OAKLAND — Long considered a largely European endeavor, cycling has taken off in recent decades in other parts of the world. One form of the sport, mountain biking, has even begun to make its presence felt at the high school level.

Amid all this, we also find some talented and intense cyclists. These include two connected to the Oakland Composite High School Mountain Bike Team: Matthew Tracey-Cook and Keegan Pfeiffer — team co-captains in 2015 — who both have huge prowess in the sport.

Pfeiffer, a senior at Oakland School for the Arts, looks to continue with the sport at the collegiate level. Tracey-Cook, meanwhile, is priming for an elite professional career.

“He’s now moving to the road, which is kind of a natural progression,” Oakland Composite assistant Scott Steinwert said of Tracey-Cook’s career trajectory.

For both riders, Oakland Composite served as a valuable kind of launchpad.

“I have loved mountain bike riding since I was in elementary school, and my involvement in Oakland Composite has been excellent for my growth as a cyclist,” said Tracey-Cook, a senior at Bishop O’Dowd High School. “I began racing with Oakland Comp in high school and learned to appreciate the training and competing side of the sport.”

In June, USA Cycling named Tracey-Cook to compete in the Junior Men’s division at the 2016 International Cycling Union Mountain Bike Championships that took place from June 28 through July 3 in the Czech Republic.

For Tracey-Cook, Europe had its pratfalls, as an accident there resulted in a broken arm, leaving him unable to compete in the championships. But that proved only a minor setback in an otherwise great year and promising career.

“It was still an incredible experience racing overseas against some incredibly hard competition,” said Tracey-Cook, who also had competed in some earlier events while in Europe.

Tracey-Cook’s success comes as little surprise to those back home.

“(He was) a state champion as a freshman and moved up to varsity as a sophomore,” Steinwert said. “He took his racing up a notch and went to Bear (Development Team) Racing. USA Cycling tagged him to do a few races in Europe to see how he would do on the world level. He held his own, but he crashed in the Czech Republic.”

This misfortune aside, Tracey-Cook still impresses with his all-around cycling skills.

“He is a great kid,” Steinwert said. “On the bike, he’s amazing. His fitness level as far as racing on hills is very high. His bike-riding skills are way up there too. He’s the full package.”

In November, another transition became official for Tracey-Cook, as he joined the Herbalife 24 team for the 2017 season.

Still, Oakland Composite at remains in the heart.

“I plan to stay involved with Oakland Comp,” Tracey-Cook said. “My best friends are on my high school team, and this group really got me started in bike riding and racing. I love to ride and hang out with everyone on the team, and hopefully I will have time to take on a leadership role this year, leading some rides and helping out.”

Pfeiffer, for her part, so impressed company officials at Santa Cruz-based women’s mountain bike maker Juliana that they chose her as a brand ambassador earlier in her high school career.

On the trail, Pfeiffer brings intensity and determination to Oakland Composite. She also produced video footage for the team’s website and has earned further respect as a huge mountain biking advocate.

“A great kid, an ambassador for biking,” Steinwert said. “She’s raced varsity and been to state. She’s trying to get girls into what has been largely a male-dominated sport.”

Those looking to join Oakland Composite — or any high school or composite team, for that matter — need look no further than Pfeiffer as an ambassador for the sport.

“I started riding as a freshman in high school — I was inspired to join Oakland Composite after a friend brought me to the movie ‘Singletrack High,’ ” she said. “I went out the next week to get a mountain bike and started a journey that would change my life. Riding with Oakland Composite didn’t just make me stronger physically; I became a happier and more confident person as well. I found a family in Oakland Composite and a larger community in the NorCal League.”

Like Pfeiffer, many cyclists would like to continue with the sport beyond high school. But most universities, if they offer cycling at all, have it as a club sport.

“There are several colleges that have mountain biking and cycling programs,” Steinwert said. “UC Santa Cruz and Fort Collins in Colorado are a couple. But they don’t have scouts out offering scholarships.”

Pfeiffer, for her part, remains resolute.

“I am currently planning on attending UC Santa Cruz next year if I am accepted,” she said. “I would join the team there and continue racing throughout college.”

After all, the sport has a kind of infectious quality.

“I’ll always be a mountain biker in high school, college and beyond,” Pfeiffer said.

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FYI

The Oakland Composite High School Mountain Bike Team will hold its team meeting and sign-ups for its 2017 season at 3 p.m. Sunday at the National Interscholastic Cycling Association headquarters, 2414 Sixth St., Berkeley. For more information, go to http://www.oaktowncomp.com/contact or e-mail the team at oaklandcompositemtb@gmail.com.

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