Steamboat Locals focus on advocacy groups continues by casting a spotlight on an instrumental organization that is working to form a coalition to help get young women on bikes! The Cycle Effect supports involvement of young women in mountain biking and identifies the Yampa Valley as the ideal location for advocacy and inclusion
The Cycle Effect (TCE) is a 501(c)(3) with a mission to “empower young women through mountain biking to create brighter futures and build stronger communities on Colorado’s western slope.” Based out of Eagle, with a Routt County regional office led by Helen Beall, they support involvement in cycling by serving young women, and those who identify as such, between the ages of 10 – 18.
Beall has been working in the Yampa Valley nonprofit sector for the last 15 years. Owing to her depth of experience, it is no wonder that she was tapped by The Cycle Effect in 2022 to manage the Routt County Program. She joined TCE because it “aligned deeply” with her vision regarding what the community could and should be.
“The Cycle Effect imagines and works towards a more equitable world where outdoors spaces foster belonging and equal representation in the sport of mountain biking regardless of race, background, or priviledge,” said Beall. “We provide bikes, gear, transportation, bilingual coaching, and low-cost programming to eliminate barriers to the sport of mountain biking.”
Within the Yampa Valley, TCE plays a special role as being one of the few youth organizations that prioritizes equity for 70% of their participants who identify as BIPOC and/or Latina. The high concentration of trails, as well as easy access to them, makes the Steamboat Springs area an excellent location for advocacy work involving mountain bikes. Additionally, there is a welcoming atmosphere, as the community is very supportive of diversity and different demographics.
“It’s not an afterthought,” explained Beall. “All the work that we do is around the inclusion of these athletes and meeting all the barriers that these populations have historically had to this sport.”
She went on to explain that it can be hard for a young woman who has not been exposed to mountain biking previously to “imagine that they belong on a bike”.
“If you can remember the first time that you learned how to pedal a bike, the amount of freedom that comes with riding a bike is incredible,” said Beall. “So that’s what it takes. It takes putting these girls on bikes and creating a space where they feel like they belong.”
TCE enjoys a deep level of partnership with the school districts of Routt County. Further, they work with other youth-based organizations, such as the Boys and Girls Club of Northwest Colorado, as well as Partners for Youth, to ensure that TCE programming is available at many different levels throughout the community.
“This summer, we are working with Yampatika and Routt County Riders to provide programming and also for advocacy support, particularly with Routt County Riders,” said Beall.
Routt County Riders also supports the TCE through their Bike Match Program, which ensures that all the TCE athletes have bikes to ride even when they are at home.
“I feel like the Yampa Valley has rolled out the red carpet for our program as far as acceptance for what we do and who we serve,” said Beall.
In order to meet the needs of the expanding Hispanic demographics of the region, TCE has prioritized the hiring of bilingual coaches as well as onboarding bilingual volunteers to provide language support for each programming session. As a result, 40% of the coaches who are currently part of TCE are bilingual. Beall reiterated that bilingual support is “part of the programming and part of what we do”.
For Beall, the joy behind the work checks a lot of boxes personally, including sharing her deep love for mountain biking. She loves coaching young women and thrives on empowerment through participation in individual and team-based sports. Her work is the realization of her lifelong goal to build strong communities where everyone is included.
“Thinking about who our community is, who is not being seen on the trails, and making a space where the entire community can use the trails is another personal checkbox for me,” said Beall.
She also said that all the work in the present contributes to a brighter future by building an inclusive foundation in Routt County “where people share the stoke of mountain biking” with future generations from all walks of life.
More information about The Cycle Effect can be found on their website at https://www.thecycleeffect.org/.
And, don’t forget, Steamboat Locals is teaming up with Jon Wade and The Steamboat Group to help raise money for The Cycle Effect throughout July. For every song request made in the month of July, The Steamboat Group will donate $1 to Cycle Effect and $1 to Routt County Riders, up to $500 total! Find more details on our homepage.
In July, Steamboat Locals’ writer John Camponeschi will be presenting you a four-part series of stories about Steamboat advocacy groups that ensure equity and access to the great outdoors.
Read Part One – Colorado Women Flyfishers
The “Advocacy Groups Ensuring Equity & Access in the Outdoors” series of stories is proudly presented to you by Jon Wade and The Steamboat Group as a continuation of their commitment to “Keep Steamboat Special” by supporting non-profits and events that promote adventure and the active Steamboat lifestyle!