DEVO

Visit the official DEVO website at durangodevo.com

History of Devo:

Devo was the brainchild of local professional racers Sarah Tescher and Chad Cheeney.  In 2001, Sarah was teaching at the local middle school and leading an after-school mountain bike club and Chad was coaching at the local summer Mountain Bike Camp.  Both had a vision of creating a cycling program for Durango youth that taught not just how to race, but how to become life-long cyclist who care about their community.  In 2004,  Sarah and Chad believed the time had come.  The first group of Devo riders was a group of high school boys who are now either in college racing, coaching for Devo, or becoming professional cycling superstars (Tad Elliott).  Devo has growm from that into its now 173 members while also receiving federal 501-c3 status.  

Why Devo?

Devo is a cycling program that serves not only the local youth, but the community.  We create life-long cyclists by leading rides and guiding kids through skill development.  On any given day, while one coach is out on a ride with our U19 group getting ready for an upcoming race with special guest Todd Wells, another Devo coach is leading a group of low income Boys’ and Girls’ Club kids on donated bikes from Devo.  Our coaches are USA Cycling Certified and they have years of experience both with kids and with cycling.  Of our 15 coaches, 7 are professional riders and the other 8 could be if they weren’t so dedicated towards teaching kids to bike.  Our coaches’ are more like family than employees and this shows in our practices that are both
goal driven but alsoabout creating camaraderie amongst the groups.

So what is Devo?

Devo is:
-       skinned knees and safe heads
-       bongo drums and kids talking and laughing around the campfire the night before a big race
-       National Champions
-       Sock skidding on a gym floor after running for cover from a hail storm
-       Jumps, steep climbs, mashing gears, and shouts of glee!
-       A family of coaches who have a passion for teaching their passion of cycling
-       Team bonding and solo efforts to build self-esteem
-       Being a part of something you can be proud of
-       Encouragement to dream
-       Dreams that come true
-       Dreams that don’t come true, but having a coach’s support to show that the path was just as important
-       Believing in yourself, trusting yourself, and trying 100%
-       Friends
-       Two wheel commuting and transportation
-       Sharing
-       Giving back to the community (Trails2000, scholarships, Boys’ & Girls’ Club, 9R Bike Rodeo, Safe Routes, Fort Lewis Cycling)
-       Young ambassadors for Durango
-       Learning to love to suffer up a climb
-       Learning to nail a descent
-       Smiles and laughter

Nuts and Bolts of the Devo Camp:

Devo has been successful in the Durango community which is proven in both our results and the local kids’ smiles.  Devo wants to continue to create this love of cycling by providing a summer all-day camp for Durango kids who just want MORE as well as for out-of-town families who want their kids to experience the Devo magic of teaching mountain biking.

The Devo camp will be in one week segments Aug 2-6th  and 9-13th with the choice of one or two weeks (the 2nd week is much like the 1st).  The camp is for ages 7-14 years old.  Kids must have own bike and helmet (Devo does have some loaners).  The camp runs from 9-3pm with transportation on the DMR buses from downtown Durango (bikes loaded on Devo racks).

Coaches: 

Devo coaches will lead rides and serve as your kid’s camp counselor all day.

Groups: 

Kids will be placed in groups based upon ability (beg/int/adv)

Typical Day:

9 am Groups meet and drop off lunches
9:15 Talk about the day events
9:30 Skill Sesh in base area (film kids to show later)
10:30 Snack
10:45 Ride chair 4 to access more trails
12 lunch together at base area (Kids bring their own lunch and snack)
1:00 Bike Maintenance seminar
2:30 Show video of kids from skill sesh

Other camp activities include; special guest appearances,gravity skill sesh, bike fit, trail building, family ride for int/ advanced with shuttle support on the classic five star Hermosa Trail.


Max #: 30 kids (mostly due to bike transport)