. Being a UBI level 1 and 2 grad  I have a detailed understanding of the mechanics of the bike and fortunately can remedy any failed mechanical issues that frequently occurs in the sport. Besides the technicalities of the bike, really, I enjoy coaching because it gives me a chance to share what I have learned as a rider over the years and as a student. I now spend most of my weekdays and weekends coaching full time rather than racing and I find that it is far more satisfying to see others progress.

My coaching style is a hands-on rider-to-rider approach. I explain, demonstrate then have each rider go through each lesson by applying the skills in varied terrain. The process of improvement is unique to each of my students, but in general, it’s a process of becoming aware, correcting errors and setting personal goals for each rider.  With  all riders and especially the young ones, congratulations are always included to keep them having fun and learning.  I do video analysis as well as take notes on their riding style and improvement. I believe as a teacher it’s my responsibility to provide an environment which will not intimidate the riders so as to help them progress safely and confidently.

Adventure has always been my drive. Snow and water sports were my outlets growing up until I had a bad injury snowboarding. After 6 months of mostly bed rest after multiple surgeries my need for adventure was overwhelming. With the snow season past and my shoulder not ready to be pulled by a boat or surf I felt a need for something new. If I couldn’t be snowboarding through the trees I could learn to mountain bike through them. It just happened to be my birthday. I asked my amazing, super supportive husband for a mountain bike. I wasn’t surprised that he wanted to talk to my orthopedic surgeon first. That all led up to finding my hidden passion for bikes and the most incredible community of friends to come with it. As grateful as I am to have found my passion I wish that came earlier in my life. I could have definitely used another positive outlet in those teen years through high school. My coaching goals now are to not only give the outlet of adventure, stoke, passion, freedom, mental health, connection and friendships but to create lifelong confident cyclists.

“I was first introduced to mountain bikes while on a family vacation during high school, long before the Norcal League; Since then, I’ve been hooked. I worked on and off in the bicycle industry for most of my career, which is how I became involved with the league. For ten years, I worked as the Community Engagement Manager for Mike’s Bikes, a top-level sponsor of Norcal, attending each race as the neutral support mechanic. Over the years, I became increasingly involved with the league by coaching and ultimately managing Norcal League summer camps, joining the Race Crew, producing video content, and becoming a coach trainer. As someone who started mountain biking in high school without a league to participate in, I am motivated to help grow the sport and encourage our youth to join the community.”