The Cycle Effect serves BIPOC, Latina, and low-income young women, ages 10 to 18. Since 2012, The Cycle Effect’s mission has focused on empowering this group through mountain biking to create brighter futures and build stronger communities. Our year-round programming focuses on three main pillars that make up the goals and objectives set forth throughout the year: physical wellness, mentorship & community impact, and building brighter futures.
Our Girls Mountain Bike Program is designed to make mountain biking accessible, affordable, and inclusive, especially for young women of color.
The Cycle Effect works to provide young women equal opportunity and access to the sport of mountain biking. We aim to serve 70% of participants who identify as Latinx and/or Black, Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) and work to remove financial barriers while supporting social-emotional well-being for our participants. By centering our values of equity, compassion, belonging, thriving, courage and fun, we are committed to creating an organization that allows female-identifying and non-binary participants the opportunity to create brighter futures and build stronger communities.
"The Cycle Effect means the world to me. It makes me feel better about myself both physically and mentally. I find solace and peace in riding, and I know that if I have a problem I can lower my stress and up my happiness by riding, but I can also look to the older girls and coaches for advice."
- Cycle Effect Athlete
"It means believing in yourself even if it’s hard. It means that no matter where you are from or how you live, you are welcome and all the people in The Cycle Effect welcome you. It means so much to me, it’s more than a team, it's a family. It’s somewhere I can go and know I am going to be supported and it’s a place of love and kindness."
- Cycle Effect Athlete
"We knew that TCE had impacted [Vanessa's] life in so many ways but when my husband and I read [a writing piece she did for language arts], we were speechless. Thank you so much for all the work you all do to empower Latinas."
- Parent of Cycle Effect Athlete
"When I was going through a lot of bullying in middle school, I went to one of my coaches and she helped me to realize that life is the same as riding a bike. You’re going to fall down but you’ve got a team to help you get back up and guide you through the hard trails. If it weren’t for this program, girls like me wouldn’t be able to experience the outdoors in this way and be a part of this family."
- Cycle Effect Athlete
The Cycle Effect empowers young women (ages 10-18) through mountain biking to create brighter futures and build stronger communities.
The Cycle Effect’s journey first began in Eagle County in 2012, where our first team of Latina young women were introduced to the sport of mountain biking. Recognizing barriers to the sport and outdoors, TCE continued to build programming to serve this specific demographic. We have since expanded programming to Summit County (2014), Mesa County (2020), and Routt County (2022). Being along the Western Slope provides us with an abundance of outdoor recreation sites that make it the perfect location to foster a more inclusive outdoor environment. However, we have experienced many factors that limit BIPOC and low-income youth from recreating and feeling a sense of peace, inclusion, and empowerment that nature and mountain biking so often provides.
The average cost to get involved in the sport of mountain biking for an individual is anywhere from $3,000 to $5,000. To combat this, TCE provides year-round programming at a cost of $200 per participant, while also providing scholarships for those unable to afford this fee. Understanding that cost and accessibility is one of the biggest barriers to the sport and outdoor recreation, TCE makes access to recreation possible without pushing families beyond their economic means. In addition, we understand transportation to local trails and after-school programs pose an additional barrier. TCE provides transportation for athletes and intentionally holds practices at convenient locations that are accessible for students directly after school.
Organization name
The Cycle Effect
other names
TCE
2012
Tax id (EIN)
46-0961369
Category
Youth Development
Address
0116 East 3rd Ave. PO Box 1503Eagle County, CO, US
Routt County, CO, US
Mesa County, CO, US
Summit County, CO, US