HD DEVO & SAFETY
The safety of our participants is a top priority for High Desert DEVO. Our risk management practices and procedures include annual Wilderness First Aid and MTB Coaching trainings, emergency response protocols & reporting, and a yearly review of all incident reporting. Take some time to review some of our core organizational documents here to get a better sense of how we communicate about and manage risk for our MTB programs.
FAQs
1. When do the seasons start/end?
Our spring season starts in late March to early April and runs through mid-to-late May
Our summer practices take place in the last two weeks of June and last two weeks of July.
Fall season starts mid-to-late August and ends in early October
2. What "levels" will be available, and how many students can join?
We have a few different ability levels, with some groups that are recreation-based in which riders are coming out to learn how to mountain bike and ride for fun with others. We also have a “Crank Girls” program, which provides girls an opportunity to ride with other girls specifically. Our Crank Girls programming is open to all abilities from first time mountain bikers to competitive riders. We also have groups for skill/competitive based riders who are looking at enhancing their fitness and technical skills to enable them to perform their best in races or at their highest personal level possible.
3. How long is the season?
Spring and Fall seasons are seven weeks long, and our summer sessions run for three consecutive days each.
4. What should interested parents & children know before joining?
Being able to ride a bike without training wheels on a paved path like a sidewalk or bike path is a prerequisite.
High Desert Devo is primarily an age-based program that places riders in teams based on similar ages, not their abilities. We believe that riders will learn the most by being with their same aged peer’s vs doing ability-based teams.
5. What if we don’t have enough money or equipment to get our kids started?
We have a fleet of bikes that can be loaned out in addition to other forms of support such as registration fees and gear lending (helmets, gloves, and packs). Parents or riders can apply for support on our website. www.highdesertdevo.org
6. What do you hope young people learn and take away from participating in about this sport?
Our mission is to empower the youth of Montezuma County by encouraging them to develop a lifelong passion for cycling. All of our coaches have had cycling impact their lives in a very positive way, by building confidence, resilience, grit, and an appreciation for escaping the modern distractions of technology-based life.
We hope that riders take away the belief that they can "Always Be Shredding!" We know and teach that being able to shred on a mountain bike is going to look different for everyone. For the first time rider it may look like just getting out there and trying something new, for another individual it may be riding that one climb or descent that has always gotten the best of them, and for yet another it may be sending jumps every chance they get!
Regardless of who the rider is, the concept is the same—A.B.S. is the heart of High Desert DEVO—celebrating the highs, pushing through the lows, and never riding alone. When you’re surrounded by good people who share your passion, you are part of something bigger than just a team—that’s what A.B.S. is all about.