Momentum in Motion: The Cycle Effect Rolls Into Garfield County

In 2024, The Cycle Effect reached more athletes than ever before. The Colorado-based nonprofit has been empowering young women for over a decade through mountain biking and mentorship. Last year, The Cycle Effect supported over 320 athletes across locations, the highest number to date, with 190 scholarships awarded to riders. Mujeres y Pedales — a bilingual mountain biking program for adult women — saw more enrollment than ever before with a 106% fill rate.

Now, The Cycle Effect continues to accelerate into 2025 with their recent expansion into Garfield County, making it the fifth Colorado county touched by this powerful community.

Photos courtesy of The Cycle Effect

“One of the most exciting things about working with The Cycle Effect is that we’re constantly thinking about how to expand our impact — to get more girls and women out on bikes and onto trails,” says Molly Gamble, director of programming for The Cycle Effect. “When we look at new communities, we ask a few key questions: Are there accessible trails that can support beginner riders? Is there a need for after-school or women’s wellness programming? And is there a network of community partners, schools and stakeholders who are invested in creating opportunities for girls and women?”

Garfield County, according to Gamble, checked all those boxes.

“Ultimately, Garfield County fits seamlessly into our broader vision of building regional hubs — places where we can grow deeper roots, expand opportunities and connect even more girls and women to the outdoors, mentorship and one another,” says Gamble.

Riders in Garfield County

Based in Eagle County and with successful programming now established in Summit, Mesa, Routt and Garfield counties, The Cycle Effect works with three primary goals in mind: physical wellness; community impact and mentorship; and building brighter futures. To accomplish this, The Cycle Effect uses mountain biking as the entry point to teach female-identifying and non-binary adolescents skills in confidence, mental health and love for the outdoors. The Cycle Effect reserves additional resources for Latina, BIPOC and low-income participants to help break down societal barriers and reach as many people as possible.

While The Cycle Effect’s mission and successes are already inspiring, the organization has plans to maintain this momentum, further building their communities and positively impacting riders across Colorado.

“Our vision is to empower thousands of young girls and women through our programs in the next three to five years and we are considering expanding into two to three additional communities across Colorado,” says Gamble. “But we don’t measure success by how fast we grow — we measure it by the depth of our impact and the strength of our relationships. By laying that groundwork intentionally, we hope to build regional models of growth that are rooted in community, supported by partnerships and powered by the young women and families who show up for each other, on and off the bike.”

To support this progressive program, donate at give.thecycleeffect.org. Through June, every dollar given to The Cycle Effect will be 100% matched, making now the perfect time to give.

To learn more, visit thecycleeffect.org or call 970.306.7572. 

This article is a sponsored spotlight.