High schools to offer mountain bike teams this fall for first time ever

“It’s mostly about getting kids on bikes and having fun”

For the first time in the history of Colorado high school sports, a mountain bike league is in place, offering another fall option for the athletically inclined.
Typically, as summer comes to a close, high school athletes kick off the fall season of football, soccer, volleyball and cross-country. This year, thanks to the efforts of Torrey Carroll, Matt Kuehlhorn and a host of other local mountain bike enthusiasts in the valley, high schoolers will have an opportunity to ride mountain bikes as a part of a team as well.
Kuehlhorn is having his first informational meeting for anyone interested in the Gunnison high school mountain bike team on Monday, August 16 at Mocha’s at 5:30 p.m.
To get more information or get involved with the Crested Butte high school team, contact Torrey Carroll at 349-0356 or email torreycarroll@msn.com.
The idea came about last spring, when Carroll was reading Velo News and found out that Colorado was going to have a high school mountain bike league for the first time ever, complete with four races.
Carroll, a math teacher at the Crested Butte Community School and a member of the Team Alpine Orthopaedics Cycling team, saw a chance to get something going at the Crested Butte school.
Several locals stepped up to offer assistance and Carroll decided to take the lead.
“We had a bunch of people that wanted to help out but no one wanted to run with it,” says Carroll.
Kuehlhorn is spearheading the effort at the Gunnison High School. After Dave Wiens put the word out on the Gunnison Trails website, Kuehlhorn was called into action.
“Dave Wiens recruited me to get involved,” says Kuehlhorn.
Kuehlhorn has a history with the sport, having dropped off his high school sports teams to ride his bike.
“I dropped out of track and field and cross-country to go race bikes with my buddies, but we didn’t have any kind of support,” says Kuehlhorn.
Carroll spent the better part of the spring and summer lining up seven local sponsors, Alpine Orthopaedics, the Alpineer, Dragon Sheet Metal, Mountain Flyer, High Mountain Concepts, Crested Butte Sports and Acli-Mate, to help cover the costs of the team and for a modest fee of $40, anyone high school age can join the team.
“All of them were really excited to help, so that’s been great,” says Carroll.
Currently, Carroll has eight riders on the team, two girls and six boys, ranging in abilities. While there are four races on the schedule, Carroll says the team isn’t focused on competition.
“It’s mostly about getting kids on bikes and having fun,” says Carroll. “We want them to have fun first. Then, if they want to try a race, they can.”
Kuehlhorn has a similar philosophy.
“I love working with kids and mountain biking can teach life skills and is a lifelong sport,” says Kuehlhorn.
Carroll has a list of local riders, mostly teachers, helping him out with John Starr, Josh Egedy, Janae Pritchett and Eszter Horanyi all on board.
“We’re going to work on skills, trail etiquette, being prepared for riding in the backcountry, and we’ll factor in a little bicycle maintenance,” says Carroll. “If there are others that want to be involved, we have room for sure.”
Kuehlhorn has a similar plan, “breaking down aspects of the bike and breaking down the specific skills on a bike. Talk about spinning as opposed to mashing.”
Right now, he has Gunnison high school counselor Sara Lamar helping him out.
Carroll and the team have three rides under their belt already and plan on getting three practices in per week throughout the season.
Carroll adds that there is plenty of room on the team for riders of all abilities, with or without equipment.
“If a kid doesn’t have a bike but wants to try it, we can make it work,” says Carroll.
The same is true in Gunnison.
“I want everyone from never-evers to kids that have raced or done a tremendous amount of biking,” says Kuehlhorn. “I don’t want a lack of resources as a reason not to join.”