Times have changed for kids on bikes. Years ago, there wasn’t a helmet in sight. We made dirt jumps in the woods, a manual was called “poppin a wheelie,” and we rode rusty, department store bikes that weighed almost what we did until the wheels fell off (which we left in the front yard when we were called home for dinner).

Today, helmets save lives and it is weird to see someone not wearing one. Some lucky kids are riding feather-light, thousand dollar bikes, and the roving bands of kids led by coaches, ride in (mostly) single file on the street, and spend their evenings advocating for better trail systems, better signage, and professional maintenance of the places they ride…(well, some of ‘em).

You don’t need us to tell you: youth cycling leagues in the U.S. are doing things right.

Look around in any community with a youth team, and you’ll see kids riding for joy, fun, and connection with other kids. There are urban cycling programs and programs for youth in Indigenous Nations communities. Bike parks and pump tracks have replaced backyard dirt jumps and riding on and off picnic tables at the local park. Kids on mountain bikes progress from pump track to green, blue, and black diamond trails, and help other kids along their path.

Our friends at NICA implement successful programs like the Teen Trail Corps, NICA Adventure, and Girls Riding Together (GRiT). These programs set kids up for healthy lifestyles, positive connections, and are unapologetically inclusive and affirming for all. Where thirty years ago, we were riding off rocks and dirt jumps in our backyards, today’s youth cycling athlete is learning sustainable trail maintenance and what it means to contribute to community outdoor recreation resources through service learning and service to community.

Learn About NICA Teen Trail Corps

These programs are in almost every U.S. state, and there are superstar young mountain bike advocates talking about and uplifting their unique perspectives, and working for more and better trails, mountain bike access, and inclusion of mountain biking in outdoor recreation planning.

Tommy, La Crescent, Minnesota (Wisconsin Interscholastic Cycling League)
Tommy Riffe is 13 years old. He lives in La Crescent, Minnesota and attends La Crescent-Hokah schools. When he’s not shredding with the La Crosse Area Mountain Bike Team, he stays active with school, karate, baseball, trap, skeet, and Boy Scouts. Tommy first experienced mountain biking at a YMCA summer camp, and was instantly hooked. He wanted more opportunities to ride, and his mom found the closest NICA team just across the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

Now, Tommy is leveraging his commitment, resources, and skills as a Boy Scout to bring more trails close to home for mountain bikers in La Crescent.

Tommy just earned his Life Rank in Scouting which means he’s ready to start working on an Eagle Scout project. Although identifying a project can be challenging, it was easy for Tommy: he wants to plan and design progressive flow trails and a bike skills park on six and a half underutilized acres owned by La Crescent-Hokah Schools. He reached out to IMBA several months ago to begin learning about the process and shaping the next steps.

Tommy is eager, and he has already completed some important steps. “As a Scout, we’re not allowed to work on an Eagle Scout project until the formal approval has been granted. It was hard to wait out. Every time we’d be at a NICA race or just traveling to other mountain bike areas, I’d get ideas and take notes. I started drawing ideas and coming up with trail names. But, it was just a dream. I talked with friends and people I know in the mountain biking community to ask questions because I had so many ideas in my head I just needed to know what was possible. Once I had a realistic idea of how I could make a project happen, I met with the City to see if they’d be interested. Then I went to the School Board to ask about the 6.5 unused acres. The School Board said “yes” and agreed to sign my Eagle Scout project proposal.”

Tommy submitted his project proposal to the Boy Scouts district office earlier this spring, and experienced the interview process. His project was approved.

Now that Tommy has formal approval to pursue his project, he’s going to work with IMBA to understand the process, and for help with concept planning and design. He is planning to prepare project design and process-related presentations to his School Board for approval, and to begin fundraising for his project.

Tommy’s advice for young mountain bikers who want to get active in their communities: 
“Just get outdoors and find a spot you like to be. Reaching out to your city and community is amazing. It feels good to do it, and typically they want to help. Building a bike skills park or trails isn’t impossible, but it is a game of patience. Find what your riding style is and go create it.”

Hear what is next for Tommy and his La Crescent Bike Skills Park as IMBA continues to follow his story.

Kaylie, Omaha, Nebraska (Nebraska Interscholastic Cycling League)
Kaylie McNeill grew up in a mountain bike family. She rides with the Papillion Area Composite Mountain Bike Team, plays travel ice hockey, runs track, and snowboards. She’s also a staff reporter for the student news site of the Papillion-La Vista South High School: the PLSouthside Scroll. As a writer, Kaylie covers topics that make a difference and affect the community.

Kaylie leverages her skills as a writer to put mountain biking in front of community leaders and engage folks who may have an interest in the activity, but haven’t yet dipped a toe into fun on two wheels.

Kaylie shared a bit of her life, uplifting experiences for mountain biking as a family in an article titled “Family Path Steers Toward Cycling.”

She also covered the new trails at Mandan Park in Omaha in a piece called “Trail Paves Positivity in Troubled Community.” Mandan Park in southern Omaha was created as a dedicated greenspace for the surrounding neighborhood to enjoy. Working with Trails Have Our Respect (@thor_trails), Police Athletics for Community Engagement (PACE), the City of Omaha (@omaha_parks), and many other community partners, IMBA Trail Solutions (@imbatrailsolutions) was brought in to reimagine and reclaim this original dream.

In 2022 and 2023, four miles of beginner-friendly trails and a dedicated skills area were added to the 18-acre park. IMBA is excited about our continued work helping steward more equitable access to trails across Omaha, and that young advocates like Kaylie are getting stoked about the outcomes.

Learn More About Mandan Park Trails

Whether through engaging organizations, local community leaders, and school district officials, or writing stories that uplift the profile of mountain biking and its contributions to healthy communities, youth advocates lean on their skills and connections to create more trails close to home and more kids on bikes. The future is in darn good hands.

Next Up: In September, we’ll bring you the real-life advocacy stories of two North Carolina Interscholastic Cycling Association athletes, Makayla and Lonnie. We’ll also feature a downloadable resource: Talking Points for Local Youth Advocacy - The Who, What and How. If you are a young person with a passion for mountain biking and a story to share, please reach out to IMBA’s Communication & Advocacy Specialist ([email protected]) and be a part of our blogs and social media for Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day 2024 this September and October!